Amalgam is back! According to British comic book artist Barry Kitson revealed on his private Facebook art collecting group that Marvel Comics and DC Comics will be reprinting many of their famous inter-company crossover events, including DC vs. Marvel, JLA/Avengers, and of course, the Amalgam comic mashups that came out of the DC vs. Marvel crossovers.
Kitson wrote on the news, “Marvel and DC are collaborating on reprinting many of the Amalgam titles… and the crossover events.”
What Was Amalgam Comics?
Amalgam Comics was a short-lived imprint published by Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the mid-1990s. It emerged as a result of a collaboration between the two comic book giants. The concept behind Amalgam Comics was to create a shared universe where characters from both Marvel and DC were combined to form new, amalgamated characters. This was done as part of a crossover event called “Marvel vs. DC” or “DC vs. Marvel,” which featured a series of intercompany crossover miniseries.
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In these miniseries, characters from both universes were pitted against each other in battles determined by fan votes. At the conclusion of the event, the universes were merged to form the Amalgam Universe, where amalgamated versions of popular characters existed. Some of the notable Amalgam characters included:
- 1. Dark Claw: A combination of Batman and Wolverine.
- 2. Super-Soldier: A fusion of Superman and Captain America.
- 3. Spider-Boy: Blending Spider-Man and Superboy.
- 4. Doctor Doomsday: A mix of Doctor Doom and Doomsday.
- 5. Iron Lantern: A combination of Iron Man and Green Lantern.
- 6. Lobo the Duck: A combination of Lobo and Howard the Duck.
Amalgam Comics produced a limited series of comic books featuring these characters, each with their own unique stories and adventures. However, the imprint was relatively short-lived, with only a handful of issues published. Despite its brevity, Amalgam Comics remains a fascinating and memorable crossover event in comic book history, showcasing the creative potential of combining iconic characters from different universes.
Wait…DC and Marvel Comics Have Crossed Over Before?
Yes, and they have done for over 50 years. The history of Marvel/DC crossovers dates back to the 1970s, and they have occurred sporadically since then. These crossovers are typically special events where characters from Marvel Comics and DC Comics interact with each other, often in alternate universes or in one-shot stories. Some of the key cross-overs have included the following:
- Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man (1976): This was the first official crossover between Marvel and DC Comics. It featured Superman teaming up with Spider-Man to defeat the villains Lex Luthor and Doctor Octopus. The comic was a huge success and paved the way for future crossovers.
- Marvel and DC Present (1982): This was a treasury-sized one-shot comic featuring collaborations between Marvel and DC creators. It included stories such as The Hulk vs. Superman and Batman vs. The Incredible Hulk.
- Secret Wars II (1985): While not a traditional crossover, the Marvel event Secret Wars II saw the Beyonder visiting the DC Universe and interacting with characters like Superman and the Spectre.
- DC vs. Marvel (1996): This crossover event involved characters from both universes interacting due to a cosmic mishap. Notable matchups included Batman vs. Captain America and Superman vs. the Hulk.
- Amalgam Comics (1996): As already mentioned, Amalgam Comics was a crossover event that resulted in the creation of a shared universe where characters from Marvel and DC were combined to form new, amalgamated characters.
- JLA/Avengers (2003-2004): This was a four-issue miniseries written by Kurt Busiek and illustrated by George Pérez. It featured the Justice League of America teaming up with the Avengers to prevent the destruction of both universes. The series was highly anticipated and well-received by fans.
What Do We Know About the Reprints?
Not very much. What we know comes from a leak of a post in Barry Kitson’s private Facebook art collector group. He shared the following:
“Marvel and DC are collaborating on reprinting many of the Amalgam titles including Magneto and the Magnetic Men, and the crossover events including the Batman/Punisher books. To this end they have asked for any extras they can include in the new versions – I don’t have too many originals left, but if any one on the group have any of the pages and are willing to share scans please do let me know. In the mean time one of the things I did uncover are these unused cover thumbnails for Batman/ Punisher – hope you enjoy seeing them here first! :-)”
– Barry Kitson
We will report further as more information becomes available. It should be interesting to hear more about this information and what will come of the re-releases of the previous crossovers. Some type of Amalgam Marvel Legends or crossover action figures from McFarlane Toys or Hasbro would be nice. They shouldn’t end this at reprinting older comics alone and think about creating some actual new merchandise for the fans.
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Will you be picking up the Amalgam reprints? Do you still have the originals in your collection? Are you a fan of the past Marvel Comics and DC Comics crossovers? What did you think of the 1990s mega-crossover event? What about JLA/Avengers from the 2000s? Let us know in the comments or via our social media.
SOURCE: Bleeding Cool
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