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Underground > Comic Books >

Paradise X

Mister Six, whom all the girls

13:12 / 24.01.03

No really.

I'm that one guy with a college degree buying the thing. I'm not suggesting that you guys would like this, but there are definitely themes you should be aware of that are being explored here. The basic idea seems to be similar to puppets cutting their own strings, freeing themselves from their roles.

ONE: The Ragnarok Special (Just like Marvel to have a two issue special devoted to something like Ragnarok) opens with Loki disguised as Thor, Thor and Surtur in tow disguised as Ingiga and Fenris, waltzing up the ranbow bridge to free the Asgardian Gods from their identities. As the enter the gates of Asgard, they freely swap forms, since they are aware that they are really shapeless blobs, as much one thing as the other. It is revealed that they are only forced into their idioms by Odin's will. So... it's a war with Odin to free the beings from his control. They 'kill' the Asgardians by convincing them that they never really were Gods, only shaped after myth and are now free.

TWO: the Realm of the Dead has been destroyed, causing people to lay in agony with nowhere to go. Doctor Strange and Reed Richards enlist an obscure character called the Entropic Man to synthesize his 'death touch' and administer death to only certain cases.

THREE: The Realm of Limbo is inhabited by lost souls who will not accept that they are dead and belive that the battles they started in their waking lives continue forever. Captain America keeps visiting this realm to 'free' the souls from this lie to go up to the heaven he and other heroes are creating (more on that in FOUR).

FOUR: The 'heroes' are making their own heaven by ingesting bits of the cosmic cube... only to escape into pocket realities ruled by Mephisto.

These are all terribly geeky issues that only appeal to a reader that read a Hell of a lot of Marvel over the years, but I thought it would do the lither good to be aware that the idea of molding reality to fit your needs and escaping situations that are not reality only to escape into another lie would sound interesting.

14:16 / 24.01.03

No, you're that other guy...

I've not bought this for a while, though it's all still in my pull-bag. It's better read in large chunks, anyway. Jim Krueger is an enormous Morrison fan (esp. Animal Man and Zenith.)

Mister Six, whom all the girls

14:23 / 24.01.03

And a nice guy, too. I've been talking to him about redesigning his horrible website. He offered a free copy of the Earth-X HC, but I'd just gotten it for 40 bucks on ebay... it's amazing, by the way.

Paradise X is a bit better than Universe in that it tries to get rid of the narrative that so many readers hate.

Glad to see that one other person is reading this!

14:36 / 24.01.03

Earth X was my favourite, because it's more streamlined, and because I love the J.P. Leon art. #0 hooked me after I'd seen the sketchbooks; very touching story, I thought, but with grand scale backgrounds. Poor X-51...

Krueger's website is horrible.

Spyder Todd 2008

00:24 / 23.08.03

I was wondering who else read this stuff...
I honestly believe that the 'X' trilogy is the most important Marvel book ever. Really. Ok, so it's really really confusing if you don't know the back stories, but it does try to explain who the basic characters are, right. I think Earth X and it's offspring are rather like Crisis on Infinite Earths but for Marvel, just writen with a better sense of direction. The entire Marvel Universe is all Rick Jones fault!!!
I can't wait til issue X, by the way.

00:43 / 23.08.03

I had read a few issues of Earth X, and found the first couple in the quarter box at my local. Damn, that John Paul Leon guy is good.

13:37 / 23.08.03

So it seems I've found my people. Again, on Barbelith.

I've been reading the whole thing, start to finish, and am amazed at the shere quantity and strength of pulling together of polarized Marvel concepts into one cohesive universe. I actually prefer Universe to Paradise. There's stuff going on in Paradise that continues to make no sense to me and if X-51 or Kyle Richmond or Scott Summers/Phoenix or somebody woud do a little more narration, I wouldn't be disgusted...

I mean, I get the destruction of opposites thing that's occurring in A, but Xen was weak and limp, Ragnarok was sweet but not as cathartic as I'd hoped, the whole series seems everywhere, whereas Universe was the very obvious Quest and Earth had the War. I mean, I sit back and try to find why we even dealt with the Punisher, except to fit a new movie icon in the damn trilogy. Where'd the Iron Maiden go? Didn't she say she was gonna go get the Eternals? The Black Knight AND Reject got killed by the Sword of Death and they're still alive... Aparrently Phoenix knows everything, but she's content being one-of-the-guys in the holy host. got What pisses me off most is that some of the characters KNOW that the Celestial seed HAS no "levels" and they are only manifestations of what they want to be, or what others need them to be, and STILL they don't become uber-gods and end this bullshit parade.

Solitaire Rose as Tom Servo

16:38 / 23.08.03

I'm reading it, because I am a huge fanboy, but the problem I have with the series is, is that it is almost ALL "Easter Eggs". Throwing in concepts no one has mentioned in comics in ages (Kirby's Celetrials? Have they even been used by Marvel since Roy Thomas left?), lots of "this is the kid of this person and that person". Hearing that it was all conceived by Alex Ross, I have to conclude that if he couldn't paint, he'd be running a VERY geeky version of the Marvel Super-Heroes Role Playing Game.

But, I'm a fanboy, so I like it, when I can figure out who's who.

22:07 / 23.08.03

I haven't read any of the Earth X books - although I too am a big fanboy and in addition to all the Barbelith-type comics I read, I read lots of others that are never discussed on this site. The whole Earth X thing seemed like the sort of thing that would be fun to read for free (i.e. some friend loans me their paperbacks) on a summer day or a plane ride. Not something I want to spend my cash on.

21:58 / 28.08.03

why be ashamed of reading earth x? it's fab! i was put off universe and paradise because of the not-john paul leon art (and cutting back on comic intake) but having read these positive comments i think i might try and pick them up.

don't be afraid to geek out though. a comic doesn't have to be mature, small press or by alan moore to worthwhile, as long as you get a kick out of it. nobody's gonna take my rocket raccoons away from me!

Spyder Todd 2008

01:09 / 29.08.03

See, and I started Universe before Earth, so I liked the Universe art better. It's much cleaner. But I really like most of Leon's work on Earth X. Chesed, I think the problem with Paradise that I'm currently having is that I haven't gone back to check my place and reread everything. This is so bloody huge that you have to keep reminding yourself what's happening and why. I totally forgot Reject and Black Knight were dead. What the Hell is going on, anyway?

Ragnarok was cool, and the ending was unsuspected but made sense. My problem with it was just the lack of importance. Nothing of real consequence happened. And, as cool as the dead Fing Fang Fom was, I agree, Xen was bleh.

Mister Six, whom all the girls

01:25 / 03.09.03

I even geeked out enough to get the Earth X hardcover set (at half price), complete with a CD ROM featuring interview (very bad) a cinematic scenes (not bad... I guess) give a look here:

http://www.comics2film.com/EarthX.shtml

and the two disc soundtrack... actually... I admit to listening to it a lot. Weird thing, actually composing a soundtrack to a comic series.

Also, a killer poster of the Celestials marching on Manhattan.

I'd post more comments on the series, but I think it would amount to 'wasn't it cool when...' statements. Like I loved the use of the Celestials. And tying Wolverine to Devil Dinosaur and Moon Boy was sheer genius. Also, Krueger writes Peter Parker better than anybody if you ask me and Loki saying 'Next time I get to be Surtur' was hilarious. Kruger does an outstanding job of weaving a net of the various storylines Marvel has told, a net that supports why Marvel Comics are so cool... some of the time.

23:15 / 03.09.03

I read Earth X and enjoyed it immensely. I really dug the concept-superheroes as antibodies for the Celestial embryo. I never picked up the Universe or Paradise X series. What are each about? And does Wolverine(Future Past) kill Wolverine(married to Madelyne)?

Spyder Todd 2008

00:01 / 04.09.03

No, he does something even better. He shatters everything the Earth X Wolverine ever believed in, which ultimately frees him.
Six, they've closed that link. I've never seen the cinema scenes or heard the soundtrack. Oh well.

Keith, like a scientist

01:20 / 10.02.05

ok, so i know what you are thinking? why resurrect this topic?

well, i never got in on it when people were discussing it, and last week I got the bug in me to read all 3 series back to back. Just finished tonight...and was wondering if anyone was curious about picking up discussion now that's it's all over?

most importantly: Issue #X = WHAT??? That's it?!?!

Let me get this straight. Paradise is something that Mar-Vell constructed to protect everyone in the universe from the Celestials and the Elders trying to re-create the universe that existed prior to this? That, they were pooling all the energy in the universe (mult-verse, I guess) in the Realm of the Dead until they had it all or something?

And Mar-Vell is now going off to find the "Core Reality"? What IS the Core Reality, exactly? is the implication that it is our real world?

and Reed is Eternity? and we never find out what happens with Iron Maiden, the Eternals, and Cable?

I have the feeling that there was another series planned, but sales lagged on this series to the point where they didn't go forward...

Unfortunate. Because Paradise X was a lot better than the very muddy Universe X. Of course, neither one measures up to the spectacular original, Earth X. Jeez, I remember reading the Sketchbook and the completely amazing Earth X #0 over and over again for an entire month waiting for the next issue... totally mindblowing series... (geek off).

Mister Six, whom all the girls

12:16 / 10.02.05

As I recall, there were additional issues along with X, including A and B. All got the axe when editorial decided to 'clean house' of any superfluous comics not destined to bring in money from a movie tie in. This soured Alex Ross (rumor has it) as it was at least 60% his baby.

For the specific questions... I'd have to re-read it. I recall the ending being a major mental explosion and a bit too much/too fast but the rings in the great ash tree representing the numerous iterations of the Marvel U with the central core being the original pitches of each character By Stan, Buscema, Kirby, Ditko and Heck was ingenious. I think a hidden jab at the the Ultimate U is in there too if memory serves. Something about how the farher you get from the center the less it has to do with the original concept.

Very glad to see someone paying attention to this. It's really a dense comic with all it's characters, stories and messages, etc. We'll never see anything like it again.

Keith, like a scientist

13:35 / 10.02.05

"A" came out, but I don't remember a "B."

I, for one, thinks it needs some serious examination. I feel like there are some fantastic concepts buried in it's density...the ending is pretty wild. I missed that thing about the original pitches being the core reality! I have read that again. In Ragnorak, I would bet?

Spyder Todd 2008

16:25 / 10.02.05

Yay! I remeber this thread! My favorite book (that very few people liked and got screwed by editorial) being talked about again!

I'll actually have something meaningful to say when I'm not at work and can think, but I'd like to point out that Kreuger and Ross have said they're planning a sketchboooky thing called "Tales from Universe X" or something that addresses issues left benind because of Editorial bullshit...