The Delicate Balance of Alternate Realities

Alternate realities have become a staple of pop-culture. Most of us have been exposed to them by now in some form thanks to shows like Rick and Morty and Loki heavily relying on them for their story structures and to generate new and interesting scenarios for their characters to encounter. That’s ultimate their purpose in story-telling; taking characters we are already acquainted with and putting them in unique situations that would otherwise be impossible in their everyday lives.

For years, alternate realities have been a way for Marvel and DC to create new stories for their well-worn characters to explore. Batman and Spider-Man have been through nearly everything at this point, so it makes sense that they would need a radical change in scenery in order to help generate new ways for those characters to change. Yet, it feels as if this is a staple that has become so relied upon that it’s a tired trope (in comics anyway). “What if” stories pop up everywhere in hopes of grabbing the attention of at least a few consumers and further profit off of characters that have been through it all.

So what makes a “good” alternate reality? First, let’s define what I view to be a positive or productive iteration of the idea. The best of these tales not only places a familiar character in a new life, but looks to expand upon the characters or ideas the story features that might not otherwise be possible. There’s a purpose beyond the “I think that could be fun;” that’s an important element of it, but that can’t be all it is, at least not anymore. If a writer is going to go to the effort (or in some cases, the lack of effort) to have readers follow them down this new path, there should be a reason for us to want to do so and a pay-off that rewards that investment.

I could mutter to myself about the semantics of this all day long, but let’s take a look at some examples, ie recommendations, that I think you should check out if you haven’t or revisit if you have. I’ll be leaning heavily on Marvel for this exercise, since that’s my primary base of superhero comic knowledge, but I’d love for folks to recommend me some great DC stories in the comments for me to check out!

The Ultimate Universe

Easily the most influential and most important of these examples, the Ultimate Universe changed how superhero comics were being created. Say what you will of the quality, as much of the franchise isn’t fantastic when looking back, this iteration of the Marvel lore looked to update fans’ favorite stories in a way that both modernized how they were written and made it so new readers could easily hop on board and follow along with everyone else. I likely wouldn’t be here writing this if not for the influence of reading some of the series in my youth.

This radical and new writing style has become the default way in which most comics are written today, taking on the charismatic voice that you’ll often find in today’s superhero films. The inspirations for most of Marvel film catalogue can be traced in part to how those characters were portrayed in this world. It’s hard to downplay just how important these books were, even if most of them don’t hold up by today’s standards.

I’m currently making my way through the entire Ultimate catalogue (in part the impetus for this article), so you’ll likely be seeing more of my thoughts on this in the near future. But if I was to point you to a specific series to check out in the meantime, Brain Michael Bendis’ run on Spider-Man is legendary for all the right reasons. Take the time to try it out for yourself if you haven’t.

Old Man Logan

Meant as a deviation from the regularly released Wolverine stories at the time, the world of Old Man Logan showed fans an America conquered by supervillains, where most heroes had died years ago and kingpins of crime had split the US into territories to rule over. Logan, no longer going by his heroic moniker, is persuaded to go an a journey with a blind Hawkeye in hopes of recovering some goods that might help them pay off their rent and survive another month in this desolate wasteland.

What makes this story so special is that it takes the overly confident, sometimes blood-thirsty warrior we’ve come to know and made him hesitant, reluctant, and self-doubting. Putting Logan at his lowest point from the start, yet giving him stakes in the form of his family, we see a side of the character that can be overlooked in modern tales featuring him.

And while the world is full of references to what this or that character has been up to, it’s done with purpose rather than just for the namedrop. Every choice feels deliberate, and it makes the journey feel that much fuller by the time we reach the conclusion.

And for those who liked the original, there are other “Old Man” stories to explore, meaning that there’s a moderate amount of content for anyone invested in the idea. However, nothing can quite top the original’s succinct scope and emotional core.

Marvel 1602

An easy way to create a new status quo is to set your characters in a different time, and while Marvel has seen its share of the future through the 2099 books, 1602 takes them to the past, limiting how they express their powers in ways that are far more original. How are mutants perceived in this brand new world? How does SHIELD operate as a spy network for the Queen of England? So much of the Marvel world is fleshed out in only a handful of issues, and every page is a treat, brought to life through Andy Kubert’s pencils and Richard Isanove’s digital paints.

And I think that’s what make this story stand above the other time-displaced tales; the sheer talent on display is staggering. Everything about the narrative is well-crafted and makes the reader feel transported to another time. And with only 8-issues to tell the tale, it’s astounding how memorable it all feels when thinking back on it.

There have been a few other side-stories that may be worth visiting if you’re so inclined, but Marvel hasn’t released anything quite like this as far as I can remember. If the premise catches you and the art grabs your eye, there’s no reason not to give it a shot for yourself.

Secret Wars (2015)

While a larger-than-life event at its core, Secret Wars acts not only as a lengthy narrative thread for Jonathan Hickman to flex his world-building skills, but a means to provide the Marvel universe a soft-reboot. With the mini-series touting a variety of alternate universes, Hickman explores an idea that has been tried many times before; how heroes react when their world has been reformed into something “better.” Stories like House of M and Heroes Reborn (2021) have attempted this and failed due to the misrepresentation of characters in the former, a lack of build-up/pay-off in the latter, and a feeling of “been there, done that” at times in both.

Secret Wars, on the other hand, had been built up for 5 years prior to it’s eventual conclusion, journeying through multiple other titles to establish that something was going terribly wrong with the world before coming to a cataclysmic head. So many character beats are built upon and paid off over the course of the adventure, and the idea of alternate realities is used both as a motivation for the characters and a setting in the latter portions of the tale.

Simply put, this grand adventure exposes readers to many, many interesting ideas without feeling the need to linger on them unless there is some substance worth investigating. While many mini-series sprung off of it, the event itself is superbly written and incredibly satisfying, especially if you take the time to explore the full reading list leading up to it.

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I hope that this article has given you some new stories to check out and given you a perspective to consider alternate realities from as the release of the What If? TV show grows near. Be sure to leave your recommendations below, and I’ll be talking with ya’ll again real soon!