Throwback Comics: Lords of the Ultra-Realm

So about a week ago, I found a complete run of a miniseries, with the subsequent special, called Lords of the Ultra-Realm. This book was published in 1986, and has largely amazing art and writing. Here's one of the covers:

Pretty awesome cover, right? Well, the interior artwork is much the same. Lots of lines, details, and of course, 80's styling.

Honestly, when I started reading this, I was blown away. There's layers of story; characters that are complex, even if they are stereotypes of the age; and a plot that isn't lazy. I felt like I was experiencing something akin to what Jeffro did with his Appendix N research: an overlooked, undervalued and unjustly dismissed story that should be held as an example of good storytelling.

Now, the story does drift into left New Age directions here and there, but even then, it doesn't come across as preachy. Even in being derivative, it's more original than most comic books today, even the science fiction and fantasy being done today. It was an age for miniseries, great creativity, and what killed it? Watchmen, apparently. It succeeded too well, and comics followed those examples instead of pursuing the type of work that made it happen in the first place.

Now, I think I want to track down some more from this era. I'm going hunting for Sonic Disrupters next.

When you play Social Justice, the world loses.