One of the more novel ideas Malibu used to promote their Ultraverse line from within was the Ultraverse Premiere “floating flip book.”
From March of 1994 to February 1995, UP would appear as a flip-book published on the reverse side of a different Ultraverse core title. One month, UP was published as the flip side of Rune; the next month UP was published as the flip side of Mantra.
Taking its lead from the #0 issue of November 1993, UP consisted of three short stories featuring three different Ultraverse heroes and villains. It acted as a springboard for new characters, such as Ripfire, allowed for group book characters like The Strangers’ Lady Killer to receive some solo attention, or to show how Ultras affected their world.
It was also a clever excuse to get readers of UP to pick up titles they would otherwise have avoided.
Most importantly, it was a noble experiment the likes of which hasn’t been duplicated to the same extent. There have always been back-up features and flip-books, but never to the same full-length degree Malibu attempted.
Yet another reason to miss the Ultraverse.
