Contest Of Champions (2015) - Al Ewing
The Grandmaster and the Collector, using Maestro and Punisher 2099 as their team "managers," pit a motley crew of heroes and villains plucked from alternate worlds, futures, and even death to fight for them over mysterious "iso-8" crystals which give them power. I saw a lot of chatter online about how bad this as, so wasn't expecting much, but I was very pleasantly surprised. It's witty, fun, hits all the right buttons in terms of wacky alternate versions of characters, and has a lot of heart (the story is bookended with what happens to Outlaw, the "British Punisher" who decides to give it all up and try to be more heroic). I thoroughy enjoyed this one. [4]
