The Ultimate End..... for real?

[DIrishB]

I came across this, found it interesting,

http://captionbox.net/loosepages/?p=382

he figures out roughly that the UU is moving roughly 4 times faster than the MU, and in 5 years it will be caughten up with the MU, and in effect become completley redundant

5 years and counting (even though I'd say that it'll be alot sooner)

This could be good news. If it survives that long, after 5 years the writers/editors will be forced to write completely original stories in the Ultimate universe! Just imagine!

:roll:

Well, if this guy's right it could mean several things. The Ultimate Universe could be considered redundant and be done away with post haste.... But I like to think that once it catches the Marvel universe it can tell much more original stories using the more unique aspects of it's continuity. Wolverine can be depowered.... forever. Doom has goat legs, the FF can use realistic science (maybe). Spider-man seems to slowly be diverging from source material, even as his mainstream part goes back to it's roots. And the Ultimates... Well, they're probably screwed either way.

Whoops!

Pearl beat me to it.

I completely agree. (Obviously).

That's absolutely awesome.

And it's such an obvious problem that requires the Ultimate universe to do something so inherent to it's existence that it's shocking it isn't - invent new things. The Ultiverse just strip mined the Marvel universe and when that resource runs out... what happens? Magneto shows up again and again. It becomes redundant as the man says.

Just like the Batman cartoon gave the comics Harley, this should've given some terrific things by creating them.

There are, in Ultimate Spidey, two new things: Kong, and Geldoff. Kong is good, but that's it. We need more new stuff, not Bendis looking for more and more obscure villains from Spidey's past to 'ultimize'. Same goes for the other titles.

Damn shame.

See, I don't mind a certain degree of dependancy on the 616 stories. However, I agree that the Ultimate universe in general has still relied far too heavily on the 616 versions of the stories, changing minor things in useless or uninteresting ways, thereby turning the possibility of an interesting and novel reimagining of an existing character or plot line into a mere gimmick.

*sigh*

 

[The Overlord]

That's absolutely awesome.

And it's such an obvious problem that requires the Ultimate universe to do something so inherent to it's existence that it's shocking it isn't - invent new things. The Ultiverse just strip mined the Marvel universe and when that resource runs out... what happens? Magneto shows up again and again. It becomes redundant as the man says.

Just like the Batman cartoon gave the comics Harley, this should've given some terrific things by creating them.

There are, in Ultimate Spidey, two new things: Kong, and Geldoff. Kong is good, but that's it. We need more new stuff, not Bendis looking for more and more obscure villains from Spidey's past to 'ultimize'. Same goes for the other titles.

Damn shame.

I know I'm going to sound like a broken record, but there is another thing timm better than bendis and many other Ultimate writers, better use of B-list rogues.

The problem with the UU is it was moving to fast, so perhaps they should have slowed down by focusing on smaller stories, instead of being in a rush to adapt everything in the 616 universe. For example instead of trying to bring in deadpool or Omega red so quickly, why not give Ultimate trapster a mini arc? If Timm could make BTAS Clock King cool, I'm sure Bendis could do the same thing with Trapster. Instead of trying to adapt as many big characters and events as fast as you can, they should have tried focusing on giving interesting twists to smaller characters.

 

[Bass]

Yep. With ya.

 

[The Overlord]

Yep. With ya.

You know, one problem is they tried to make every story epic, which means you have to raise the raise stakes for ever story. That worked with the Ultimates because because they only did two story arcs every volume, but the other titles suffered because of it. Sometimes a small off beat story can work just as well and its different from having epic story lines all the time. The UU would seem better paced if break up the epic story lines with a few off beat ones.

 

[Bass]

Actually, if you remember, the THE ULTIMATES did LOADS of small stories. The first half of the volume was 6 small stories that linked together. The second half was the big arc.

 

[Pearl]

Ultimate X-Men did a lot of small stories, like Blockbuster, all of Brian Vaughn's except the end, and a bit from Kirkman. Ultimate Spider-Man has just begun such a small story with Amazing Friends, and the UFF Annuals plus Mike Carey's earthbound arcs never really out the world in danger. Bass Covered Ultimates. I like the pacing fine. /bias

 

[The Overlord]

Ultimate X-Men did a lot of small stories, like Blockbuster, all of Brian Vaughn's except the end, and a bit from Kirkman. Ultimate Spider-Man has just begun such a small story with Amazing Friends, and the UFF Annuals plus Mike Carey's earthbound arcs never really out the world in danger. Bass Covered Ultimates. I like the pacing fine. /bias

Amazing Friends is pretty recent and there haven't been many small stories besides that. Plus Amazing friends isn't even finished at the moment, i doubt any story with magneto could be called off beat. Every story with Ock, Gobby, Kingpin and the symbiotes was epic or at least tried to be. USM really does lack off beat stories. USM is the biggest offender of this, they tried to cover too much too quickly and burned themselves out. Giving deadpool his own arc so he can be UU was a mistake for an example. The pacing is all off for uSM.

Actually, if you remember, the THE ULTIMATES did LOADS of small stories. The first half of the volume was 6 small stories that linked together. The second half was the big arc.

But the ultimates volumes are almost like comic book versions of a Hollywood blockbuster, so those are almost sub plots you would find in one movie, rather than separate stories, it works for them because they only had to fill 13 issues at a time.

 

[Bass]

But the ultimates volumes are almost like comic book versions of a Hollywood blockbuster, so those are almost sub plots you would find in one movie, rather than separate stories, it works for them because they only had to fill 13 issues at a time.

I still maintain it would've been the bestest thing ever if THE ULTIMATES 2 had been released as a full ~300 page hardback.

(That said... if it had... I wouldn't have ever joined Ultimate Central. Neither would've Mooney or countless others...)

 

[Gemini]

Ultimates Omnibus: Ultimates Vol. 1 #1-13, & Ultimates Vol. 2 #1-13

Marvel! Make it so!

 

[Zombipanda]

There are, in Ultimate Spidey, two new things: Kong, and Geldoff. Kong is good, but that's it. We need more new stuff, not Bendis looking for more and more obscure villains from Spidey's past to 'ultimize'. Same goes for the other titles.

and Kong is just Bendis fantasizing that he's dating a hot Jewish girl and buddies with Spider-Man.

 

[E]

Ultimates Omnibus: Ultimates Vol. 1 #1-13, & Ultimates Vol. 2 #1-13

Marvel! Make it so!

I'm sure it's just a matter of time. I'd be shocked if they didn't.

 

[Ice]

I'm sure it's just a matter of time. I'd be shocked if they didn't.

Yeah, it's definitely a matter of time. The Millar & Hitch collection? They know it'll sell out. Someone call Gabriel and make him do it now!


Hell, I think I'd even buy it.

 

[Bass]

and Kong is just Bendis fantasizing that he's dating a hot Jewish girl and buddies with Spider-Man.

I like Kong. I think you're being a bit too harsh.

 

[Ice]

I like Kong. I think you're being a bit too harsh.

I agree.

 

[Bass]

I agree.

I don't agree with that.

 

[The Overlord]

Anyway if they did reboot the UU, what would you like to see changed?

 

[Pearl]

Tighter continuity, for sure. No screw ups with the Fantastic Four, no dangling Geldoff, no Ultimates 3. As an imprint, it would be nice if the themes established could continue to dominate the stories. X-men in particular strayed from it's roots with Millar a lot and mostly ditched Xavier's peaceful war.

What I think is going to happen, though, isn't a reboot. They're either discontinuing it (not likely), or reducing it's size (plausible), or just redecorating to get a lot of the old fans back (my theory). This could be the outcome of Ultimatum, if done correctly (very small chance).

I could see a post-apocalyptic future, if done as realistically as everything else, as a good direction to go. The only title that wouldn't work that way is Ultimate Spider-man. Come to think of it, they would have to cancel it, and that won't happen.

Most likely we'll get retold origins, new characters to replace the temporarily dead ones, etc. The only thing to hope for is that Loeb's replacement(s) are somehow able to fix everything.

 

[E]

Tighter continuity, fewer villains of the week type stories, Nothing cosmic like Thanos (the Chitauri in Ultimates was a perfect way to handle aliens). Fewer mutants. Far less costumes (New X-Men's leather jackets would have worked well in the UU).

Less superhero-y altogether. Less issues about fighting. More mature stories.

Only big name creators on the titles, like the All-Star line at DC. If that means delays between issues, so be it.

 

[Ice]

(New X-Men's leather jackets would have worked well in the UU).

I remember Millar had something like that in the beggining. It helped the X-Men hide from the Sentinels so they wouldn't be detected as mutants. That would be awesome to have as part of the costume and not just a one-time use.

But everything else you said I also agree on.

 

[E]

I remember Millar had something like that in the beggining. It helped the X-Men hide from the Sentinels so they wouldn't be detected as mutants. That would be awesome to have as part of the costume and not just a one-time use.

But everything else you said I also agree on.

Oh - thanks for reminding me:

No f'ing Sentinels. STUPID.