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Ultimate Universe: Cataclysm - Ultimate Universe No Mor-- Wait A Second...
fredzilla
Posts: 2,131
According to Bleeding Cool and Comic Book Resources, Marvel is doing away with (at least that's the perception) the Ultimate Universe. Instead of bitching and moaning about how Marvel is destroying something I have enjoyed throughout the years and how this is the final straw and I'm never buying another comic from them again, I just want to say thank you for such a fun ride. Ultimate Spider-Man is what cemented my journey back into comics and I was finally able to pick up a #1 at the Denver Comic Con '13. I've enjoyed nearly all of the books and they will continue to bring me much joy.
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For some reason that I can't really define, the upcoming Cataclysm storyline is the first one to really draw my interest -- and I can't explain why. I'm considering it, but haven't yet committed.
It was an imprint that I heard people underestimate even ten years ago, and yet here it still is in 2013.
Ultimate S-M is one of the longest runs in creative team comics in history, as Bendis and Bagley did as many, I think maybe more?, issues together as Lee and Kirby did on FF. and Bendis' count on USM is getting into the ballpark of Claremont on Uncanny sort of numbers.
Those first two volumes of Ultimates were a hell of a thing, and capture a lot of the energy and political climate of that decade.
Generally the Ultimate imprint showed restraint in the number of titles it piblished- unless I am forgetting something there was at most three ongoings at once (MAYBE four, I guess at one point, with Ult FF, though i think at that point Ultimates came out so rarely it still felt like 3). But in general it felt like a continuity and line that a reader who wanted to could stay on top of the whole thing without a big investment.
And as much as some people didn't like the modernity and zeitgeist of it all, how hard it tried to be current, let's be real- these comics, and the Nick Fury-centered, military industrial complex/ military science age of superheroes in the War on Terror era was absolutely the foundation of the Marvel Studios movies that have so successfully eased mainstream audiences into a shared world full of superheroes that feels grounded rather than cartoon (or camp). So much of what te Avengers movie franchise may now take for granted got tested and worked out in these books.
So, an early RIP and thanks for a lot of entertainment. Sure, this was never "my universe" but it is one I have read and enjoyed a lot of books in.
The Ultimates was a great twist on the Avengers team, for example. I also liked some of the characters created specifically in the Ultimate Universe like Peter Parker's expy clone Spider-Girl (here's hoping she survives or maybe universe hops).
With a name like Cataclysm, I'm hoping it's not an all-inclusive ending where everyone dies...some characters were good enough to hop over to the 616 universe.
And sad. Ultimate Spider-man is my Spider-man.......even when he was Donald Glover
(after he turned 18 and started art school he went all Indie though)
Told you I was naive
That said I really like Bendis' work. I'm now an occasional X-men fan where I hadn't been for a long time.
They're characters in a fictional book. Sure, we grow attachments to them, but I was open to the changes they made because it's just fantasy. If we've learned anything over the past 80 years of funny books is that things aren't always permanent. And if you bring up the argument of Uncle Ben, sure he stayed dead, but every now and then we got a flashback, or "other side" tale. It's all good fun.
Now, that's not to say that I don't think they will permanently get rid of Miles, I just think that they'll do what's going to make them money. If the Ultimate Universe is costing the Big Mouse money, even though USM is the universe's highest selling book, why not take what's best of the Ultimate Universe, that which is just keeping the universe afloat, and move it to the regular universe? That will free up two or three books that will then allow them to triple ship some select monthly titles. ~X( :D
Bringing Miles, the most interesting and unique character to the regular universe is a good move, though. And maybe it gets us one step closer to seeing Donald Glover in the suit.
Besides "ultimate" is such a tired word.
Yeah, it has two x's. 'Cause it's extreme!
Still, the main reason they started it seems to no longer be needed: i.e. a way to create a bunch of trade paperbacks for the movie audience so that there would been books not bogged down with continuity.
Spider-Man saves Spider-Man!
That said if Miles is the only one that makes the jump I'm really going to miss Gwen, Aunt May, Mary Jane and Spider-woman from the ultimate universe.
And Colossus, and Hawkeye, and Kitty Pride, and Mach 2, and Thing, and Cap is pretty tough in the Ultimate universe (did you guys see what he did to that snake?) Thor is pretty interesting in the ultimate universe
now I'm sad again
The only thing that the Ultimate Universe has over the regular right now is that characters die and stay dead, and time has moved forward. Let it go a little longer and those aspects will fall prey to the standards of comicdom, as well.