Enough Ultimate re-Hash

[Ariamus]

OK, I'll admit, I am enjoying the current story-line in Ultimate Spider-man with the introduction of Ultimate Venom. I'll also admit that making the Venom "symbiote/suit/whatever you want to call it" a product of Peter Parker's father's research is an interesting twist on origin of Venom in the Ultimaverse. But part of me can't help but conclude, "here we go again..."

 

I know that a certain amount of respect needs to be paid the mythologies of the characters that are being employed in the Ultimate books. And I understand the appeal of taking a great concept and making it fresh and insteresting by changing a couple of things. However, these are the Ultimate books and if Marvel really wants to be serious about re-imagining their characters for the modern day, then where are the new villains? Where are the new supporting characters that add depth to our heroes' lives? Where are the fresh and exciting story-lines?

 

I may be over-reacting, but sometimes I just feel like the Ultimate books are stuck in the same alternate scenario rut you'll find at the end of the movie Clue complete with cut scenes titled, "Here's how it could have happened."

 

[murph0]

I think they jumped to new stuff way too soon. I would've liked to have seen more villains tossed in there before they got to a character that was just created 10 years or so ago..would've made the "Spider-man rebirth" a lot more interesting..rather then just jumping over about 30 years of comics..

Once my subscription runs out on this, I think I'll be done with the book..

 

Brian

[Rickdogg]

USM #33 caused me to drop the weekly visit to the comic shop cold turkey. I'd rather use that weekly money towards some back issues

[Rickdogg]

By the way, Portuguese girls have major Very nice.

[Ariamus]

"By the way, Portuguese girls have major Very nice."

 

ROTFLMAO!!!

[fantastic_four]

Venom is just Spidey's baddest villain...they waited too LONG!!!

 

The only problem with the current Venom storyline is that I can't read it for a minimum of another 4 months! Looking at marvel.com and the covers there, you can tell the Venom story lasts at least through issue 38.

[murph0]

I'd rather have them wait until later in the characters development to bring Venom out. Anyways, I don't like how the book is progressing..

 

Brian

[fantastic_four]

I don't like how the book is progressing..

Whyzzat? Bendis is doing great up through #32 (I haven't read 33 or 34 and won't until the arc is done so all you people please stop revealing it PLEASE!! )

[murph0]

Well technically it's a reworking of the character..by the time Venom had appeared Peter Parker had been Spidey for..20-30 years? I would've liked the other major stories prior to go in there before. Anyways, I've gotten tired of it..just a modernized version of Spiderman. I'm actually really like the current ASM series far more.

 

Brian

[Ariamus]

"I'm actually really like the current ASM series far more."

 

I couldn't agree with you more on this point.

 

I do have one note regarding the time-span between day 1 and venom in the original and day 1 and venom in the Ultimate book. We all know that time doesn't flow in comic-dom the same way it does in real life. If it did, Batman would be an 85-95 year-old codger and Spidey would be pushing social security age. Therefore, it's kinda unfair to criticize BMB for bring Venom into the mix too quickly. Maybe's he's just progressing time in his storyline at a much quicker pace. Which brings up another notion of mine.

 

I think it would have been neat for the comic book creators to allow the characters to age along with real life through the years. This would have forced them to come up with new material more often. As an example, I like the Spider-girl timestream. Though it's not incredibly original (go figure, May Parker inherits her dad's powers), it does address the notion of the supes getting older in real time, or close to it. Just my $0.02

[UnrulyAppendage]

"I think it would have been neat for the comic book creators to allow the characters to age along with real life through the years. This would have forced them to come up with new material more often. As an example, I like the Spider-girl timestream. Though it's not incredibly original (go figure, May Parker inherits her dad's powers), it does address the notion of the supes getting older in real time, or close to it. Just my $0.02 "

 

I agree. I would like to see a series based on the major characters in real time. By this I mean we see their begining, middle, and end. When somebody dies, they die. I think it would be interesting to have a twenty, thirty year lifespan of a character examined and how they deal with age and loss. I think that is one reason DKR, Kingdom Come are popular is because you see superheroes past their prime but the world still needs them.

 

[vic6string]

I think the Ultimate idea (updating the storylines for the new modern audience) isn't bad, but I don't like having both an Ultimate and a regular line. Either you change it, or you don't. And if you are trying to just modify some things to bring them up to date, there is only so much you can change. It took me long enough to deal with Peter shooting webs from his actual wrists, but that is just a little change. The original Venom story is cool enough that it doesn't need a major overhaul. I don't read the Ulimate books, and doubt I ever will. To me, they are clouding the Marvel Universe just like DC did years ago with all their alternate realities. DC went through Crisis and Zero Hour, and they still have trouble with it. I always loved the fact that Marvel never went that way, using What If? books instead. Now they have fallen into the same problem. New readers must be considerably confused when they start buying back issues.

[Fabfrank]

I've collected and read comics for 30 years. I love the Ultimate stuff, but don't look at it as an alternate to the Marvel Universe I grew up with or even a future version. To me it's as if the Marvel Universe started now with these same great characters. My 12 year old loves Ultimate Spiderman, but gets a little confused when he reads Amazing. Prior to Ultimate he wouldn't have been as excited about the books, but now he can't wait till the next issue comes out.

New readers can enjoy and collect the Ultimate line without all the clutter and history of the regular Marvel Universe. It's a great starting point to get into comics.

[SuperGinrai-migration]

Hi guys.This is my first post here

 

I think it would have been neat for the comic book creators to allow the characters to age along with real life through the years. This would have forced them to come up with new material more often. As an example, I like the Spider-girl timestream. Though it's not incredibly original (go figure, May Parker inherits her dad's powers), it does address the notion of the supes getting older in real time, or close to it. Just my $0.02

 

That`s my exact thought.I mean, i think that my grandchildren will still be reading spiderman, batman, superman, etc. with the same characters without any changes happenning to them.This is something that i really liked about manga.The fact that stories have a beginning, middle and ending to them.

I am not trying to say that I wish them to die or end.It`s just that maybe it`s about time that a new generation rises and takes these heroes`s places.

Well like Ariamus said "Just my $0.02 "

[joe_collector]

>>I am not trying to say that I wish them to die or end.It`s just that maybe it`s about time that a new generation rises and takes these heroes`s places.

 

But then Marvel would have to actually think up new characters and concepts that sell, rather than falling back on their one true goldmine: Stan & Jack's work. The vast majority of Marvel income is from characters and books started in the Silver Age, revived in the Silver Age or have sprung from the Silver Age.

 

There's nothing new coming from the House of Ideas, which has been kind of an oxymoron since the late-60's.

[Ariamus]

JC,

 

You needn't villify only Marvel on the lack of fresh ideas; if you were to generate a list of the 10 most popular comic book characters today, only two or three of them were "created" after 1945 and only one was thought up after 1965. For example:

 

1 Superman

2 Batman

3 Spider-man

4 Captain America

5 Wolverine

6 Wonder Woman

7 The Flash

8 Aquaman

9 Green Lantern

10 Daredevil

 

It's not just Marvel that's out of fresh ideas; same could be said for DC.