Ultimate Iron Man

[Kevin Boyd]

Nope. I've bailed. I've never read any of OSC's books so his "rep" is meaningless to me. I'm not interested in reading this story further based on what I read in the first issue.

 

I will likely revisit it later when it is collected, and scan the subsequent issues on the rack... but buy it as a monthly? Not a chance. Marvel doesn't understand that you only get one chance to make a first impression, and that book was really unimpressive.

[Hobgoblin]

I read Ultimate Iron Man #1 last night.

 

It is quite possibly the WORST first issue in the Ultimate line to date. I'm sure it will read fine as a trade paperback, but as the introductory issue for a series I think it blows. Call me old fashioned, but a series called ULTIMATE IRON MAN should actually star Ultimate Iron Man. I won't be back for #2.

 

So says you ... I thought it was great. Kudos to OSC.

[Kevin Boyd]

Me after reading UIM #1:

[drice6900]

I took it for what it was: a typical made-for-TPB, Bendis-like, "new Marvel" story. It maybe makes sense to grab #1 for collectibility (if you're into that kind of thing), but pick up the rest in a TPB. It will be much less frustrating that way

[awe4one]

I took it for what it was: a typical made-for-TPB, Bendis-like, "new Marvel" story. It maybe makes sense to grab #1 for collectibility (if you're into that kind of thing), but pick up the rest in a TPB. It will be much less frustrating that way

 

Then there's absolutely no reason whatsoever to release it as a monthly. The farther along the publishers go with stories geared for the TPB secondary market, the farther the circulation number shrink.

 

I recently read the Ultimate FF Vol 1 TPB. As a complete story it was OK but I imagine I'd have dropped it after #2 due to the plodding story. Monthlies were geared to give the reader bang for their buck EACH MONTH, not at the end of six...

 

Jim

[awe4one]

Isn't it a bit early to bail on a guy with Card's rep?

 

Readers aren't the ones who should have to wait on an engrossing story to develop because of a guy's rep. They are buying a comic to be entertained each and every time. If that's not happening, then there no rep in the world that can compensate. Poor comics are poor comics regardless of the writer's prior experience...

 

And to be clear...I read the issue today and I agree with Kevin, it was pure trash. Somebody should tell Card this isn't a novel...

 

Jim

[blutobc]

Isn't it a bit early to bail on a guy with Card's rep?

 

Readers aren't the ones who should have to wait on an engrossing story to develop because of a guy's rep. They are buying a comic to be entertained each and every time. If that's not happening, then there no rep in the world that can compensate. Poor comics are poor comics regardless of the writer's prior experience...

 

And to be clear...I read the issue today and I agree with Kevin, it was pure trash. Somebody should tell Card this isn't a novel...

 

 

So, in your opinion...what did the story NEED to be more "engrossing" in order to meet your expectations?

 

Did it need a gratuitious image of a man in iron flying?

Regardless that the age of the star is only an infant by the end of the 1st issue.

Or that we got to see glimpses of the origin of personal body armor.

 

Not enough time elasped or action in the storyline?

Didn't 20 something pages have over a year's timespan occuring in the book.

Okay, there wasn't much action in the 1st issue other than someone getting hit with a bat.

 

Did you expect something different from Card?

Let's see...a large amount of Card's past writings have been centered around characters of an early age growing up and then growing into the overall plot. I won't be surprised if Tony gets much past puberty with the next issue. Is this stretching out the plot or giving the basic building blocks of the whole story? I don't have a definative answer to the question but the pace isn't anything worse than other comics that have a 20 page eye-candy fight scene where everybody shakes hands in the end and nothing progressive has occurred in the story.

 

Having said all of this, I did bail on "Supreme Power" after 13 issues of waiting for the group to form.

[Hobgoblin]

I took it for what it was: a typical made-for-TPB, Bendis-like, "new Marvel" story. It maybe makes sense to grab #1 for collectibility (if you're into that kind of thing), but pick up the rest in a TPB. It will be much less frustrating that way

 

Why? Buying it as a trade isn't going to save you a whole lot. Each book is $2.25, and a trade containing six issues averages, what $12.95?

[drice6900]

I took it for what it was: a typical made-for-TPB, Bendis-like, "new Marvel" story. It maybe makes sense to grab #1 for collectibility (if you're into that kind of thing), but pick up the rest in a TPB. It will be much less frustrating that way

 

Why? Buying it as a trade isn't going to save you a whole lot. Each book is $2.25, and a trade containing six issues averages, what $12.95?

 

Not the point at all. The point is you don't have to be bored reading several issues where nothing happens over several months. Instead, you can read a Marvel TPB where nothing happens - all at once

[Hobgoblin]

I took it for what it was: a typical made-for-TPB, Bendis-like, "new Marvel" story. It maybe makes sense to grab #1 for collectibility (if you're into that kind of thing), but pick up the rest in a TPB. It will be much less frustrating that way

 

Why? Buying it as a trade isn't going to save you a whole lot. Each book is $2.25, and a trade containing six issues averages, what $12.95?

 

Not the point at all. The point is you don't have to be bored reading several issues where nothing happens over several months. Instead, you can read a Marvel TPB where nothing happens - all at once

 

Oh ....

[awe4one]

You've pretty much summed up the reasons why the comic blows in your post. Was that your intention?

 

Jim

[blutobc]

You've pretty much summed up the reasons why the comic blows in your post. Was that your intention?

 

Jim

 

Not really, even though the post wasn't a ringing endorsement of the book, I still feel like giving it a little more time before bailing on it. I'll judge the book after a couple more issues have been release.

[jordanscott]

well i for one, amapparently part of a small minority, liked it...

 

it's what i expected from OSC. 1 issue and probably 2 devoted to the child of the character...the experiences that will make him what he is as an adult. In this case the virus and probably something else in the early childhood exposed next issue.

 

after that probably 4 solid issues of adult IM fun.

 

I liked it, going back for 2 and have the rest of the series on my pull list.

[Kevin Boyd]

Quite a few people that defend UIM say that it is follows the "OSC formula", which I suppose is great for Marvel if they wanted to sell the book only to OSC fans who seem to expect their favourite writer to apply the SAME formula to all of his works... but frankly, I've never read any of his books, nor am I likely to any time in the future.

[Hobgoblin]

Quite a few people that defend UIM say that it is follows the "OSC formula", which I suppose is great for Marvel if they wanted to sell the book only to OSC fans who seem to expect their favourite writer to apply the SAME formula to all of his works... but frankly, I've never read any of his books, nor am I likely to any time in the future.

 

I've never read a book by OSC. I like this one.

[blutobc]

Quite a few people that defend UIM say that it is follows the "OSC formula", which I suppose is great for Marvel if they wanted to sell the book only to OSC fans who seem to expect their favourite writer to apply the SAME formula to all of his works... but frankly, I've never read any of his books, nor am I likely to any time in the future.

 

 

To each his own.

Card obviously has talent...hundreds of thousands of hardback and paperback novels sold...many computer game design and plot layouts...writer of theactrical plays...and now attempting to write comics to please the masses.

 

We'll see how the numbers play out after the series is over. Issue #1 sold at least 3 copies(Jordan, Hobby, and me ). I'll suspect that they'll be many other copies sold and enjoyed by readers.

 

And of course a few copies will be sold to the haters too.

[Kevin Boyd]

I'm sure that many people like it, but to say that the work automatically be considered great or better than average because it is written by OSC who has a fan following of appreciators seems like a silly argument to make.

 

I like John Cleese's writing and acting, but Superman: True Brit was terrible. A good writer in one medium does not always translate well into another.

 

And again... sales will be huge, in the 125-175,000 copy range for #1 due to the multiple covers and that it's a new Ultimate #1. However, huge sales doesn't necessarily mean that the comics are any good. #2 will likely see the usual 35-40% drop in sales from number one. We won't see a true reflection of actual sales in the Diamond numbers until the orders for number 3 come in (after all of the "haters" have dropped it from their pull files). Orders will likely settle in around the same type of numbers we've seen on Ultimate Nightmare. I can see the orders for the final installments being in the 60,000-70,000 copy range..

[Hobgoblin]

I like John Cleese's writing and acting, but Superman: True Brit was terrible. A good writer in one medium does not always translate well into another.

 

John Cleese wrote that? Yeah, that can't be good.

[jordanscott]

Issue #1 sold at least 3 copies(Jordan, Hobby, and me ).

 

 

at least 4 copies....i bought one of each cover

 

 

i picked up #1 only on the strength of OSC. i love his writing but Iron Man in general has never been long term on any of my pull lists. whenever i've tried his title, it is just never able to keep me interested. If this book was going to be a long running series and not just 6 issues, then maybe i would have waited on the tpb. if it had been any other writer, might have given it a pass completely.

 

obviously OSC isn't for everybody and some people have never read him, but for me, i'm hoping for good work from him.

[Ajax]

Now, I've never read any of OSC's books, but I LIKED UIM, but I'm the guy who hated Supreme Power, So thats not saying much