Should DC go through the "Ultimate Path?"

[Extra #6 in BB]

Let's face it, Marvel has owned DC since 2000 and maybe before that. The next generation of kids won't be interested in DC anymore because of the Ultimate Marvel comics. Do you think DC should start an ultimate line? ( Of course it wouldn't be called that.)

The titles could be off of:

Batman
Superman
Justice League
Wonder Woman


What do you think?

 

[batnkevlar]

I'm sorry to say it, but Ultimate Marvel's turning stale... i love UM, but it's true... other than the Ultimates, nothing's really worth buying...

see, the thing about Marvel and DC, is DC has more quality stuff, but Marvel appeals to a larger audience, i would think. So kids come for Marvel, but stay for DC...

 

[Extra #6 in BB]

I'm sorry to say it, but Ultimate Marvel's turning stale... i love UM, but it's true... other than the Ultimates, nothing's really worth buying...

see, the thing about Marvel and DC, is DC has more quality stuff, but Marvel appeals to a larger audience, i would think. So kids come for Marvel, but stay for DC...

I have to agree and disagree with you.

Agree:Half of the Ultimate titles are stale now, but USM and the Ultimates aren't.

Disagree: Kids don't stay for DC. I work for a Comic Book store, and rarely see kids or anybody, walk to the DC portion of the store. DC is great, don't get me wrong. But people entering into the world of comics don't want to purchase Batman #655. And they want to buy something they can relate too. DC needs to do this, and make most of their characters high schoolers.

 

[batnkevlar]

Well, I have to disagree... the Deadpool arc in USM is stale, so was the Silver Sable arc, etc...

Ok, kids don't stay for DC. Ok, they come for marvel, but once they become smarter, they tend to like DC better...

 

[Green Lantern]

Let's face it, Marvel has owned DC since 2000 and maybe before that. The next generation of kids won't be interested in DC anymore because of the Ultimate Marvel comics. Do you think DC should start an ultimate line? ( Of course it wouldn't be called that.)

The titles could be off of:

Batman
Superman
Justice League
Wonder Woman


What do you think?

I disagree. In terms of sales maybe but DC has been picking up on that too. In terms of quality, in no way shape or form has Marvel kicked DC's ass. Identity Crisis > Secret War AND Identity Disc and Infinite Crisis >>> Civil War. Who saw the twist ending of IC 1 coming? Noone. Who saw the twist ending of CW 2 coming? EVERYBODY. I read FOUR Marvel titles a month and I saw that coming.

 

[Extra #6 in BB]

Well, I have to disagree... the Deadpool arc in USM is stale, so was the Silver Sable arc, etc...

Ok, kids don't stay for DC. Ok, they come for marvel, but once they become smarter, they tend to like DC better...

Maybe SilverSable and Deadpool, but not Warriors and Hobgobin. ANd the "Clone Saga" and "Death of the Goblin" are sure to kick ass!

 

[ssj wolverine]

Can you imagine Ultimate Superman? He would be real badass.

 

[HuyLantern]

Well, I have to disagree... the Deadpool arc in USM is stale, so was the Silver Sable arc, etc...

Ok, kids don't stay for DC. Ok, they come for marvel, but once they become smarter, they tend to like DC better...

I have to agree with batnkevlar. Base on experience when I was younger (like 10 or 11), I collected Marvel based on Art. I bought more Marvel than DC. When I got older, I actually started to read my comics, the stuff was okay. I went and bought more DC books and read those. I realized that they were much better and I was stuck. Now I collect more DC than Marvel. Marvel just has that cool reputation among the younger crowd. When they get older they have there own money, freedom to buy more stuff. They want to experience more stuff. They buy DC. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy Marvel they have great books like Runaways and Young Avengers.

 

[HuyLantern]

Maybe SilverSable and Deadpool, but not Warriors and Hobgobin. ANd the "Clone Saga" and "Death of the Goblin" are sure to kick ass!

Don't bring up the “Clone Saga” that really hurt the Spiderman franchise. Which lead John Byrne to do that Spiderman year one deal, yikes! I don't know why Bendis wants to do an “Ultimate” version of that fiasco.

 

[Tropico]

Let's face it, Marvel has owned DC since 2000 and maybe before that. The next generation of kids won't be interested in DC anymore because of the Ultimate Marvel comics. Do you think DC should start an ultimate line? ( Of course it wouldn't be called that.)

The titles could be off of:

Batman
Superman
Justice League
Wonder Woman


What do you think?

DC is going to lose it's upcoming audience because of fewer than a dozen titles? Riiiiiiiiiight!! DC has the All Star line as a kind of analog to the Ultimate line. More projects are going to be added to the line so it's going to keep on growing.

I guess in your store people don't buy the regular Spider-Man, FF, New Avengers, X-Men or Daredevil and only buy their Ultimate conterparts. Well, except Ultimates since they're NOT teenagers. Runaways and Young Avengers must fly of their shelves and the majority of the other titles just stay there on the shelves. That is, if I were going to apply your "DC needs to do this, and make most of their characters high schoolers" comment. From my experience it's the adults that have more buying power than teenagers in regards to comics and it would be a dumb move to cater the comics just for teenagers and risk losing the real $$$.

There have already been threads like this (they pop up every couple of months) and it's already been commented that both companies that you mention need to do more to attract new readers. Everything from marketing, pricing, distribution and the perennial age issue has been discussed. Changing the ages of the characters is just a stop-gap measure as you'll probably realize as you get older and want your character to evolve and age as you do, you'll relate to the character better than if he had been stuck in Peter Pan mode. But what about the new generation? Don't they deserve the same character staying young? It's a catch 22 kind of deal.

 

[Extra #6 in BB]

I have to agree with batnkevlar. Base on experience when I was younger (like 10 or 11), I collected Marvel based on Art. I bought more Marvel than DC. When I got older, I actually started to read my comics, the stuff was okay. I went and bought more DC books and read those. I realized that they were much better and I was stuck. Now I collect more DC than Marvel. Marvel just has that cool reputation among the younger crowd. When they get older they have there own money, freedom to buy more stuff. They want to experience more stuff. They buy DC. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy Marvel they have great books like Runaways and Young Avengers.

That's funny because I watched a recent Comic Book show on the History channel, and they said the exact opposite of what you said. They said kids graduated from DC into Marvel.

 

[The BatDude]

see, the thing about Marvel and DC, is DC has more quality stuff, but Marvel appeals to a larger audience, i would think. So kids come for Marvel, but stay for DC...

Well that is kinda of true. When I was 13 I started with Marvel but now I'm reading more DC books then Marvel. It's titles like Runaways and Young Avengers that keep the kids coming for Marvel. DC doesn't really need Ultimate titles they just need more books that kids could relate to IMO. But I would like to see Ultimate JLA

 

[The BatDude]

That's funny because I watched a recent Comic Book show on the History channel, and they said the exact opposite of what you said. They said kids graduated from DC into Marvel.

Maybe back in the 60's but not in the 21st century

 

[boywonder13]

Let's face it, Marvel has owned DC since 2000 and maybe before that. The next generation of kids won't be interested in DC anymore because of the Ultimate Marvel comics. Do you think DC should start an ultimate line? ( Of course it wouldn't be called that.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Star_DC_Comics

It's calle the All Star Line my friend.
The Titles are

All Star batman and Robin
All Star Superman

and I expect more to come....

All Star Superman is sooooooooo good, it will get people who dont like Superman to like him...
---

Ultimate Idea is a good idea, but even the ultimate line will alienate people as it goes on....someone will be alineated evena normal spidey fan who picks it up for the first time could be liek WTF!!! Cuz they don't know the chatacets..

How bout they just reboot the whole Universe or something, Marvels has been going onfor 40 freakin years and more...

DC's is stil 20 years old. maybe a reboot in 10 years or less.

that is all...

 

[boywonder13]

This thread is pretty much null and void, because it pretty much has gone the Ultimae Path

"The project has been compared to the Ultimate line of Marvel Comics, which was a successful attempt to re-introduce Marvel's most popular characters to younger readers by presenting new, updated versions unburdened by decades of convoluted plotlines"

 

[LibrarianThorne]

So, wait just a second here, Ultimate Spider-Man and the Ultimates are half of the Ultimate universe? Wow, I didn't know Marvel only put out four Ultimate titles a month.

Getting serious for a moment, I've found that more older readers are picking up DC thanks to stories like The Watchmen, the Dark Knight Returns, and Superman: Secret Identity. Not to mention the power of the Vertigo line, with Sandman and Transmetropolitan being consistent high movers at my local college comic shop.

Making the DC characters teenagers (Superboy and... Batboy? 0.o) is really not a good idea. I do, however, think DC needs a youth book. For a long time, Young Justice was that book, and with Teen Titans garnering an older audience I think there's room enough for a return of Young Justice. Ideally, the youth books should be Legion of Superheroes and Teen Titans, but both of those books have much older audiences than DC wants to attract.

 

[boywonder13]

Inmy opinion the All Star Imprnt is better than the ultimate line because continuity is even looser, cntinuity isnt strong between the two titles under the imprint so far. They take place in diffrent times also....ASsuperman is ahead in time it seems. though there proably isnt a link.

I liek how this guy put it in this article:

"I hope DC reins in the All-Star imprint, though, as Marvel's Ultimate model is not one I would like to see them follow. Rather than creating a whole new universe that will eventually face the same creative difficulties as the old one, these titles should be kept to small, independent stories that capture the imagination of new and old readers alike by telling stories that remind us why these characters are so iconic in the first place."

http://www.popmatters.com/comics/all-star-superman-1-2.shtml

 

[Prognosticator]

That's funny because I watched a recent Comic Book show on the History channel, and they said the exact opposite of what you said. They said kids graduated from DC into Marvel.

Yeah, that was refering to the Golden age of comics, b/c Marvel wasn't even on the market till WWII. Even at most, it could also be refering to Silver Age comics. I've seen that History Channel special three times b/f, including again this weekend. You're creating "facts" that don't truly support what you are saying.

 

[boywonder13]

DC collected issues sales are higher than Marvels I belive......

in 2005 it was by a few percents.

 

[sethcohen]

i voted yes for one reason and one reason only... then they can employ all the crackpot ideas we all love to hate over in UDC Marvel does with UM... no more supermodel nightwing!

 

[storyteller]

The ultimates, ultimate x-men, ultimate spider-man, ultimate fantastic 4 all take place in the same continuity. BUT they dont all take place at the same time. I personally like that its own universe. Dc doesnt need to do an ultimate title since they know how to clean house. Marvel couldnt do it without messing more stuff up. The ultimate titles have been better written then the 616 universe but the ultimate line is only an issue per month(or 1 over the course of months). While all the core 616 universe comics have like 3 comic titles to each group. All star batman sucks and all star superman doesnt come out fast enough for like a 12 issue series.

 

[boywonder13]

People, DC has an "Ultimates" line already.

Its under the All Star Imprint....!!!!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Star_DC_Comics

 

[Prognosticator]

The All-Star line IS basically DC's equivilant, only they're doing it WAY better than Marvel ever thought about.

The guys who work at the comic book store I go to, guys who are numb to mainstream comics they read so much, practically GIVE me All-Star Superman b/c they love it so much!! These are the guys who read EVERYTHING!

A-S Bats is almost on par w/A-S Supes. There hasn't been a bad issue of either one yet. But DC seriously puts out better quality stuff. I can't explain why books like Ultimate X-Men sells the way they do, it's a real shame.

People should be reading 'Firestorm' instead. He's of a youthful age and the stories bursting out of OYL are easily some of the best Firestorm ever!

 

[Green Lantern]

The All-Star line IS basically DC's equivilant, only they're doing it WAY better than Marvel ever thought about.

The guys who work at the comic book store I go to, guys who are numb to mainstream comics they read so much, practically GIVE me All-Star Superman b/c they love it so much!! These are the guys who read EVERYTHING!

A-S Bats is almost on par w/A-S Supes. There hasn't been a bad issue of either one yet. But DC seriously puts out better quality stuff. I can't explain why books like Ultimate X-Men sells the way they do, it's a real shame.

People should be reading 'Firestorm' instead. He's of a youthful age and the stories bursting out of OYL are easily some of the best Firestorm ever!

What A-S Bats are you reading? Every issue I'VE read has been utter crap other than the art...

 

[boywonder13]

http://theages.superman.ws/History/2000/

"Ultimate Superman" proposal

THey actually might have used the Ultimate title