Ultimate Comics Thread - Part 1

[Drz]

Ultimate Comics: Ultimates announced! Jonathan Hickman writing!

- Esad Ribic is drawing it.
- Cast is: Bruce Banner Hulk (confirmed on Newsarama), Nick Fury, Thor, Iron Man, Spider-Woman and many more, but Captain America will be absent during the first arc atleast.
- First arc is called "The Republic is Burning"
- Jonathan Hickman has the first 5 arcs planned, but nothing as tightly constructed as FF or Secret Warriors, he has plans for next year (big Ultimates story to hype up the upcoming movie mayhaps?)
- More then 12 issues coming in a year, awesome!
- "The tone of society right now is one that can create a dramatic narrative and one that demands heroes." -Jonathan Hickman
- New Ultimatized characters confirmed!

 

[Watchman]

Hickman writing big superhero action fest? I'm there.

 

[hippie_hunter]

Meh, it looks like Marvel just isn't getting it with yet another pseudo-revamp of the Ultimate Universe that in the end will do absolutely nothing to revive interest in the line.

 

[Drz]

Yet Ultimate Marvel is doing really great outselling Captain America, Thor and plenty of X-Men titles and whatnot.

 

[hippie_hunter]

Yet Ultimate Marvel is doing really great outselling Captain America, Thor and plenty of X-Men titles and whatnot.

The only X-Men titles that the Ultimate books are outselling are the throwaway X-titles. Uncanny X-Men and X-Men still outsell the Ultimate books by a decent margin.

And you also have to take into account that Thor and Captain America are winding down for their relaunches while the Ultimate books are currently in an event (remember that Ultimatum sold really well and then the line just didn't recover after that). I am willing to bet that the relaunches of the Mighty Thor and Captain America will outsell the revamped Ultimate books by a decent margin, the way that FF is.

This is going to go the same way the end of the Ultimate Marvel line in favor of the Ultimate Comics line did. An event brings up slight interest, sales start off slightly higher, and then within a couple of issues, it's back to where it started and continues to die down. I would say that asides from Ultimate Spider-Man, there just really isn't any real interest in the Ultimate Marvel line anymore.

 

[Drz]

The only X-Men titles that the Ultimate books are outselling are the throwaway X-titles. Uncanny X-Men and X-Men still outsell the Ultimate books by a decent margin.

Here's the Feb sales and how many titles Ultimate line outsold.

February sales are here!

20 Avengers vs New Ultimates 1 49,360
26 Ultimate Spider-man 153 43,986
27 Ultimate Spider-man 154 43,209
34 New Ultimates 5 38,663
65 Ultimate Captain America 2 27,399
67 Ultimate Thor 4 26,776
88 Ultimate Doom 3 21,039

Avengers vs. New Ultimates:
JLA
Wolverine (x2)
Astonishing X-Men

...and USM
Invincible Iron Man
Thor
Captain America
Superman
Detective Comics

...and New Ultimates
Wolverine 1000
Hulk (x2)
Wonder Woman
Action Comics
Walking Dead
Incredible Hulks (x2)
Deadpool
Wolverine Best There Is

...and Cap
X-23

...and Thor
Shield
Batgirl
Avengers Academy
Deadpool and Cable
Secret Warriors

...and Doom!
Punishermax
Fables
Spawn
Deadpoolmax
Wolverine & Jubilee
Venom Deadpool
Deadpool Corps
Deadpool Team-up
Spider-girl (x2)

....and everything else

Then you have to remember Marvel bragging how digital sales on Ultimate Thor we're so good they went and made Ultimate Avengers vs. New Ultimates and the Death of Spider-Man stuff day-to-release digital comics, sadly we don't know the sales there but let me remind you that Civil War is the top selling comic book out there for digital comics, how many of those would love to see another hero vs. hero arc from Mark Millar himself? Alot, i can tell ya that!

And you also have to take into account that Thor and Captain America are winding down for their relaunches while the Ultimate books are currently in an event (remember that Ultimatum sold really well and then the line just didn't recover after that). I am willing to bet that the relaunches of the Mighty Thor and Captain America will outsell the revamped Ultimate books by a decent margin, the way that FF is.

You really think the movie will give more fans for Fraction and Ed Brubaker then already comic fans checking out for more Hickman comics, Nick Spencer comics and Bendis ones? The titles will have a good #1 launch with a gazillion variant covers and then drop to top 30 titles.

there just really isn't any real interest in the Ultimate Marvel line anymore.

Hahah implying fans will say no to Bendis, Hickman and Nick Spencer and who else will be out there.

 

[hippie_hunter]

Here's the Feb sales and how many titles Ultimate line outsold.
Then you have to remember Marvel bragging how digital sales on Ultimate Thor we're so good they went and made Ultimate Avengers vs. New Ultimates and the Death of Spider-Man stuff day-to-release digital comics, sadly we don't know the sales there but let me remind you that Civil War is the top selling comic book out there for digital comics, how many of those would love to see another hero vs. hero arc from Mark Millar himself? Alot, i can tell ya that!

You really think the movie will give more fans for Fraction and Ed Brubaker then already comic fans checking out for more Hickman comics, Nick Spencer comics and Bendis ones? The titles will have a good #1 launch with a gazillion variant covers and then drop to top 30 titles.
Hahah implying fans will say no to Bendis, Hickman and Nick Spencer and who else will be out there.

Why don't you use more up to date sales and not compare it to so many throwaway titles that really don't matter, titles that are cooling down for relaunches, and of course the Ultimate line being in an event. March's sales have some of those books you list outselling the Ultimate books like Justice League of America, Wolverine, Captain America, etc.

I do think that Ultimate Spider-Man will last a while longer. Bendis will still be writing it, it has always been the flagship Ultimate title, and Spider-Man tends to last longer than other heroes in various imprints such as Spider-Girl from MC2, Spider-Man 2099 for Marvel 2099, Spider-Man Noir for Marvel Noir, etc.

But I think that Hickman's Ultimates and other Ultimate titles are just going to continue sliding down the charts the way that Millar's Avengers vs. New Ultimates did or debut rather low like Captain America and Thor did.

 

[Drz]

Okay if you want more recent sales then lets see how May will deliver since Ultimate Marvel is giving tons of 2nd printings of their latest comic arcs, but you honestly believe Thor and Captain America will be big sellers? Why didn't Iron Man stay in the top sales then?

 

[hippie_hunter]

Okay if you want more recent sales then lets see how May will deliver since Ultimate Marvel is giving tons of 2nd printings of their latest comic arcs, but you honestly believe Thor and Captain America will be big sellers? Why didn't Iron Man stay in the top sales then?

I think that we're going to see a bounce in Ultimate sales in May due to Spider-Man getting shot, but just like with Ultimatum and the Ultimate Comics relaunch those sales will die down.

And yes, the Mighty Thor will be a big seller. I am willing to bet that the Mighty Thor will outsell all of the Ultimate titles when both April and May's sales charts come out. And yes, Captain America will also be a big seller when it is relaunched. And I do think that they will hold for a bit due to the creative art teams attached to those books. The Invincible Iron Man has died down a bit due to the book being around for well over 30 issues, but I think it will pick up with Fear Itself, the same way that the Ultimate titles picked up due to the Death of Spider-Man.

 

[Drz]

Thor #1 might outsell because of all the variant covers it had such as the Chris Hemsworth one. Like how Uncanny X-Force and X-Men #1 became top selling comics of the year. Tho i doubt Thor #1 will even break it to top 10 personally, maybe top 20 for sure yeah.

 

[Drz]

Bryan Hitch's cover for Ultimate Fallout #2

Nick Spencer will write Ultimate Comics: X-Men
- Paco Medina is the artist.
- Ultimate X was the 1st stage for Mutants post-Ultimatum, this is the next stage. Yeah it seems Loeb's long term (if he had any) ideas are either going to be scrapped or one way or another used by Spencer.
- The world will get to know that the goverment created mutants, this is something that Ultimate world has had since Ultimate Origins.
- Nightcrawler is dead, but he is part of the team. Nick is teasing!
- Main cast are: Kitty Pryde, Bobby Drake, Johnny Storm, Rogue and "Jimmy Hudson"
- Spencer points out Jean Grey, Storm, Colossus and Nightcrawler are still around, and they're all going to have a part in the story.
- Crossovers will happen!
- Spencer said than rather saving the world, the book is really about "saving each other."
- Next press question, from me - with characters like Cyclops, Wolverine, Professor X and Magneto all dead, is it hard to make a book like this and have it feel like "X-Men"? Or is that a liberating feeling? "I think it's what makes it more exciting," Spencer answered. "These kids are living in a world where the legends are dead. This is more than just 'the dream is dead,' this is, 'both sides of the argument are dead.' That is just so much more fascinating. To me, what was really intriguing to me about where they were now is just in that. These kids have heard both sides, and seen both sides fail miserably. A lot of X-books have been built around that idea, that we're just one step away from everything going to Hell, and in the Ultimate Universe, that's happened. We're there. It's too late to put the genie back in the bottle. This relationship between humans and mutants is not going to repair itself."
- There will be people trying to fill the roles Charles and Erik left behind.
- Technology has caught up with mutant powers and Mutants as usual are being hunted.
- "There are people very much attempting to fill Magneto's void, going about his dream in a unique way," Spencer continued. "In addition to this, there's a major adversary popping up on the other side of the globe that's going to be a very long-term story."
- There are going to be lots of new characters," Spencer said. "You don't get Paco Medina without giving him new characters to play with."
- Spencer said the comic is very much Kitty Pryde and Rogue's book, saying Ultimate Kitty Pryde is one of the great characters of the last five to 10 years.
- Ultimate Comics X-Men, by Nick Spencer and Paco Medina, starts in September.

 

[hippie_hunter]

Thor #1 might outsell because of all the variant covers it had such as the Chris Hemsworth one. Like how Uncanny X-Force and X-Men #1 became top selling comics of the year. Tho i doubt Thor #1 will even break it to top 10 personally, maybe top 20 for sure yeah.

I'd be very surprised to see the Mighty Thor #1 not be in the top 5 (it's probably going to be Mighty Thor, FF, Brightest Day, and Batman Inc.). Even without all the variant covers. It's certainly going to stick in the top 20 for a while with Copiel on the art for the first arc.

 

[hippie_hunter]

Bryan Hitch's cover for Ultimate Fallout #2

Nick Spencer will write Ultimate Comics: X-Men
- Paco Medina is the artist.
- Ultimate X was the 1st stage for Mutants post-Ultimatum, this is the next stage. Yeah it seems Loeb's long term (if he had any) ideas are either going to be scrapped or one way or another used by Spencer.
- The world will get to know that the goverment created mutants, this is something that Ultimate world has had since Ultimate Origins.
- Nightcrawler is dead, but he is part of the team. Nick is teasing!
- Main cast are: Kitty Pryde, Bobby Drake, Johnny Storm, Rogue and "Jimmy Hudson"
- Spencer points out Jean Grey, Storm, Colossus and Nightcrawler are still around, and they're all going to have a part in the story.
- Crossovers will happen!
- Spencer said than rather saving the world, the book is really about "saving each other."
- Next press question, from me - with characters like Cyclops, Wolverine, Professor X and Magneto all dead, is it hard to make a book like this and have it feel like "X-Men"? Or is that a liberating feeling? "I think it's what makes it more exciting," Spencer answered. "These kids are living in a world where the legends are dead. This is more than just 'the dream is dead,' this is, 'both sides of the argument are dead.' That is just so much more fascinating. To me, what was really intriguing to me about where they were now is just in that. These kids have heard both sides, and seen both sides fail miserably. A lot of X-books have been built around that idea, that we're just one step away from everything going to Hell, and in the Ultimate Universe, that's happened. We're there. It's too late to put the genie back in the bottle. This relationship between humans and mutants is not going to repair itself."
- There will be people trying to fill the roles Charles and Erik left behind.
- Technology has caught up with mutant powers and Mutants as usual are being hunted.
- "There are people very much attempting to fill Magneto's void, going about his dream in a unique way," Spencer continued. "In addition to this, there's a major adversary popping up on the other side of the globe that's going to be a very long-term story."
- There are going to be lots of new characters," Spencer said. "You don't get Paco Medina without giving him new characters to play with."
- Spencer said the comic is very much Kitty Pryde and Rogue's book, saying Ultimate Kitty Pryde is one of the great characters of the last five to 10 years.
- Ultimate Comics X-Men, by Nick Spencer and Paco Medina, starts in September.

Now that actually sounds interesting. I will give Marvel credit for putting some great talent on the new Ultimate books.

 

[kguillou]

As interesting as this sounds, i dont think this book's gona last too long especially without Wolverine and Cyclops. Those are the two most popular xmen and they're not gona be in an xmen book? I just dont see the sales being that good on this.

 

[Watchman]

Now that actually sounds interesting. I will give Marvel credit for putting some great talent on the new Ultimate books.

Marvel seems to be doing what they originally did with the Ultimate books. They're placing some great up-and-comers on books to pretty much do whatever they want.

 

[hippie_hunter]

Marvel seems to be doing what they originally did with the Ultimate books. They're placing some great up-and-comers on books to pretty much do whatever they want.

I think the only real problem is that the Ultimate Marvel line is now 10 years old. It felt fresh, new, and exciting, even when it had talentless hacks like Mark Millar leading the line. But now, while getting Jonathan Hickman and Nick Spencer on board with the Ultimates and X-Men, along with Brian Bendis on Spider-Man, it certainly is exciting, but it isn't fresh or new anymore.

It's become bogged down with almost 60 issues worth of Ultimates/Ultimate Avengers and Ultimate Fantastic Four, 160 issues worth of Ultimate Spider-Man, over 100 issues worth of Ultimate X-Men, plus various mins, annuals, and one-shots. It's not fresh or new anymore, which is completely what Ultimate Marvel was founded on. And that is why I think that so much interest has been lost on the line.

 

[Watchman]

True, I think the Ulitmate Universe defeated it's own purpose by being hampered by continuity but I still think the universe is more user friendly to creators and newer readers.

 

[Drz]

I'd be very surprised to see the Mighty Thor #1 not be in the top 5 (it's probably going to be Mighty Thor, FF, Brightest Day, and Batman Inc.). Even without all the variant covers. It's certainly going to stick in the top 20 for a while with Copiel on the art for the first arc.

Is Coipel a sales booster really? I know he did Siege and House of M, but those we're Bendis event books.

True, I think the Ulitmate Universe defeated it's own purpose by being hampered by continuity but I still think the universe is more user friendly to creators and newer readers.

It's definatly much more user friendly and for long time comic fans it offers new interesting takes and whatnot withouth any real preparation to read anything previous. Some mainstream stuff works like that too such as Civil War but at the cost of apparently unproper characterizations and it doesn't bother explaining things like Daredevil actually being Iron Fist. :P

 

[Drz]

Jonathan Hickman and Rana Sandofal writing Ultimate Comics: HAWKEYE!!!!!

-Hickman says this is a "companion piece" to the Ultimates relaunch, happening consecutively with the events of Ultimates #1-4.
-"This is clearly Hawkeye-centric, and he is in the middle of a mission while Thor and Iron Man are in other missions in the main Ultimates books," Hickman continued, saying it culminates in what's the new direction for the Ultimates book.
- Hickman says there are "certain scenes" that tie the two books together, but you don't need to read both to understand one of them.
- Hawkeye will take place same time as the Ultimates title, and what makes Clint interesting for Hickman is his past and how he's the inside S.H.I.E.L.D guy.
- We'll get the full details of Hawkeye's past that Millar has teased and implied during the course of his writing. Hickman delivers the final notes.
- 4 issues long
- Something in Southeast Asia will kick off the series, what could happen there to make Nick interested? More super soldier deals?
- Will also tie-in with Spencer's Ultimate X-Men.
- Jonathan will be doing stuff in Ultimate Comics Hawkeye that you'd have to cancel an entire franchise to do in the classic Marvel Universe.
- Differences between the Marvel Universe S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Ultimate S.H.I.E.L.D.? Hickman said the Ultimate S.H.I.E.L.D. is more proactive and more powerful.
- Nick Fury, Jean Grey, the Hulk and plenty of new characters as supporting characters in the book.
- Jeph Loeb's Ultimate X's final issue (5 lol) will build up for Spencer's Ultimate X-Men.
- more Hitch-like costume for Hawkeye, getting back to the classics i take it.
- Ultimate Comics: Hawkeye is starting in August. Four-issue series.

 

[hippie_hunter]

Is Coipel a sales booster really? I know he did Siege and House of M, but those we're Bendis event books.

I would say so, I think that Coipel was a big reason why JMS' Thor took off. He's always getting top notch jobs.

 

[El Bastardo]

Ultimate X-Men sounds ****ing horrible.

But YES. Old school Ultimate Hawkeye artwork! Pwn!

 

[hippie_hunter]

Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man is getting relaunched with a new #1.

 

[Drz]

Yeah! Copypasted this from Comics Alliance:

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man

• Bendis is actually more nervous about this launch than the first Ultimate launch with the risks they are taking.

• "I hope people will tune in, because we're doing something that has never been done before." -Brian Michael Bendis

• "People will see from the very first page that this is very different from what we've seen before. Not for shock value or cheap theatrics, but for new characters and a new landscape to explore Marvel." -Brian Michael Bendis

• "No guts, no glory" is Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso's motto for Ultimate Comics.

• Ultimate Fallout will spin directly out of Ultimate Spider-Man #160. You get "a taste of every character in the Ultimate Spider-Man universe and their reaction to events."

• "There are some elements of Spider-Man even more important than Peter Parker, and those will continue into the new series." -Brian Bendis

• There will be returning characters from this Spider-Man volume to the next as well as new characters.

• Spider-Man will have new powers in this new series.

• "This needs to be a new #1 issue even by the most cynical fanboy qualifications." -Brian Bendis

• "Death of Spider-Man is about one moment connecting two books. The new books will be more like the early days of the original Marvel Universe where little things like Thor flying by in a Spider-Man book was really cool." -Brian Bendis

• "I'm not going to answer Gwen Stacy questions right now. She will have a lot going on this year." -Brian Bendis

• There will be returning villains, new villains, an Ultimate versions of classic villains Bendis can't believe he hasn't done yet. Mysterio will remain a major threat and new threats will come out of the X-Men book as well.

• Ultimate Comics Spider-Man will be shipping more than 12 times a year.

• "Captain America will have a big emotional connection to the story." -Brian Bendis

• The new Spider-Man costume was originally designed by Sara Pichelli and refined by Joe Quesada.

• "A lot of people make it clear that the Ultimate Universe was their way into comics or back into comics an that they have an emotional connection to these characters. I do too and don't take it for granted. I take the relationship readers have with Peter, Mary Jane, etc. seriously. Some scary stuff is coming up, but ultimately, have no fear." -Brian Bendis

Read More: http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/...mate-x-men-ultimate-spider-man/#ixzz1LbBiiLNH
​

 

[Drz]

Bryan Hitch and Jonathan Hickman team up in Ultimate Fallout for a Thor centric story:

It's great seeing Asgard again alongside Balder and Odin! Even Loki's there alongside Thor's son with Hela who honestly has alot of potential to being an intriquing character!

Avengers vs. Ultimates #4 preview!

Awesome Captain America + Spidey moment alongside Frank Castle freaking out for shooting an innocent kid, poor man must thinking of his own children.

Ul Spidey #158 preview!

 

[Mary Jane Watson]

^I am going to buy both on next Wednesday!