Ultimate DC

[GL1]

Yes. They are all of them retoolings of the characters' origins, without feeling the need to adhere to any mainstream continuity. How many different origins does Superman have now? How many times have we gone over Batman's first years? Even Hal Jordan has more than two origins, and he's got one of the most uncomplicated continuities of any DC character.

So what's this fixation people have with yet another retelling of the characters' origins? Just for the sake of having an alternate universe version of the characters? If that were the only reason, the All-Star universe should scratch that itch just fine.

Is it because people want a clean slate of continuity without all the complicated backstory that comes with a universe? That's a pretty deceptive reason, because after less than five years the Marvel Ultimate universe is hardly a paragon of clean continuity. If you don't believe me, let me ask everyone this: when did Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver first become members of the Ultimates? When does the Ultimate Galactus saga take place?

Is it because people want to see "updated" versions of characters, possibly grittier and more "modern" than their iconic true selves with radical reimaginings and racial differences? If that's the case then, well, I can't argue with personal preferences, but I personally think the talent at DC should have better things to do with their time than coming up with gangsta Batman and pop star Wonder Woman.

Or is it just because Marvel did it, so everyone wants to see what would happen of DC did it? 'Cause that's a pretty shallow reason.

I'm just trying to understand, here.

Heh.. interesting perspective.

I wasn't aware that Confidential retooled origins... all the stories I've read are supposedly in continuity, though retconned in.

I'm not sure what the number of origins, especially if some of those are irrelevant, means to you. It certainly doesn't mean anything to me. You obviously deduced that a simple retelling of origins is not the point, yet you continue with that disproved assumption. Odd.

While I understand that a silent few may have problems with the timing of how the Ultimate books meet, the strength of the book is that there's not much to remember. You get an ideal jumping on point every three-six months. You can't get that anywhere in 616. The lack of backstory is the strength of it's continuity, not the timeline.

But eventually you hit the nail on the head and admit you can't argue with it. Some people want to see these characters modernized and set in todays times with realistic consequences and reprocussions, and it has made Marvel's Ultimate line wildly successful. Some people want that for DC... WITH the backstory free continuity where no one can talk down to them becasue they don't know what a Crisis is. Ultimate lines aren't for people to get ANOTHER telling of the orign, it's for newbies to get their FIRST retelling of the origin, something that's good for everyone in the long run.

I understand those who are deeply engrossed in the current continuities don't get the appeal of an Ultimate line, but it doesn't take much induction to see that the market is there.

 

[The Question]

Honestly, I'd like to see an "Ultimate DC" because I think it might be cool. It's always nice to see a new take on a character, and I greatly prefer a new take to not completely contradict or retcon out the previous take.

 

[Ultimate_Superman]

I would like to see an Ultimate line as well for the simple fact I would love to see how they redo the death of Superman or Batman's breaking or how Superboy came about or the Wedding of Superman. These are stories set in stone in the continuity we have already that I doubt Confidential will touch on them. All-Star Batman and Robin the boy wonder IMO is good as an Ultimate line and a perfect example of what I wouldn't mind seeing in an Ultimate line but as for an All-Star book (meaning the classic story telling we were promised) it isn't. Thats why I think DC should have stuck with the plan they had in the first place and kept Superman: Birthright as the starting point for their Ultimate line like how it was suppose to be. They changed it mid on and made it Superman's new origin which was a big mistake.

 

[GL1]

Wow, that would have been cool... DC's scared, I think... pretty sad...

 

[GoldenAgeHero]

nah dc's smart. the ultimate line at marvel pretty much sucks ass, except for the ultimates. UFF had potential but its momentum has died down.

 

[Artistsean]

I don't think the Ultimate comics suck, I still like them for the most part.
Mostly I like the ideas of it, the actual stories haven't been so intersting lately. But thats because they have been around for a while and they are no longer new and interesting. Thats sort of why the Ultimate line started, to be new and interesting.
But its not like every comic in the Ultimate line is bad, I'll buy one herre and there. I'm just not buying every single issue now.
I think it started when Wolverine and Spider-Man switched bodies.

Anyway, I think Ultimate DC would be cool. For the reasons I mentoned earlier. I love alternate universe type stories, these stories would seem more relaxed because they don't have to follow continuity, you can tell what it might be like in the real world, and redsigning the DC universe would be cool to see.
I would love to see how it handles different stories from continuity, how they design certain characters, and how they make up their own ideas.

Too bad it would seem like DC is copying Marvel if they tried this.

 

[GL1]

I disagree, while I think the Ultimate line books each failed when they lost sight of the point of the Ultimate Universe. Ultimates, while still good, is some retarted number of months late. All the books have lost momentum, and they can all get it back if they will simply concentrate on what makes Ultiamte Universe so danged interesting.

1) Light on backstory

2) Subdue everything in reality (kinda like Begins did)

3) Immersive emotions with emotionally/socially heavy storylines.

4) Don't be scared to change anything.

Ultimate X-Men's latest writer, while talented, still doesn't seem to understand that this is not 616 and has made his book all but pointless.

Ultimate Fantastic Four failed, from the very first, to reimagine an idea that is by very name and nature fantastic as something grounded and realistic... eventually they decided to throw realism out the door and are left with... well, yeah.

And Ultimate Spidey lost it's heart, somewhere around Issue 80 by my count. I think after the breakup of MJ the emotional resonance, the one liners and the supporting cast just didn't pop like it used to...

And few things hurt more than catering to a late and less-than-stellar Galactus storyline which, for various reasons, ended up having ZERO impact on the books, or on the world at large. I would have enjoyed Gah Lak Tus, incidentally, much more than "Ultimates 2"

But for the first 3-4 years, the Ultimate line was, imho, damn near perfect. And if Marvel Editorial can get real, they'll treat it as the perfect baby universe instead of all that Gold Standard bull... but I digress...

 

[Artistsean]

I agree about most of what you said. They have lost what made them Ultimate, when Ultimate Spider-Man reimagined a character it was a big deal. But now it isn't. I mean one issue Spider-Man was fighting Ultimate Deathlock and it wasn't the main story and wasn't even a big deal. He was defeated in like two pages so they could get to the real story.
Or Ultimate Omega Red was only on about two pages as well.
What I did like about Fantastic Four was how it was grounded in science but it explored what a MASSIVE and out there phenominon it would truely be if four humans were changed into almost non human alien like beings.
Thing doesn't poop, Reed Richards doesn't need to eat ahd his insides are more like plant cells to allow him to stretch. Stuff like that was fun, but then they messed up on how to redesign Dr. Doom, and everything after that seemed bad.
X-Men is like Spider-Man, they lost what made their comic so cool somehow. Now the reimagined characters don't seem so important and neither do the stories. But they are at least a little more intersting than Spider-Man, a touch more not alot.

along with your ideas, what might save the Ultimate line is Jeff Loeb and Ed McGuinnis (spelling)'s Ultimates,
and
they should maybe start a new comic, like Ultimate Dark Stalkers.
Show the magic and demonic side of the Ultimate universe. Have Ghost Rider, Dr. Strange, a young Blade and Whistler (pre movie), Morbius, Satanna, and a few other characters like Brother Voodooo, and they can fight characters like Ultimate Blackout, Mr. Hyde, the Wendigo, Damien Hellstrom, Mephisto, and so on.
a new Ultimate book with new ideas and new origins.

So if DC wanted to try Ultimate DC, and maybe called it something different, they should look at what Marvel did in the start of Ultimate Marvel and not what they are doing lately.