Marvel Ultimate Series

[DanMcS]

So, I mainly read Ultimate X-Men and The Ultimates. I typically wait until they're out in paperback form, because single issues of comics are so short that they bore me. So I'm not into Ultimates 2 yet, for instance, because it hasn't been collected.

I keep hearing recommendations for Ultimate Spider-Man, but it's up to like a dozen paperbacks and jumping into it right now is kind of intimidating. You guys all love this one, right?

I read Ultimate Nightmare (which had a subtitle that totally gave away the ending, what the hell was that about). The paperback claims to be part 1 of 3, but I don't see any other Ultimate Nightmare comics anywhere, even single issues. There is one called Ultimate Secret, which seems like it might be the "book 2" to UN, is that right?

And now there's Ultimate Fantastic Four, Ultimate Elektra, and Ultimate Iron Man, right? Was there ever a Ultimate Daredevil standalone book, because it seems weird that elektra got hers before him. What issues are these all up to, and how many paperbacks are there?

I've tried to figure this all out by perusing the shelves at the comic store, and I'm a bit befuddled. Love the books, but if the Ultimate series are supposed to be the simplified, less-backstory reboots of Marvel series, they're losing the simplified less-backstory part as fast as they can shovel out new books.

 

[Captain Tagon]

Ultimate Iron Man has been really good so far. And it is being written by Orson Scott Card.

 

[Viking Bastard]

Ultimate Spider-Man is good, often great. Get it. Get the Hardcovers, they're cheaper.

Ultimate Iron Man has gotten a very good response. I haven't read it, I'm waiting for the trade.

Ultimate Fantastic Four's first story arc by Bendis/Millar is bland is anything, but after Warren Ellis takes over, it's great!

Ultimate Nightmare is the first chapter of three in the Ultimate Galactus Saga. Ultimate Secret is chapter 2.

Ultimate Daredevil and Elektra came out the same time as the DD movie. It's allright if nothing special. Ultimate Elektra came out the same time as the Elektra movie. I haven't read it. There hasn't been a Ultimate DD book and probably won't be until there's a DD sequal without Elektra.



There have already been a few continuity fumbles in the Ultimate Universe. Like the whole Fantastic Four fiasco. I just find it funny in a tragic and ironic manner.

 

[Welverin]

Definitely get Ultimate Spidey, it's worth all the rest of them put together. Of course I'm a Spidey fan and a Bendis whore.

There have already been a few continuity fumbles in the Ultimate Universe. Like the whole Fantastic Four fiasco. I just find it funny in a tragic and ironic manner.

What fumble do you refer to?

I know that they changed Iron Man, but that was intentional (or was it Nick Fury?)

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

He's probably referring to the fact that back in Ultimate Team Up (or whatever it was called) Spiderman met the F4 and they were all adults like in the regular Marvel U. Then along comes Ultimate F4 and they are teenagers.

The Ultimate Iron Man chronology also doesn't stand up well. From what I gathered reading the first 2 issues, it's supposed to take place in the present (or very recent past), and Tony Stark is a baby/child, yet in the Ultimates, Tony is an adult. I'm curious to see how OS Card pulls this one off.

 

[Viking Bastard]

Ultimate Iron Man series is supposed to take place in the past, not in the present. It
may look a bit modern, but that's just the artist's choice. It's supposed to take place
25-30 years in the past.


And the UFF goof is much bigger than the Ultimate Team-Up issue. There are several
mentions of the FF, Doom and Reed in the early issues of Ultimate Spider-Man, Ultimates
and Ultimate X-Men. Now, this could easily be explained by simply putting the early
UFF stories chronologically before the first Ultimate titles (despite it's implied they're
adults, it's never specifically said and easily ignored). But the UFF talk of the Ultimates
in their origin story and later guest star into Spidey and it's pretty clear where it takes
place chronologically.

If it were the normal MU I wouldn't think twice of it, but it's silly and easily avoidable
goof for a line that's supposed to be continuity straight and light.