Ultimates - in book form

[Evil Parsnip]

Ok, I freely admit it, you all have me hankering to get back into the world of modern comics and once I am home and have an income again I will indulge a bit, but in the meantime I ran across a book in a Bangkok book swap that I couldn't resist.
It was the Ultimates - The Tomorrow Men. Telling the modernized version of the Avengers against the future. It was mainly about Iron Man (and I am not crazy about what they did with him as a character) and kind of trashed much of the purity of the original avengers
for example
Henry Pym was a wife beater and his wife left him and is sleeping with/dating Steve Rogers
The black widow seduced Tony Stark.. but before that had a quicky with him before a battle with aliens, and then decided she wanted more
Bruce Banner is really a pantywaist..and a prisoner.
Betty Roth is a semi punk spin doctor
and I can't tell why it bothers me so.. but nick fury is bald and flavorless.
oh.. and Jarvis is Iron Man's butler..

I did kind of like the tumor thing.

Is this what the comic is now like? Does anyone hate the ideas as much as I do? Are there other books in this series?

I'm still unsure about the whole reset of this title even if it is more up to date.
what does everyone else think?

[jaydeebee]

I fully hate the idea as much as you do, however I don't believe that paticular storyline has found it's way into current Marvel (dis)continuity.

However Iron Man's character has been completely trashed in the current Marvel Universe as he is now the fascist enforcer for a hardline government agency. :(

[fulltimer56]

That sounds like the plots of the two Ultimate Avengers movies?

Linda

[marvelguy]

The Ultimates has it's own universe taking place as if the Ultimate universe were born today like the Marvel universe were born in 1961. I sort of like it, what would you rather have in the Ultimate mythos? Same squeaky clean people, places, and honest to goodness apple pie?

[StlComics]

What you have there sounds like pretty much exactly what has gone on in the Ultimates comic books, series one and two. It doesn't and won't affect regular Marvel continutiy though as it is part of the Ultimate universe along with Ultimate Spidey, Ultimate X-Men and the rest of them.

I hope you do realize though it isn't all that far fetched. In the regular Marvel U, Hank Pym WAS a wife beater. It is why he and Jan got divorced. It happened when he was Yellowjacket for the first time. Also, Bruce Banner was originally a pantywaist. The Hulk is everything his subconcious always buried away. Last, but not least, Jarvis was originally Iron Man's butler. He was the Stark Family's employee, and ended up working for the Avengers as their original and longtime headquarters was the Stark mansion in New York.

It's safe to say they didn't reinvent the wheel here. It's just updated a bit for a more modern sense of everything. That being said, I highly recommend everyone here get a copy of the TPB's for Ultimates and Ultimates 2. They are excellent reading.

[fulltimer56]

I happen to like some of the Ultimate books!

Linda

[marvelguy]

What you have there sounds like pretty much exactly what has gone on in the Ultimates comic books, series one and two. It doesn't and won't affect regular Marvel continutiy though as it is part of the Ultimate universe along with Ultimate Spidey, Ultimate X-Men and the rest of them.

I hope you do realize though it isn't all that far fetched. In the regular Marvel U, Hank Pym WAS a wife beater. It is why he and Jan got divorced. It happened when he was Yellowjacket for the first time. Also, Bruce Banner was originally a pantywaist. The Hulk is everything his subconcious always buried away. Last, but not least, Jarvis was originally Iron Man's butler. He was the Stark Family's employee, and ended up working for the Avengers as their original and longtime headquarters was the Stark mansion in New York.

It's safe to say they didn't reinvent the wheel here. It's just updated a bit for a more modern sense of everything. That being said, I highly recommend everyone here get a copy of the TPB's for Ultimates and Ultimates 2. They are excellent reading.

Thank you, I couldn't have said it better. I'm on a Ultimate diet with side servings of 616 Marvel goodness. I have about 10-15 issues to complete Ultimate Spidey, 2 more of the Ultimates 1, 4 more of Ultimate FF, and 20-30 more issues of Ultimate X-Men. I also have mostly complete sets of Ultimate mini's also. The Ultimate Six series is pretty good.;)

[Evil Parsnip]

well it'll have to wait for my return and my re-birthday party..

[Evil Parsnip]

I fully hate the idea as much as you do, however I don't believe that paticular storyline has found it's way into current Marvel (dis)continuity.

However Iron Man's character has been completely trashed in the current Marvel Universe as he is now the fascist enforcer for a hardline government agency. :(

listening to this I can only imagine that i'm not going to be a huge fan of the stroryline..

yet if you were looking to make the avengers more real this makes sense.. although Janet Van Dyne not being human was a weird throw in. I can also see the superheroes of the world being somewhat hypersexual.. after alll they are essentially gods with physical perfection upon many of them.. hard for either sex to resist - and I think that's about how it would go.

[marvelguy]

I fully hate the idea as much as you do, however I don't believe that paticular storyline has found it's way into current Marvel (dis)continuity.

However Iron Man's character has been completely trashed in the current Marvel Universe as he is now the fascist enforcer for a hardline government agency. :(

Yeah, yeah, about Iron Man being what he is now. We'll have to wait and see why he did what he did. Wait a minute, he could be a Skrull for all I know. I haven't got the slightest inkling why he is a government stooge so hard except for the deaths of children over in Stamford, Ct. I wonder where Tony's gonna be resting when Steve takes the mantle?

[stupidman]

If you're looking to get into Modern comics, but are at all a fan of the Silver Age Marvel stuff, or have read anything Marvel put out before 1990, avoid the Ultimate line. It's just a big "What If?" universe where the writers take the storylines from the real Marvel universe and recycle them into the bastard children of Brian Michael Bendis! Marvel - The House of (Recycled) Ideas.

[StlComics]

Thank you, I couldn't have said it better. I'm on a Ultimate diet with side servings of 616 Marvel goodness. I have about 10-15 issues to complete Ultimate Spidey, 2 more of the Ultimates 1, 4 more of Ultimate FF, and 20-30 more issues of Ultimate X-Men. I also have mostly complete sets of Ultimate mini's also. The Ultimate Six series is pretty good.;)


I'm a huge sucker for this stuff. I've bought all of it issue by issue as they were released. I'd be hard pressed to say I didn't enjoy most of it. If what you want is to read 616 continuity, it isn't for you. If however you like something extra thrown into the mix, in many cases the stories in the Ultimate line have been better than the majority of the 616 stuff. A person could easily be reading only the Ultimate line, and ignoring 616 completely. I am not that person though. I read it all. :D

[Evil Parsnip]

actually I tend to like the alternate universes.. DC's elseworlds were always among my favorite titles as was all of the What If? series.. but I'll have to make some hard decisions (or hopefully pick up some cheap long boxes off ebay) when I return as to what to read.

[marvelguy]

If you want, there's a deal over at talesofwonder.com that has the first 3 HB of Ultimate Spiderman for $39-40. This collects the first 36 issues in 3 books. You may want to try that. You can also check out Marvel.com, they have free comic viewing on site, I don't know if the Ultimates is there. It's free and you decide what you want to get.

[StlComics]

I would go with TPB's. They are much cheaper. Check out this link:
http://www.mailordercomics.com/result.asp?search=ultimates&image1.x=0&image1.y=0
Goodies galore at mailordercomics.com for 38% off!

[Evil Parsnip]

Thanks guys.. much obliged.. of course until I return to the USA and start working again it's pretty academic since my travel budget doesn't include things like comics nor would I have a place to keep them.. but when I get back and earn some money I'll indulge.. although I can ask for some TPBs for my Re-Birthday when I return..

my re-birthday will be a big one.. coming back to the western world and turning 40.. hopefully all in the same day although Emily wants to be home sooner...