If the DCU did an Ultimate styles setting, what would it be like?

[Captain Commander]

For those of you who are not Marvel readers, Ultimate Marvel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultimate_Marvel) is a re-imagining of classic Marvel heroes. The main premise is that supers are a relatively new phenomena (mainly last ten years) with very few super before that. So I was wondering, if DC did an Ultimates style imprint, what do you guys think it would be like?

Who would they keep and how would they be altered? Would the JLA become a government style "peace-keeping" force like the Avengers/Ultimates? What of the JLS and Teen Titans who rely on established generations of heroes for their existence?

[Name Already Taken]

For those of you who are not Marvel readers, Ultimate Marvel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultimate_Marvel) is a re-imagining of classic Marvel heroes. The main premise is that supers are a relatively new phenomena (mainly last ten years) with very few super before that. So I was wondering, if DC did an Ultimates style imprint, what do you guys think it would be like?

Who would they keep and how would they be altered? Would the JLA become a government style "peace-keeping" force like the Avengers/Ultimates? What of the JLS and Teen Titans who rely on established generations of heroes for their existence?

Other than elseworlds and the rebirth of the multiverse after 52, a somewhat smaller reimagining of many characters occurred in the Tangent (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangent_Comics) series if you're looking for the closest thing to the DC version of UU. It never really took off though. A recent series set in the primary DC universe involved many of these characters in Tangent: Superman's Riegn iirc.

[Pól Rua]

For those of you who are not Marvel readers, Ultimate Marvel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultimate_Marvel) is a re-imagining of classic Marvel heroes. The main premise is that supers are a relatively new phenomena (mainly last ten years) with very few super before that. So I was wondering, if DC did an Ultimates style imprint, what do you guys think it would be like?

Who would they keep and how would they be altered? Would the JLA become a government style "peace-keeping" force like the Avengers/Ultimates? What of the JLS and Teen Titans who rely on established generations of heroes for their existence?

I suspect it would be much like the animated DCU, only with a nod towards the whole pseudo-realistic belt pouches and government sponsorship thing.

[daveageallen]

god ultimant universe marvel is horrible. they are al doing really bad in sales and flop.

i am sick of these fake worlds, dimensions, elseworlds,crissis,civilwars,zombies, apes, smurfs....

[HaroldAllnut]

I actually wrote up a proposal for an "Ultimate Batman" sort of series, just for fun. I'll post it up here:

ULTIMATE BATMAN
By: Alejandro Omidsalar

Mission Statement
The legend of the Dark Knight should be altered for our day and age. Consistent character changes and a mire of continuity keeps new readers from enjoying one of the most universal characters in comic book history. This project would remedy that by starting anew, with a somewhat more modernized slant.

Cast of Characters
Bruce Wayne/Batman—The billionaire heir to Wayne Technologies, Bruce Wayne is not the aloof, dopey playboy people have become so comfortable with. He's an in-your-face, young daredevil who spends his mornings in the boardroom (briefly) and the rest of the time pushing himself to be the strongest human combatant on the planet. While he maintains only a cursory interest in his actual company (enough so as not to be ripped off by craven venture capitalists and predatory members of the board), he spends most of his time managing the philanthropic organizations connected to Wayne Technologies, the most notable being The Martha Wayne Memorial Foundation and various pro-bono after-school camps that teach self-defense. In terms of a personal life, Bruce Wayne has been known to get into many vicious fights with various other celebrities (i.e. Russel Crowe, etc.), and fights professionally in the mixed martial arts competitions held by the XFC (eXtreme Fighting Confederation), donating his prize money to charity. Instead of being a Paris Hilton sort of figure, he's more like a rough-and-tumble Tony Hawk sort of character; he's not a socialite, but an athlete who just so happens to come from an extremely rich background. He is rumored to be romantically involved with adult film starlet Selina Kyle, and it is still the subject of much conjecture what Bruce Wayne did with his life between the ages of 18 to 25.

Alfred Pennyworth—A former British special forces officer whose life was saved by Thomas Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth swore a life debt to Bruce's late father, who took such a liking to the man that he actually made him Bruce's legal guardian. This Alfred is can be much sterner in his approach, as much a drill sergeant as a benevolent father figure. It is hinted that much is yet to be known about Bruce's effete English guardian.

Dick Grayson/Robin I—Orphaned by the ruthless Boss Zucco when the proprietors of the circus he and his parents performed in refused to cave to intimidation, young Dick Grayson soon became a product of Gotham City's vicious streets, and its even worse foster care system. Still practicing the acrobatics he learned as a boy, he receives a rough education on the streets of Gotham City (and in a few of the Bruce Wayne-funded self-defense seminars he attends) in terms of hand-to-hand combat. A few years into Batman's crusade against crime, a series of violent murders leading towards Boss Anthony Zucco reveal the young Grayson to be responsible, wearing a makeshift "Robin" costume inspired by his days in the circus with one, dark modification: razor talons on the wrists of his gauntlets.

Lieutenant James Gordon—Having served three years in the United States Marine Corps and many more on the corrupt Chicago police force, James Gordon is a tired black cop used to the graft—and used to fighting against it. He works closely with the few good cops he can string together (Detectives Crispus Allen, Harvey Bullock, and Renee Montoya) in the Major Crimes Unit, working under somewhat unjust pressure from Commissioner Aparo to find the vigilante known as the Bat-Man.

Selina Kyle/Catwoman—Fetish model, former porn star, and tarnished angel, Selina Kyle was always used to life on the wrong side of the tracks, what with being the illegitimate daughter of a Massachusettes senator and a Gotham City prostitute with a mean drug habit. Selina has risen through the grime and graft of Gotham City, breaking many hearts along the way; she almost died breaking the wrong one early in her career—that of up-and-coming crime boss Rupert Thorne. It wasn't until thugs were sent to kill her that Selina realized just how much trouble she was in, and, just like any other animal, Rupert's little "wildcat" fought when cornered. She fought well enough and ferociously enough to realize that the only way to make it in Gotham City was to take what you wanted when you wanted it. Further inspired by reports of a mysterious, bat-themed vigilante, Selina Kyle upped the ante by dressing as the animal she considers to be her "totem:" a cat.

Michael "Matches" Malone—The captain of Batman's various agents throughout the city, Michael Malone was originally the bottom of the totem pole for one of the Joker's mad schemes. When he tried to commit suicide after the Joker murdered his family, Batman saved Michael and convinced him to provide information and other forms of aid to the Dark Knight's war on crime. He frequently works for various "novelty crime" acts in Gotham City, manages Batman's various agents, and has a budding romance with a young, talented psychiatrist named Harlene Quinzelle.

Plot Threads/Inklings of Ideas

•The Trifecta: Lex Luthor, Bruce Wayne, and Oswald Cobblepot were three outcasts at the incredibly fancy, upscale private school that they attended as young children and teens, Lex for his working class background, Oswald for his rotund and comical appearance, and Bruce for his reckless disregard for rules and penchant for constantly getting into fights. Two became super-criminals with respectable fronts (Lex with LexCorp, Oswald with the Iceberg Lounge), while the other became a fearsome avenger of the night.

•The Robin Murders: Bruce has to find out who or what has been murdering his way to Anthony Zucco. It's Dick Grayson, and when they meet, one of them puts the other in the hospital.

•Excuses: People may claim that, with a version of Bruce Wayne who's this pro-active, it's fairly obvious to most Gothamites who Batman might be. That is a problem that requires solving. Simply put, the more down-to-earth take on this would provide an easy explanation. Batman has a network of agents throughout Gotham City. While he's nowhere near as popular as, say, the Shadow was, he still has enough money and influence to fudge around any reports claiming that "Bruce Wayne is Batman." He does a lot of this with the help of Michael "Matches" Malone, a rehabilitated thug from the "Irishtown" section of Gotham.

[drinkblatzbeer]

wasnt the all-star line originally the answer to "ultimate" stuff??

[Pól Rua]

Michael "Matches" Malone—The captain of Batman's various agents throughout the city, Michael Malone was originally the bottom of the totem pole for one of the Joker's mad schemes. When he tried to commit suicide after the Joker murdered his family, Batman saved Michael and convinced him to provide information and other forms of aid to the Dark Knight's war on crime. He frequently works for various "novelty crime" acts in Gotham City, manages Batman's various agents, and has a budding romance with a young, talented psychiatrist named Harlene Quinzelle.

Nice nod to The Shadow.

[Jake V]

wasnt the all-star line originally the answer to "ultimate" stuff??

Not really. While the All Star line is kind of "continuity-free, new reader friendly" in the same way the Ultimate line was, it differed in that it used classic or "timeless" takes on the characters instead of the more "modern" ones the Ultimate books use. They also didn't exist in a shared universe in the same way the Ultimate books do.

[Alex L]

god ultimant universe marvel is horrible. they are al doing really bad in sales and flop.

Ultimate MU does pretty solidly from where I'm sitting.

Well, mostly Ultimate Spider-man. Ultimate X-Men is meh (but I feel that way about regular X), I seem to remember liking Ultimate FF, and Ultimates (Ultimate Avengers) was good in 2 out of 3 series.

[Froggy]

ultimate flash would be cool if prof zoom turned out to be wally west

[bongoes]

a somewhat smaller reimagining of many characters occurred in the Tangent (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangent_Comics) series if you're looking for the closest thing to the DC version of UU.
But Tangent was nothing like the regular DCU. UM is the same characters and similar origins and powers, just modern.
I suspect it would be much like the animated DCU, only with a nod towards the whole pseudo-realistic belt pouches and government sponsorship thing.
That's what I think.

[Captain Commander]

god ultimant universe marvel is horrible. they are al doing really bad in sales and flop.

i am sick of these fake worlds, dimensions, elseworlds,crissis,civilwars,zombies, apes, smurfs....

Not an Ultimates fan myself but I can see their appeal to a newer audience who hasn't been reading for decades and/or have all the classic issues needed for continuity. Also I I liked the Ultimates (Avengers) books. They were an interesting read on the effects of supers on politics and power balance.

[Wilder Midnight]

who knows?

as stated the "all stars" line of comics is basically dc's way of doing marvels "ultimates" thing.

this makes me think of a what if scenario that almost took place...that of "what if dc rebooted all their titles after crisis on infinite earths".