Should The Ultimates Title Change with the New Creative Team?

[RocketBoy]

The is purely a hypothetical question, and it is not based on any rumors. With the addition of the new creative team (Mad-Loeb) on The Ultimates and the apparent new direction for the series, should Marvel change the title to Ultimate Avengers?

I can personally think of several advantages and disadvantages to a title change like this:

Pro

It will give the new creators their very own 'Volume One #1' issue to start off with, bringing more attention to the book, while it would also bring more of a 'Clean Slate' feeling to their work.
It would be a good gesture to the fervent Ultimates fans who want the series to Rest in Peace upon the Millar/Hitch departure. While at the same time, it may help to attract those who have never wanted any part in reading the Ultimates series

Con
It may lose some of the synergy that would exist from merely continuing under the highly recognizable, and still highly successful, current title.


If it's not too much to ask, please leave comments on the thoughts behind your choice if you've got 'em. And please add any pros or cons I missed.

[Schmakt]

Cons: I really like the idea of seeing if a yearly series can survive in a volume format with a new number 1 each year.

I voted no.
but I don't read the Ultimate Universe anyway... nor will I, regardless of the title of this particular book :-/

[Frank]

It won`t be The Ultimates anymore so yea, change it.

[Steve]

They should change it to the Animates.

[Titan Slade]

It won`t be The Ultimates anymore so yea, change it.

It will still be the Ultimates, but with a better artist on board ;) .

[Frank]

They should change it to the Animates.

zing! :D

well played

[Headhunter]

I'd be cool with the title staying the same, if it wasn't Joe Mad on art. His style is a really poor fit, unless he's totally reinvented himself in the shadows and is breaking out some Hitch-esque pencils for this.

Yeah right.

[Mister Mets]

It'd have been cool to change the book to Ultimate Avengers, provided they have something to avenge.

[Adem]

It won`t be The Ultimates anymore so yea, change it.

I agree with since Loeb will most likely do a 180 on the title, but don't change it to Ultimate Avengers since they aren't the Avengers either. Just let Loeb and Mad think of a new title.

[Titan Slade]

I agree with since Loeb will most likely do a 180 on the title, but don't change it to Ultimate Avengers since they aren't the Avengers either. Just let Loeb and Mad think of a new title.

I have the perfect name for the book. The #1 selling monthly Marvel title, because this name 100% represents what this book will be ;) .

[Adem]

I have the perfect name for the book. The #1 selling monthly Marvel title, because this name 100% represents what this book will be ;) .

I don't think it will be #1 and if it is it won't sell as well as the Millar/Hitch team.

[Titan Slade]

I don't think it will be #1 and if it is it won't sell as well as the Millar/Hitch team.

Loeb is always on the top 10 most popular Wizard magazine writers list along with Millar every month. And Madureira used to hold the #1 Top wizard artist spot when he was drawing Uncanny X-Men monthly. Madureira has many more fans than Hitch does, and both artists are great. The Loeb/Madureira Ultimates will sell better than the already #1 Millar/Hitch version.

[Adem]

I hate Wizard and I don't think they make fair Top ten's of anything. Loeb writing has been getting worse over the years IMO. Also I did not know Madureira had a lot of fan so I guess your right.

[RocketBoy]

Loeb is always on the top 10 most popular Wizard magazine writers list along with Millar every month.
I don't buy Wizard. If I want to look at a couple hundred pages of ads, I'll pick up Previews; at least Previews doesn't try disguise their paid advertisements as news.*

*note: this is an automated response. It is generated any time anyone claims Wizard Magazine has authority on anything.

[Titan Slade]

I hate Wizard and I don't think they make fair Top ten's of anything. Loeb writing has been getting worse over the years IMO. Also I did not know Madureira had a lot of fan so I guess your right.

How many years have you been reading comic books and are you at all familiar with Madureira's art? Madureira's Battle Chasers and Uncanny X-Men always sold over the 100K mark, and he has legions of fans. Hitch is a great artist with many fans, but so is Madureira. The Millar/Hitch creative team is great, but the Loeb/Madureira team is great as well. While the story lines may be a bit different than Millar's in the Loeb run, they should be high quality none the less. Just give the new creative team a chance, and I am sure you will not be let down.

[Will.S]

I don't buy Wizard. If I want to look at a couple hundred pages of ads, I'll pick up Previews; at least Previews doesn't try disguise their paid advertisements as news.*

*note: this is an automated response. It is generated any time anyone claims Wizard Magazine has authority on anything.
Heh I'd like to think that Wizard is more "in depth" than Previews. Plus they get neat exclusives such as the Loeb/Madureira sketches and interviews.

Anyway I'd definitely change the name of it to Ultimate Avengers. If that's where the status quo is going, hell why not?

[thik_3rd]

keep it as ultimates. no need for a name change. you people are acting like the ultimates are steeped in decades of tradition and are going to go through a wholesale change. they've been around 4 years and including guest appearance in other ultimate titles will have been in less than 50 issues after this volume runs out.

[Titan Slade]

keep it as ultimates. no need for a name change. you people are acting like the ultimates are steeped in decades of tradition and are going to go through a wholesale change. they've been around 4 years and including guest appearance in other ultimate titles will have been in less than 50 issues after this volume runs out.

And even though they have been around for 4 years, we don't even have 20 issues of the book yet. Like you said, there is no long standing traditional status-quo for the Ultimates yet. I am sad to see Millar and Hitch go as well, but I am also excited by the quality replacements in Loeb and Madureira :D .

[RocketBoy]

keep it as ultimates. no need for a name change. you people are acting like the ultimates are steeped in decades of tradition
My view is actually quite the opposite. If The Ultimates was a regular, monthly title that would continue under the same numbering, I would not reccomend a title change, but that is not what the series is. According to Marvel editorial, it is sort of a semi-monthly series of maxi-series. SO I think it is the lack of 'steeped' tradition that would easily allow new creators to come on and brand it in their own way, marking each run with an increased individuality.

And even though they have been around for 4 years, we don't even have 20 issues of the book yet.
So tell me Titan, is 13 + 7 + 1 less than, equal to, or greater than 20?:D

[Jake V]

I voted to keep calling it The Ultimates with whatever number the volume is.

If there isn't a story reason for the team to change the name, the name should stay the same. It would be kind of silly for the book to be called "The Ultimate Avengers" if they refered to themselves as "The Ultimates." And if they actually call themselves "The Avengers" there shoud be a damn good reason for the team to change their name.

Of course, Millar might leave the book in a condition in which a new team is formed that calls themselves the Avengers. In that case, a title change is warrented, but if not, there is no reason to change the title.

Marvel has a good thing going with "The Ultimates" as a brand.

[mastaflan]

I hate Wizard and I don't think they make fair Top ten's of anything. Loeb writing has been getting worse over the years IMO. Also I did not know Madureira had a lot of fan so I guess your right.


I have issue's with Mad but that is on a professional Level. His talent cannot be denied. I was a huge fan once. I am a reluctant fan at best but yes he is really good. I have a feeling that a change of pace for Loeb might bring out better works..but then again he has been doin a lot of that and they were good.

[Paradox]

Since continuing it past Millar/Hitch seems to be market driven, changing the name would be counterproductive to my eyes.

[Will.S]

I don't really see it as a big deal if they change the name.

Marvel relaunches titles all the time with varying degrees of success so people seeing this team follow up the previous with the added attatched incentive of a jumping on point helps the title change.

I think maybe a good middleground compromise to the whole thing would be to call it Ultimate Avengers volume 3 or to do a small little preface of "From the pages of the Ultimates...the Ultimate Avengers".

I guess I would be fine with The Ultimates Volume 3 too but if the shift in direction is very acute, then I see little reason to keep naming it that other than giving a different package the same name.

[Titan76]

keep it as ultimates. no need for a name change. you people are acting like the ultimates are steeped in decades of tradition and are going to go through a wholesale change. they've been around 4 years and including guest appearance in other ultimate titles will have been in less than 50 issues after this volume runs out.
It's been around for 3 years not 4.

[Tadhg Adams]

How many years have you been reading comic books and are you at all familiar with Madureira's art? Madureira's Battle Chasers and Uncanny X-Men always sold over the 100K mark, and he has legions of fans.

That was a different era of comics, I know it wasn't that long ago, but the landscape was very different. Not to mention he used up a lot of the fans' good will with Battle Chasers, it's increasing lateness, and eventual disappearance. I was running a store at the time and went from selling out of 300 copies of Battle Chasers #1(And could have likely sold a lot more) to selling less than 30 copies of #9.

[Frank]

It should be The Ultimate$$$