Comparing the Ultimates: Millar, Loeb, Hickman, Humphries

[wyokid]

So what WAS the point?

You know, honestly I would tell you, but I am just so goddamn tired of coming on here and arguing. I'm taking a break of arguing on here, it's needlessly stressing me on and I'm sick of it.

Okay. How, though? Where are the similarities? One is a mature, beautifully written, engaging, affectionate homage to the story of the love of Peter Parker's life (well, before MJ, anyway). The other is this amauterish, skin-deep adventure story with the subtlety of a sledgehammer, not to mention barely adhering at all to what came before other than as a vague backstory. Ultimates 3, Ultimatum and New Ultimates were like what Batman Forever and Batman and Robin were to the first two with Michael Keaton.


...actually, not to toot my own horn as it were, but the more I think of that last comparison, the more perfect it seems. Apologies if somebody has already used this, but Loeb truly is the Joel Schumacher of the Ultimate Universe.

So The Ultimates 3 is Batman Forever and Ultimatum is Batman and Robin, likewise New Ultimates would be Saint Elmo's Fire and Ultimate X would be The Lost Boys (or vice versa). I can dig it.

[PhilUrich'sFlamingSword]

You know, honestly I would tell you, but I am just so goddamn tired of coming on here and arguing. I'm taking a break of arguing on here, it's needlessly stressing me on and I'm sick of it.



So The Ultimates 3 is Batman Forever and Ultimatum is Batman and Robin, likewise New Ultimates would be Saint Elmo's Fire and Ultimate X would be The Lost Boys (or vice versa). I can dig it.

Yep, that pretty much sums it uHEYWAITAMINUTE! I see what you did there

[PhilUrich'sFlamingSword]

I didn't mind Ultimate X, as I've said. Delays aside, the story was pretty interesting. As I've also said though, the narration boxes were so distracting, and most of them were from the perspectives of extemperaneous characters, and could have been better served to give us the thoughts of one of our mutant main characters.

[thecrimson]

I didn't mind Ultimate X, as I've said. Delays aside, the story was pretty interesting. As I've also said though, the narration boxes were so distracting, and most of them were from the perspectives of extemporaneous characters, and could have been better served to give us the thoughts of one of our mutant main characters.

I actually liked that about Ultimate X.

[wyokid]

I didn't mind Ultimate X, as I've said. Delays aside, the story was pretty interesting. As I've also said though, the narration boxes were so distracting, and most of them were from the perspectives of extemperaneous characters, and could have been better served to give us the thoughts of one of our mutant main characters.

I read each issue three times. First as a whole, then with no narration, and then just the narration. Try it out, you might be surprised how much the narration strengthens the story!

[Plawsky]

You know, honestly I would tell you, but I am just so goddamn tired of coming on here and arguing. I'm taking a break of arguing on here, it's needlessly stressing me on and I'm sick of it.

Unless someone's angry or being hostile, the only difference between arguing and discussing is that both parties have two different opinions. I'm not trying to start fights, but I come on the forums to discuss these books. Otherwise, what's the point of posting here?

[horsehead]

Plawsky - where is says Ultimate Mod! under your name I just read that as Ultimate Modi and thought for a moment that you were claiming to be the son of Thor

[Number_5]

Plawsky - where is says Ultimate Mod! under your name I just read that as Ultimate Modi and thought for a moment that you were claiming to be the son of Thor

Well, before putting Modi in the room with no doors, Thor did give him Mjonir and a laptop...

[Plawsky]

Uh oh... I've been found out!

[Robbie_Jee]

I read each issue three times. First as a whole,

Whoa, wait a sec. How did you do that? I tried doing that and it was impossible. How were you able to predict the flow of the story like that?

[SpeedofLife]

I've got more hearsay and rumors to contribute. This one is from 4chan's /co/ board, and is in response to a thread asking about the Asian Spider-Man from Avengers:

I asked Mark Millar on Saturday [at Kapow] and he told me there was a tonne of stories planned to explain him but the threat of Jeff Loeb being allowed to take over his characters forced him to kill them all off unceremoniously.
So basically, he was not supposed to be an asian super soldier but he needed a reason to kill him in the final arc and this was it.

Honestly, this is what I've always suspected. That Millar killed off all of his creations so nobody else could ruin them.

[wyokid]

I've got more hearsay and rumors to contribute. This one is from 4chan's /co/ board, and is in response to a thread asking about the Asian Spider-Man from Avengers:



Honestly, this is what I've always suspected. That Millar killed off all of his creations so nobody else could ruin them.

1. 4chan is NOT a trustworthy place.
2. I HIGHLY doubt that he planned anything for the spider guy
3. He would kill off his characters, what a douche move.

[wyokid]

The point of The Ultimates 3, at least how I read it, was a deconstruction of Millar's deconstruction of modern comics. Millar attempted to deconstruct modern comics and did a very poor job of it and created a modern comic. Loeb highlights all of the first two books problems masterfully. It honestly made me realize WHY everyone hated it because it showed why the first two were flawed.

[Plawsky]

The point of The Ultimates 3, at least how I read it, was a deconstruction of Millar's deconstruction of modern comics. Millar attempted to deconstruct modern comics and did a very poor job of it and created a modern comic. Loeb highlights all of the first two books problems masterfully. It honestly made me realize WHY everyone hated it because it showed why the first two were flawed.

So in order to point out how bad Millar's Ultimates were, Loeb wrote his the opposite way. Is that what you're saying? What flaws exactly did he point out? Because I'm not seeing it. It seems like you're trying to add layers of depth to something that was - per the author's own admission - meant to be a popcorn flick.

[wyokid]

So in order to point out how bad Millar's Ultimates were, Loeb wrote his the opposite way. Is that what you're saying? What flaws exactly did he point out? Because I'm not seeing it.

For starters Captain America's crazy Conservative stance, Thor's crazy Liberal "do whatever the hell I want" stance, the one-liners, and the over-the-top violence.

It seems like you're trying to add layers of depth to something that was - per the author's own admission - meant to be a popcorn flick.

That's the great thing about art, it can be interpreted in so many ways.