Why the Ultraverse characters have been allowed to disappear

[StoneGold]

Agreed. He was a bad dude. As were all Ultraverse characters. That's why I don't wish any of them to be resurrected. They'll be softened by today's writers

Yes, modern writers like James Robinson.

[SomeBodyAtCBR]

But there wasn't anything overly original about the characters. The 90's was a time that everyone was starting comic companies and with bad artwork and writing.

Precisely. I see nothing compelling about these prototypical superhero archetypes, aside from nostalgia.

[md62]

Still I think with the right creative team characters like Prime would be great books. I agree the majority of Malibu's books weren't that great but some like Prime were fantastic. I also like the Ultraforce issues drawn by George Perez. Marvel should either at least try one book (Prime) or put the characters up for sale.

[StoneGold]

Still I think with the right creative team characters like Prime would be great books. I agree the majority of Malibu's books weren't that great but some like Prime were fantastic. I also like the Ultraforce issues drawn by George Perez. Marvel should either at least try one book (Prime) or put the characters up for sale.

And who do you think would buy? And for what price?

[Shinobi100]

Marvel is sissies. All IDW does is take licenses that were hot in the 80s or 90s and make new series for them while also reprinting the classic material. Here are some of their numbers from last months ICv2: 2 transformers titles both at 12k, 2 g.i. joe titles at 9k and one at 5k, one ninja turtle title at 19k and one at 16k. They've released 15 g.i. joe classic TPBs at 1,500+ copies per and now they're reprinting that same material in 15 different $50 HCs. They're even reprinting TMNT Adventures, a comic anybody would say was risky and guess what? It cracked the ICv2 top 300. Valiant Comics is resurrecting all its best classic titles and the 1st one, X-O Manowar, sold out its 1st printing of 45k.

So why is Marvel so scared to bring back old properties? They were going to resurrect Sleepwalker in 2004, but they chickened out at the last minute. Don't get your hopes up for an Ultraverse relaunch or re-anything. And you should be jealous because Valiant is doing their relaunch right and getting rave reviews in the process

[RDMacQ]

Real answer to the question? Because end of the day, Ultraverse wasn't financially successful. Which is why Marvel was able to buy them in the first place. Which is why they eventually stopped publishing the books.

Actually, I heard they were pretty successful. That's WHY Marvel bought them. That's also when they decided to buy Fleer. Marvel wasn't making a lot of sound financial decisions back then.

[StoneGold]

Actually, I heard they were pretty successful. That's WHY Marvel bought them. That's also when they decided to buy Fleer. Marvel wasn't making a lot of sound financial decisions back then.

Go look at the quality of the books right before the Marvel buyout. They didn't have the money to pay George Perez to do Ultraforce then.


And I know this having heard it from the people who were at Malibu at the time, as I was interning there.

[StoneGold]

Marvel is sissies. All IDW does is take licenses that were hot in the 80s or 90s and make new series for them while also reprinting the classic material. Here are some of their numbers from last months ICv2: 2 transformers titles both at 12k, 2 g.i. joe titles at 9k and one at 5k, one ninja turtle title at 19k and one at 16k. They've released 15 g.i. joe classic TPBs at 1,500+ copies per and now they're reprinting that same material in 15 different $50 HCs. They're even reprinting TMNT Adventures, a comic anybody would say was risky and guess what? It cracked the ICv2 top 300. Valiant Comics is resurrecting all its best classic titles and the 1st one, X-O Manowar, sold out its 1st printing of 45k.

So why is Marvel so scared to bring back old properties? They were going to resurrect Sleepwalker in 2004, but they chickened out at the last minute. Don't get your hopes up for an Ultraverse relaunch or re-anything. And you should be jealous because Valiant is doing their relaunch right and getting rave reviews in the process

You just basically explained why Marvel doesn't want to do it. All but one of the books you mentioned are below their cancellation line.

[RDMacQ]

Go look at the quality of the books right before the Marvel buyout. They didn't have the money to pay George Perez to do Ultraforce then.

And I know this having heard it from the people who were at Malibu at the time, as I was interning there.

Did Marvel know they were doing poorly?

[Shinobi100]

You just basically explained why Marvel doesn't want to do it. All but one of the books you mentioned are below their cancellation line.

Yes, but no one outside the comic community has ever heard of IDW. I often forget they exist. Ad I've never seen them advertise. With Marvel's resources, bigger name creators, and huge fan base, you could conservatively estimate that the IDW floppy sales would triple and the trades would double. A lot of smaller companies numbers are deflated because they don't have the resources to risk a large print run.

[StoneGold]

Yes, but no one outside the comic community has ever heard of IDW. I often forget they exist. Ad I've never seen them advertise. With Marvel's resources, bigger name creators, and huge fan base, you could conservatively estimate that the IDW floppy sales would triple and the trades would double. A lot of smaller companies numbers are deflated because they don't have the resources to risk a large print run.

Or not. How well did the Halo comic do? Or Tron?

[StoneGold]

Did Marvel know they were doing poorly?

One would assume so. But they bought the company to to pad out their portfolio and for the coloring studio. And it's not like Marvel wasn't in bankruptcy itself just a couple years later.

Same was true when DC bought the Charleton characters in the 80s. The difference being, Dick Giordino got his start at Charleton and had an affinity for the characters.

[RDMacQ]

One would assume so. But they bought the company to to pad out their portfolio and for the coloring studio. And it's not like Marvel wasn't in bankruptcy itself just a couple years later.

I heard the part about the coloring department. I just heard from another source that they were doing well. But, admittedly, that source wasn't as close to the situation as you were.

I thought that might have explained the information I heard, that Marvel bought the company because it was offering serious competition to them.

Same was true when DC bought the Charleton characters in the 80s. The difference being, Dick Giordino got his start at Charleton and had an affinity for the characters.

I never regarded it as the same situation, but I can see some of the parallels now that I know more of Malibu's financial situation.

[StoneGold]

I heard the part about the coloring department. I just heard from another source that they were doing well. But, admittedly, that source wasn't as close to the situation as you were.

I thought that might have explained the information I heard, that Marvel bought the company because it was offering serious competition to them.

From everything I knew, if someone didn't buy the company, it would have gone under anyway. The Marvel buyout just prolonged things.

[icctrombone]

My experience with the Ultraverse books was that I bought many of the titles atthe beginning and as the years went on, I was down to maybe one. If everyone here were to think back, they would have the same story. It started out promising but couldn't hold my interest for the long haul. Valiant , on the other hand, was a well put together company but they made many foolish moves and faded away. I saw Valiant as the #2 company behind Marvel before their fall.