The Comic Book Thread (spoilers)

[GhostMachine]

I haven't read Ultimate X-Men, but from what I understand it started out very good but eventually went downhill bigtime.

Oh, and one the greatest moments in comics history happened 30 years ago this month: Fantastic Four #232, the first issue by John Byrne, hit the stands.

[Timmoru Suzuki]

Is Ultimate X-Men worth checking out? I been looking into it, and there's 19 volumes, but by like, the tenth book, the reviews are pretty bad over on Amazon. I just ordered Astonishing X-Men, and if Ultimate X-Men isn't any good, can anyone recommend any other X-Men stories for me?

Also, I been looking for any good Fantastic Four stories, I looked into Ultimate Fantastic Four, but I'm looking just for a couple of books, not a whole series, are there any one shot stories you guys would recommend to me?

Stick with Astonishing.

Okay, the first couple of volumes of UXM are very good; but then they quality tails off incredibly. Some parts of it, towards the end of the run are beyond awful; although the last arc has some strength in it.

As for other X-Men, Deadly Genesis is probably worth a look.

I haven't read any comics in about eighteen months, so I have no idea if the regular X-Men titles are any good currently.

[NM!]

Is Ultimate X-Men worth checking out? I been looking into it, and there's 19 volumes, but by like, the tenth book, the reviews are pretty bad over on Amazon. I just ordered Astonishing X-Men, and if Ultimate X-Men isn't any good, can anyone recommend any other X-Men stories for me?

Also, I been looking for any good Fantastic Four stories, I looked into Ultimate Fantastic Four, but I'm looking just for a couple of books, not a whole series, are there any one shot stories you guys would recommend to me?

I've read a 4 issue comic series called "One Month to Live" which was a decent read. It featured the Fantastic Four and Spiderman if it helps.

[Noah]

I haven't followed most mainstream marvel comics in a few years but are the Ultimate Torch and Iceman really living at the Parker household and posing as his cousins, like some sort of suburban Dudleyville?

If so, that sounds glorious.

[Johnny Latino Heat]

I haven't followed most mainstream marvel comics in a few years but are the Ultimate Torch and Iceman really living at the Parker household and posing as his cousins, like some sort of suburban Dudleyville?

If so, that sounds glorious.

Yes, they are. Since the Torch was famous, he dyed his hair black and the three of them are going to the same high school. Gwen Stacy is also living with them, but she isn't part of the whole "cousin" thing.

EDIT: Since we're talking about Ultimate Spider-Man, here are some post-Death of Spider-Man spoilers:

Marvel Comics' most popular character is getting a hip new look - and a new person wearing the webs.

"That's not Peter Parker," Marvel editor-in-chief Axel Alonso told The Post. "There's going to be someone new wearing the costume."

The new webslinger and the new look - a sleek black and red costume revealed here for the first time - will make their debut at some point this summer, after the conclusion of the ominously titled "Death of Spider-Man" storyline in June's Ultimate Spider-Man No. 160.

The comic will be polybagged, and will shake the comic book world to the core. "It's unlike anything you've seen before," Alonso said.

The shakeup marks the first time someone else will be catching thieves just like flies in the "Spider-Man" titles besides Peter (or a clone of Peter - don't ask) in the character's almost 50-year history in either the traditional "Marvel Universe" or the more recent "Ultimate Universe."

Alonso wouldn't reveal much more about the new wallcrawler - "there's significance in the color scheme," he teased - but the image's release is another bad sign for Peter Parker, who in the ten-year-old Ultimate line of comics is still a Queens high school student.

The perpetually hard luck teen was shot through the gut by anti-hero the Punisher at the close of last week's issue while trying save Captain America. Comic fans have been burning up the internet speculating whether Peter might survive the storyline, even if his web slinging days are over. Alonso wouldn't reveal his ultimate fate, but said, "We did call it 'The Death of Spider-Man' for a reason."

An adult Peter Parker will still be manning the role of friendly neighborhood wall-crawler in the regular Marvel Universe "Amazing Spider-Man" title.

Source

And as for the costume itself...

What do you guys think? I'll reserve judgement until after the story is done and they probably return to the status quo, but color me me intrigued.

Edited April 19, 2011 by Johnny Latino Heat

[Skummy]

The shakeup marks the first time someone else will be catching thieves just like flies in the "Spider-Man" titles besides Peter (or a clone of Peter - don't ask) in the character's almost 50-year history in either the traditional "Marvel Universe" or the more recent "Ultimate Universe."

....that's not true, is it?

[GhostMachine]

The shakeup marks the first time someone else will be catching thieves just like flies in the "Spider-Man" titles besides Peter (or a clone of Peter - don't ask) in the character's almost 50-year history in either the traditional "Marvel Universe" or the more recent "Ultimate Universe."

....that's not true, is it?

Yes.

Unless you count Norman Osborn's Dark Avengers....

[GoGo Yubari]

I just really don't give a fuck about the Ultimate universe anymore. Ultimatum killed any lingering interest dead as a doornail. So they can do whatever they want, bully for them.

[Boulder]

For Fantastic Four, start with Dark Reign: Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman, then jump on the main series with Hickman's first issue, #570.

[Johnny Latino Heat]

Here I was, reading the latest Spider-Man issue... A nice story, I was liking it, showing how he's adapting to being in the FF... All fine. Then they show the first stage of the Infested storyline, and...

The freakin' Jackal is back? Again? Come on, didn't we have enough of the guy during the Clone Saga?

See, now, I may be biased against this because I hate the character and the aforementioned storyline, and sure, I'll give the Infested story a chance, but come on! First they kill off Kingsley, and now bring back someone who I don't think many people would want to see again?

Johnny = angry.

[edcq]

DC Comics to Relaunch All Titles at #1 with Same Day Digital Sales

The entire DC Comics line of comic books will be re-launched with new #1 issues and feature "younger" and cosmetically redesigned versions of the heroes of the DC Universe. Written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Jim Lee, Justice League will be the first of the more than 50 titles to debut in September, each of which will go on sale with same day digital releases via DC's various mobile applications and Web store. The initiative is designed explicitly to make the DC Universe more palatable for new readers and, in the words of DC Comics Co-Publisher Dan DiDio, "today's audience."

Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Wonder Woman and Aquaman are among the DC Comics characters who will be "injected with new life," according to Dan DiDio, who spoke with USA Today.

In September, more than 50 more first issues will debut, introducing readers to stories that are grounded in each character's specific legend but also reflect today's real-world themes and events. Lee spearheaded the redesign of more than 50 costumes to make characters more identifiable and accessible to comic fans new and old.

"We looked at what was going on in the marketplace and felt we really want to inject new life in our characters and line," says Dan DiDio, who co-publishes DC with Lee. "This was a chance to start, not at the beginning, but at a point where our characters are younger and the stories are being told for today's audience."

DiDio's remarks would seem to indicate that existing DC readers are going to see major changes in the status quo and continuities of their favorite characters and titles. Among the major events that have informed various characters' modern histories include the death of Superman; Clark Kent's marriage to Lois Lane; the death of the second Robin, Jason Todd; the activities of Damian Wayne, the son of Batman and Talia al Ghul; Crisis on Infinite Earths, Infinite Crisis and 52, the stories that defined the nature of the DC Multiverse itself; the crippling of Barbara Gordon, the original Batgirl; the defeat of Batman at the hands of Bane, resulting in the installation of the homicidal Jean-Paul Valley as Batman; the fall and redemption of Green Lantern Hal Jordan; The Sinestro Corps War, Blackest Night and the rest of the Green Lantern "emotional spectrum" mythology; Final Crisis and the journey of Bruce Wayne across time; the emergence of Batwoman Kate Kane; and the consolidation and reconciliation of dozens of characters from the Golden Age of DC Comics and their descendants, as depicted in books like JSA, Justice Society of America and Starman.

A DC spokesperson declined to comment on questions of continuity or the fate of Grant Morrison's Batman comics at this time and directed ComicsAlliance to The Source blog post.

USA Today suggests that DC's intentions are at least in part a response to the success of Marvel Comics, whose market share has eclipsed DC's every year since 2002, and that Lee, Johns and DiDio consider the plan integral to the company's continued existence in the publishing market.

"We're trying to set the table for the DC Universe's future success and health," said Lee.

UPDATE

DC Entertainment's Senior Vice President of Sales, Bob Wayne, issued a letter to retailers addressing the announcement. While no prices were discussed for the new books or their digital counterparts, Wayne addressed the question of narrative continuity:

We have taken great care in maintaining continuity where most important, but fans will see a new approach to our storytelling. Some of the characters will have new origins, while others will undergo minor changes.

More on this as it develops.

Source: ComicAlliance.com

If I'm reading this right, this says they're restarting every DC comic book starting in September. That's kinda nuts.

[TGC]

Yes they are. All DC Universe book gets a new number 1 issue in September, new creative teams, all new books, and redoing books that currently exist (such as Adventure Comics will now star Deadman and not The Legion Of Superheroes). Rumore has it Superman will be younger, as a drawing Jim Lee did for the new Justice League seems to indicate. All as a result of Flashpoint. I am skeptical.

[Your Mom]

Ok that is awesome. Personally I always wanted to try a lot of DC characters but kinda felt like it was a little too complicated to get in on. I really like that all these great characters will have the same start point so now if I want I can get into all of them much easier.

[edcq]

Ok that is awesome. Personally I always wanted to try a lot of DC characters but kinda felt like it was a little too complicated to get in on. I really like that all these great characters will have the same start point so now if I want I can get into all of them much easier.

That's exactly my train of thought, I'm very excited.

[Maxx]

They'll fuck it up. DC has been awful when it comes to tweaking their continuity and I'm sure this will just end up another big convoluted mess.

They should have ripped off the Ultimate line a long time ago and started from scratch there.

[GoGo Yubari]

If they fuck up Secret Six, fuck this editorial decision. If they don't then whatever, that's all I really care about.

[Benji]

Hopefully it's less of a continuity tweak and more of an absolute reset. So sick of having the vague half-reset bullshit. Lessons to be learned from Brand New Day, that is #1.

[TGC]

Some details:

Jim Lee's Justice League for the new series complete with much younger looking Superman

DC is relaunhcing "Justice League" and 51 other titles in September

Today, it became official: DC Comics will relaunch the majority of its publishing line this September with a wave of new #1 issues starting with "Justice League" by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee. The news comes on the heels of weeks of rumors and speculation about the fate of the DC Universe line and draws even more questions about what else may lay around the bend.

After speaking with multiple sources throughout the industry on the condition of anonymity, CBR News has learned some of the salient details of DC's September roster, starting with the perhaps telling news that the publisher plans to launch a full 52 monthly titles with #1 issues across the month with 13 new titles shipping each week. The number holds some significance for longtime DC readers as 52 is the number of parallel earths making up DC's multiverse, and CBR has confirmed that the #1 launches will be accompanied by a major reboot of continuity with many pieces of DC's current status quo being rewritten and undone including character relationships and even the existence of some cast members.

Included in the 52 series will be:

A new title starring Superman written by Grant Morrison.

Birds of Prey #1 - This new ongoing series will not feature the work of longtime "BoP" writer Gail Simone. In fact, many tried and true approaches to books will be getting a second look at DC in September.

Teen Titans #1 - The new start for the teen team will be written by "Red Robin" scribe Fabian Nicieza.

Justice Society of America #1 - Only one of a number of current titles that will welcome a creative team shift, the future of the original superhero team will apparently not involve current writer Marc Guggenheim.

Wonder Woman #1 - Don't expect the recent changes from writer J. Michael Straczynski to stick when the Amazing Amazon sees another new #1 hit.

Green Lantern #1 - Even with a new #1, Green Lantern remains in Johns' hands, and readers can expect the effects of major crossovers like "Blackest Night" to stay in place moving forward.

Hawkman #1 - While fans have known a "Hawkman" series by James Robinson has been in the works since the writer mentioned it on a panel at New York Comic Con, Bleeding Cool's Rich Johnston has been reporting the rumor that the book will be drawn by "Batman & Robin" and "Outsiders" artist Philip Tan.

Aquaman #1 - No surprises here. The already announced series featuring the sea king by Johns and Ivan Reis will be part of the relaunch wave.

The other seismic shakeup that remains unconfirmed is whether long-standing titles "Action Comics" and "Detective Comics" would also renumber with brand new first issues. However, at this time, CBR has found no confirmation one way or the other on the fate of those titles. DC Comics offered no comment on the above information.

[GoGo Yubari]

Secret Six appears to be untouched, Johns is still in charge of Green Lantern, and the JMS Wonder Woman bullshit is gone? I am good with this.

[TGC]

Just keep in mind the word going around is every book is being changed in someway, unless apparently Johns is doing it. I guess we will know more when the September DC Solicits are revealed in the next week or so.