Axel-In-Charge: Preparing for the "Ultimate End"

[Songbird/Diamondback]

The "fan fic" criticism is always one of the lamer slags against Marvel (or DC, for that matter). Whenever disgruntled fans don't like how characters are being handled, the go-to slam is that it's just "fan fiction." Writers who have proven themselves, carved a career, and convinced a company to put their characters in their hands are not writing fan fiction. If they were really writing "fan fiction" I'm sure you'd see a lot less bitching from fans who don't like anyone deviating from their own preconceived ideas of what these characters and books should be like.

Silk is pretty bad fan fiction though.

"Woah, her spider-sense is way beyond mine! Like Bullet time in the Matrix!" UGGGGGH

[Kirby Krackle]

Silk is pretty bad fan fiction though.

"Woah, her spider-sense is way beyond mine! Like Bullet time in the Matrix!" UGGGGGH

If it's officially published by the company, it's not fan fiction. It's just something you don't care for. Call it bad writing, call it cliche, call it anything except fan-fiction. Nothing that Marvel or DC or any publisher publishes is fan-fiction.

[jphamlore]

No worries, isn't the 25th aniversary of Infinity Gauntlet 2016? Marvel can go right away from the new Secret Wars to the new Infinity Gauntlet and not skip a beat.

[Bluebolt1967]

Battleworld is too unstable and confusing to be a lasting Marvel Universe. This event will probably put off readers than want to read.

Agreed. I'm put off already and am wondering if this is where I part ways with Marvel. I have little interest of characters from multiple dimensions fighting each other or for the multiple crossover issues that will be released. At best, I'm sitting this one out and will try to catch up with the Marvel Universe afterwards. At worse, I'm done with Marvel. We'll see how things turn out. I'm all for big events but this one seems to be targeted at only hard core fans and I think that's a bad idea.

[Bluebolt1967]

The "fan fic" criticism is always one of the lamer slags against Marvel (or DC, for that matter). Whenever disgruntled fans don't like how characters are being handled, the go-to slam is that it's just "fan fiction." Writers who have proven themselves, carved a career, and convinced a company to put their characters in their hands are not writing fan fiction. If they were really writing "fan fiction" I'm sure you'd see a lot less bitching from fans who don't like anyone deviating from their own preconceived ideas of what these characters and books should be like.

I don't know that I would particularly call it fan fiction but would call it writing for the Omnibus instead of just writing comics. Seems like every series these days has to have a long-term plan in effect that can make it difficult for people to get into if they've missed several issues. I guess I understand why Marvel relaunches titles all of the time. They are mostly so insular that if readers miss a couple of issues, they don't even bother to try to start reading a series because nothing will make sense. When did the business model become that most titles have to have mega arcs that can takes several years before they are completed. Furthermore, I'm a little sad that any kids who watch Avengers: Age of Ultron this summer and try to pick up an Avengers comic to read will most likely be lost in the consulted events of Secret Wars.With all of the mass media attention that Marvel Heroes are getting now, you'd think that Marvel Comics would want to release comics that aim to be more inclusive of newer readers rather than taking a path that intimidates newer readers and that increasingly alienates some of their older ones.

[KittenLord]

I imagine a lot of tie-in series for Secret Wars will be relatively self-contained (like X-Men '92). Whether or not this makes Marvel more or less accessible remains to be seen.

I can also understand why Alonso is being coy about post-Secret Wars. He wants people to be excited for the event, not what comes after. If he says there is a reboot (which I doubt), most people would jump ship now rather than invest in an event that isn't going to matter by the end anyway. If he declares it's not a reboot and the regular MU comes back then people will figure it was a lot of noise for no reason (kind of a no-win scenario).

But I'm pretty sure we can safely assume that Battleworld will not be staying around for more than a year (probably less) or they wouldn't bother with the 3 different tags on their books.

Having stated all of that, I am not really sure where my excitement level is for all of this. This is the fifth event in three years and the previous four just seemed to fizzle out with minor effects on the MU. Maybe it will all pay-off finally or maybe it will be be business as usual by September-October.

[bandoogiemanz]

So far, I just don't really get the hype for the crossover. It sounds huge but... not all that interesting (to me). Maybe when we actually get closer to it, there will be storylines that stick out, but the idea of 'every universe is part of one world and... they fight!' doesn't really resonate with me.

Personally, I'm more interested in the road to Secret Wars than the event itself. I am very curious to see how the incursion issue affect the characters in the near future leading into Battleworld.

[hondobrode]

If that is the case, Im going to predict it wont last longer than a year and is, for my money, a bigger mistake than anything else.

If the Marvel Universe stops being a reflection of the 'world outside my window' and just becomes a hodge podge of random universes forever crossing over in to each other......yeah, I have zero interest in that long term and would suspect a lot of long term fans feel the same.

The more they keep pushing 'Battleworld' the more I keep thinking how much this sounds like fanfic wank writing rather than a serious direction for the market leader.

I agree and am stepping off from Marvel. This just sounds so bad.

Yeah, I think a year or so and things will mostly go back to normal with Battleworld gone / exploded / whatever, much like Heroes Reborn re-incorporated everything.

[Supernature]

Not surprised the teaser pics for UA#2 are all Wanda. UA is definitely not playing fair to the Southern Belle. :-/

It's only 3 pages and 2/3 of them are Sabretooth and his enemies...

[MarvelMaster616]

Good article. I agree with Alonso's assessment. Ultimate forced Marvel to up its game in 616. By and large, it did just that. The Marvel 616 universe improved dramatically and I think that alone helps cement Ultimate's legacy. That said, it sure didn't help that Ultimate fell off a cliff. I get the sense that if Marvel knew that this was how Ultimate was going to end, then it would explain why they put so little effort into it through all these subsequent relaunches. And now it looks like they're just going to save the characters they want and let the rest fade. Miles Morales is at the top of that list, but I can't think of too many other characters that are worth saving at this point. It's tragic, but fitting in some respects.

[Prof. Warren]

Silk is pretty bad fan fiction though.

"Woah, her spider-sense is way beyond mine! Like Bullet time in the Matrix!" UGGGGGH

Silk is not bad fan fiction in any way. You may not like the character but simply having a character with more advanced spider-sense isn't "fan fiction".

If it's officially published by the company, it's not fan fiction. It's just something you don't care for. Call it bad writing, call it cliche, call it anything except fan-fiction. Nothing that Marvel or DC or any publisher publishes is fan-fiction.

This. I think a lot of fans feel that, because they've been reading for x amount of years, that they get to decide what is or isn't a legitimate addition to the Marvel or DC universe. They don't. They can decide what they like and don't like, just like any other reader, but using the term "fan fiction" is a delusional criticism.

[Prof. Warren]

I don't know that I would particularly call it fan fiction but would call it writing for the Omnibus instead of just writing comics. Seems like every series these days has to have a long-term plan in effect that can make it difficult for people to get into if they've missed several issues. I guess I understand why Marvel relaunches titles all of the time. They are mostly so insular that if readers miss a couple of issues, they don't even bother to try to start reading a series because nothing will make sense. When did the business model become that most titles have to have mega arcs that can takes several years before they are completed. Furthermore, I'm a little sad that any kids who watch Avengers: Age of Ultron this summer and try to pick up an Avengers comic to read will most likely be lost in the consulted events of Secret Wars.With all of the mass media attention that Marvel Heroes are getting now, you'd think that Marvel Comics would want to release comics that aim to be more inclusive of newer readers rather than taking a path that intimidates newer readers and that increasingly alienates some of their older ones.

I'm sure Marvel will make whatever they have coming out in time for Age of Ultron as reader friendly - whether it be for old or new fans - as possible. I remember getting into DC in a big way with Crisis back in the day and that was about as intimidating as it gets.

[Songbird/Diamondback]

Silk is not bad fan fiction in any way. You may not like the character but simply having a character with more advanced spider-sense isn't "fan fiction".

A secret version of a character who happened to have the same origin as the hero who is better than said hero at everything even though she never had any actual training or battle experience, who is the "Most important Spider" during Spider-verse and is somehow able to get a TV job without any experience or prior jobs? That's something you can find on deviantart.

[junir]

Wait wait wait... what the hell happened to Spider-Men 2? Last I heard Bendis said he had gotten it greenlit? GDI...

Edit:
Axel Alonso: We've known that the fate of the Ultimate Universe would be determined by "Secret Wars" for years.


for years.


for years.

[Jeremi]

Obviously "Uncanny Avengers" is a title that's historically had a lot of significance to the overall Marvel picture