Ultimate Adventures: Hawk-Owl and Woody revisited

[weezer17]

I'm probably not the only one who, in the midst of Secret Wars, has gotten a bit nostalgic for the Ultimate line, and so I recently decided to start the Ultimate Universe all over again from the very beginning. In doing so, I started reading some of the old mini-series like DD & Elektra from when the line originated. One of these mini-series was the oft-belittled Ultimate Adventures.

UA is such an odd title for me on many levels. For starters, I have no idea what Marvel was trying to accomplish with the book. Making two new original characters who have no counterparts in 616, giving them their own book and a place in the "new Marvel universe", and writing them as a blatant parody of Batman and Robin -- what was the goal here? It's a real mystery for me.

That all said, I feel like Hawk-Owl and Woody were two really missed opportunities. I don't think the mini was as bad as it was made out to be, and if rebooted under a new creative team they could have been an interesting new part Marvel lore. Their superhero personas were pretty cool, and I loved the idea of it being "Robin's book that happens to include Batman" instead of "Batman's book that happens to include Robin."

Any thoughts on UA now that 1610 is coming to a close? Would you be adverse to seeing Hawk-Owl and Woody reveal themselves in the ANAD universe, or their 616 counterparts?

[Wolverine12]

I thought it was an enjoyable enough book, but the big bad was really goofy. I would give it a try if they released something post SW.

[wyokid]

I actually really love this and most of Zimmerman's comic work. I say most because I don't really reme much about his Spider-Man/Kraven comic, but Rawhide Kid was hilarious satire.

[klefmung]

I guess it was supposed to be funny, but it fell pretty flat for me when I read it. But that was a few years back so I don't remember it too too well.

[Ceebiro]

I kind of wish they had kept the two around throughout the expansion of the Ultimate Universe. Admittedly, the villain was horrible but I liked the idea of these characters.

[Kirby Krackle]

For starters, I have no idea what Marvel was trying to accomplish with the book.

It was created as part of the U-Decide initiative Bill Jemas set up to prove he could sell more than Peter David.
PAD's Captain Marvel, Marville and Ultimate Adventure's were the three titles competing against one another.



It seems the only reason the book was actually made, was so that U-Decide didn't look incredibly petty and stupid.
You throw in a third title and people assume it's all fun and games.
When the background was really just Jemas not liking David's first run of Captain Marvel among other things.