My Ultimate Comics Hunger

The Ultimate Universe in Marvel has been my bread and butter since I was first introduced into comic books in 2005/2006. The series started in 2000 with Ultimate Spider-Man written by Brian Michael Bendis and has followed with some of the best comic books/graphic novels I’ve ever come across, e.g. Ultimates (anything but 3 or written by Jeph Loeb).  As we reach the latter half of 2013, the series goes strong under the Ultimate Comics moniker and titles including Ultimates, Spider-Man, and X-Men. All three are solid on-going series that exist within the same contained universe, a modern day Earth. This was the premise when it was designed and still manages to reintroduce characters in new, exciting ways that just isn’t possible with pre-existing decades of continuity.

The lack of retconning and jumbled histories really drew me to the series and how the series isn’t afraid to reinvent characters in ways that the mainstream Marvel Universe (616) is now using, such as Samuel Jackson based Nick Fury and the modern Hawkguy costume. Not only this, but there have been video games, television shows, and even most of the movies borrow from the Ultimate Universe. If you want any recommendations from the series, please get at me and we can hook you up.

Recently, rumor has it that the Ultimate Universe would be ending. They were affected by the White Event from Age of Ultron, leading the 616 version of Galactus to enter the universe, merging with the Ultimate Gah Lak Tus, creating all sorts of havoc for the universe. Theory is that Ultimate Spider-Man, currently Miles Morales, will be moving into the 616 Universe and becoming a staple character there (which makes ZERO sense to me), and the rest of the Ultimate Universe will pay the Ultimate price. Irony ensues.

I’ve never thought the series would end, especially not now that there is a focus to their series, such as Ultimates, Spider-Man, and X-Men which are written by the very talented writers at Marvel and have gained quite the following. Brian Wood has turned X-men into a series comparable to the Walking Dead, Jonathan Hickman reinvented the Ultimates before getting his start in Infinity, and Brian Michael Bendis is STILL writing Ultimate Spider-man! The talent and energy they put into these comics, even having my favorite artist Adi Granov do the covers for Hunger, seems to say they’re looking to reinvigorate the series again, instead of demolish it.

As I’ve been losing sleep and becoming paranoid at the thought of my favorite series coming to its final days, a light comes to me in my darkest hour. This beacon of hope comes from Joshua Hale Fialkov, current author for Ultimate Comics Ultimates, Hunger, and soon to be writer for Cataclysm: Ultimate X-Men. It’s easy to assume that he, along with BMB, are the men in charge of the Ultimate Universe and direction it will head (not if it lives or dies, but how will the stories work).  He recently spoke with CBR about the Ultimate Universe and provided a single sentence that makes me feel he knows the future of my ultimate comic series, and it’s looking good.

“And if they cancel it [Ultimate Comics] I’m out of a job and that would suck!”

If this is to be believed, then I think Ultimate Comics is up for (another) rebranding, a refocusing on new characters and creating a Marvel Universe that is diverse, different, and a Stark (pun intended) contrast to the 616 series which has started to resemble it. We still may lose Miles Morales, but if they can come up with the same batshit crazy, but amazing stories that they have been for the past 13 years, I’ll buy it and read it. Every last one, until my hunger is satisfied.