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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2016 21:33:36 GMT -5
Anyone here have most of the first issues of each Ultraverse series? It would a cool review thread. I could do Prime #1 & Hardcase #1.
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Post by Batflunkie on Jan 5, 2016 21:37:53 GMT -5
Anyone here have most of the first issues of each Ultraverse series? It would a cool review thread. I could do Prime #1 & Hardcase #1. Let's see........ I have Mantra #1, Hardcase #1, Firearm #1, Prototype #1, Solitaire #1, Exiles #1, Break-Thru #1, and Freex #1 And just for bragging rights, my copy of Prototype #1 is the newstand edition with the error cover  |
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Post by hondobrode on Jan 5, 2016 22:37:28 GMT -5
I love the ideas and concept behind the Ultraverse line, but the art didn't appeal to me.
It's one of the few lines I didn't follow back in the day.
Almost everyone I know who did read it though raves about James Robinson's Firearm.
... and they called them Ultra's instead of mutants; I remember that much.
It's horrible that Marvel hasn't utilized those characters simply because they didn't want to pay the royalties that were originally contracted when Malibu was formed.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2016 23:30:49 GMT -5
It seemed Malibu went for a lot of artists who had strong storytelling skills rather than flashy fan favorite flavor of the day stuff, but while they had their share of workmen-like artists such as Rick Hoberg and Aaron Lopresti, they also featured art by the likes of legends like Mike Ploog, Barry Windsor-Smith & George Perez, very good artists like Norm Breyfogle, and a couple of young up and comers at the time like Terry Dodson and Kyle Hotz who went on to bigger and better things.
But yeah, they definitely put the emphasis on the writers and basically put a bunch of artists in a room to kibitz and brainstorm and said let's see what you can come up with for a sandbox for us to play in.
-M
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Post by foxley on Jan 6, 2016 1:37:38 GMT -5
The Strangers had a great ongoing story arc involving the mysterious villain calling himself Pilgrim. Unfortunately the comic ended without getting a real resolution to it. (I won't say more because I don't want to spoil it for anyone who might start reading the book as a result of this thread.)
I also enjoyed The Solution but - being an Australian - I found the name of the character Dropkick hilarious. While it was intended to be a reference to his martial arts skills, in Australia 'dropkick' is a slang term for an obnoxious person (which also carries connotations of stupidity).
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Post by batlaw on Jan 6, 2016 3:09:04 GMT -5
I too was a real "comic book slut" at that point in time. I still have a fair bundle of ultraverse books. Im sure I bought at least the first issue if not the first few issues of near everyone of these. I think the only one that I really liked and read the most of was Prime. It's the only one that stands out to me now and I can remember anything of beyond the names and cover images. I think I ended up getting more of and enjoying Impact comics more? I always wanted and wondered why they never (still haven't) done anything with these properties.
I remember wishing I liked the Nightman tv show but thought it was just lame. Now I'm going to have to dig and see what I have and revisit it. Man I have so many odds and ends from so many fly by night comic companies from the 90s. They weren't all bad at all. It's even sad some never had a fair chance and are no more.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2016 4:12:31 GMT -5
I too was a real "comic book slut" at that point in time. I still have a fair bundle of ultraverse books. Im sure I bought at least the first issue if not the first few issues of near everyone of these. I think the only one that I really liked and read the most of was Prime. It's the only one that stands out to me now and I can remember anything of beyond the names and cover images. I think I ended up getting more of and enjoying Impact comics more? I always wanted and wondered why they never (still haven't) done anything with these properties. I remember wishing I liked the Nightman tv show but thought it was just lame. Now I'm going to have to dig and see what I have and revisit it. Man I have so many odds and ends from so many fly by night comic companies from the 90s. They weren't all bad at all. It's even sad some never had a fair chance and are no more. The Impact characters were licensed from MLJ/Archie, not DC originals, and are back at Archie now as part of the Dark Circle line. There's actually been 2-3 different attempts to revive those characters at Archie since the Impact license went defunct. -M |
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Post by MDG on Jan 6, 2016 9:03:15 GMT -5
Anyone here have most of the first issues of each Ultraverse series? It would a cool review thread. I could do Prime #1 & Hardcase #1. I seem to remember these were also available on disk with sounds and effects. And... |
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Post by Batflunkie on Jan 6, 2016 10:03:12 GMT -5
The Impact characters were licensed from MLJ/Archie, not DC originals, and are back at Archie now as part of the Dark Circle line. There's actually been 2-3 different attempts to revive those characters at Archie since the Impact license went defunct. I like Dark Circle a lot, but the huge delays for The Shield and The Hangman were awful |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2016 10:13:26 GMT -5
Ultraverse sounds like something I might enjoy, based upon your description. It's definitely up there as a candidate for the reasons why "not all 90's comics are bad". Nightman is probably my favorite of the line, it's about this saxophonist who wound up in a car accident with a cable car. Apparently a piece of shrapnel from the wreck lodged itself in his brain to where he never needs sleep anymore. He can also "hear" the evil thoughts of those who might in the future commit crimes(?), kind of weird trying to explain it to people It's also sound completely stupid, but it's amazingly good I have every Ultraverse book (pre-Marvel buyout. when they went completely to crapola) in a box somewhere. wasn't the "cable car" accident a central part of the line? . . . I seem to recall many of the characters from "the Strangers" came from that accident as well. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2016 10:15:36 GMT -5
I'm pretty ambivalent about Ultraverse in general, but I love Firearm by James Robinson. I'm still trying to track down a sealed copy of #0, which came with a VHS tape containing a 30-minute Firearm live action movie that never aired anywhere. A great little series, James Robinson at his peak - Firearm started just before he did Golden Age, Starman, and Leave It to Chance. I have that, and it shows up fairly regularly at cons for not too much (under $20). |
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Post by Batflunkie on Jan 6, 2016 10:18:06 GMT -5
wasn't the "cable car" accident a central part of the line? . . . I seem to recall many of the characters from "the Strangers" came from that accident as well. As near as I can tell, the Jumpstart effect striking the cable car was an isolated incident that was only really central to the sixty people on it and Johnny Domino |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2016 10:18:15 GMT -5
Prime was my favorite followed closely by The Strangers. I enjoyed Ultraverse, especially Strangers By Hoberg and Engelhart. I've always heard that Strangers was one of the weaker of the original Ultraverse line-up, so I can't say that I've personally ever read it. Was more of a "The Solution" fan myself it was. But it was also a fun read.. just not a very "good" one. (and the fact it was set in San Francisco, and only had ONE gay member on the team full of straight people? . . . drove me nuts, and the fact I remember that so many years later still bugs me). |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2016 10:21:24 GMT -5
wasn't the "cable car" accident a central part of the line? . . . I seem to recall many of the characters from "the Strangers" came from that accident as well. As near as I can tell, the Jumpstart effect striking the cable car was an isolated incident that was only really central to the sixty people on it and Johnny Domino if ya trust Wiki. . (I went there to check my memory), it too says Strangers was focused on the folks who got their powers from the cable car accident.. . en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strangers_%28Malibu_Comics%29 |
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Post by Batflunkie on Jan 6, 2016 10:23:36 GMT -5
As near as I can tell, the Jumpstart effect striking the cable car was an isolated incident that was only really central to the sixty people on it and Johnny Domino if ya trust Wiki. . (I went there to check my memory), it too says Strangers was focused on the folks who got their powers from the cable car accident.. . en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strangers_%28Malibu_Comics%29Oh, I was under the impression that you were saying that the cable car was what created all of the characters in the Ultraverse, which I did actually think at one point tbh |
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