Ultimate Spider-man

Reviewing the Ultimate Universe

While it's difficult to take any of the events of Secret Wars - that is, the destruction of Marvel's entire continuity - with any serious conviction until the series ends and we learn the new post-relaunch status quo, one thing that seems a pretty safe bet is that the Ultimate Universe experiment is finally, fifteen years after it began, coming to an end. Of course, we've been here at least twice before - both Ultimatum and Cataclysm were pitched as events that were going to bring things to an close - but it really does all feel rather more final this time, particularly with the confirmation that Miles Morales is going to join the regular Marvel U.

And so it seems as good a time as any to look back over the past decade-and-a-half of revamped, alternate-universe Marvel stories. And to do so in as much punishing detail as possible, by examining the merits of every single ongoing and mini series published under the imprint.

Fifteen year plan to introduce Miles Morales to the Marvel Universe finally reaches conclusion

So "Ultimatum" wasn't the end. And "Cataclysm" wasn't the end either. Turns out they were waiting for something even more literal: "The End" will be the end.

To be honest, if anything killed the Ultimate universe - aside from a lot of really, really bad comics by people who weren't Brian Michael Bendis - it was the movies. The MCU Avengers have made the Ultimates look as dated as they once made the original Avengers look. It's hard to say any of them will be missed, now. Especially Ultimate Cap. We hate that guy.

But if you're asking, we'd like to keep Gwen Stacy and Jessica Drew, in addition to Miles. And maybe Ganke, at a push.

One Line Reviews Of Every Comic I Have Bought Since We Last Posted An Update

Hello. It may not have escaped your notice (or it might have completely escaped your notice) that things have been a bit quiet around here lately. We've had a few work and personal related commitments that have meant that we've fallen a bit behind in keeping up with posts. Sorry for the inconvenience, if it is indeed an inconvenience at all.

Regular service should be resuming shortly, and we also have some exciting plans on the podcast side of things to hopefully tell you about soon, but in the meantime, I thought I'd catch up with what's been going on in comics in the time that we haven't been posting. So here's a list of every comic I've bought (either on Comixology or in print) since our last new post, and a quick comment on what I thought of each them. I make no apology for the lack of intense scrutiny or in-depth analysis contained within, but at least in terms of sheer volume of comics it's decent value for money... right?

The 5 Best Things From NYCC 2014

This weekend past saw the ninth annual New York Comic Con take place, not in San Diego as expected, but in the surprise venue of New York. One half of the main PanelBeats team (James) was there; so it makes perfect sense for the half that wasn't (me) to be the one to do a round-up of what happened. So in a completely unfocused and to be honest somewhat ill-informed manner, here are my five favourite things that were announced, or otherwise happened, at the convention.