Mark Rand Posted January 27, 2006 Report Share Posted January 27, 2006 The title says it all. Does the mainstream Marvel Universe still exist? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Serpent Posted January 27, 2006 Report Share Posted January 27, 2006 Re: Is there still such a thing as a mainstream Marvel Universe? I think it depends on what you mean. Is there a big collection of titles that take place in the same shared universe? Then yes, I think pretty much everything except the Ultimates line takes place in the same universe. Is there the same kind of inter-connectedness there used to be? I don't think so. It seems like the various books are largely isolated outside of the major "events". I've been reading FF for a few years, and don't recall any interaction with other parts of the MU (some very minor bits when Reed took over Latveria, but that was it AFAIK). Been reading Amazing Spider-Man for a while until very recently, don't recall any interaction outside of his New Avengers buddies. Read Avengers until a few years ago (dropped in the middle of the Captain Britain storyline), and again very little interaction outside of Thunderbolts, which I'd say is in the same "pocket universe" as Avengers. It seems like the FF stays to itself, the various Avengers books keep to themselves, the X-books keep to themselves. Perhaps someone who collects a number of different Marvel titles across the different "sub groups" would have a different view. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemurion Posted January 27, 2006 Report Share Posted January 27, 2006 Re: Is there still such a thing as a mainstream Marvel Universe? All I know is that when I go down to the FLCS I can't find anything that looks to me like the mainstream Marvel Universe I used to read. It's just not there anymore. I can't find the same characters, the art looks funky and I can't tell if there's a story or not anymore. I guess next time I go I'll have to look more carefully. Maybe they're there somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Serpent Posted January 27, 2006 Report Share Posted January 27, 2006 Re: Is there still such a thing as a mainstream Marvel Universe? All I know is that when I go down to the FLCS I can't find anything that looks to me like the mainstream Marvel Universe I used to read. It's just not there anymore. I can't find the same characters, the art looks funky and I can't tell if there's a story or not anymore. I guess next time I go I'll have to look more carefully. Maybe they're there somewhere. [mantra] Go buy the new Thing series. The feel of Marvel circa 1980 lives again! [/mantra] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted January 27, 2006 Report Share Posted January 27, 2006 Re: Is there still such a thing as a mainstream Marvel Universe? Frankly, the return to crossovers marvel seems to be doing with things like "The other" and "House of M" turns me off reading the MU more than making me feel that it is all wonderfully connected. Maybe it is just me though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Mhoram Posted January 27, 2006 Report Share Posted January 27, 2006 Re: Is there still such a thing as a mainstream Marvel Universe? Now we have upcoming The Civil War Planet Hulk and Annihilation. Marvel has done one new crossover event every month in one form or another since house of M. With each one lasting a few months - so there are three or four going on at any one time. Bleargh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShinDangaioh Posted January 27, 2006 Report Share Posted January 27, 2006 Re: Is there still such a thing as a mainstream Marvel Universe? Yes. But, it is not in printed form. The various cartoons: Spider-Man, X-Men, X-Men Evolution, Incredible Hulk, Fantastic Four, etc. Same goes for DC. The cartoon versions are the mainstream versions.(Justice League Unlimited, Batman:The Animated Series, Teen Titans Go, The Batman, Superman: The Animated Series) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trained Chicken Posted January 28, 2006 Report Share Posted January 28, 2006 Re: Is there still such a thing as a mainstream Marvel Universe? Let me go "meta" for a minute. Continuity is a nice tool. It lets characters seem more real, since they remember their pasts, just like their readers do. Anything that lets readers relate to the characters they read is a good thing. Continuity as a defining force becomes clunky and Byzantine. Unless you're a Marvel Zombie or the analogue for the other company, you feel clueless. You miss an issue, you miss a gazillion in-jokes and major plot points. This is why, during the 90s when every story was an eight-parter running through four books, things got tiresome for many of us who have more than one hobby to spend money on. This is why "Elseworlds" was such a treat when it first debuted. It was full of "imaginary stories" (as opposed to the factual accounts in mainstream titles)! Fans loved them because they were self-contained, and you didn't need the OHOTMU to figure out what was going on. As time goes on, writers, editors and so forth are realizing that they can split the difference a little more. More self-contained one- and two-parters, more accessible stuff that doesn't reference other comics, and so forth. Marvel is doing better than DC at this since Marvel has a more healthy stable of characters ATM, and Joe Quesada has a very good sense of what the fans want- much like Stan did back in the old days. What you're seeing now is a return to what comics were like before the late 70s... and I think it's healthy for both fanboys like us and casual fans. But no, it doesn't resemble anything in the last 25 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemurion Posted January 28, 2006 Report Share Posted January 28, 2006 Re: Is there still such a thing as a mainstream Marvel Universe? I wish I could see the early seventies in today's Marvel. I really do. I first got into comics around 1975 and those comics are still what resonates most with me. Unfortunately, I'm not seeing that. I do still have to check out Thing, (I've had trouble getting to the FLCS lately with life taking over), but as it is most just isn't the characters I know and love and what I am seeing doesn't grab me. I want Nova again I also want the Invaders back with good art. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithcurtis Posted January 28, 2006 Report Share Posted January 28, 2006 Re: Is there still such a thing as a mainstream Marvel Universe? I haven't seen any large scale movements to return the editorial policise of the 70's either. What I see as the latest trend is writing 6-8 part stories within a series, or 6-8 part "special events" with an eye towards re-releasing them as a trade paperback. A comic goes off the shelf when the month is up. A TPB stays there till it's sold. Can you give an example of what you're talking about, TC? Keith "Doesn't see Marvel's stable as any healthier than DCs" Curtis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superskrull Posted January 28, 2006 Report Share Posted January 28, 2006 Re: Is there still such a thing as a mainstream Marvel Universe? I want Nova again You might want to check out the Annihilation storyline coming out from Marvel in March then. Nova's got a part in it. Best of all, it's supposed to be about the space-based characters, none of whom currently have a book right now. Personally, I want to read the Superskrull part, but he's been a favorite of mine for a long while. http://www.marvel.com/publishing/stories/showstory.htm?id=59 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logan D. Hurricanes Posted January 28, 2006 Report Share Posted January 28, 2006 Re: Is there still such a thing as a mainstream Marvel Universe? ...Personally' date=' I want to read the Superskrull part, but he's been a favorite of mine for a long while....[/quote'] That's convenient Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freakboy6117 Posted January 28, 2006 Report Share Posted January 28, 2006 Re: Is there still such a thing as a mainstream Marvel Universe? so basically marvel have ripped off the format of seven soldiers more or less as a way to reintroduce previously under used characters not that Annihilation might not be fun. but i think tehthing taht worked about seven soldiesr was thatit is self contained an elseworlds series ( if not explicitly stated as such) with a single writer keeping the story linked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spence Posted January 28, 2006 Report Share Posted January 28, 2006 Re: Is there still such a thing as a mainstream Marvel Universe? so basically marvel have ripped off the format of seven soldiers more Probably not. "Ripped it off" that is. If you go back far enough every comic line can be said to have used the others idea in one big whirlpool of finger pointing. Now they probably are using a format "like" the seven soldiers one. But I haven't read it so can't comment with authority. Is there still such a thing as a mainstream Marvel Universe? I used to read a ton of Marvel and DC years ago. Toward the end I leaned toward Marvel with a few DC titles. My buying ended when I returned after a year overseas and the books went from related storyline to angst and bloodbath. I mean the world feel went from superhero's to real world crime with superpowers. Plus I started to feel that the writers had decided everyone new had to have some kind of spiky razor stuff on all the costumes. I'm might be a minority in my view, but the lines up through 85-86 had honest to god "superhero" story lines. After that it seemed all I see is "Jerry Springer" with powers and "splatflick" stories. But that is just my opinion. Who knows? They may actually be writing superhero comics again, and I just don't know it. After all I haven't actually bought one in about five years. I looked in a comic shop recently, but didn't even recognize anything except the mega names, Supes and such. I was hoping to find some Doc Strange and the sales guy had never heard of him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trained Chicken Posted January 29, 2006 Report Share Posted January 29, 2006 Re: Is there still such a thing as a mainstream Marvel Universe? Nah, nothing concrete for you. Although watch the upcoming runs of the SUperman and Batman books (although this points to a place where DC is doing a good job). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutsleeve Posted January 29, 2006 Report Share Posted January 29, 2006 Re: Is there still such a thing as a mainstream Marvel Universe? I stopped spending my comic book money on marvel comics shortly after the end of The New Mutants. That was early to mid 90's. Several factors killed my desire to read marvel. 1. i missed books with teenage mutants who where just trying to get by and deal with the fact that they are mutants. All the x books centered around the battles and lame character interactions that only exsisted as filler between the next big battle. 2. The sheer number of continuity gaps that kept creeping into marvels line of comics. 3. their relience on a few majors superstar characters to push comics rather then good story telling and art. (Cable, wolverine, and Gambit) 4. Liefeld (both art and story contributions) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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