Ugh…
Lately I’ve been avoiding advanced solicits as more often than not they end up spoiling the story for you (Deadly Genesis, anyone?). But I was browsing Newsarama the other day and happened upon the June DC solicits, and this caught my eye:
ALL STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN, THE BOY WONDER #6
Written by Frank Miller
Art and cover by Jim Lee & Scott Williams
Variant cover by Miller
To show the world that super-heroes police their own, Superman has assembled a “Justice League of America.” Can the Earth’s most powerful heroes rescue the kidnapped Dick Grayson and save Gotham from the clutches of a Dark Knight who has obviously gone mad? Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers by Jim Lee & Scott Williams and Frank Miller. Please see the retailer order form for details.
On sale June 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Now I dropped ASSBAR after the second issue, so I have no idea what’s going on in the title, but based on that solicit it seems like I made the right decision.
First of all, Batman is the villain in his own book? And Superman and the JLA is guest-starring? Wasn’t the All-Star line supposed to be more streamlined, telling stories without a lot of complex continuity? Wasn’t it supposed to draw in casual fans by giving them easy to follow stories featuring the characters they know from TV and movies? How does a villainous Batman and a crapload of ancillary characters accomplish that? And is this the same Superman that Grant Morrison is writing? I’m not quite certain if there’s an All-Star universe of if each title exists separately from each other, but that’s damn confusing to a casual fan. Hell, I’m confused, and I’m by no means a casual comic fan.
Now it’s only issue #6 and they’ve already added Batgirl to the title. That’s not a good sign. There’s three things you do when you’ve run out of ideas. First you make a female version. Then you make a robot version. Then you put them into outer space. Ten bucks says Ultimate All-Star Batman’s fighting Robo-Bat on the moon by issue #20.
Sorry to bring this up again, but if “Ultimate” is going to be an insult, I need to see what you mean by that and I need you to explain it, and explain how the goals of the Ultimate universe are different than the goals of the All Star universe. Because from where I’m sitting, they set out to be the exact same thing, and I’m just not sure where the crap that the ASU has become is synonymous with what the Ultimate universe is supposed to be.
The obvious inference here is that you are implying that the Ultimate universe is nothing more than a desire to be as bizarre and different from the mainstream Marvel U for shock value and a simple “Wow, what can we think of next?” approach. If that is in fact what you think, I just don’t know where that comes from. And I’m basing my lack of understanding of your dismissal on Marvel’s stated goals for the Ultimate Universe and their execution of the Ultimate Universe.
Actually, I was trying to insult DC, not Marvel’s Ultimate line, because All-Star is so clearly the same thing as Ultimate but DC has always been adamant that they’re completely different. Aside from Ultimate Spider-man I love the Ultimate books.
Thank you for using “ASSBAR.” It made my day.
So what does “Ultimate” as an adjective mean to you?
Because to me, it’s supposed to be more streamlined, telling stories without a lot of complex continuity, drawing in casual fans by giving them easy to follow stories featuring the characters they know from TV and movies (and wikipedia agrees).
In your words, exactly what All-Star is supposed to be.
So I want to know what it means to you when you describe something as “Ultimate” so-and-so, and how that differs from the initial stated purpose of “All-Star” so and so.
I agree with you that Ultimate and All-Star are essentially the same thing. DC, however, does not. DC is blatantly copying Marvel but claiming that what they’re doing is completely different.
I’m re-reading my inital entry now and I’m realizing that in the context of what I wrote, my stupid little joke has a different meaning than what I intended. It seems like a dig at the Ultimate line when I’m really trying to take a dig at whoever marketed All-Star as not Ultimate DC.
You forgot the 4th thing to do when you’ve run out of ideas: reveal the secret identity. (I’m lookin’ at you, Marvel.)
I to gave up on ASSBAR after ish 2. Batman seems like the bad guy in his own book every ish. And now its going to be Ult…err.. All Star JLA vs. Batman.
Sigh.
At least All Star Supes is a refreshing read, whilst ASSBAR is just a downer every time it comes out.
When they come out.
Ah, ASSBAR is taking over the world. I couldn’t be happier.
Robo-Bat! Now that’s a concept I can get behind!
P.S. The one difference I detect between All-Star and Ultimate is that Marvel’s books occur in a shared universe while each All-Star book stands on it own. However, both are basically (successful) attempts to buy more books about the same characters!