How Marvel's "Ultimate Comics" relaunch did the things that DC should have

The only way you haven't heard about the DC Comics relaunch is if you've been living in the wilderness or you don't care about superhero comics. Either way, all you need to know is that DC restarted all 52 of their comic lines with the new #1 issues and varying changes to the characters and universe (Tor.com did a full look at the line, which can be found here). Similarly, you probably heard about the new Spider-man, who (stop the presses!) wasn't white. This new Spider-man appears in Marvel's Ultimate Universe as part of another reboot, where previous stories can be ignored and all the issues start over at #1.

Marvel launched the Ultimate universe in 2000 as an alternate continuity where they could retell familiar characters and storylines with a new spin. This reached its zenith with Mark Millar's take on the Avengers in The Ultimates 1 and 2 before crashing down with the Ultimatum storyline that killed half the characters. The line continued as Ultimate Comics for a few years, but sales were down and only Ultimate Comics Spider-Man by Brian Michael Bendis continued to do well, though Mark Millar's return the universe with Ultimate Comics Avengers is worth the read in my book. So Marvel decided to reboot the entire line again, but this time they didn't kill twenty famous characters, they just killed one. It was a gutsy move, killing the character that kept the line running for ten years, but apart from generating some free publicity, it highlighted the true strength of the Ultimate universe: Characters can die, and they'll stay dead.

Muppets and this week's links

With the previous week being the wonderful combination of Thanksgiving and Black Friday, it wasn't a particularly busy time for news. However, I did go see The Muppets, after suffering childhood flashbacks from watching Muppet Treasure Island. I'm not totally sure how they did it, but the movie just works. It's a freakishly perfect combination of nostalgia and humor and genuine love. I rank it a #8 for the year. There are some excellent cameos, with the best probably being Jim Parsons from Big Bang Theory.

Week Links: Reviews and streaming and stuff

Here are the links of the week. It's been another busy week, with work and writing taking up most of my time, but I still managed to find a few minutes to blog.

New "Avengers" banners look familiar

 

There's a pair of banners out for The Avengers featuring the individual team members (and Loki) against the "A" logo. I get the feeling the'll look better on their own, but it does look to be new shots of all the characters. Quick thoughts: Why is Cap's face covered? I like that Ruffalo is green-lit, but why not just show us the Hulk? Is it strange that even though the first poster features the main stars, it's the people on the second poster that really make me excited for this movie? I want to see a S.H.I.E.L.D. movie where Samuel Jackson and Jeremy Renner beat things up. Also, doesn't this look a lot like this poster campaign for J.J. Abrams' Star Trek? Is "AA" really the best look for a banner?

Week Links: Lego, Hunger Games, Trailers, and Oscars

Hey, so this week, there's news about a LEGO movie. I'm torn between thinking it's awesome and thinking it signals the end of the world as I know it (because LEGO is an essential part of my world view). Also, there's a trailer for The Hunger Games. Then there's a couple of other things, but I'm NaNoWriMoing so that's more important than blogging this month. It's after the jump, so go for the clicky.

Week Links: Hobbit 3D and more

This week, you can learn all about the 3D filming process being used for The Hobbit. Plus, you can be a part of the The Dark Knight Rises, and as usual, there're some rumors about various upcoming productions. Also, I saw In Time, Tower Heist and Puss in Boots. Dang, it's movie season again.