Marvel Comics’Ultimate line andDC Comics’Absolute titles might be pumping new life into the brands, but these revamped characters won’t be replacing the mainline heroes anytime soon. These fresh comics might have fans everywhere talking, but one noted voice in the industry doesn’t see them taking over either of the Big Two.
PerPopverse, X-Men editor Tom Brevoort answered several questions from fans on hisSubstack, one of whichbrought up the Absoluteand Ultimate lines. Brevoort was asked if the success of the lines indicated that it was time for DC and Marvel to shift focus onto these worlds.
For one thing, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the way the mainstreamMarvelorDCbooks are selling. For another, there’s no evidence that the momentary interest in Ultimate or Absolute is going to be able to maintain that interest over the long haul. Just look at DC:s New 52 from a decade ago. For about a year, it did gangbusters as it was a big new thing, and then immediately thereafter the entire line began to crater—so much so that they pivoted to doing Rebirth to bring back a bunch of the stuff that they’d gotten rid of for New 52. And all the while, theMarvel Universejust kept on selling and kept on being relevant. if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Brevoort admitted that there was a lot of interest in the new lines now, but expressed doubt that either line would be able to maintain that success over time. Brevoort likened it to DC’s revampduring The New 52, noting that despite the interest, DC ultimately went back on its sweeping changes.
DC and Marvel Absolutely Won’t Replace Their Main Line
Ultimately, Fans Have Nothing to Fear
Marvel and DC Comics have been building their respective shared universes for decades, and while hardcore fans have done the work to keep up, new readers have found it more difficult to engage with the stories. But in 2023, Marvel Comics presented a new opportunity for readers of all stripes byrelaunching its Ultimate lineof comics. This new imprint followed Jonathan Hickman and Bryan Hitch’sUltimate Invasionstoryline and created an updated Marvel Universe (Earth-6160) with an alternate history and character interpretations (such as Spider-Man being married to Mary Jane and having two children).
Roughly a year later, DC Comics came up with a new line of comics following its summer event Absolute Power, which saw galactic despot Darkseid create a new DC Universe mired in despair and hopelessness. In this world, iconic heroes lack many of the creature comforts of their Prime Universe counterparts (such as Batman’s wealth or Wonder Woman’s Amazonian sisterhood). While titles likeAbsolute SupermanandAbsolute Wonder Womanare more recent, they’ve been just as embraced asMarvel Comics' new Ultimate line as easy, jumping-on points for new readers.
There’s Room for New and Classic Versions of DC and Marvel Heroes
The Absolute and Ultimate Worlds are a Great Experiment
Brevoort is right when he says that there’s nothing to worry about. These new lines are popular, yes, but that’s largely due to the fact that they’re new and more accessible than Marvel and DC’s standard comics. But those main universes have dedicated readers who aren’t going anywhere, while fans of Absolute or Ultimate may not stick around. Right now, DC and Marvel are experimenting with their properties, which is good for publishers that have been around as long as they have. But no fan should worry aboutDCorMarvelreplacing its heroes with their Ultimate or Absolute versions.
