Post by Silver Age Fan on Aug 6, 2011 9:41:29 GMT
Yeah, thanks again for posting it, hope my reply didn't sound rude.
In a way, I find alternate versions a cop-out (the whole subject of parallel earths and alternate characters needs a proper discussion - watch this space!). Comics take place in an "eternal present" and that's fine, I don't want to see them age. Every adventure is taking place NOW!
So as a kid, when I learnt that all the early and World War II exploits of the likes of Superman and Batman actually took place on another Earth, well I found it a bit of a cop-out. It would have been nice to think that the Batman who took on street criminals in the 70s was the same guy who helped Superman fight the Nazis during World War II.
I guess the Ultimate universe was meant to hook new readers, so I can hardly argue with that motivation (not a fan of most of the stories, though). I guess I just like to think of there being ONE Spider-Man and every adventure happening to the SAME person.*
Really, though, like I said, the whole issue of parallel earths, alternate versions, reboots and the like needs a topic. I hope you'll join me for such a topic at some point. Might take me a while because I'll have to check a few details in my old comics and see how much I've retained by memory, but it's worth a look.
Of course, if someone else gets such a topic in first, that's fine by me.
*I guess one exception is having comics based on, say, an animated show. In the 90s, there were several Superman titles, all the adventures happening to one guy, but there was also a comic based on the 1996 animated Superman show. Obviously, those adventures were taking place outside mainstream continuity, but I don't see that as a problem, just as comic strips based on, say, the 70s live-action Hulk series are following their own continuity.
In a way, I find alternate versions a cop-out (the whole subject of parallel earths and alternate characters needs a proper discussion - watch this space!). Comics take place in an "eternal present" and that's fine, I don't want to see them age. Every adventure is taking place NOW!
So as a kid, when I learnt that all the early and World War II exploits of the likes of Superman and Batman actually took place on another Earth, well I found it a bit of a cop-out. It would have been nice to think that the Batman who took on street criminals in the 70s was the same guy who helped Superman fight the Nazis during World War II.
I guess the Ultimate universe was meant to hook new readers, so I can hardly argue with that motivation (not a fan of most of the stories, though). I guess I just like to think of there being ONE Spider-Man and every adventure happening to the SAME person.*
Really, though, like I said, the whole issue of parallel earths, alternate versions, reboots and the like needs a topic. I hope you'll join me for such a topic at some point. Might take me a while because I'll have to check a few details in my old comics and see how much I've retained by memory, but it's worth a look.
Of course, if someone else gets such a topic in first, that's fine by me.
*I guess one exception is having comics based on, say, an animated show. In the 90s, there were several Superman titles, all the adventures happening to one guy, but there was also a comic based on the 1996 animated Superman show. Obviously, those adventures were taking place outside mainstream continuity, but I don't see that as a problem, just as comic strips based on, say, the 70s live-action Hulk series are following their own continuity.