Ultimate Comics

Ultimate Comics, also known as Ultimate Marvel or Ultimate Universe, is a Marvel Comics imprint that serves as an accessible entry point for new readers, offering a reimagined version of the Marvel Universe populated by characters situated in a young, contemporary context.
The concept for the original iteration of the imprint was developed by former Marvel Comics Vice President Bill Jemas in response to the disappointing comic book sales following the collapse of the 1990s collectibles market and Marvel's bankruptcy. In it, Marvel characters were depicted as younger individuals, a contrast to their more established, mainstream counterparts. Moreover, the narrative setting reflected the social and political landscape of the era. This iteration of Ultimate Comics was designated Earth-1610 and was in publication for 15 years, from 2000 to 2015.
Ultimate Comics launched on September 7, 2000, with the publication of , which was followed by the release of in December of the same year. Subsequently, and were released on January 30, 2002, and January 2, 2004, respectively. In the interim period and subsequent years, the imprint would release a limited number of miniseries alongside their ongoing titles. This continued until the release of the crossover event series in 2008, which ran until 2009, when it was met with a negative response from both critics and fans alike. Additionally, it was a commercial failure.
In the aftermath of Ultimatum, the imprint underwent a rebranding process and renewed its publication with continuing series and new miniseries up until 2011. However, it never regained its pre-Ultimatum figures. Subsequently, a further rebranding occurred in the wake of the Death of Spider-Man storyline and the introduction of a new Spider-Man, Miles Morales, who was exclusive to the imprint's universe at the time of publication. By 2014, following another rebranding coinciding with the mainline All-New Marvel NOW! initiative, Earth-1610 was destroyed during the Secret Wars crossover event, which resulted in the conclusion of the original imprint.
On June 21, 2023, Marvel Comics released , which concluded on September 27. This was followed by the release of on November 1, which marked the beginning of a new series of Ultimate Comics. The latest iteration of the imprint, developed by writer Jonathan Hickman, involves a heavy reinvention of Marvel characters and an exploration of contemporary politics and social issues in a world that is unique to the comic book medium. Furthermore, it incorporates an overarching narrative that unifies the various titles within the imprint. Set on Earth-6160, a world that has been negatively influenced by the Maker of Earth-1610, it began publication throughout 2024 onwards.
The new imprint launched on January 10, 2023, with the publication of . This was followed by the release of on February 7, on March 6, and on June 5 of the same year.
==Differences between Ultimate Comics and Marvel Comics==
===Earth-1610===
===Earth-6160===
==Comments on Style==
===Earth-1610===
===Earth-6160===
* Jonathan Hickman: "[Revisiting the idea of Ultimate Comics] couldn’t be replicating or revisiting what Bryan did in the original ULTIMATES—creating a streamlined, modernized version that would eventually become the spine of the MCU, and it certainly couldn’t be what I did, which was a final chapter of a pre-existing universe."
* Jonathan Hickman: "We also thought the very idea of Ultimate Comics needed to be inverted from what the original universe was—we wanted this to be something that could really only exist in the comic space: a new way of thinking about, and enjoying, a new version of the Marvel Universe."
''
==Bibiography==
Ultimate Comic Books
Category:Imprints