Marvel Comics’ Final line and DC Comics’ The outright titles may be breathing new life into the brands, but these revamped characters won’t be replacing the main heroes anytime soon. These new comics may have fans everywhere talking, but one notable voice in the industry doesn’t see them taking over from either of the Big Two.
Put PopverseX-Men editor Tom Brevoort answered several fan questions in his Substackone of which brought to light the Absolute and Ultimate lines. Brevoort was asked if the success of the lines indicated it was time for DC and Marvel to shift focus to these worlds.
On the one hand, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the way the mainstream Wonder or CC books are being sold. On the other hand, there is no evidence that momentary interest in Ultimate or Absolute will be able to maintain this interest in the long term. Just look at DC’s New 52 from a decade ago. For about a year it went gangbusters as it was a big new thing, and immediately after that the whole line started falling apart – so much so that they started doing Rebirth to bring back a bunch of stuff they had gotten rid of for the New 52. And meanwhile, the Marvel Universe it simply continued to sell and be relevant. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Brevoort admitted that there was now a lot of interest in the new lines, but expressed doubts that either line would be able to maintain this success over time. Brevoort compared this to DC’s revamping during The New 52, noting that despite the interest, DC ultimately backtracked on its sweeping changes.
DC and Marvel absolutely will not 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 dedicated fans have struggled to keep up, new readers have found it harder to engage with the stories. But in 2023, Marvel Comics presented a new opportunity for readers of all stripes by relaunching its Ultimate line of comics. This new brand followed that of Jonathan Hickman and Bryan Hitch Final Invasion storyline and created an updated Marvel Universe (Earth-6160) with an alternate history and character interpretations (like Spider-Man being married to Mary Jane and having two children).
About a year later, DC Comics launched a new line of comics following its Absolute Power summer event, which saw galactic despot Darkseid create a new DC Universe mired in despair and hopelessness. In this world, iconic heroes lack many of the comforts of their Prime Universe counterparts (like Batman’s wealth or Wonder Woman’s Amazonian sisterhood). Although titles like Absolute Superman and Absolute Wonder Woman are more recent, they have been as adopted as Marvel Comics’ New Ultimate Line Is an Easy Starting Point for New Readers.
There’s room for new and classic versions of DC and Marvel heroes
The absolute and ultimate worlds are a great experience
Brevoort is right when he says there is nothing to worry about. These new lines are popular, yes, but that’s largely because they’re new and more accessible than standard Marvel and DC comics. But these main universes have dedicated readers who aren’t going anywhere, while fans of Absolute or Ultimate might not stick around. Right now, DC and Marvel are experimenting with their properties, which is good for publishers that have been around for so long. But no fan should worry CC or Wonder replacing your heroes with their Ultimate or Absolute versions.