Eddie Brock

Ultimate One Universe: Season Two

I've written myself into a bit of a corner with my current arc, unsure of how to arrive at the ending except to say "And then Captain America beat up all the bad guys and won, and it was totally bitchin'." But I've had the next arc plotted out for weeks now, so as soon as I find a better ending, there should be fast and loose posting soon.

To use a metaphor, I've found myself narratively constipated. Once I take a plot laxative, you guy can expect posting diarrhea.

Ultimate One Universe: Season Two

Hell, I'll settle for Tim getting an identity that isn't the same as his old identity, just quantified slightly by color.

Ultimate One Universe: Season Two

Believe me, I understand all the reasons why it can't and won't ever happen, but I've yet to stumble upon a compelling reason why it shouldn't. Sure, you could say, "Well, there are still stories to tell with the classic characters," and that's true -- we're living proof of that, I hope -- but at a certain point you hit diminishing returns... if comics haven't already. Besides, as you said, the classic characters don't have to be completely shelved so long as there are self-contained stories and Elseworlds.

But those don't move books like crossover events and the like do, and so we're back at making narrative decisions for financial reasons, which is where the comics industry (or, at least Marvel and DC) has been stagnating for... 30 years or so?

What I'm saying is everybody should come out for Eddie Brock's "Marvel: A New Generation" RPG, coming soon to the Roleplayer Guild only to be swiftly run into the ground with self-insert OCs and people who miss the concept and want to use the classic characters anyway!

Ultimate One Universe: Season Two

Or I suppose you could roll with it and play it as Pete seeing it as no different than being a police officer (which could also have its own arcs of "am I holding back to make sure I go home at night, and if so can I still be effective?") regardless of the death rates of each.

@Hound55

That's probably exactly how I'd play it. It's great drama in the typical Spider-Man vein. Hell, that's why you have Miles Morales: So that if Peter decides the risk is too high, he has someone to directly mentor in his place until Mayday comes of age.

... shit, I think I'm pitching myself an RPG concept.

Ultimate One Universe: Season Two

Everything felt new and exciting again, and I miss that type of forward progression in comics.

@Master Bruce

This is why I have a love/hate relationship with comic books as a storytelling medium. By their serialized nature, comics are so resistant to change. It's why Peter Parker feels like he's spinning his wheels; the character has done everything he can do. All that's left now is to settle down, have a kid, be Spider-Dad for a few years, and then pass the reins to Mayday Parker. That's how you progress Peter Parker, not by making him Tony Stark Lite. But Marvel will never ever, ever do that. At least not outside a self-contained book.

DC's even more egregious in some ways. Legacy characters are written into their DNA, with many of the sidekicks originating from the earliest years of the shared DC Universe. And yet we're doomed to never see these characters inherit the mantles they're destined for. The best we can hope for is a transition to a successful adult alter ego a la Nightwing, but even then the mentor character is still hanging around, fighting crime like a helicopter parent who can't let go.

I understand the business side of it, but it's frustrating to stifle narrative potential for financial reasons. Particularly given that if you look at the reception for Grayson Batman and Bucky Cap, you see that there is a market for people like me who want to see these universes evolve and change -- so long as the passing of the mantle feels earned and isn't itself a purely financial (*cough* "diversity" *cough*) decision.

Ultimate One Universe: Season Two

Favorite runs, eh? We'll, let's see.

Spider-Man: Throw a dart at a '70s Spider-Man comic. If it was written by Gerry Conway, Len Wein, or Marv Wolfman, then you're golden. Alternately, grab the first few trades of Ultimate Spider-Man.

Superman: I love Birthright. Like, a lot.

Batman: I'm tempted to say The Long Halloween, but that's the most basic bitch answer. Seeing as I am a basic bitch, though, I'll stand by it.

Thor: God of Thunder is the run that got me back into reading modern comics. (At least for a little while.)

Ultimate One Universe: Season Two

The blue blur's comic adaption is probably my favorite of the three...

@Inkarnate

They adapted @Byrd Man's original Create-A-Hero character into a comic? I'm impressed.

Ultimate One Universe: Season Two

<Snipped quote by Eddie Brock>

Think you can beat my concept? By day, mild-mannered Clark Kent is a reporter and by night... same fucking guy. No Superman at all.

@Byrd Man

Byrd Man playing a powerless, hard-hitting investigative journalist? Fuck it, I wouldn't even challenge that.

Ultimate One Universe: Season Two

*quietly drags Superman CS out of storage, blows dust off*

What? Oh, I'm just going through my old things. Pay me no mind...

Ultimate One Universe: Season Two

@Master Bruce Baby don't hurt me.

@Lord Wraith

I'll do you one better! Why is love?!