So i just completed the full initial run of Ultimate Marvel, from Ultimate Spider Man #1 to Ultimate End. And ive got some thoughts.
First of all. I started collecting phsycially when i was a kid, around Death of Spiderman. The only ultimate comic i read was Ultimate Comics X-Men, which was one of those "your book got canceled heres this other one" for my X Men Legacy subscription. That quickly became my favorite book, despite hating Kitty, i really loved the reservation concept, the sentient seed. That whole piece, which makes it a crime that it really only lasted about 4 issues. Having read the entire series now. Hot damn were they obsessed with Kitty.
I wont go through the whole of Ultimate, other than that the transition from Vol 1 to Vol 2 of Ultimate spider man was horrible.
I will say, folks the cracks were there. All New Ultimates finished in 2014 and it is top 3 worst runs of any book ive ever read. Packed full of the "teenies angsting with shit art" the sitcom "oh hey im actually gay" lets break up for no reason oh were back togehter for no reason soap opera fest.
"Right wing" militia as a stomped villian that even the Scourge hates because "im not racist! I just kills criminals, and suggesting theres a demographic there is racist!"
The evil corporation is messing up the usually totally fine drug trade by POSIONING it. Yeah thats how you run a business, murder your customers.
I hate cloak and dagger, bombshell is the stupidest fuck after "black widow," and miles... it really shows you how much the writer matters. Miles' first run is as enjoyable as any other book ive ready. In All New Ultimates he reminds me why im racist.
I especially hate bombshells whiny drug dealer boyfriend drama. Its supposed to be totally radical, and its "real" in the sense thay yeah ive met people like her. But they were stupid retaded fucks, and i hated them too.
/rant
To me, Marvel's decline really started in the mid-nineties, when editors basicly threw continuity out the window. Horrible stories and constant retcons really diminished the authenticity of the stories. Things got a bit better in the late nineties, but by the mid-to-late 2000s things got really messy again (OMD probably being the best example). Writer were allowed to just run wild, but then reset everything to a status quo at some point, which really made the stories feel like nothing mattered. The wokeness element was just more fuel on the fire when it came about in the early 2010's. That's not to say that there hasn't been some good runs since, but the brand as a whole has never been as strong and cohesive. Past 2014 or so though, there is hardly anything good left.
I've always said the way to do it was to have broad continuity on the flagship titles (amazing, uncanny, adjectiveless, invincible etc.) And then have the ultimate universe which would have a mandatory reset every 5 years. Do "new stuff" and reimaginings as desired, knowing you're not ruining anything or writing yourself into a corner.
You can end the world as often as you want to scratch the cosmic itch. And do all your "What if Betty brant was iron man" stories too and nobody could get too mad.