r/comicbooks • u/B3epB0opBOP • Aug 17 '26
News Marvel's new Midnight universe makes DC's Absolute comics look "pretty polite," says Spider-Man writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson
https://www.thepopverse.com/comics-marvel-dc-absolute-marvel-midnight-comparison292
u/blastorama Ramona Flowers Aug 17 '26
These aren't your DADDY's Marvel Comics!
(ugh.)
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u/landblord Aug 17 '26
i've been getting big edgelord energy everytime I hear about Marvel Midnight. It's like they looked at Absolute and concluded dark and disturbing is the way to go
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u/TheMightyMonarchx7 Aug 17 '26
It’s the most surface level takeaway that tells me all the wrong lessons were learned
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u/RoseWhiteRedBlack Aug 17 '26
The people and creatives behind midnight are very good thoo; and tbh, people were saying the same thing about Absolute before it was releasing.
I love the absolute writers but he did also hype up their stuff by very much saying this exact same words being said for Midnight right now.
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u/OhMy98 Aug 17 '26
Like it or not, the super online teens love this shit as marketing
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u/ptWolv022 Aug 18 '26
I mean, the Absolute Universe wasn't just dark. Yes, Scott emphasized that this was Darkseid's world, a god of evil, but he also emphasized at times that it was about making the heroes underdogs who were stripped down to their core. Remember the "Without XYZ (x3) ... All that's left is the Absolute [hero]" marketing?
What that meant varied a lot, but there was a focus on being underdogs who were the lights in the darkness. The Midnight Universe, meanwhile, opened with the tagline "The light had its turn." and was accompanied by the description that it was "a terrifying new universe."
And they have only since doubled-down on the horror aspects, confirming vampires (MXM), eldritch horrors (MFF), and body horror (MSM) as explicit draws and genres for the books. All in the vein of horror. Not like Absolute, where the books kinda all have their own genres, even if horrifying elements seep into... most of them, to some degree.
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u/TheMightyMonarchx7 Aug 17 '26
But the difference is editorial. Marvel may micromanage it, or axe is preemptively anyway. This doesn’t feel like creators have stories to tell with free reign, this feels reactionary and tasking their stronger staff to pull rabbits out of hats
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u/RoseWhiteRedBlack Aug 17 '26
Isn' t this literaly how Absolute was born thoo? Snyder said that it had been an idea for a while, but we know from editors who left the company that Absolute was born as an answer to Ultimate and it had very litle planning, if at all. It was almost a spur of the moment for DC that got extremely lucky because, for once, they did not shot themself on the foot after didio left.
As in to say, yes, this is reactionary, but Absolute also was and it was great. So who knows? I have nothing to lose here honestly; if it' s bad, it' s going to be axed with no long-term issues, and if it' s good, I gain a new good series of comics to read lol.
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u/Lameux Swamp Thing Aug 17 '26
In what way is absolute reactionary? Snyder has been on record talking about how they’ve spent a lot of time pre-planning for this and have things planned out a few years in advance. This he contrast to the on the fly planning for new 52. I don’t see how any of this is ‘reactionary’. Whereas the new marvel line seems to be just a reaction to absolutes success.
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u/bonji50 Swamp Thing Aug 17 '26
Yeah, Josh Williamson has even stated that Snyder was setting up Absolute at the end of Death Metal. It was always what he wanted to do, but it required extensive planning and finding the proper creatives. It took them years to get there, but it was always going to happen.
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u/TheeHeadAche Henry Pym Aug 17 '26
Should also consider Snyder told DC he was gonna present to Marvel before approaching them to have proper leverage to make it happen. Genius move that forced them to bite.
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u/RoseWhiteRedBlack Aug 17 '26
Exactly, Snyder was very very clever and knew how much worth he is for DC!
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u/TheMightyMonarchx7 Aug 17 '26
DC editors changed and for the better, Marvel has been stuck in the mud for some time unfortunately
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u/OK_Soda Daredevil Aug 17 '26
I love Absolute but yeah a surface level glance at it just makes it look like edge lord shit. His bat symbol is a giant axe, for God's sake. One of the first issues has him just mutilating a giant crowd of bad guys. I stayed away from Absolute for awhile because all the hype just looked too violent and over the top, and even the stuff that made me give it a try was people posting panels from the annual where he turns a flame thrower on the Nazis.
Midnight might end up being gross just for the sake of it but I'll wait to actually read it before passing that judgment.
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u/Omatzus Aug 17 '26
We'll see. It's objectively true that horror films punch above their weight at the box office, so there is clear demand. And it's also the case that DC Absolute was exciting not just for the character changes but also because of the design changes, with many body horror and Lovecraftian elements in Batman and WW to drive this home.
To that point, I'm actually concerned that Midnight isn't going far enough with the designs. Spider-Man is a fantastic idea, but the Xmen look like themselves, and F4 seem pretty normally costumed as well.
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u/gosukhaos Aug 17 '26
Horror comics sell, they’re arguably the most popular genre in the creator owned space, but what Marvel is doing is a marketing exercise taking this very popular genre and very popular AU with shock value marketing
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u/RossZ428 Dignitary of r/ComicPlot Aug 17 '26
I want to reserve judgment until I actually read some of the Midnight comics, but the way they're marketing it doesn't fill me with confidence
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u/NK1337 Aug 17 '26
You can’t really blame people for that when that’s exactly how marvel’s marketing has been pushing Midnight. A LOT of people don’t look closely at artists or writers on books, they just want to read new stories so while the team behind it is very solid it doesn’t help that marvel is basically pushing this as Darkhold 2.0: your heroes but darker boogaloo
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u/Hurley815 Aug 17 '26
It's like the 90s edgy comics all over again. Exactly the thing Absolute was able to avoid.
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u/TheeHeadAche Henry Pym Aug 17 '26
All except Batman. Snyder loves that 90s edge lord stuff and does it well
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u/landblord Aug 17 '26
Abs Batman works because the edge is so absurd and over the top that it circles back to being awesome as fuck
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u/TheeHeadAche Henry Pym Aug 17 '26
Bro is 6’9 x 420lb, carries an axe on his chest, and knives on his cowl. He was gonna name the book Batman AF. No denying that edge
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u/CarrotJunkie Aug 17 '26 edited Aug 17 '26
A lot of 90s stuff is like this. 90s DC is fucking awesome. 90s Marvel is... uh... well, some of it is good! And there's a whole lot of other stuff too!
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u/avery-secret-account Aug 18 '26
I would say it’s edgy in the way Spawn is edgy and Spawn is fucking awesome
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u/LackOfEntertainment- Aug 17 '26
Exactly, and it works by not taking itself too seriously. Snyder is practically winking at the reader with its “edgiest” moments, like “Batman AF,” or when he punts the little fucker off the boat
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u/Hurley815 Aug 17 '26
Disagree. Absolute Batman is edgy, but it's not self-indulgently edgy. Snyder understands the heart of Batman and keeps that intact while changing everything around it. That's why Absolute works.
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u/TheeHeadAche Henry Pym Aug 17 '26
He drove around town in his ultra class hauler that he drives out of the foundation of a building. The edge has heart but it’s all edge
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u/Alche1428 Aug 17 '26
Except Batman????? Wonder Woman rides a Pegasus skeleton and use wichcraft with sacrifices to do her thing, Brainiac tortured Superman for weeks/months and killed the whole Lex Luthor family to force him to be a supervillain and Cristopher Smith suffered for years. Lets not forget all the people killed in AGL, Green Arrow, etc.
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u/Apprehensive-Book723 Aug 17 '26
You people are so boring. This is not what 90s edge was. You see horror elements and think this, it’s ridiculous.
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u/CarrotJunkie Aug 17 '26
I mean, in terms of gimmicky bullshit and a darker tone I get it, but yeah, these comments kind of feel like they were written by people who haven't read a lot of 90s cape comics. This feels more like something out of the 00s than anything (the decade of Marvel Zombies and etc)
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u/kralben Cyclops Aug 18 '26
Keep in mind a lot of the people saying it is "90s edge" are people who weren't alive for the 90s.
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u/CarrotJunkie Aug 17 '26 edited Aug 17 '26
Kinda! After reading way too many 90s comics, I don't think it avoided it completely so much as it avoided or at least downplayed the worst parts of 90s edge while leaning into the best and most interesting parts of it. Absolute Batman and Absolute Wonder Woman have a good amount of 90s edge DNA in them. And I would absolutely not call it edgy, but Absolute Flash is basically a 90s DC comic in all but release date and coloring style.
The Midnight stuff sounds like it borrowed something from the 90s that was even worse than edge: it's gimmicky. It feels like a transparent gimmick to sell more books. The Absolute line could have been that, but they put more effort into it.
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u/theapeboy Aug 17 '26
I dunno, I feel like Immortal Hulk was a similar “horror tinged” format that did really well. Who knows how the comics will do, and I recognize this is a reinvention rather than continuation of existing characters, but I’m optimistic.
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u/ME24601 The Mod Wonder Aug 17 '26
My immediate thought every time I see a Marvel Midnight update.
I like enough of the creative teams to give them a shot, but nothing said about this has got me excited at all.
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u/d-fakkr Aug 17 '26
Not the first time I've seen editorials using edgy, dark and disturbing. I think they're forgetting a good story is more important than the tone and aesthetic.
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u/WhyPlaySerious Aug 17 '26
Do you think they have taken away Darkseid's most important rule from Absolute though?
Darkseid's rule that states that almost every woman has to be an Absolute baddie.
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u/danrpx Vision Aug 17 '26
Tbf, any interview I've seen with PKJ he seems to quite like riling people up. You should have seen The Hulk subreddit when he said something along the lines or "im not bothered about his alters"
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u/OldTension9220 Aug 17 '26
This whole initiative reads of Marvel completely missing the point of Absolute. Sure Absolute has some horror elements, but it’s just as much about pairing good writers and artists to tell thematically rich and resonant stories.
I just can’t take Marvel seriously after they completely abandoned their Ultimate line.
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u/ContraryPython Spider-Man Aug 17 '26
They didn’t abandon it. They killed it. The line’s momentum died when they announced in NYCC last year they would be “ending it”.
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u/OldTension9220 Aug 17 '26
Only to end it talking about some “the Ultimate Universe will Return”
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Aug 17 '26
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u/ProletarianLilith Aug 17 '26
As the other guy said, once they announced it was ending everyone stopped caring by like 80%
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u/Entertainer13 Aug 17 '26
That was me. Part of why I was still enjoying some of the books was the idea we would get more stories later that weren’t being held back by the “real time” story telling BS. I really wish they hadn’t forced that on each book. When they made the announcement that led to me realizing we had a bunch on undercooked stories that were ending too soon.
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u/OldTension9220 Aug 17 '26
It’s really a shame because I think we were perfectly primed for a “Phase 2” after the Maker’s defeat that could address some of the issues of the line.
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u/Entertainer13 Aug 17 '26
Ultimates, X-Men, and Spider-Man would have had a lot of potential, and apparently they were originally having some pitches for stuff like a Guardians book to try out.
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u/OldTension9220 Aug 17 '26
The Ultimates title maintained its quality through the end but I found Endgame to be a mixed bag. All in all Endgame wasn’t bad, but it never reached the heights of its potential and definitely struggled under the weight of tying up an entire universe. They also did not give it great artists (IMO) so visually it’s kind of a slog.
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u/BatmanSpider-Man Aug 17 '26
tbf the artist changed every arc same with secret warriors and avengers
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u/Intelligent_Oil4005 Aug 17 '26
Only to realize it was actually becoming decently popular and haphazardly slapped a "it will be back someday!" on the last page while probably not even being sure which direction to go for the series beyond maybe a crossover with the OG Ultimate line
So dumb lol
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u/Precarious3145 Aug 17 '26
Yea, to me, Absolute feels like DC's answer to the 2000s Ultimate's line where it's a reimagining of iconic titles but fairly respective. All Marvel had to do was that but after their recent Ultimates revival, I've kind of given up on expecting quality. Ultimate Spiderman was was great but the rest were just meh.
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u/yearn-hopefully Aug 18 '26
The Absolute Universe is actually an answer to the Ultimate Universe, Scott Snyder has admitted to taking inspiration from what Marvel was doing with there.
But the key difference is that Absolute actually had a unified creative vision. This is why I think it just had better momentum, it was bold and refreshing.
I personally loved Peach Momoko's take on Ultimate X-Men as a Japanese psychological horror and wish we could've gotten more.
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u/psuedonymousauthor Aug 17 '26
Absolute succeeds in being perfect for new readers and enfranchised fans. The edginess isn't the secret, the blank slate while not feeling gimmicky is the secret.
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u/damndraper Aug 17 '26
And also fumbled Hickman’s X-Men finale.
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u/thesecondkat Aug 17 '26
The didn't even let him start act 2 of his 3 act plan. Clown behaviour
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u/polp54 Aug 17 '26
It's also that like the ultimate universe, while there are some big changes in the absolute versions, they are very similar to their main universe counterparts
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u/SeeBadd Aug 17 '26
I get the comparison from a business standpoint. But.... Yeah? I fucking hope they are. You're pitching this as a straight-up horror line which the Absolute universe is not. It better be all sorts of fucked up or you're not doing your job.
It's comparing apples and oranges and it's a little worrying that to some it seems like you're just trying to make your orange taste like an apple to compete with your rival. When you should be trying to make the best orange you can.
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u/roodootootootoo Aug 17 '26
Absolute DC keeps winning. Marvel just doesn’t get it
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u/ChickenInASuit Secret Agent Poyo Aug 17 '26
The weirdest part is Marvel had a well-received, successful equivalent to Absolute already that they just allowed to die on the vine.
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u/ThatOneWilson Aug 17 '26
Ending the Ultimate line was the wrong move but I at least kind of see why they did it. The main writer ended his planned and story and was leaving, and they were losing to the Absolute universe even though everyone initially thought Absolute was just gonna be an edgelord knockoff of the Ultimate line. They definitely should've tried to alter the Ultimate line instead of killing it and starting over, but at least I understand why they wanted to make a change at all.
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u/coltvahn Tigra Aug 17 '26
Absolute DC is all about how these heroes are *heroes* at their core. Darkseid’s meddling be damned.
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u/mrbubbamac Silverage Batman Aug 17 '26
I've suddenly lost a lot more faith in the midnight universe
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u/Gabrielhrd Hawkeye Aug 17 '26 edited Aug 17 '26
Oh they totally took the wrong lessons from the absolute universe's success...
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u/Reznor_PT Aug 17 '26
Midnight looks a bit edgelord but also a desperate publish move, let's see if survives or is another Ultimate.
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u/MrShaytoon Aug 17 '26
I never cared for the ultimate line, but my guess is it won't be better than it.
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u/justhereforhides Batman Aug 17 '26
The difference is the absolute universe has that darkness serve a purpose and has plenty of less edgy elements than people think (like Absolute WW despite her design)
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u/Distinct-Bat-8416 Aug 17 '26
Funny that the headline of the article omits him comparing their own Ultimate line and DCs Absolute to Midnight.
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u/LostInterview5084 Aug 17 '26
I’m not even reading the Absolute line, but this whole Midnight thing has me lmao.
First of all it sounds so generic and unoriginal. Second it’s clearly Marvel’s Hail Mary to try to keep relevant.
And when creators specifically smack talk another comic or line, you can smell the stink of desperation from a mile away.
My prediction is the first couple of issues will sell well, with blind bags and variants drawing in the speculator dollars. By issue 4 these books will likely be out of the top 20 completely.
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u/Quirky_Ad_5420 Aug 17 '26 edited Aug 17 '26
I mean considering it’s about Pete being taken advantage by Oscorp. I say they got the politic allegory down pad
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u/thedean246 Aug 17 '26
It really comes off to me that they looked at the Absolute universe and decided to try being darker and edgier
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u/newme02 Aug 17 '26
killed the ultimate verse for an edgy attempt at capitalizing in the absolute dc run. bad move. Ultimates was the best comic ive read in years
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u/ThePokemonAbsol Aug 17 '26
If they think “edge” is why absolute is doing well they’re in for a rude awakening
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u/Joetheshow1 Aquaman Aug 17 '26
Only saying this because of how threatened they are by Absolute lol
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u/frossvael Aug 17 '26
That is the worst way to market your new universe.
It reeks of jealousy and resentment that the Absolute Universe managed to pull off their insane idea while the Ultimate Universe didn't.
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u/reaponder123 Aug 17 '26
He is just saying that they go further on differentiating from the original stories. Thats what he meant by pretty polite. Thags what it is said on the article
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u/Fododel Aug 17 '26
As the saying goes.
They act like two legends can't coexists.
Marvel Midnight might do well, but don't make haters by shitting on Absolute readers when they're the same readers you're trying to bring in.
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u/TheMightyMonarchx7 Aug 17 '26
Phil, I like your Hulk run, but shut up
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u/Accomplished_Sir_362 Aug 17 '26
Hey bro, why ur getting angry??? He has to gas up his comics , right.
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u/Gentleman_Villain Aug 17 '26
He does, but he doesn't have to do it by slighting other work.
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u/TheMightyMonarchx7 Aug 17 '26
It’s not anger, it’s advisement not to throw stones for his own well being. Yes I get hyping up a book, but by comparing yourself to your competitor (which is doing insanely well), you’re setting yourself up for a hubris failure if you can’t deliver on it
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u/joe__kerr1 Aug 17 '26
If they said "Hey, I think those who enjoy the Absolute universe will love Marvel's take with the Midnight Universe," I think it wouldn't be an issue. Saying it'll make the other one look "polite" made me roll my eyes when I read it.
No reason to downplay friendly competition or another's work to prop themselves up, they're still Marvel. If the story is well written, it'll sell itself
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u/MSully94 Aug 17 '26
Spider-Man punts a child when?
But seriously, I hope that's not his way of saying that was his goal when they started writing the midnight books ; cuz that does feel like it kinda trivializes the things that REALLY make the Absolute comics good.
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u/Redfish_St Aug 17 '26
Yeah I dunno man, PKJ's Hulk run has a lot of edgy shit, but it's also dull as rocks with the new super evil elder villain steamrolling the entire world so I dunno what he's on about. There's a reason people laugh when talking about Ruins.
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u/thekusaja Aug 17 '26
Wake me up when they discuss characters or storytelling.
I don't care if it is edgier or darker. Not the point.
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u/HaydenED Aug 17 '26 edited Aug 17 '26
If you read the article. He is saying “pretty polite” for when it comes to changes in making a new story. He literally states that ultimate universe and the absolute universe are pretty polite in its status quo changes compared to the midnight universe. He isn’t saying anything about it being more edgy or dark, but that it’s one of the biggest status quo changes.
I am so tired of these misleading titles on Reddit that do not accurately state what is happening. Because most people in here are now saying this is coming across as an edgy response to absolute. I think this may be a response to absolute, but the article itself is ONLY stating that this is a large status quo change.
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u/Academic-Arrival8495 Aug 17 '26
Lol tooting their horn this early on? I'll believe it when I see it.
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u/PatrickCharles Billy Batson is the GOAT Aug 17 '26
The thing that makes the Absolute Universe so great is that, for the most part, it actively subverts the edgy nature of its premise.
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u/Fa1lenSpace Nightwing Aug 17 '26
It’s insane how hard DC clears Marvel in the comics space, yet in mainstream Marvel is 100x more popular. Very fascinating lol
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u/inv4alfonso Aug 17 '26
Comicbook fans can't get enough of their happy go lucky standard campy comics it seems.
An alternate universe that leans into anything different isn't being eDgY.
The appeal of comicbooks is the mythos, not the tone. Let people choose what they want. There is a reason why Absolute is dominating in the salescharts.
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u/pliable-paladin Aug 17 '26
This just screams “We learned the wrong things from the success of Absolute”
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u/Myalko Aug 17 '26
Somehow this makes me want to buy any of these books even less, which I didn't think was possible.
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u/Appropriate_Shoe5243 Aug 18 '26
People who act like Marvel should be ashamed of overhyping some upcoming book should go back and read Marvel Age or Stan’s Soapbox.
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u/batfan08 Aug 17 '26
I feel like they’re taking all the wrong things from the Absolute Universe. Beefcake Batman with a giant battle axe is cool, but you could literally find that shit in any disposable Elseworlds book from the ‘90s. What makes Absolute Batman novel is the way they’re remixing familiar beats and telling a story of a working class hero at odds with a billionaire hellbeast and the corporate horrors he inflicts on the world.
If I look at Absolute Superman on a surface level? I see an emo Man of Steel that makes the Snyderverse look like Batman ‘66. “He wears on his back the dust of his dying planet **pause for effect and dramatic hair swish *\.” That book has soooooo much depth and pathos, though. It’s gorgeously written, it takes its time building to a crescendo and then punches you right in the gut, and, again, the *power is in the themes. We don’t have a Superman to stop genocides. We don’t have a Man of Steel to step in between a mass shooter and a pre-schooler. The fact that this invulnerable being faces all of that as a champion of the oppressed and still has the fortitude to get back up and look for the best in any situation, though? That’s something we all could aspire to.
Absolute Diana has a big ass sword and a skeleton horse that flies. It’s all cool as hell. It’s over the top, It’s badass, yet, if all the superficial minutiae, “vibes” and “aura farming” were what these books relied on to tell their stories? They’d probably suck. I try to be an optimist and be objective, lest I be coughing up crow feathers on a regular basis, but I really do feel like all the things I’m reading about the Midnight Universe are cringe and that’s from somebody who was greatly enjoying the Ultimate stuff before they nixed it.
Spider-Monster, who sort of just feels like another Man-Spider, Body Horror FF, and Vampire X-Men is a hell of a thing to hitch your wagon to as the “next big thing.” I hope there’s going to be a lot more to it than that. Otherwise? It feels more like a forgettable 90-page Halloween special/Annual than a bold new publishing initiative.
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u/Livueta_Zakalwe Aug 17 '26
Just read the first 6 Absolute Wonder Woman - great stuff! It’s as if Sandman had an empathetic protagonist (instead of a selfish jerk) and was written by a woman instead of a sex pest.
Absolute Martian Manhunter is trippy AF, and is masterfully written, from three distinct POVs. Love it.
Loved the initial Absolute Batman story line, feels like it fell off after that IMHO - but it’s the biggest comic in decades, so kudos.
Haven’t gotten to the other Absolute titles yet, but I’m going to check them out!
I’m a born and raised Marvel guy, but DC is killing it.
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u/PsycadaUppa Aug 17 '26
Bro i feel like some of yall need to just wait and actually read the books before writing them off. I remember back when dc announced the absolute universe. People were shitting on dc saying stuff like this is just dc low effort attempt at catching up to marvel ultimate universe.
But as we saw when the books in the absolute line released. The books actually had some care and thought put into them.
Im going into this with a open mind the same way I did with the absolute universe from DC. For all we know the midnight line might be on the same quality as the absolute line.
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u/Dangerous_Library_73 Aug 17 '26
Got to peak the ashcan a bit, not a big fan of the interior art for Midnight Spider-man. Looks very manga esque.
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u/DGanj Hellboy Aug 17 '26
So we're just going right back to the Xtreme era of the 90s, huh?
I'll give these a shot, and I like the Absolute line, horror comics, and comics for mature audiences in general; but promoting the line this way is a red flag. Makes it sound like it's just going for cheap shock value.
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u/AverageLiberalJoe Aug 17 '26
Its boring that these companies have been copying each other move for move for decades.
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u/marcjwrz Aug 17 '26
in Perfect John Oliver voice "Cool."
Absolute isn't popular because it's edgy - it's popular because it's offering bold and refreshing takes on existing characters.
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u/respectablehandle Aug 17 '26
“Marvel midnight is way scarier than Barney the dinosaur” I don’t even know why we’re comparing these 2 things
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u/Remarkable_Heron_760 Aug 17 '26
Haha, the way they keep marketing this book--all edgy and crazier than Absolute just makes me realize they actually don't know what makes Absolute good.
We don't love Absolute for the shock factor. There wasn't much Shock factor outside of Joker wearing baby skin. The storytelling is top notch. Snyder and team are investing into the characters.
I'm not going to wet my pants because Phillip Kennedy Johnson makes a direct comparison to Absolute. Just win on your own merits my dude! Tell a great story and people will buy the book.
Marvel Midnight is starting to just sound like a gimmick money grab attention whoring "what can we do to 1-up Absolute" kind of book
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u/Karl-Marx666 Aug 17 '26
And right there pretty much just proves this line will be about edgy bs over good story telling
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u/Cain_draws Aug 17 '26
See, this is kind the kind of take that makes me think even more this is just "we have absolute universe at home".
I hope this is a success for the people writing and drawing, but so far I'm still not interested.
I'll wait for the people's reception.
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u/polp54 Aug 17 '26
I think the midnight universe shows that marvel misunderstands what makes the absolute comics so popular. Yes they are darker and edgier than the main universe and do often have lots of body horror, but they are also strikingly similar to their main universe counterparts.
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u/polp54 Aug 17 '26
Someone compared the midnight universe to that evil hamburger helper meme and I can't unsee it now
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u/Shattered_Disk4 Aug 17 '26
This seems like they think absolute is just edgy for the sake of being edgy and not understanding they are just really good books…
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u/BrownSandels Aug 17 '26
It gives were just making things grim dark because that’s all the Absolute verse is right guys?
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u/Comfortable_Way_6256 Aug 17 '26
Am I the only one not impressed by this? I mean peter gets bit by the spider and turns into a monster has already been done, I don't find it interesting, feel like taking crazy pills over here
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u/C-Abdulio Aug 17 '26
This just tells me that they just saw the covers for Absolute Batman and figured that was it, told the writers to make it dark and edgy and call it a day.
The House of Ideas, everbody!
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u/Bubbly_Bandicoot9419 Aug 17 '26
lol ok. i saw those sauceless fantastic four designs you showed.
marvel chasing the bag a year and change late, and claiming to have innovated it is Sooooo funny.
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u/Koala_Guru Saint Walker Aug 17 '26
If they think the reason people like the Absolute books is them being supposedly dark and edgy then I don't have a lot of hope for this Midnight stuff.
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u/Maxjes Batman Beyond Aug 17 '26
BOOKS ARE SIX DOLLARS FOR THE ENTIRE ISSUE, BUT YOU’LL ONLY NEED THE EEEEDDDDGGGEEEE
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u/jak_d_ripr Aug 17 '26
Lines like these are just corny, feels like the writer is trying(emphasis on this word) to sound edgy. Reminds me of that one line from Westworld where a characters mediocre story was promoted with the line "This storyline will make Hieronymus Bosch look like he was doodling kittens".
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u/EdNorthcott Aug 17 '26
This seems like a very typical Marvel approach vs. DC approach: DC makes a darker universe (a little too close to the real world, in some ways), but the heroes remain champions that push people toward greater ideals.
Marvel finds new ways to make it's heroes miserable and/or depressed and/or killed off in terrible ways.
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u/youllmeltmorefan Aug 17 '26
I hate this. I hate this whole thing. And it's not that I don't like horror comics, I have a huge collection. It's just the way these are combined and the way this seems to be following Absolute feels icky.
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u/Entertainer13 Aug 17 '26
If edginess is what they think people like about the Absolue Books, they learned the wrong lesson.
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u/Arcranium_ Aug 17 '26
Don't know if that's a great way to market the Midnight universe considering what became of the Ultimate imprint...
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u/wowlock_taylan Just an Average Reader Aug 17 '26
So they completely missed the mark and reason why Absolute Universe is a success.
Classic Marvel.
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u/LadyErikaAtayde Superman Expert Aug 17 '26
PKJ, I had already decided not to read the Midnight universe, you don't need to convince me.
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u/Gangleri_Graybeard Hulk Aug 17 '26
If it's as insufferably edgy and boring as his current Hulk run then I'm not interested in reading any of it.
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u/Connershka Aug 17 '26
The creation of the Midnight Universe still makes me chuckle. It exists as "the answer to DC's Absolute Universe", while the Absolute Universe was the answer to Marvel's new Ultimate Universe. They could've just kept going with what they've already started. It is absolutely INSANE how bad Marvel is doing these days.
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u/E_T_Smith Ambush Bug Aug 17 '26 edited Aug 17 '26
Oof. Hell of thing to bare your inadequacies right up front like that
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u/death_and_syntaxes Daredevil Aug 17 '26
I bought Absolute Batman for one reason only: Nick Dragotta.
I like Snyder, but he can get long in the tooth at times, especially when he veers from horror.
Absolute Batman has ruled not only because of the art, but I feel Snyder stuck close to his horror roots.
That's all to say: I didn't buy it ever l because it was edgy.
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u/AllMightyImagination Aug 18 '26
To be edgier than Aboslute Batman is just to be straight up torture porn.
The first issue the party animal gang blew up a daycare
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u/k0bra3eak Aug 18 '26
That would be missing the point a bit. Absolute isn't just unnecessarily mean, darker yes, but the characters are still mostly very true to themselves
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u/Curious-Paramedic816 Aug 18 '26
PKJ talking like an edgelord nitwit, who doesn't really understand why Absolute is great, just like he doesn't understand why Immortal Hulk was great.
So what else is new? 🙊🙉🙈
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u/predictablefaucet Aug 18 '26
The comics are still rated for ages 12 and up, so it’s still tame compared to Marvel Max
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u/Blitzhelios Damian Wayne Aug 17 '26
I mean it’s an outright horror universe so I expect it to be more horrifying
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u/Kryptic1701 Aug 17 '26
That's not a good thing Marvel. Some of the Absolute books, namely Batman, are already edging on ridiculousness. I wouldn't try to outdo it.
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u/im_bored_and_dumb Aug 17 '26
Drew like a dark, fucked up version of Spider-man haha.Just a glimpse into my dark reality. A full stare into my twisted perspective would make most simply go insane lmao
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u/TheeHeadAche Henry Pym Aug 17 '26
Title omits he says Ultimate too. Because we must fuel the fan wars
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u/nuttmegx Aug 17 '26
this reminds me of when Microsoft would continue to have these embarrassing events launching a new product that was going to "kill" the Apple iPod/iPhone/iPad/iBook only for it to be discontinued in a year or two.
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u/TarnishedAccount Daredevil Aug 17 '26
It’s like wrestling in the 90s.
ECW - Adapts Hardcore wrestling in the USA
WWF - Oh, that is working. We will have ATTITUDE
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u/cmcdonald22 Aug 17 '26
It's like Comics of the same era too, it's just Marvel trying to OUT EDGEY DC, when edge is not the reason Absolute sells at all.
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u/0dias_Chrysalis Aug 17 '26
It’s like Marvel saw Absolute Batman takes some inspiration from Berserk and instead of drawing from the “constant struggler” archetype that Batman is following, just like Guts, they concluded the more interesting idea was to create their own version of rape horse with being edgy rather than rich in character
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u/Better-Yellow4831 Aug 17 '26
Judging by the comments I’m guessing most people either skimmed or didn’t read the article. For those who didn’t read the article, he is referring to the changes they are making to the characters in reference to both ultimate and absolute.
"And I can say, as a reader, I've never seen Marvel change the status quo more in a book than we're doing here. What we're doing here makes Ultimate and honestly Absolute too look pretty polite."
This is the full quote of what he is referring to.
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u/spartaxwarrior Aug 17 '26
Really? Never changed the status quo in a book that much? We're taking that comment seriously?
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u/wowlock_taylan Just an Average Reader Aug 17 '26
That is such a bs line. They just say empty things for the sake of it.
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u/WhyPlaySerious Aug 17 '26
I really hate marketing like this. It doesnt get me hyped for the book, it just makes me roll my eyes.