Ultimates TPB Question

Hello all:

I was wondering...how would the 'Ultimates' tradepaperback hold up to someone who is unfamiliar with Marvel comics? Would that person enjoy it, or wonder what the criminy is going on? Personally, I loved the storyline, but I've had a long history of reading about the characters...but what about a non-comics reader? Thanks for all the responses!

While The Ultimates has been a very well done book in both the art and writing departments, I would argue that much of the book's appeal comes from the altered versions of characters people already know. Millar actually doesn't spend a lot of time introducing people and creating 'origins' and the like, subtly relying on people's previous knowledge of Tony Stark and Hank Pym and the rest. I think most of the little winks would be lost on a non comics reader, and while the might enjoy it, there are better places to point them, in my opinion.

You do not require a background in reading the other Ultimate universe titles to read that one. It may not be as appealing to someone who isn't use to the regular incarnations of those characters, but you can certainly read and understand it. I think there were some off-hand comics regarding the existance of mutants, but nothing terribly detailed. If you've seen the previews for the first X-Men movie, then you know enough to read this

They would probably wipe thier ass with the pages inside

Since those versions of the characters have (virtually) no back story beyond what's in that trade paperback, they should be fine. It's intended for people like them.

Having said that, there's some truth to the criticism that Millar is writing stories that are designed to amuse people who know the original versions of the characters, by playing up how different his versions