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Originally posted by Dave:
I hate to nitpick... [wink] ....but he doesn't actually say "HULK SMASH FREDDIE PRIZE JR". He says something about Freddie Prinze Jr, but not "Hulk smash".
Touche.

"Hulk wants Freddie Prinze Jr!" There. Better? It's all the same. I know I deserved that, but damn you!

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I haven't read the most recent arc, so I don't know, but I think what you've said kind of misses my point.

The isuse is not so much the fact that there are notable causes in the world which need attention drawen to, but that from a marketing perspective the story sounds fresh and new.
Ok, but this is something of a revision of your original statement. Marketing-wise, it's clear that the Ultimates is more appealing to today's youth than the Avengers. I wouldn't debate that. I would, however, debate your contention that the Ultimates deal with "real issues".

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Superman does not usually interact with Hollywood stars or contemporary politicians. He operates in his own little reality bubble. 9/11 didn't even occur in Superman's reality.
They've made references to 9/11, haven't they(just not actually shown it happened, for sentimental reasons)?

Superman's world doesn't involve real Hollywood stars or politicians, but it does involve artistic takes on those people. I think, as a writer, it's best to avoid commenting on actual individuals in fiction because you allow your personal bias to affect your storytelling(just as Millar's political bias seeps into his stories).

Frank Miller cleverly used fictional celebrities in his work to deal with political issues(though he had a few real ones, as well, like David Letterman in DKR), and I think it was quite effective. It even allowed him to go to the extreme to drive home his point without fear of libel.

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it gives the characters some Hollywood glitz, which assists Millar to tell the story of how superhumans would actually be famous and screwing starlets if they actually existed.
I don't think it contributes in any way to the actual story, though.