UB FANS vs. All others

[bozonessinc]

I think I have an idea to as why we choose our sides. While I have read very little casefiles, but alot of UB's so I will probably favor the one that I have read alot more of.

But the Casefiles have way more books then the UB's so people who have read half of them and all the UB's might favor the casefiles because they have read more books about it.

This is just a thought though, I could be way off.

[SDLagent]

The reason I hate UB, is they changed so much.

[Bigfootman]

I have actuly read equal amounts of both, and I having a lot of both series can honestly say that the casefiles are better in my opion.

[Olivia]

I've definitely read more of UBs (almost every single one so far) but I like the Casefiles (and I've only read 12).

I think we're finding that it's a combination of factors. For example, which series you read first, you age, and so on.

I was vaguely familiar with the Casefiles universe back in the '90's, although I didn't read them. When I picked up the UBs, I didn't remember them at all.

So what was everyone's honest reaction the first time they saw or read a UB? Me:

Undercover Brothers? Huh? Okay. *reads the back of the book about the discs being erased* Um, Mission-Impossible wannabe? *opens book, finds out about ATAC* Definitely could have come up with a better name. *sees it's in the first person* That's weird. *Joe is speaking and it seems really immature* *Playback the parrot pops up* *Suddenly Frank shows up with a new, exaggerated personality* Why'd they do that? And I don't like the idea of contrived cases, although it depends.

*Disillusioned for life* <--obviously exaggerating a bit

I can't remember my whole reaction exactly, but it was definitely something like that. It was pure distaste. But I kept reading out of loyalty or something. Maybe even hope that it would get better.

But that is to say, I actually sort of like some of them but I'm used to the series by now so that might have to do with it. Plus I think I still like the idea of new HBs stories coming out regardless.

If they really finish this series, it might be the death of them. They'll join Iola in the grave. Oh, what am I saying? Depends on the series. Although, she's pretty much dead in all of them because they don't write new Originals or Digests anymore either I know, that may or may not count.

Guess the one thing I like about the UBs is that she's alive. Haha, I didn't even think of that. It's so obvious, but I didn't even see that. Wow, that's sad. Or maybe I already thought of it but forgot. Whatev, it's late.

[tomswift2002]

Here's the review that I posted on Bob Finnan's Yahoogroup on April 17, 2005 (before I joined here), and I actually gave [i}Extreme Danger[/i] a good review, but as I look back now, I see that Extreme Danger was probably the high point of the series and all the other books have been flatliners:

[quote from April 17, 2005]
I just found the first 4 Undercover Brothers at my local Coles yesterday.
They released the books early because there is a contest which runs from
April 26-September 15, 2005. AI've already read "Extreme Danger". I have
to give the book an A- rating. The story was good, although in some places
I found that it dragged on. We meet Frank and Joe Hardy, who are now
Professional investigators, instead of Amateur investigators. I also found
that S&S kept trying to connect the series to the recently departed
Original/Digest series. They had Chet Morton appear close to the end and
they had the Hardy's say that Chet helped them when they were amateur
investigators, and that he could help them now, but they had to agree not to
tell him about ATAC.

Now then, there were some differences. I found that the book was a blend of
the Digest and Casefiles series. For the most part the book read like a
Digest, but you saw Frank and Joe doing stuff which only appeared in the
Casefiles (you might want to refer to "Evil, Inc."), such as getting dressed
as punk rockers. Of course they did not get rid of their dyed hair by the
end of the story.

Other differences. Aunt Gertrude is now referred to as Aunt Trudy, and she
drives (from the osunds of it) a 70's or 80's Beetle. The boys receive
their assignments via video game/music CD, which is thrown through their
bedroom window (and the get no lectures from their librarian mother, or
their semi-retired father.) They now ride around on motorcycles,, and their
van has mysteriously disappeared, and the bikes contain tracking gear, CD
player and a multitude of different things, all paid for by Fenton Hardy.
And, no, Frank and Joe do not try to talk to each other on their bikes
("Tower Treasure").

As I said before, this book has to get an A-.

Trevor[/quote]

[bozonessinc]

I've definitely read more of UBs (almost every single one so far) but I like the Casefiles (and I've only read 12).

I think we're finding that it's a combination of factors. For example, which series you read first, you age, and so on.

I was vaguely familiar with the Casefiles universe back in the '90's, although I didn't read them. When I picked up the UBs, I didn't remember them at all.

So what was everyone's honest reaction the first time they saw or read a UB? Me:

Undercover Brothers? Huh? Okay. *reads the back of the book about the discs being erased* Um, Mission-Impossible wannabe? *opens book, finds out about ATAC* Definitely could have come up with a better name. *sees it's in the first person* That's weird. *Joe is speaking and it seems really immature* *Playback the parrot pops up* *Suddenly Frank shows up with a new, exaggerated personality* Why'd they do that? And I don't like the idea of contrived cases, although it depends.

*Disillusioned for life* <--obviously exaggerating a bit

I can't remember my whole reaction exactly, but it was definitely something like that. It was pure distaste. But I kept reading out of loyalty or something. Maybe even hope that it would get better.

But that is to say, I actually sort of like some of them but I'm used to the series by now so that might have to do with it. Plus I think I still like the idea of new HBs stories coming out regardless.

If they really finish this series, it might be the death of them. They'll join Iola in the grave. Oh, what am I saying? Depends on the series. Although, she's pretty much dead in all of them because they don't write new Originals or Digests anymore either I know, that may or may not count.

Guess the one thing I like about the UBs is that she's alive. Haha, I didn't even think of that. It's so obvious, but I didn't even see that. Wow, that's sad. Or maybe I already thought of it but forgot. Whatev, it's late.

I'm glad you like the ub's it is nice to have some people support my points when I am told on this forum everyday that it is dogdirt. I am always there trying to make people think that the UB's are awesome.

[Bigfootman]

Well, not ALL the books are dog dirt, but MOST of them are.

[Olivia]

I'm glad you like the ub's it is nice to have some people support my points when I am told on this forum everyday that it is dogdirt. I am always there trying to make people think that the UB's are awesome.

I thought my post would come across as more negative then postive. But yeah...maybe I'm tired of the sides and am just giving up. Or maybe I'm hitting neutral ground for now, I don't know.

I actually thought about doing an experiment - for me to be a full-out HB:UB fan for a week. When I post on this forum, it's only praise for the UBs and so on. That would be interesting.

Actually, I'm trying to remember my first UB. It was somewhere between #1 and #8. I read a couple, and then I started from the beginning. It was that way because the first few books were out (I think). Or maybe I just decided to try one based on a plot that seemed okay.

[SDLagent]

Here's the review that I posted on Bob Finnan's Yahoogroup on April 17, 2005 (before I joined here), and I actually gave [i}Extreme Danger[/i] a good review, but as I look back now, I see that Extreme Danger was probably the high point of the series and all the other books have been flatliners:

Yeah, I liked the UB to begin with, too. But after awhile got sick of the same old storyline over and over again....

Also, like you said, the first few could almost fit in with the other continuities.

[bozonessinc]

I thought my post would come across as more negative then postive. But yeah...maybe I'm tired of the sides and am just giving up. Or maybe I'm hitting neutral ground for now, I don't know.

I actually thought about doing an experiment - for me to be a full-out HB:UB fan for a week. When I post on this forum, it's only praise for the UBs and so on. That would be interesting.

Actually, I'm trying to remember my first UB. It was somewhere between #1 and #8. I read a couple, and then I started from the beginning. It was that way because the first few books were out (I think). Or maybe I just decided to try one based on a plot that seemed okay.

I just reread your post, I had skim read it the first time because I had to go somewhere fast and thought at the start you were talking about how you like UB's but if you don't think they are that great now, I don't want to thank you.