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Title: The Ultimates by Mark Millar, Bryan Hitch, Andrew Currie ISBN: 0-7851-0960-9 Publisher: Marvel Books Pub. Date: August, 2002 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $12.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.03 (29 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: ULTIMATE ORIGINALITY!
Comment: The Ultimates is as original as a "re-imagining" of characters can get. This TPB collects the first six issues of the series and re-introduces us to the characters of: Captain America, Iron-Man, Thor, Giant-Man, and the Wasp. Each of the characters is handled well and Mark Millar does a good job of setting the tone of the series...which starts off slow and then powers forward to the conclusion of Issue #6.
On the weakness front we have Millar's usual M.O. of rushed storylines and too many characters. Unlike his run on Authority or Ultimate X-Men he has just enough characters to juggle without too much confusion (Thor is the only lacking character in the TPB). The only other problem that readers may face when diving into The Ultimates is that it does not tell a complete tale. This TPB was rushed out while the title is enjoying an immensely popular run so there is no 'end' to the stroyline...but there is one heck of a set-up for what will undoubtedly unfold in the second TPB.
But let's look at the strengths of the Ultimates:
1) A great WWII intro with Captain America as well as a new take on the Cap - Bucky friendship.
2) A great twist on why millionaire Tony Stark would want to be Iron-Man.
3) The strong use of SHIELD and Nick Fury in setting up the Ultimates...and then the hilarious idea that..."Now that we have a superhero team...what happens if we never have any villains to fight?"
4) A good battle with The Hulk (who is much more enjoyable to read when instead of saying "Hulk Smash!", we get..."I'm gonna rip off your head and #@!& down your neck!" It scared me.
5) Domestic violence between Giant-Man and the Wasp which was handled more powerfully than anything I'd read in a long long time. Rereading the scene and reading between the lines only helps demonstrate that these are heroes with "real world" troubles.
All in all I recommend The Ultimates. While not as strong as Brian Michael Bendis run on Ultimate Spider-Man, it does outshine the Ultimate X-Men and 95% of the comics and TPB's being published today.
Rating: 5
Summary: ONE OF THE BEST COMIC BOOKS OF OUR TIME
Comment: The Ultimates, as most of you may already know, is Mark Millar's new take and new look on the Avengers. Millar's story, combined with Bryan Hitch's awesome artwork, makes The Ultimates is one of the best comic books of our time.
The Ultimates is an almost totally new look at the Avengers. The story is set at the present timeline(2002) and this time, the Avengers now works as a military group. The Ultimates is a super-hero team built to protect America from super-human attacks and acts of super terrorism that can no longer be handled by the military. The team is headed by Nick Fury, who is still the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. Among its members are Steve Rogers (Captain America), who is the team leader, Tony Stark (Iron Man), Hank Pym (Giant Man), his wife Janet Pym (The Wasp), Bruce Banner (Hulk) and Thor. New recruits such as Black Widow, Hawkeye, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch are also added later on in the book.
Readers will also get to see the Avengers in a dimmer, darker and more mature storyline this time. Its story is much more interesting and intruiging this time. Millar did a good job of making The Ultimates fun and full of action, while still keeping the storyline dim. Hitch's pencils and Currie's inks also raised the darkness and maturity level of this comic book.
Mark Millar really outdone himself in this book. The story is very creative, it manages to be deep, intruiging, and would you believe, even realistic at the same time. Almost all of the characters in this comic book have been retold and remade. For example, Thor is now a hippie who drinks booze and protests for human rights and stuff like that, but is still the all-powerful, hammer-wielding Norse God that we love, only without the accent. Hank Pym, also known as Giant-Man, is now a hunky scientist who is witty and funny, but at the same time has an ego and an inferiority complex that could tear apart everything he loves, and he proved it by almost killing his wife Janet after an argument. Nick Fury is now a black man. Need I say more???
In other words, THIS IS AS HUMAN AND AS REALISTIC AS THE AVENGERS ARE EVER GONNA BE. I've never seen such realism in comic books in my life. The characters are heroes, yeah, but at the same time almost all of them have negative traits or dark secrets that could destroy the team. Emotions, egos and personal agendas now play a big part in the story and characters, which makes them more vulnerable not only to their enemies, but to each other as well. (It was jealousy that started the Hulk rampage and Giant Man's almost fatal assault to his wife.)
However, the Ultimates still managed to stay true to each member's roots, even for a little bit. Cap is still the responsible and patriotic fighting machine that he always was (although much more gritty and emotional this time), Hulk is still the strongest there is, Thor is still the all-powerful Norse God (although much more human this time), Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch are still Magneto's offsprings and Tony Stark is still a billionaire playboy.
The way Millar built the characters is also amazing. Millar made sure that each member of the team is built up well. Millar made sure that readers will be able to know the roots of each Ultimate. And unlike in other team comic book titles where some characters gets more presentation and time than others, The Ultimates gives each character his/her fair share of exposure. No one gets overexposed and no one gets forgotten.
The action "scenes" are also unbelievable. You can almost feel everything that is happening in the book. Although I admit that it took a while for the Ultimates to get some action, it was well worth the wait. Chapter 5:The Hulk Does Manhattan gave me one of the best fight scenes that I have ever seen. Every fight/battle scene is detailed to the nth degree. Just read Chapters 1, 5, 8 and 12 and you'll know what I mean.
Next up is the artwork. Bryan Hitch, is without a doubt the best penciller I have ever seen. You might think Im overrating him, well maybe I am, but so far, I haven't encountered a review that says otherwise. Every character is detailed to the bone, and his new designs on Captain America, Thor and the Iron Man armor is fantastic. The backgrounds are unbelievable, certainly the best background in a comic book that I have ever seen. Without Hitch, The Ultimates won't be this good. HITCH'S ARTWORK IS PERFECTION. Trust me on this.
Of course, there are also some negatives about this title as well. First of all, some of Millar's lines are a bit cheesy and dull. Also, I'm not really sure about Giant-Man's outfit, and I don't think The Hulk's "horny" attitude is right for him. But probably the biggest flaw of this comic is not in the comic itself. For me, its biggest flaw is its shipment. It usually takes 2 months or more for the next issue to come out! I feel irritated whenever I finish a chapter, knowing that I have to wait patiently for another 2 months or so to find out what happens next. And its irritating because I'm telling you, The Ultimates WILL leave you hanging at the edge of your seat, and it WILL leave you craving for more.
OVERALL, A COMIC BOOK MASTERPIECE. I know that some people will not agree with me on this, and a lot of people will think that I am overrating this comic book, but I don't care. Traditionalists probably won't agree with me because of the major changes that was done to the Avengers and their enemies, but I personally believe that these changes improved the Avengers a lot. Personally, I believe that this comic book is sheer genius. Millar, Hitch and Currie did a heck of a job. This is the best comic book Marvel has produced in a long time. For me, simply one of the best, if not the best, comic books that I've ever read.
Rating: 4
Summary: Humanizing the Superhuman
Comment: Not particularly fond of Marvel's Ultimate line, I usually approach any of Marvel's 'Ultimate' series with hesitation. However, I was never that big into the Avengers, so I figured I would give The Ultimates a shot, and I was very pleased with the results.
Once again re-imagining and re-telling the story of one of their most famous super groups, Marvel captures a whole new dimension of story-telling with the Ultimates. Making them seem like real, ordinary people with real problems is probably one of the best parts of the entire story. Of course, there is plenty of action and fighting to go around too. Alot of the character's origins and general appearences have been changed too. For example, instead of Tony Stark having a terminal heart condition, he know his an inoperable brain tumor. Nick Fury is probably the most dramatic change, in that instead of being a grizzled, cigar chomping World War II veteran, he's a blatant Samuel L. Jackson look-alike with attitude and spunk. An interesting reworking of Fury, but I could've done without it, despite how it fits with the story. Hank Pym and his wife Jan Pym, Giant Man and Wasp respectively, have marital problems, with Hank being an abusive, chronic alcoholic. The entire comic seems to revolve around the telling of everyone's personal lives, which gives all the characters alot of depth. Finally, Thor is the son of Odin from Asgard who has spent more than his fair share of time in a mental institution, and is now a peace-loving pacifist...until it comes time to defend the world.
From Tony Stark's pompous, rich jerk attitude to Captain America's good old American spirit, The Ultimates is definitely worth the read. The interesting spin on the Hulk and other story elements make this one of the best Marvel re-tellings yet. The only thing that bothered me was that the comic got a bit too political at times. I appreciate seeing the inclusion of real-world problems into the comic, making it that much more realistic and adult, but sometimes it got just a wee bit critical and outspoken. But all in all, The Ultimates was a fantastic read that I just couldn't put down. When I got to the end I was thirsting for more, and The Ultimates: Volume 2 definitely delivers after this great introduction. Great job from Marvel.
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Title: Ultimate X-Men: Ultimate War by Mark Millar, Chris Bachalo ISBN: 0785111298 Publisher: Marvel Books Pub. Date: May, 2003 List Price(USD): $10.99 |
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Title: Ultimate X-Men: Return of the King (Ultimate X-Men) by Mark Millar, David Finch, Adam Kubert ISBN: 0785110917 Publisher: Marvel Books Pub. Date: September, 2003 List Price(USD): $16.99 |
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Title: Ultimate X-Men: Hellfire & Brimstone by Mark Millar, Adam Kubert, Danny Miki, Kaare Andrews ISBN: 0785110895 Publisher: Marvel Books Pub. Date: April, 2003 List Price(USD): $12.99 |
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Title: Ultimate X-Men: World Tour (Ultimate X-Men) by Mark Millar, Chuck Austen, Adam Kubert, Chris Bachalo, Esad Ribic ISBN: 0785109617 Publisher: Marvel Books Pub. Date: November, 2002 List Price(USD): $17.99 |
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Title: Ultimate X-men Vol. 7: Blockbuster by Brian Michael Bendis, David Finch ISBN: 0785112197 Publisher: Marvel Books Pub. Date: January, 2004 List Price(USD): $12.99 |
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