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The Ultimates (2002) (Single Issues) #1-13
Ultimates by Millar & Hitch Omnibus
They are the Ultimate Universe’s greatest heroes! Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Wasp, Giant Man, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch! Brought together by Nick Fury, head of the elite espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D., the Ultimates are Earth’s last line of defense against a rising storm of strange new threats to humanity — including the rampaging Hulk, and an army of shape-shifting aliens bent on destroying the world! But just as the Ultimates begin to get comfortable in their roles as international celebrities and America’s champions, things get hard! Can the team survive the Hulk’s execution, Thor’s imprisonment — and the advent of the Ultimate Defenders?! The Ultimates are in for the battle of the century — and not all of them will walk away!
COLLECTING: Ultimates (2004) 1-13; Ultimates 2 (2005) 1-13, 1 Variant Sketch Edition; Ultimates Annual (2005) 1
COLLECTING: Ultimates (2004) 1-13; Ultimates 2 (2005) 1-13, 1 Variant Sketch Edition; Ultimates Annual (2005) 1
856 pages, Hardcover
First published June 17, 2009
9 people are currently reading
277 people want to read
About the author
Mark Millar
1,525 books2,575 followersMark Millar is the New York Times best-selling writer of Wanted, the Kick-Ass series, The Secret Service, Jupiter’s Legacy, Jupiter’s Circle, Nemesis, Superior, Super Crooks, American Jesus, MPH, Starlight, and Chrononauts. Wanted, Kick-Ass, Kick-Ass 2, and The Secret Service (as Kingsman: The Secret Service) have been adapted into feature films, and Nemesis, Superior, Starlight, War Heroes, Jupiter’s Legacy and Chrononauts are in development at major studios.
His DC Comics work includes the seminal Superman: Red Son, and at Marvel Comics he created The Ultimates – selected by Time magazine as the comic book of the decade, Wolverine: Old Man Logan, and Civil War – the industry’s biggest-selling superhero series in almost two decades.
Mark has been an Executive Producer on all his movie adaptations and is currently creative consultant to Fox Studios on their Marvel slate of movies.
His DC Comics work includes the seminal Superman: Red Son, and at Marvel Comics he created The Ultimates – selected by Time magazine as the comic book of the decade, Wolverine: Old Man Logan, and Civil War – the industry’s biggest-selling superhero series in almost two decades.
Mark has been an Executive Producer on all his movie adaptations and is currently creative consultant to Fox Studios on their Marvel slate of movies.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
December 26, 2013
This sweeping epic delivers big and I do mean big with awesome artwork in an 800 plus page hardcover volume that could be used as serious weapon against your enemies.
The tale is one of a “reimaginings” in which the heroes work for the U.S. Government with some notable changes: Thor is either a ridiculed Messiah or insane and the Hulk is considered a menace to the point that the Avengers contain him and even consider executing him. There is no superhero alliance (as already stated above) which means the heroes all work for SHIELD under Nick Fury (who looks almost exactly like Samuel Jackson) and that thus means they're all answering to the President and his staff.
In the first volume the heroes deal with obstacles that only the group can handle and in the second volume the war on terror prompts a mastermind villain the means of creating superheroes from countries that hate America. This leads to a serious assault upon the USA which stands to wipe out the whole lot of The Avengers and enslave America.
Expect strong adult themes in this one, especially spousal abuse, so if that bothers you then you have been warned. There are some definite themes within of the last Superpower imposing its influence on resentful Third World/Developing Countries and the backlash which can result.
Did I say the artwork is absolutely amazing? A big volume helps with the viewing but still you have to check it out. By the way, this was written by Mark Millar and the artwork is by a number of people: Bryan Hitch, Paul Mounts, Andrew Currie and several others.
The first volume of Ultimates #1 ranked fourth among the top 300 comics sold for February 2002, based on Diamond Publisher's indexes, with the next three issues ranked second, second, and third, respectively. (Wiki source) This volume had a number of spinoffs (like two novels and such) and was an inspiration for the movie: “The Avengers”.
Collects Ultimates #1-13, Ultimates 2 #1-13, Ultimates Annual #1, and Ultimates 2 #1 Variant Sketch Edition. There's a partial script, developing artwork, cover artwork and some other pieces in back. I found the follow ups to the first two to be anti-climatic so my grade doesn't apply so much to them.
ARTWORK PRESENTATION: A to A plus; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B plus to A minus;
FOCUSES/THEMES OF TODAY COMPARISONS: B to B plus; ACTION SCENES: A minus to A;
STORY/PLOTTING: B plus to A minus; WHEN READ: September 2012; OVERALL GRADE: A minus.
The tale is one of a “reimaginings” in which the heroes work for the U.S. Government with some notable changes: Thor is either a ridiculed Messiah or insane and the Hulk is considered a menace to the point that the Avengers contain him and even consider executing him. There is no superhero alliance (as already stated above) which means the heroes all work for SHIELD under Nick Fury (who looks almost exactly like Samuel Jackson) and that thus means they're all answering to the President and his staff.
In the first volume the heroes deal with obstacles that only the group can handle and in the second volume the war on terror prompts a mastermind villain the means of creating superheroes from countries that hate America. This leads to a serious assault upon the USA which stands to wipe out the whole lot of The Avengers and enslave America.
Expect strong adult themes in this one, especially spousal abuse, so if that bothers you then you have been warned. There are some definite themes within of the last Superpower imposing its influence on resentful Third World/Developing Countries and the backlash which can result.
Did I say the artwork is absolutely amazing? A big volume helps with the viewing but still you have to check it out. By the way, this was written by Mark Millar and the artwork is by a number of people: Bryan Hitch, Paul Mounts, Andrew Currie and several others.
The first volume of Ultimates #1 ranked fourth among the top 300 comics sold for February 2002, based on Diamond Publisher's indexes, with the next three issues ranked second, second, and third, respectively. (Wiki source) This volume had a number of spinoffs (like two novels and such) and was an inspiration for the movie: “The Avengers”.
Collects Ultimates #1-13, Ultimates 2 #1-13, Ultimates Annual #1, and Ultimates 2 #1 Variant Sketch Edition. There's a partial script, developing artwork, cover artwork and some other pieces in back. I found the follow ups to the first two to be anti-climatic so my grade doesn't apply so much to them.
ARTWORK PRESENTATION: A to A plus; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B plus to A minus;
FOCUSES/THEMES OF TODAY COMPARISONS: B to B plus; ACTION SCENES: A minus to A;
STORY/PLOTTING: B plus to A minus; WHEN READ: September 2012; OVERALL GRADE: A minus.
February 14, 2012
People warned me not to read this, and they were right.
AU version of the Marvel universe of interest only if you like ensembles of assholes. The only really likeable one is Thor, here reconfigured as a Jesus figure sent down by his father Odin to preach against the military industrial complex and bring peace to the earth. Even for superhero comics, that seems like a re-envisioning of Norse mythology which is bizarrely contrary to the original text.
Sordid and depressing.
Oh, and the only two women on the team are a self-hating spoiled rich girl who goes back to her abusive ex-husband, and a traitor.
I only wish I could give this negative stars.
AU version of the Marvel universe of interest only if you like ensembles of assholes. The only really likeable one is Thor, here reconfigured as a Jesus figure sent down by his father Odin to preach against the military industrial complex and bring peace to the earth. Even for superhero comics, that seems like a re-envisioning of Norse mythology which is bizarrely contrary to the original text.
Sordid and depressing.
Oh, and the only two women on the team are a self-hating spoiled rich girl who goes back to her abusive ex-husband, and a traitor.
I only wish I could give this negative stars.
February 26, 2012
I'm giving this omnibus 5 stars for Ultimates 2 alone.
While Ultimates 1 was good superhero storytelling eventually, the character building got a little tedious for me. Seemed like whole issues would go by without anything major happening besides some soap opera relationship twists, and it just didn't do it for me. The early super heroing was a little flat, as well, with stuff I've seen a thousand times, only this time it's the Ultimate universe which I think was supposed to make it feel fresh.
A little over halfway through the first arc, though, it starts picking up, and by the end it's turned into a really tense, blockbuster action comic full of great writing.
But then we get to Ultimates 2. With all the character drama firmly left in place, this arc just barrels forward at full speed. Millar does a fantastic job leaving plot elements unclear without feeling cheap, keeping you on the edge of your seat the entire time. It's great subterfuge stoytelling, and I had no idea who to trust as the walls continually crashed down.
And the finale? Good lord can Bryan Hitch draw. There's so much detail in every panel that I felt like I was reading a movie with perfect mise en scene. I can only hope the Avengers movie is anywhere close to this good.
While Ultimates 1 was good superhero storytelling eventually, the character building got a little tedious for me. Seemed like whole issues would go by without anything major happening besides some soap opera relationship twists, and it just didn't do it for me. The early super heroing was a little flat, as well, with stuff I've seen a thousand times, only this time it's the Ultimate universe which I think was supposed to make it feel fresh.
A little over halfway through the first arc, though, it starts picking up, and by the end it's turned into a really tense, blockbuster action comic full of great writing.
But then we get to Ultimates 2. With all the character drama firmly left in place, this arc just barrels forward at full speed. Millar does a fantastic job leaving plot elements unclear without feeling cheap, keeping you on the edge of your seat the entire time. It's great subterfuge stoytelling, and I had no idea who to trust as the walls continually crashed down.
And the finale? Good lord can Bryan Hitch draw. There's so much detail in every panel that I felt like I was reading a movie with perfect mise en scene. I can only hope the Avengers movie is anywhere close to this good.
January 12, 2026
My seventh book of 2026! This omnibus collects all of Mark Millar’s ultimates and I gotta say I really liked this series. It was a much different take on the Avengers and I really liked Bryan Hitch’s art.
December 11, 2022
Super-Human (#1-6). The first volume of The Ultimates is a slow burn because it's mostly character work. When it was first published it was _amazing_: an innovative and humanistic reboot of the Avengers that depicted them as real people well-integrated into a real world. Now, that type of superhero story is a little more common, so it doesn't feel quite as amazing. Nonetheless, even with a slow start this book gets cracking by the last two issues. The fight with the Hulk (#5) is a big, amazing bash but it's actually the domestic abuse of Hank Pym (#6) that closes out the volume, and appropriately so, because it might be the bigger story [4+/5].
Homeland Security (#7-13). A nice continuation of the hard edge of the new Ultimates, though less character time is offered up because of the big fights. On the other hand, the big fights are the best since Warren Ellis' Authority.
The addition of Hawkeye and Black Widow is terrific, and in fact their issue (#8) may be the best of the set. Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch are entirely pointless in this volume, mainly because they're played as a joke. In fact, the jokes are heavier in this volume, with some of the characters (Captain America, I'm looking at you) in danger of turning into parodies.
Still, a terrific second volume, though like the first it was much more amazing at the time [4+/5].
Gods & Monsters (Ultimates 2 #1-6). The passage of time from Ultimates to Ultimates 2 is obvious, as our real-world America is now deep into its war in the Middle East, started under false pretenses (e.g., lies). If the original Ultimates was a modern take on superheroes, this one is even more so because they're increasingly becoming tools of the state. Beyond that, we get two great stories.
First is the trial of Bruce Banner. Such real-life consequences for a hero are almost unheard of in 616, but very well appreciated here.
Second, we get the fall of Thor, which is really one of the delights of the Ultimates universe. That's because we never exactly know whether he's crazy or being manipulated by a reality-changing Loki, which is delightful!
Oh, and we get the story of the Defenders, which is a little bit of silliness, but not inappropriate for the more realistic Ultimates universe. [5/5].
Grand Theft America (Ultimates 2 #7-13). In his big finale, Millar brings the Ultimates story to a fever pitch, so that the last few issues are pure action, but action that you can't actually turn away from. This sort of big-screen movie action became a big trend in comics in the '00s, but a lot of it started here. Beyond that, the revelation about the traitor is shocking as our some of the repercussions. All around, a strong storyline [4+/5].
Ultimates Annual #1. Good to finally have this Annual back with the rest of the Millar issues where it belongs, especially as it builds on the themes of a super arms race that run through Ultimates 2. Too bad it's still in the wrong place. I'd estimate it should go between issues #6 and #7 of Ultimates 2, rather than at the end of the volume. Not a lot of depth here, but a nice focus on the "Reserves" [4/5/].
Homeland Security (#7-13). A nice continuation of the hard edge of the new Ultimates, though less character time is offered up because of the big fights. On the other hand, the big fights are the best since Warren Ellis' Authority.
The addition of Hawkeye and Black Widow is terrific, and in fact their issue (#8) may be the best of the set. Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch are entirely pointless in this volume, mainly because they're played as a joke. In fact, the jokes are heavier in this volume, with some of the characters (Captain America, I'm looking at you) in danger of turning into parodies.
Still, a terrific second volume, though like the first it was much more amazing at the time [4+/5].
Gods & Monsters (Ultimates 2 #1-6). The passage of time from Ultimates to Ultimates 2 is obvious, as our real-world America is now deep into its war in the Middle East, started under false pretenses (e.g., lies). If the original Ultimates was a modern take on superheroes, this one is even more so because they're increasingly becoming tools of the state. Beyond that, we get two great stories.
First is the trial of Bruce Banner. Such real-life consequences for a hero are almost unheard of in 616, but very well appreciated here.
Second, we get the fall of Thor, which is really one of the delights of the Ultimates universe. That's because we never exactly know whether he's crazy or being manipulated by a reality-changing Loki, which is delightful!
Oh, and we get the story of the Defenders, which is a little bit of silliness, but not inappropriate for the more realistic Ultimates universe. [5/5].
Grand Theft America (Ultimates 2 #7-13). In his big finale, Millar brings the Ultimates story to a fever pitch, so that the last few issues are pure action, but action that you can't actually turn away from. This sort of big-screen movie action became a big trend in comics in the '00s, but a lot of it started here. Beyond that, the revelation about the traitor is shocking as our some of the repercussions. All around, a strong storyline [4+/5].
Ultimates Annual #1. Good to finally have this Annual back with the rest of the Millar issues where it belongs, especially as it builds on the themes of a super arms race that run through Ultimates 2. Too bad it's still in the wrong place. I'd estimate it should go between issues #6 and #7 of Ultimates 2, rather than at the end of the volume. Not a lot of depth here, but a nice focus on the "Reserves" [4/5/].
April 27, 2024
It's got a lot of problems but I think there's a lot more to this book then being "edgy avengers". The art by Bryan Hitch elevates the comics to blockbuster movie level and this one of Millar's "tamer" books so while there are some of his trademark cringe I feel like good character writing and the harsh satire on America is sadly still relevant.
Also Ultimate Thor is pretty awesome.
Also Ultimate Thor is pretty awesome.
July 29, 2021
The Ultimates Omnibus. This book revolves around an alternate universe take on the Avengers. Set in Marvel’s Ultimate universe. Instead of being bogged down by years of continuity the creators here could take a different approach with the characters.
Ultimates is also a darker, grittier, more adult take on the super team. It was also one of the main influences on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially the Samuel L. Jackson take on Nick Fury. A version of the character that is definitely better than the original in my eyes.
Marvel’s Ultimate universe was my main gateway into the world of Marvel comics. From Spider-Man, X-Men and of course this title.
The Ultimates sees the forming of the team, being linked very closely to S.H.I.E.L.D. and the US government. The core team consists of Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Giant Man, Wasp, Black Widow and Hawkeye. The version of Thor being a particular favourite as you are left guessing as to whether he is the Norse God or a madman.
For a Marvel comic this is different to the norm. Especially the first few issues that build up the team. There are lots of conversations and building up the background of each member, in comparison to super people fighting each other. However fights and typical superhero shenanigans do happen and are well worth the wait and build up.
The artwork throughout this whole work is phenomenal. From those character moments I mentioned to epic battle scenes. One in particular near the climax of the story must have inspired some of the final battle scenes in the original Avengers movie.
The only potential downsides for this book, aren’t enough to knock a star off are: the pace in the early part - I can see putting people off that are used to immediate explosive stories; the references that have become dated, set in early 2000’s America some readers may not be familiar with the political and celebrity cameos. Certain characters also clearly used The Matrix wardrobe.
Overall a great, modern take on the Avengers team. Bringing in modern political and social issues. Not for everyone, but those that enjoy the films will definitely enjoy this.
Ultimates is also a darker, grittier, more adult take on the super team. It was also one of the main influences on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially the Samuel L. Jackson take on Nick Fury. A version of the character that is definitely better than the original in my eyes.
Marvel’s Ultimate universe was my main gateway into the world of Marvel comics. From Spider-Man, X-Men and of course this title.
The Ultimates sees the forming of the team, being linked very closely to S.H.I.E.L.D. and the US government. The core team consists of Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Giant Man, Wasp, Black Widow and Hawkeye. The version of Thor being a particular favourite as you are left guessing as to whether he is the Norse God or a madman.
For a Marvel comic this is different to the norm. Especially the first few issues that build up the team. There are lots of conversations and building up the background of each member, in comparison to super people fighting each other. However fights and typical superhero shenanigans do happen and are well worth the wait and build up.
The artwork throughout this whole work is phenomenal. From those character moments I mentioned to epic battle scenes. One in particular near the climax of the story must have inspired some of the final battle scenes in the original Avengers movie.
The only potential downsides for this book, aren’t enough to knock a star off are: the pace in the early part - I can see putting people off that are used to immediate explosive stories; the references that have become dated, set in early 2000’s America some readers may not be familiar with the political and celebrity cameos. Certain characters also clearly used The Matrix wardrobe.
Overall a great, modern take on the Avengers team. Bringing in modern political and social issues. Not for everyone, but those that enjoy the films will definitely enjoy this.
May 27, 2023
(Zero spoiler review)
I probably owe an apology to Mark Millar. Somewhere along my comic reading journey, I read a couple of Mark Millar comics. One of which was Reborn, the other I believe was wanted, although I can't recall exactly. I hated them, Reborn especially. I came onto this site and pilloried the man. I had no idea how someone with such a strong reputation could be so terrible. Well, it's comics, so I kinda understood, but alas. I didn't touch another work from the man for two years or so. But since delving back into the man's body of work, I've pretty much loved everything I've read and The Ultimates is little exception.
Sure, I could pick at a few faults here and there, like the bad guys in both books being very interesting (in the case of the first book), although completely under developed before bursting onto the scene near the end. Or the fact that some very enjoyable character driven storytelling descends into action schlock a few issues out from the finale of both arcs. I can't say I loved how Hank Pym was treated throughout, either. But these are relatively minor gripes when stacked against the weight of a very strong, character driven superhero run. Quite frankly, I'm sure most people disagree, and might enjoy the action shlock more than the steady, narrative focused build up, but I'm built a little different. I also enjoyed the more mature tone of the book, even if the use of current famous names wasn't to my taste. I've often lamented how too many superhero books are aimed at an all ages audience. Yeah, I get it was kids who read these things decades ago, but kids certainly don't anymore. Your main audience is all in their 30's and up. A few more mature and realistic takes would be welcome.
I've never been a massive fan of Brian Hitch's art, despite the man being a huge talent, but here it all comes together. His highly detailed pencils really help to give this book an identity all of its own, even if the digital colouring occasionally spoiled them somewhat. Plus, it was nice to have a singular great artist for an entire run. Something that should be an absolute given, is now all but extinct.
So yeah, I really dug this. And Mark Millar adds another title to the growing list of books of his I'm glad I read and own. Thank god the man gives enough of a shit to still grace the medium with his presence. Quality like this is in desperately short supply these days. But that's by design and not by accident. 4/5
OmniBen.
I probably owe an apology to Mark Millar. Somewhere along my comic reading journey, I read a couple of Mark Millar comics. One of which was Reborn, the other I believe was wanted, although I can't recall exactly. I hated them, Reborn especially. I came onto this site and pilloried the man. I had no idea how someone with such a strong reputation could be so terrible. Well, it's comics, so I kinda understood, but alas. I didn't touch another work from the man for two years or so. But since delving back into the man's body of work, I've pretty much loved everything I've read and The Ultimates is little exception.
Sure, I could pick at a few faults here and there, like the bad guys in both books being very interesting (in the case of the first book), although completely under developed before bursting onto the scene near the end. Or the fact that some very enjoyable character driven storytelling descends into action schlock a few issues out from the finale of both arcs. I can't say I loved how Hank Pym was treated throughout, either. But these are relatively minor gripes when stacked against the weight of a very strong, character driven superhero run. Quite frankly, I'm sure most people disagree, and might enjoy the action shlock more than the steady, narrative focused build up, but I'm built a little different. I also enjoyed the more mature tone of the book, even if the use of current famous names wasn't to my taste. I've often lamented how too many superhero books are aimed at an all ages audience. Yeah, I get it was kids who read these things decades ago, but kids certainly don't anymore. Your main audience is all in their 30's and up. A few more mature and realistic takes would be welcome.
I've never been a massive fan of Brian Hitch's art, despite the man being a huge talent, but here it all comes together. His highly detailed pencils really help to give this book an identity all of its own, even if the digital colouring occasionally spoiled them somewhat. Plus, it was nice to have a singular great artist for an entire run. Something that should be an absolute given, is now all but extinct.
So yeah, I really dug this. And Mark Millar adds another title to the growing list of books of his I'm glad I read and own. Thank god the man gives enough of a shit to still grace the medium with his presence. Quality like this is in desperately short supply these days. But that's by design and not by accident. 4/5
OmniBen.
July 23, 2025
I read this after finishing Ultimate Spider-Man omnibus volume 1 thinking it would be a similarly fun story to read set in the same universe. I ended up stopping halfway and not picking it up in over a year. I picked it up again recently to smash it out and sadly it will be added straight to the sell pile.
There were only a few enjoyable parts to this book and I couldn’t really pinpoint what they were. The issues however are plentiful starting with the fact that it suffers from Mark Millar writing which is trying to be an edgy take on the Marvel Universe. I see what he was going for but it just doesn’t really work with these characters. It could have been done so much better but he basically just turned the characters we know and love into unlikeable assholes (Captain America especially feels so far off). Not to mention the downright cringy outdated dialogue that at times seemed like it was written by a child. The storylines are also kind of all over the place and felt pretty rushed. The art is just ok for the most part but isn’t all that appealing to look at as they go for that darker grittier style to match the tone of the story.
One sort of interesting plot point though is how they handled Thor and made us question his abilities and sanity throughout the book with Loki playing an interesting albeit minor role. And a lot of the MCU avengers took inspiration from this run which is a bit of a plus mainly Nick Fury was the badass we’ve come to adore in the MCU. My favourite part though would probably be the jaw dropping 8 page spread of the huge final battle featuring all the Ultimates (Avengers) which I’ve never seen before in an omnibus. So that was impressive.
But overall it was enough to elevate this book from a pretty lacklustre and forgettable title which I can’t see myself going back to or following up with any further reading (I’ve heard it gets worse especially Ultimatum)
There were only a few enjoyable parts to this book and I couldn’t really pinpoint what they were. The issues however are plentiful starting with the fact that it suffers from Mark Millar writing which is trying to be an edgy take on the Marvel Universe. I see what he was going for but it just doesn’t really work with these characters. It could have been done so much better but he basically just turned the characters we know and love into unlikeable assholes (Captain America especially feels so far off). Not to mention the downright cringy outdated dialogue that at times seemed like it was written by a child. The storylines are also kind of all over the place and felt pretty rushed. The art is just ok for the most part but isn’t all that appealing to look at as they go for that darker grittier style to match the tone of the story.
One sort of interesting plot point though is how they handled Thor and made us question his abilities and sanity throughout the book with Loki playing an interesting albeit minor role. And a lot of the MCU avengers took inspiration from this run which is a bit of a plus mainly Nick Fury was the badass we’ve come to adore in the MCU. My favourite part though would probably be the jaw dropping 8 page spread of the huge final battle featuring all the Ultimates (Avengers) which I’ve never seen before in an omnibus. So that was impressive.
But overall it was enough to elevate this book from a pretty lacklustre and forgettable title which I can’t see myself going back to or following up with any further reading (I’ve heard it gets worse especially Ultimatum)
May 19, 2023
4.25 stars overall.
Ultimates 1 is a story that I felt should have been way bigger than what it ended up being. The threat didn’t seem very substantial, but the action throughout this series was very huge. Millar continues to toe the line with controversy and shock value in his stories and I think I liked this story for the most part, even though I think his portrayal of some characters (Hulk mostly) were a bit off and some dialogue (Natasha) was a bit tough to get through. I did really enjoy Hitch’a art in this story. As a plus, it doesn’t seem like Millar directly insults his readers in this one too! 3.5/5
Ultimates 2 continues in a manner similar to Ultimates 1 in a lot of ways. Most obviously, this team that has come together is working on taking down a now former member of the team. There’s still a good amount of relationship drama and humanity to these characters, which I enjoy and the mysteries behind Thor/Loki and the individual sharing secrets kept me intrigued. By the second half of the Ultimates 2, I really get a sense of what Millar wanted to do with these characters and this team and when you take into account that he’s telling a story and not trying to build a universe, I think this story unfolds very well. I really enjoyed this second Ultimates series of his. The Annual that Millar wrote and is included in this omnibus could totally be skipped over, as well.
Ultimates 1 is a story that I felt should have been way bigger than what it ended up being. The threat didn’t seem very substantial, but the action throughout this series was very huge. Millar continues to toe the line with controversy and shock value in his stories and I think I liked this story for the most part, even though I think his portrayal of some characters (Hulk mostly) were a bit off and some dialogue (Natasha) was a bit tough to get through. I did really enjoy Hitch’a art in this story. As a plus, it doesn’t seem like Millar directly insults his readers in this one too! 3.5/5
Ultimates 2 continues in a manner similar to Ultimates 1 in a lot of ways. Most obviously, this team that has come together is working on taking down a now former member of the team. There’s still a good amount of relationship drama and humanity to these characters, which I enjoy and the mysteries behind Thor/Loki and the individual sharing secrets kept me intrigued. By the second half of the Ultimates 2, I really get a sense of what Millar wanted to do with these characters and this team and when you take into account that he’s telling a story and not trying to build a universe, I think this story unfolds very well. I really enjoyed this second Ultimates series of his. The Annual that Millar wrote and is included in this omnibus could totally be skipped over, as well.
August 20, 2021
The Ultimate line of Marvel comics was launched in the very early 2000s, in an attempt to grab new readers. The Ultimate line was a new jumping-on point, a new universe where familiar characters could be tweaked and played with in different ways as opposed to the mainline books where the status quo was always around the corner. The Ultimate line also completely gripped a younger Adam. The Ultimate universe was my universe. I was the target demographic, and I ate it up. I much preferred Ultimate Spider-Man, the Ultimate X-Men, and the Ultimates over the Avengers. I also felt somewhat vindicated when the MCU launched with Iron Man, and shades of the Ultimate characters were present in the screen versions.
Nostalgia is a powerful thing, however, and questions have to be asked. Does the Ultimates still hold up? Are my memories more powerful than the narrative? Which versions of the characters do I prefer? Is this cynicism, patriotism, grittiness, or parody? When I first read the Ultimates and the Ultimates 2, both 13 issues run collected in this massive omnibus, I was probably around 15. Now I’m 30. I’ve doubled in age, and I see the world much differently than I did at the time. Do the Ultimates still stand up?
The Ultimates Omnibus collects The Ultimates 1-13, The Ultimates 2 Annual 1, and The Ultimates 2 1-13. Somewhere on the internet, I’m sure While I respect that the two main series were collected in order, I wish the Ultimates 2 Annual was placed chronologically in between issues 6 and 7 of the Ultimates 2 run. Shunting it off to the end doesn’t make a lot of sense narratively. Other than that formatting issue the collection is great. Again, with comics, I’m not overly qualified to be judging art, but the art is fantastic throughout. Sometimes some faces from a distance aren’t as crisp as I’d like them to be, but the big bold colors of superheroes really shine throughout the entire reading experience. The Annual has a different artist than the other 26 issues, which can be slightly jarring, but is just as capable as the rest of the omnibus.
The first half of the Ultimates introduces us to (thanks to the Loki Disney+ terminology) variants of Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Bruce Banner/Hulk, Hank Pym/Giant-Man, Janet Pym/the Wasp, and Nick Fury. It’s a paint-by-numbers getting the team together series, that has some seriously dark plotlines. The interpersonal drama is off the charts, and honestly, a casual MCU fan picking this up due to high praise with the knowledge that the Ultimate universe inspired the MCU, would be almost immediately turned off without the proper context.
The second half of the Ultimates introduces variants of Hawkeye and Black Widow, which leads to an alien invasion. Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch make what amounts to a cameo appearance. There’s not much to say about this except that it’s a thrilling, but basic, good guys vs bad guys plot. The 2012 Avengers movie and plot owe a lot to this series.
The first half of the Ultimates 2 confronts the Ultimates with the sins they committed in the first series. The first six issues deconstruct the team as it was left at the end of the first Ultimates run. Internal lies and cover-ups come apart, Whaley foundations crumble, and seeds lie for an eventual external menace. The darkness and interpersonal conflict present in the first half of the first volume continue here.
As an interstitial, the Annual occurs between the first half and second half of the Ultimates 2. The Annual is not essential reading for the entire narrative but sheds light on this variant of Nick Fury. We’ll get into it later, but this Nick Fury may have been the inspiration for the MCU Nick Fury, but beyond looking like Samual L Jackson in the comic, the comparisons stop there. Ultimate Nick Fury is a very very dangerous man, especially when viewed from a 2021 lens.
Everything culminates in the second half of the Ultimates 2. Much like the first run, the back half culminates in a huge spectacle. It becomes clear that both Ultimates runs are a single story, despite having distinct arcs. It’s very much how Infinity War and Endgame are both separate but linked together inexorably. Prevalent mysteries are revealed, loyalties are tested, and faith is affirmed.
The bones of the Ultimates and Ultimates 2 are paint-by-numbers. Interpersonal difficulties must be overcome to fight an external threat, times 2. What makes this a great read are the different takes on characters. I’m going to do a breakdown of the heroes, and how they are portrayed, and how they are different than their MCU counterparts, so strap in.
First up is Captain America. The primary difference between Ultimate Cap and MCU Cap is that Ultimate Cap does have some family when he undergoes the super-soldier serum process, as opposed to being an orphan in the MCU. Otherwise, Ultimate Cap is active in the war from 1942 until 1945 and is a visible known entity to all the Allies and all the Axis. While disarming a missile headed for Washington DC Ultimate Cap is frozen in the Arctic. The origins of MCU Cap and Ultimate Cap are similar enough. All the beats are there. The Ultimates use something other than HYDRA to give a power bump to the Nazis but it’s close enough in narrative structure. The biggest difference between Ultimate Cap and MCU Cap is in personality. MCU Cap is what I would consider being the Spirit of America. A figure who represents the best of what the USA is and what the USA should be. Basically, MCU Cap, in my opinion, would seem things such as the House Un-American Activities Committee and the entire Presidency of Richard Nixon as abhorrent, and probably would have given up the Shield multiple times from the 40s to now. Ultimate Cap is the embodiment of America as is. Ultimate Cap never really questions orders or the rightness of those orders. Ultimate Cap is generally ok with interventionism and American imperialism. He retains an old fashion 1940s mentality, which involves assaulting people he doesn’t agree with, and generally maintains a jingoist frame of mind. Ultimate Captain America as he is represented in both Ultimate volumes in this omnibus is probably the starkest contrast between the Ultimate and MCU character. I would argue that Ultimate Captain America highlights what makes the MCU Captain America such a great character, especially in the context of the Falcon and Winter Soldier miniseries.
MCU Iron Man built his armor IN A CAVE!!!!! WITH A BOX OF SCRAPS!!!!! While simultaneously realizing that being a weapons manufacturer leads to a lot of people being killed with things that have the Stark name on them. Ultimate Iron Man discovers he has a brain tumor, and anywhere between 6 months and 5 years to live, and decides to use his billions to make some kick-ass armor and do some good. The MCU Iron Man quickly cuts back on drinking and womanizing after his turn halfway through the first Iron Man film. On a scale of 1 to 10, Ultimate Iron Man takes the drinking and womanizing up to 11. Ultimate Iron Man is unrepentant in his social vices. There are shades of Ultimate Iron Man in the MCU Iron Man, but Ultimate Iron Man is content being rich, being Iron Man, drinking, and womanizing which means that he doesn’t make huge mistakes like creating Ultron, signing the Sokovia Accords, or conscripting a child soldier in Spider-Man that results in the MCU Iron Man continually atoning for his actions. The MCU shifted to focus on Iron Man in a way that any comics ever had, so it may be surprising that Ultimate Iron Man is never really the focus of the narrative like he is in the MCU.
I love MCU Thor (I’m such a Dark World apologist and defender). I also love Ultimate Thor. The Thor character may be the most dissonant between incarnations, which is what makes him so compelling. MCU Thor is the Odinson, sent to Earth to learn humility because he is essentially a 1500-year-old arrogant frat bro. Then he learns humility, his whole family dies, he questions if he is still worthy, and he is. Ultimate Thor may be a deranged lunatic who stole some European Super-Soldier tech and now wields it with impunity. Ultimate Thor claims to be the Odinson, sent to Earth to save humanity from itself, and that he can wield powers because of his divine birthright. This conflict with the entire Ultimate Universe at large, as the predominant methods of attaining superpowers, is through technology (Iron Man, various other minor heroes), the super-soldier serum, and attempts to recreate it (Captain America, Hulk, Hank, and Janet Pym), accidents of a scientific nature (Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four, who exist in the Ultimate Universe, and have fleeting cameos in this omnibus) and mutants. The primary connective chain of powers in the Ultimate universe is that while not everyone may understand how they got their powers, there is an explanation. Ultimate Thor is the exception. Ultimate Thor is not a mutant. Some evidence is offered that Ultimate Thor gets his powers from technology, but there is equal evidence to suggest that that is not the case. Ultimate Thor is not associated with the super-soldier serum. Ultimate Thor is an enigma, and his status is one of the prevalent mysteries of both volumes. Personally, I wish there was a bit more mystery behind MCU Thor that was comparable to the Ultimate Thor because he might be my favorite of the Ultimates. That being said, Ultimate Thor’s look did bleed into MCU Thor’s look, especially in Avengers: Infinity War and Ultimate Mjolnir have the same form (sans Groot arm handle) as Stormbreaker.
The origins of Ultimate and MCU Hulk are similar. Attempts to recreate the super-soldier serum coupled with some accidental gamma radiation result in the Hulk. The MCU Hulk is fueled by stress and rage. The Ultimate Hulk is an expression of Bruce Banner’s id. When Ultimate Hulk goes on a rampage, the Hulk cannibalizes the dead, expresses sexual desire, contempt at his weak Banner alter ego, among other characteristics. The MCU Bruce Banner benefits from having a supportive group of friends around him. Ultimate Bruce is belittled by his on-again/off-again partner, the other scientists he works with, while simultaneously stressing over his inability to replicate the super-soldier serum, and the walking embodiment of his failure in the recovered Ultimate Captain America. It sucks to be Ultimate Bruce Banner. Ultimate Bruce is continually trying to cure himself of his Hulkness, but inevitably it fails, or something happens that requires the Hulk to make an appearance, resulting in more self-loathing. To compound on that, Ultimate Bruce Banner is locked away without trial or judgment from his peers in a perpetual life sentence at the order of Nick Fury, only seeing freedom when Plans A B and C fail, requiring Plan Hulk. The Ultimate Hulk is a supremely tragic character that has all his freedoms and options stripped from him, as opposed to the MCU Hulk, who essentially chooses to remove himself from the equation after Avengers: Age of Ultron, and later is offscreen remedied by the introduction of Professor Hulk in Avengers: Endgame. The sad truth of Ultimate Hulk is that this may be the most realistic situation in the Ultimates. In the real world a person with a Hulk problem would be captured, freedoms stripped and used at the discretion of the government without regard for the individual. I think I prefer the MCU Hulk just because it’s not anywhere close to the darkness inherent in Ultimate Hulk.
I’ve avoided comparing Ultimate characters to their 616 comic counterparts, but in the case of Hank Pym, it is a necessity. In the 616 comics Hank Pym, or Giant-Man, or Ant-Man, or Yellowjacket is all over the place from the 1960s. His most (in)famous moment, however, is when he strikes his wife, Janet, on the panel. This may be his defining character moment across 60 years of comic books. What is often overlooked is that he was mentally compromised at the time of the assault, which brings into the conversation of intent, outcome, and ownership of that action. Suffice to say, that conversation is a bit beyond this exceedingly overindulgent review/essay. The MCU Hank Pym wisely does not ever have him attack his wife under any circumstances. Otherwise, MCU Hank Pym is an older curmudgeon who has the tiniest bit of inferiority complex when dealing with Howard Stark. He is a fun mentor figure to Scott Lang and his daughter, Hope. Now. Into the weeds of Ultimate Hank Pym. He is such a piece of shit. He uses Janet (more on her in the next paragraph) to have a scientific breakthrough but doesn’t give her credit for her contributions. He suffers from a massive inferiority complex and often physically abused Janet. While 616 Hank, mentally compromised, struck Janet once, this is repeated physical abuse in the Ultimate universe, culminating in Ultimate Hank spraying a wasp-sized Janet with insecticide, and then using his ant-controlling helmet to send Ants to attack her. On the piece of shit slider, MCU Hank is a 1, 616 Hank is like a 3 or 4, Ultimate Hank breaks the scale. He’s a lying, abusing pathetic man. Hank Lyn is the reason that this entire essay exists in reality, as without putting pen to paper regarding the context, I could not recommend this book to someone only familiar with the MCU, as it’s such a stark contrast to what we see on screen.
Janet Pym or Janet van Dyne depending on the source (sometimes she changes her name and sometimes she doesn’t) is sadly underutilized in the Ultimates Omnibus. She is a victim that starts with an abuser, and then very quickly trades a physical abuser for someone with massive emotional issues. Janet van Dyne in the MCU has only been with us for a movie at this point, having spent time in the quantum realm chilling for 30 or so years. It’s obvious that Marvel was aware of the complicated history of Hank and Janet, and wisely decided to ignore a lot of it, and put the focus on Scott Lang. The Ultimate Wasp has a dark secret of her own, in that she is a mutant. The Ultimate Universe and mutants have a very complicated history, mainly due to Magneto trying to cause the extinction of humanity, since mutants are the next link on the evolutionary chain. Janet’s fear of being found out places her in a vulnerable position, which Hank exploits. Janet’s power is to shrink to the size of a wasp, which Hank, using her mutant biology, reverse engineers to create a serum that allows people to grow and shrink. I hate the way Janet is used through both runs of the Ultimates. She’s a great character and the character that is the most focused on the hero part of being a superhero. I wouldn’t mind a bit of grit in her backstory, the fear of her mutant heritage would have been enough, without multiple spousal beatings.
Hawkeye is such a conundrum. In the MCU this Legolas knock-off is one of Earth’s Mightiest heroes? I understand the intention to have Hawkeye be the human foil to a team of gods. Honestly though, what’s this guy doing anywhere except on top of a bell tower? Ultimate Hawkeye is pretty much the same as MCU Hawkeye. He is slightly enhanced, used to do black ops, but is moved to the public A-Team, and is an arrow man. The biggest difference, besides his hair choice, is that the Ultimates know about his family, while the MCU Hawkeye keeps his family a secret. Well… MCU Hawkeye has a point because the Ultimate Hawkeye family is pretty much sentenced to the fridge. It’s a cruel casual act that serves only to make the male character suffer at the expense of others. And that is the Ultimate Hawkeye narrative. Not exciting, boarding on problematic.
What is there to say about Black Widow. Her MCU arc is characterized by her attempts for atonement. A former Red Army super-assassin spy from the enigmatic Red Room, she eventually gets out and joins in with SHIELD to balance out her ledger. Ultimate Black Widow is a super spy that does black ops with Hawkeye for SHIELD but abandoned the USSR/Russian Federation. In the first run, she shares a quick moment with Iron Man. In Ultimates 2 they get engaged and suddenly things get messy. Ultimate Black Widow is just not that interesting. Not enough time is spent with her in the first volume, meaning we are less invested in her contributions in the second. Her treatment is not as egregious as Janet's, but there was more they could have done with her, especially with how divergent Ultimate Black Widow is compared to MCU Black Widow. Arguably, this is a bit of an unfair comparison, as Black Widow wasn’t as much in the fandom zeitgeist when the Ultimates was written as she is now due to her appearances in the MCU, but that’s no excuse to ignore good characterization.
Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch where to begin? These two probably require a bit of 616 explanation. 616 Marvel Quicksilver and Scarlet With were the mutant children of Magneto (except that’s changed a bit). Quicksilver was always arrogant and a speed demon. Scarlet Witch had the power to alter probability and was also a witch on top of that. Pause. Let’s shift tracks to the MCU. The MCU wasn’t allowed to use mutants due to a now rectified rights issue. Since the typically mutant Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch were equally associated with the Avengers, they could debut, but they couldn’t be mutants. So, they because enhanced in a manner that gave them their 616 powers (and in WandaVision it’s revealed that Scarlet Witch also has witch powers on top of her probability powers). Because of marketing, in the 616 Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch we’re retconned into not being the genetic children of Magneto, and somehow getting their powers a different way. Why? You ask, does any of this confounding marvelous text matter? Well, when the Ultimates was written Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch were certified mutants in the 616, which was transferred over to the Ultimate Universe. At this point in time, 2021, most current fiction has Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch being non-mutants, while this story presents them as mutants.
And unfortunately, I went way overboard. The full review/essay can be viewed here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Q...
Nostalgia is a powerful thing, however, and questions have to be asked. Does the Ultimates still hold up? Are my memories more powerful than the narrative? Which versions of the characters do I prefer? Is this cynicism, patriotism, grittiness, or parody? When I first read the Ultimates and the Ultimates 2, both 13 issues run collected in this massive omnibus, I was probably around 15. Now I’m 30. I’ve doubled in age, and I see the world much differently than I did at the time. Do the Ultimates still stand up?
The Ultimates Omnibus collects The Ultimates 1-13, The Ultimates 2 Annual 1, and The Ultimates 2 1-13. Somewhere on the internet, I’m sure While I respect that the two main series were collected in order, I wish the Ultimates 2 Annual was placed chronologically in between issues 6 and 7 of the Ultimates 2 run. Shunting it off to the end doesn’t make a lot of sense narratively. Other than that formatting issue the collection is great. Again, with comics, I’m not overly qualified to be judging art, but the art is fantastic throughout. Sometimes some faces from a distance aren’t as crisp as I’d like them to be, but the big bold colors of superheroes really shine throughout the entire reading experience. The Annual has a different artist than the other 26 issues, which can be slightly jarring, but is just as capable as the rest of the omnibus.
The first half of the Ultimates introduces us to (thanks to the Loki Disney+ terminology) variants of Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Bruce Banner/Hulk, Hank Pym/Giant-Man, Janet Pym/the Wasp, and Nick Fury. It’s a paint-by-numbers getting the team together series, that has some seriously dark plotlines. The interpersonal drama is off the charts, and honestly, a casual MCU fan picking this up due to high praise with the knowledge that the Ultimate universe inspired the MCU, would be almost immediately turned off without the proper context.
The second half of the Ultimates introduces variants of Hawkeye and Black Widow, which leads to an alien invasion. Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch make what amounts to a cameo appearance. There’s not much to say about this except that it’s a thrilling, but basic, good guys vs bad guys plot. The 2012 Avengers movie and plot owe a lot to this series.
The first half of the Ultimates 2 confronts the Ultimates with the sins they committed in the first series. The first six issues deconstruct the team as it was left at the end of the first Ultimates run. Internal lies and cover-ups come apart, Whaley foundations crumble, and seeds lie for an eventual external menace. The darkness and interpersonal conflict present in the first half of the first volume continue here.
As an interstitial, the Annual occurs between the first half and second half of the Ultimates 2. The Annual is not essential reading for the entire narrative but sheds light on this variant of Nick Fury. We’ll get into it later, but this Nick Fury may have been the inspiration for the MCU Nick Fury, but beyond looking like Samual L Jackson in the comic, the comparisons stop there. Ultimate Nick Fury is a very very dangerous man, especially when viewed from a 2021 lens.
Everything culminates in the second half of the Ultimates 2. Much like the first run, the back half culminates in a huge spectacle. It becomes clear that both Ultimates runs are a single story, despite having distinct arcs. It’s very much how Infinity War and Endgame are both separate but linked together inexorably. Prevalent mysteries are revealed, loyalties are tested, and faith is affirmed.
The bones of the Ultimates and Ultimates 2 are paint-by-numbers. Interpersonal difficulties must be overcome to fight an external threat, times 2. What makes this a great read are the different takes on characters. I’m going to do a breakdown of the heroes, and how they are portrayed, and how they are different than their MCU counterparts, so strap in.
First up is Captain America. The primary difference between Ultimate Cap and MCU Cap is that Ultimate Cap does have some family when he undergoes the super-soldier serum process, as opposed to being an orphan in the MCU. Otherwise, Ultimate Cap is active in the war from 1942 until 1945 and is a visible known entity to all the Allies and all the Axis. While disarming a missile headed for Washington DC Ultimate Cap is frozen in the Arctic. The origins of MCU Cap and Ultimate Cap are similar enough. All the beats are there. The Ultimates use something other than HYDRA to give a power bump to the Nazis but it’s close enough in narrative structure. The biggest difference between Ultimate Cap and MCU Cap is in personality. MCU Cap is what I would consider being the Spirit of America. A figure who represents the best of what the USA is and what the USA should be. Basically, MCU Cap, in my opinion, would seem things such as the House Un-American Activities Committee and the entire Presidency of Richard Nixon as abhorrent, and probably would have given up the Shield multiple times from the 40s to now. Ultimate Cap is the embodiment of America as is. Ultimate Cap never really questions orders or the rightness of those orders. Ultimate Cap is generally ok with interventionism and American imperialism. He retains an old fashion 1940s mentality, which involves assaulting people he doesn’t agree with, and generally maintains a jingoist frame of mind. Ultimate Captain America as he is represented in both Ultimate volumes in this omnibus is probably the starkest contrast between the Ultimate and MCU character. I would argue that Ultimate Captain America highlights what makes the MCU Captain America such a great character, especially in the context of the Falcon and Winter Soldier miniseries.
MCU Iron Man built his armor IN A CAVE!!!!! WITH A BOX OF SCRAPS!!!!! While simultaneously realizing that being a weapons manufacturer leads to a lot of people being killed with things that have the Stark name on them. Ultimate Iron Man discovers he has a brain tumor, and anywhere between 6 months and 5 years to live, and decides to use his billions to make some kick-ass armor and do some good. The MCU Iron Man quickly cuts back on drinking and womanizing after his turn halfway through the first Iron Man film. On a scale of 1 to 10, Ultimate Iron Man takes the drinking and womanizing up to 11. Ultimate Iron Man is unrepentant in his social vices. There are shades of Ultimate Iron Man in the MCU Iron Man, but Ultimate Iron Man is content being rich, being Iron Man, drinking, and womanizing which means that he doesn’t make huge mistakes like creating Ultron, signing the Sokovia Accords, or conscripting a child soldier in Spider-Man that results in the MCU Iron Man continually atoning for his actions. The MCU shifted to focus on Iron Man in a way that any comics ever had, so it may be surprising that Ultimate Iron Man is never really the focus of the narrative like he is in the MCU.
I love MCU Thor (I’m such a Dark World apologist and defender). I also love Ultimate Thor. The Thor character may be the most dissonant between incarnations, which is what makes him so compelling. MCU Thor is the Odinson, sent to Earth to learn humility because he is essentially a 1500-year-old arrogant frat bro. Then he learns humility, his whole family dies, he questions if he is still worthy, and he is. Ultimate Thor may be a deranged lunatic who stole some European Super-Soldier tech and now wields it with impunity. Ultimate Thor claims to be the Odinson, sent to Earth to save humanity from itself, and that he can wield powers because of his divine birthright. This conflict with the entire Ultimate Universe at large, as the predominant methods of attaining superpowers, is through technology (Iron Man, various other minor heroes), the super-soldier serum, and attempts to recreate it (Captain America, Hulk, Hank, and Janet Pym), accidents of a scientific nature (Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four, who exist in the Ultimate Universe, and have fleeting cameos in this omnibus) and mutants. The primary connective chain of powers in the Ultimate universe is that while not everyone may understand how they got their powers, there is an explanation. Ultimate Thor is the exception. Ultimate Thor is not a mutant. Some evidence is offered that Ultimate Thor gets his powers from technology, but there is equal evidence to suggest that that is not the case. Ultimate Thor is not associated with the super-soldier serum. Ultimate Thor is an enigma, and his status is one of the prevalent mysteries of both volumes. Personally, I wish there was a bit more mystery behind MCU Thor that was comparable to the Ultimate Thor because he might be my favorite of the Ultimates. That being said, Ultimate Thor’s look did bleed into MCU Thor’s look, especially in Avengers: Infinity War and Ultimate Mjolnir have the same form (sans Groot arm handle) as Stormbreaker.
The origins of Ultimate and MCU Hulk are similar. Attempts to recreate the super-soldier serum coupled with some accidental gamma radiation result in the Hulk. The MCU Hulk is fueled by stress and rage. The Ultimate Hulk is an expression of Bruce Banner’s id. When Ultimate Hulk goes on a rampage, the Hulk cannibalizes the dead, expresses sexual desire, contempt at his weak Banner alter ego, among other characteristics. The MCU Bruce Banner benefits from having a supportive group of friends around him. Ultimate Bruce is belittled by his on-again/off-again partner, the other scientists he works with, while simultaneously stressing over his inability to replicate the super-soldier serum, and the walking embodiment of his failure in the recovered Ultimate Captain America. It sucks to be Ultimate Bruce Banner. Ultimate Bruce is continually trying to cure himself of his Hulkness, but inevitably it fails, or something happens that requires the Hulk to make an appearance, resulting in more self-loathing. To compound on that, Ultimate Bruce Banner is locked away without trial or judgment from his peers in a perpetual life sentence at the order of Nick Fury, only seeing freedom when Plans A B and C fail, requiring Plan Hulk. The Ultimate Hulk is a supremely tragic character that has all his freedoms and options stripped from him, as opposed to the MCU Hulk, who essentially chooses to remove himself from the equation after Avengers: Age of Ultron, and later is offscreen remedied by the introduction of Professor Hulk in Avengers: Endgame. The sad truth of Ultimate Hulk is that this may be the most realistic situation in the Ultimates. In the real world a person with a Hulk problem would be captured, freedoms stripped and used at the discretion of the government without regard for the individual. I think I prefer the MCU Hulk just because it’s not anywhere close to the darkness inherent in Ultimate Hulk.
I’ve avoided comparing Ultimate characters to their 616 comic counterparts, but in the case of Hank Pym, it is a necessity. In the 616 comics Hank Pym, or Giant-Man, or Ant-Man, or Yellowjacket is all over the place from the 1960s. His most (in)famous moment, however, is when he strikes his wife, Janet, on the panel. This may be his defining character moment across 60 years of comic books. What is often overlooked is that he was mentally compromised at the time of the assault, which brings into the conversation of intent, outcome, and ownership of that action. Suffice to say, that conversation is a bit beyond this exceedingly overindulgent review/essay. The MCU Hank Pym wisely does not ever have him attack his wife under any circumstances. Otherwise, MCU Hank Pym is an older curmudgeon who has the tiniest bit of inferiority complex when dealing with Howard Stark. He is a fun mentor figure to Scott Lang and his daughter, Hope. Now. Into the weeds of Ultimate Hank Pym. He is such a piece of shit. He uses Janet (more on her in the next paragraph) to have a scientific breakthrough but doesn’t give her credit for her contributions. He suffers from a massive inferiority complex and often physically abused Janet. While 616 Hank, mentally compromised, struck Janet once, this is repeated physical abuse in the Ultimate universe, culminating in Ultimate Hank spraying a wasp-sized Janet with insecticide, and then using his ant-controlling helmet to send Ants to attack her. On the piece of shit slider, MCU Hank is a 1, 616 Hank is like a 3 or 4, Ultimate Hank breaks the scale. He’s a lying, abusing pathetic man. Hank Lyn is the reason that this entire essay exists in reality, as without putting pen to paper regarding the context, I could not recommend this book to someone only familiar with the MCU, as it’s such a stark contrast to what we see on screen.
Janet Pym or Janet van Dyne depending on the source (sometimes she changes her name and sometimes she doesn’t) is sadly underutilized in the Ultimates Omnibus. She is a victim that starts with an abuser, and then very quickly trades a physical abuser for someone with massive emotional issues. Janet van Dyne in the MCU has only been with us for a movie at this point, having spent time in the quantum realm chilling for 30 or so years. It’s obvious that Marvel was aware of the complicated history of Hank and Janet, and wisely decided to ignore a lot of it, and put the focus on Scott Lang. The Ultimate Wasp has a dark secret of her own, in that she is a mutant. The Ultimate Universe and mutants have a very complicated history, mainly due to Magneto trying to cause the extinction of humanity, since mutants are the next link on the evolutionary chain. Janet’s fear of being found out places her in a vulnerable position, which Hank exploits. Janet’s power is to shrink to the size of a wasp, which Hank, using her mutant biology, reverse engineers to create a serum that allows people to grow and shrink. I hate the way Janet is used through both runs of the Ultimates. She’s a great character and the character that is the most focused on the hero part of being a superhero. I wouldn’t mind a bit of grit in her backstory, the fear of her mutant heritage would have been enough, without multiple spousal beatings.
Hawkeye is such a conundrum. In the MCU this Legolas knock-off is one of Earth’s Mightiest heroes? I understand the intention to have Hawkeye be the human foil to a team of gods. Honestly though, what’s this guy doing anywhere except on top of a bell tower? Ultimate Hawkeye is pretty much the same as MCU Hawkeye. He is slightly enhanced, used to do black ops, but is moved to the public A-Team, and is an arrow man. The biggest difference, besides his hair choice, is that the Ultimates know about his family, while the MCU Hawkeye keeps his family a secret. Well… MCU Hawkeye has a point because the Ultimate Hawkeye family is pretty much sentenced to the fridge. It’s a cruel casual act that serves only to make the male character suffer at the expense of others. And that is the Ultimate Hawkeye narrative. Not exciting, boarding on problematic.
What is there to say about Black Widow. Her MCU arc is characterized by her attempts for atonement. A former Red Army super-assassin spy from the enigmatic Red Room, she eventually gets out and joins in with SHIELD to balance out her ledger. Ultimate Black Widow is a super spy that does black ops with Hawkeye for SHIELD but abandoned the USSR/Russian Federation. In the first run, she shares a quick moment with Iron Man. In Ultimates 2 they get engaged and suddenly things get messy. Ultimate Black Widow is just not that interesting. Not enough time is spent with her in the first volume, meaning we are less invested in her contributions in the second. Her treatment is not as egregious as Janet's, but there was more they could have done with her, especially with how divergent Ultimate Black Widow is compared to MCU Black Widow. Arguably, this is a bit of an unfair comparison, as Black Widow wasn’t as much in the fandom zeitgeist when the Ultimates was written as she is now due to her appearances in the MCU, but that’s no excuse to ignore good characterization.
Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch where to begin? These two probably require a bit of 616 explanation. 616 Marvel Quicksilver and Scarlet With were the mutant children of Magneto (except that’s changed a bit). Quicksilver was always arrogant and a speed demon. Scarlet Witch had the power to alter probability and was also a witch on top of that. Pause. Let’s shift tracks to the MCU. The MCU wasn’t allowed to use mutants due to a now rectified rights issue. Since the typically mutant Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch were equally associated with the Avengers, they could debut, but they couldn’t be mutants. So, they because enhanced in a manner that gave them their 616 powers (and in WandaVision it’s revealed that Scarlet Witch also has witch powers on top of her probability powers). Because of marketing, in the 616 Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch we’re retconned into not being the genetic children of Magneto, and somehow getting their powers a different way. Why? You ask, does any of this confounding marvelous text matter? Well, when the Ultimates was written Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch were certified mutants in the 616, which was transferred over to the Ultimate Universe. At this point in time, 2021, most current fiction has Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch being non-mutants, while this story presents them as mutants.
And unfortunately, I went way overboard. The full review/essay can be viewed here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Q...
Read
August 13, 2022This is terrible, one of worst comics I’ve ever read in my life. 0/5 stars, 0/10, an absolute F grade. A waste of time all around.
Where to start? Ok, so in the year 2000 Marvel saw fit to create a new universe to reboot, reimagine and update their characters. To start this, they started with their popular and profitable character, Spider-Man, and so began Brian Michael Bendis’s Ultimate Spider-Man, which I’ve read most of, and can say it’s solid. While not perfect, it delivers what the Ultimate Universe set out to accomplish and more, by reimagining Peter’s origin and a lot of his most iconic stories while still being fun and entertaining, and respecting the original character. The next choice was of course Ultimate X-Men, which I haven’t read and I don’t know if I have the patience for, as it’s quite long. After that came The Avengers, which in this universe is called The Ultimates.
To discuss The Ultimates is to discuss it’s writer, Mark Millar, because this story is first and foremost a Mark Millar creation. Millar was a pretty successful and popular writer at that time, and would go one to write many more well received comics both at Marvel and beyond. On some level I can see him being a decent choice. You take a popular writer and give them their own world to play in and surely the results would be good. The fact that this story is in its own universe and has little continuity to try and adhere to is critical, because it makes so many of his decisions baffling. All Millar had to do was update, reboot, and reimagine The Avengers, ideally while respecting the originals. Instead he gave us this.
The Ultimates is the most surface-level, shallow, mean-spirited take on superheroes I have ever read. Some people say these characters are realistic, I disagree. Real people have depth, real people are complex, these characters are neither. Millar takes a few elements of the original’s characteristics and twists it into something disgusting and edgy while saying nothing of substance and ultimately serving no purpose beyond “superheroes bad”.
Hank Pym beats his wife Janet and almost kills her. The story has nothing to say about domestic violence, nothing to say about toxic relationships, nothing to say about the experiences of either perpetrators or victims. In the 616 (the main Marvel universe) Hank hit Janet in what was at best a weird moment by a weird writer and at worst domestic violence and blatant sexism. The difference is that over the decades many, many writers have had to either try and save Hank as a character, or turn it into fuel for his personality disorders. When Millar chose to use Hank and Janet as characters he didn’t have to include this. He could’ve just gave us Hank and Janet and maybe improved their relationship, but he chose to do this, and by choosing this he opened himself up to this criticism.
It would be different if he chose to include more controversial elements in order to say something of value. I would also be okay with changing the characters and making them bad people if he had something intelligent to say, but he just doesn’t.
Tony Stark is nothing more than an alcoholic, womanizer who constantly has something “witty” to say. It’s never witty, never clever, never funny. In the 616 Tony very famously went through the Demon in A Bottle storyline which dealt with his alcoholism, so of course Millar has to include it here but with none of the substance, none of the heart. He’s not interested in exploring Tony’s addiction, he’s only interested in having him mention martinis and Vodka Cran every other sentence. Tony’s womanizing is also mentioned every other page, because of course 616 Tony sleeps around a lot. It gets so insulting that at the end of the story, after marrying and being betrayed by Black Widow, Tony tears up thinking about how she broke his heart. Then seconds later he sees a random blonde woman and starts to chase her. He even says “Never doubt the healing powers of a blonde”. He learned nothing. He has no character, he’s just hollow.
Captain America is just a hyper-violent soldier. Gone are his ideals, his loyalty to the dream. Gone are his actual core values. In the 616 Cap works both for and alongside the US government when he wants to, but whenever his values are in question he doesn’t play along. He’s not just a tool of the government and most of the time doesn’t even like whatever politician is calling the shots. Millar also has nothing to say about the Man Out of Time aspect of Cap’s character. Cap isn’t just an old grandpa who can’t get with the times, he’s a human being who grows and learns to love the world he’s in, even if he’ll never forget his old one. In here he just spends his time either fighting or complaining to Janet about how he doesn’t like how women dress these days, or the movies. It’s just soulless.
Some people also say this is a deconstruction of The Avengers, and honestly, this is true. In a technical sense, sure, this is a deconstruction, but it’s still so basic one, This is so far from good deconstructionist comics like Watchmen they don’t even feel like the same sub-genre. Can you imagine if either Millar or another writer attempted to do something on Watchmen’s level? It would be game-changing. This has none of the profound, thoughtful moments or writing that Watchmen had.
Janet is a mutant here, which is different from the 616 and on its own it’s not the worst thing to do to her character. Either way she has the power to shrink. What’s more damaging is the domestic violence I mentioned earlier, and how Janet doesn’t have much of a character at all. Throughout the story she goes back and forth between Hank and Cap and nothing substantial is said about the cycle of abuse, or maybe how she’s picking bad partners, nothing. She’s a woman, so she has to be in constant relationships. She also gets to be subject to tons of cheesecake shots since going small makes her clothes fall off, and of course the infamous scene where she flashes the Hulk in order to distract him. Very classy way to depict an iconic Avengers character, and one of the few females.
Speaking of females, Scarlet Witch. I have no idea how this came into Millar’s head, but he decided to make Wanda and Pietro, who are twins, lovers in the reality. It’s just as gross as it sounds. Also, because Millar is only capable of ruining other writers’ ideas, when the Ultron bots show up Wanda flirts with them and gives one her number. You know, because in the 616 Wanda and Vision had a very long relationship, so obviously Wanda has to date the first robot she sees.
Some people say this is mature, and once again I disagree. Depicting mature things does not make a work mature. Showing violence but saying nothing about it is just juvenile. Showing domestic violence but saying nothing about it is not mature, its just an empty depiction. At the very most there’ll be hints of something mature, hints of a critique, but it never evolves beyond the surface. This run is full of Millar’s opinions on American imperialism and the Bush Administration, but none of the opinions run any deeper than “Military industrial complex bad”, “Bush bad” “War bad”. I don’t even like George Bush, but this is on par with Family Guy cutaway gags, it’s just cheap insults with no bite. Why not critique Bush’s policies? Why not critique his actions or analyze his effect on the American public? Or just don’t do it, because once again none of this was required, he chose to do this.
One thing I’ve seen get a lot of recognition is Bryan Hitch’s artwork, and I mostly agree. Hitch’s artwork aims to be “cinematic” and action heavy, and it’s definitely both, but I don’t think that’s always a good thing. This is very subjective, but I think comic art has a different appeal than visuals in a movie. The art here is presented in a lot of large, horizontal panels and a crap ton of splash pages. These can work well, as they maximize the amount of art you get to see. Tons of buildings crumble, lots of explosions happen and at first it’s neat. Problem is they look more like stills from a movie instead of action on a page. There’s no visual storytelling at play, just freeze-frames of big booms. Eventually by the end of Ultimates 2 my eyes started to glaze over panel after panel of explosions over and over. The fight scenes suffer th same fate. They lack kinetic energy, there’s no motion to them at all, just freeze-frames of people punching each other or throwing each other into stuff. The only time my eyes perked up was when Quicksilver was in action and there’s a good deal of line work and effort showing how fast he moves. The art is realistic sure, but I would prefer colorful comic styled art that pops and is memorable. What’s the point of realism if everything is bland and gray?
I struggle to even recall what the plot here is. There are chunks of the story where nothing happens, and The Ultimates just sit around talking and making extremely dated pop culture references. I want to give Millar some credit in a meta way. The Ultimates fight each other almost more than villains, which could’ve been intended to further the critique and show how ineffective and wasteful they are. However, even if that were true,it doesn’t help the story. You may have proved a point, but you delivered a bad product to do it.
There’s so much bad here. It’s almost like eating at a terrible restaurant that everyone told you was bad. I had a feeling I would’t love it, but I just had to know for sure, I had to read it.
I wish I didn’t.
Where to start? Ok, so in the year 2000 Marvel saw fit to create a new universe to reboot, reimagine and update their characters. To start this, they started with their popular and profitable character, Spider-Man, and so began Brian Michael Bendis’s Ultimate Spider-Man, which I’ve read most of, and can say it’s solid. While not perfect, it delivers what the Ultimate Universe set out to accomplish and more, by reimagining Peter’s origin and a lot of his most iconic stories while still being fun and entertaining, and respecting the original character. The next choice was of course Ultimate X-Men, which I haven’t read and I don’t know if I have the patience for, as it’s quite long. After that came The Avengers, which in this universe is called The Ultimates.
To discuss The Ultimates is to discuss it’s writer, Mark Millar, because this story is first and foremost a Mark Millar creation. Millar was a pretty successful and popular writer at that time, and would go one to write many more well received comics both at Marvel and beyond. On some level I can see him being a decent choice. You take a popular writer and give them their own world to play in and surely the results would be good. The fact that this story is in its own universe and has little continuity to try and adhere to is critical, because it makes so many of his decisions baffling. All Millar had to do was update, reboot, and reimagine The Avengers, ideally while respecting the originals. Instead he gave us this.
The Ultimates is the most surface-level, shallow, mean-spirited take on superheroes I have ever read. Some people say these characters are realistic, I disagree. Real people have depth, real people are complex, these characters are neither. Millar takes a few elements of the original’s characteristics and twists it into something disgusting and edgy while saying nothing of substance and ultimately serving no purpose beyond “superheroes bad”.
Hank Pym beats his wife Janet and almost kills her. The story has nothing to say about domestic violence, nothing to say about toxic relationships, nothing to say about the experiences of either perpetrators or victims. In the 616 (the main Marvel universe) Hank hit Janet in what was at best a weird moment by a weird writer and at worst domestic violence and blatant sexism. The difference is that over the decades many, many writers have had to either try and save Hank as a character, or turn it into fuel for his personality disorders. When Millar chose to use Hank and Janet as characters he didn’t have to include this. He could’ve just gave us Hank and Janet and maybe improved their relationship, but he chose to do this, and by choosing this he opened himself up to this criticism.
It would be different if he chose to include more controversial elements in order to say something of value. I would also be okay with changing the characters and making them bad people if he had something intelligent to say, but he just doesn’t.
Tony Stark is nothing more than an alcoholic, womanizer who constantly has something “witty” to say. It’s never witty, never clever, never funny. In the 616 Tony very famously went through the Demon in A Bottle storyline which dealt with his alcoholism, so of course Millar has to include it here but with none of the substance, none of the heart. He’s not interested in exploring Tony’s addiction, he’s only interested in having him mention martinis and Vodka Cran every other sentence. Tony’s womanizing is also mentioned every other page, because of course 616 Tony sleeps around a lot. It gets so insulting that at the end of the story, after marrying and being betrayed by Black Widow, Tony tears up thinking about how she broke his heart. Then seconds later he sees a random blonde woman and starts to chase her. He even says “Never doubt the healing powers of a blonde”. He learned nothing. He has no character, he’s just hollow.
Captain America is just a hyper-violent soldier. Gone are his ideals, his loyalty to the dream. Gone are his actual core values. In the 616 Cap works both for and alongside the US government when he wants to, but whenever his values are in question he doesn’t play along. He’s not just a tool of the government and most of the time doesn’t even like whatever politician is calling the shots. Millar also has nothing to say about the Man Out of Time aspect of Cap’s character. Cap isn’t just an old grandpa who can’t get with the times, he’s a human being who grows and learns to love the world he’s in, even if he’ll never forget his old one. In here he just spends his time either fighting or complaining to Janet about how he doesn’t like how women dress these days, or the movies. It’s just soulless.
Some people also say this is a deconstruction of The Avengers, and honestly, this is true. In a technical sense, sure, this is a deconstruction, but it’s still so basic one, This is so far from good deconstructionist comics like Watchmen they don’t even feel like the same sub-genre. Can you imagine if either Millar or another writer attempted to do something on Watchmen’s level? It would be game-changing. This has none of the profound, thoughtful moments or writing that Watchmen had.
Janet is a mutant here, which is different from the 616 and on its own it’s not the worst thing to do to her character. Either way she has the power to shrink. What’s more damaging is the domestic violence I mentioned earlier, and how Janet doesn’t have much of a character at all. Throughout the story she goes back and forth between Hank and Cap and nothing substantial is said about the cycle of abuse, or maybe how she’s picking bad partners, nothing. She’s a woman, so she has to be in constant relationships. She also gets to be subject to tons of cheesecake shots since going small makes her clothes fall off, and of course the infamous scene where she flashes the Hulk in order to distract him. Very classy way to depict an iconic Avengers character, and one of the few females.
Speaking of females, Scarlet Witch. I have no idea how this came into Millar’s head, but he decided to make Wanda and Pietro, who are twins, lovers in the reality. It’s just as gross as it sounds. Also, because Millar is only capable of ruining other writers’ ideas, when the Ultron bots show up Wanda flirts with them and gives one her number. You know, because in the 616 Wanda and Vision had a very long relationship, so obviously Wanda has to date the first robot she sees.
Some people say this is mature, and once again I disagree. Depicting mature things does not make a work mature. Showing violence but saying nothing about it is just juvenile. Showing domestic violence but saying nothing about it is not mature, its just an empty depiction. At the very most there’ll be hints of something mature, hints of a critique, but it never evolves beyond the surface. This run is full of Millar’s opinions on American imperialism and the Bush Administration, but none of the opinions run any deeper than “Military industrial complex bad”, “Bush bad” “War bad”. I don’t even like George Bush, but this is on par with Family Guy cutaway gags, it’s just cheap insults with no bite. Why not critique Bush’s policies? Why not critique his actions or analyze his effect on the American public? Or just don’t do it, because once again none of this was required, he chose to do this.
One thing I’ve seen get a lot of recognition is Bryan Hitch’s artwork, and I mostly agree. Hitch’s artwork aims to be “cinematic” and action heavy, and it’s definitely both, but I don’t think that’s always a good thing. This is very subjective, but I think comic art has a different appeal than visuals in a movie. The art here is presented in a lot of large, horizontal panels and a crap ton of splash pages. These can work well, as they maximize the amount of art you get to see. Tons of buildings crumble, lots of explosions happen and at first it’s neat. Problem is they look more like stills from a movie instead of action on a page. There’s no visual storytelling at play, just freeze-frames of big booms. Eventually by the end of Ultimates 2 my eyes started to glaze over panel after panel of explosions over and over. The fight scenes suffer th same fate. They lack kinetic energy, there’s no motion to them at all, just freeze-frames of people punching each other or throwing each other into stuff. The only time my eyes perked up was when Quicksilver was in action and there’s a good deal of line work and effort showing how fast he moves. The art is realistic sure, but I would prefer colorful comic styled art that pops and is memorable. What’s the point of realism if everything is bland and gray?
I struggle to even recall what the plot here is. There are chunks of the story where nothing happens, and The Ultimates just sit around talking and making extremely dated pop culture references. I want to give Millar some credit in a meta way. The Ultimates fight each other almost more than villains, which could’ve been intended to further the critique and show how ineffective and wasteful they are. However, even if that were true,it doesn’t help the story. You may have proved a point, but you delivered a bad product to do it.
There’s so much bad here. It’s almost like eating at a terrible restaurant that everyone told you was bad. I had a feeling I would’t love it, but I just had to know for sure, I had to read it.
I wish I didn’t.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2022
The Ultimates introduces us to something familiar - and yet different. Familiar enough that some of the exposition that would otherwise be required for something like this is no longer needed, and different enough that it makes this What if-/Elseworlds-type of story engaging.
Lots of people have said their piece about this run (and about Millar, whose overall work I don’t dislike, btw)- lots of people have warned others about this run. And I guess now it’s my turn to do so.
The dialogue. Golly is it cringey. Millar does this thing that he dates the crap out of this run by constantly making references of early 2000s pop stars, and in retrospect, it’s not the best thing he could have done. It hasn’t aged well at all. There are so many eye-rolling moments in this run (e.g., Cap’s speech that mentions France, Pym’s dialogue during an argument with his wife, Jarvis’s interpretation, Janet’s distraction abilities) that it just feels like you’re watching a train wreck as it’s about to happen - and yet, you just can’t turn away. And I think that’s the best thing about this run. You just can’t turn away. While I felt like I read a trashy B movie that I will forget about within a week’s time, I still wanted to finish this trashy movie.
Look, the ultimate version of the Avengers have issues… lots of them. It just seems like Millar was intentionally making each one of them insufferable pricks. Most of the Ultimates were just bad people. Cap is a violent brute, Pym is a wormy jerk, Natasha is a straight up ass, Betty is a narcissist jerk, Banner is a sociopath, etc. There are some good moments, like when Steve spends some downtime with his old friends. This painted a different Steve from the one who was on the field, but those moments come few and far between.
If you want to read about these characters or about different interpretations of these characters, there are better options out there.
I think they could have imagined the Avengers in the modern era, without them being such jerks - though perhaps I’m being idealistic (and I wouldn’t have grabbed ‘em sales had I been writing).
That being said, train wreck and all, for some reason, I looked forward to reading it. iI felt weird since this read like straight up garbage at times, but I couldn’t put it away. So, I think that the run did what it was supposed to do. While Bendis’s Spidey did the clear heavy lifting for the 1610 universe, this also grabbed the attention of new readers in the early 2000s. And heck, it continues to do so 20 years later.
Oh, and the art is pretty good - 7/10 there for me. But 5/10 for the story.
Lots of people have said their piece about this run (and about Millar, whose overall work I don’t dislike, btw)- lots of people have warned others about this run. And I guess now it’s my turn to do so.
The dialogue. Golly is it cringey. Millar does this thing that he dates the crap out of this run by constantly making references of early 2000s pop stars, and in retrospect, it’s not the best thing he could have done. It hasn’t aged well at all. There are so many eye-rolling moments in this run (e.g., Cap’s speech that mentions France, Pym’s dialogue during an argument with his wife, Jarvis’s interpretation, Janet’s distraction abilities) that it just feels like you’re watching a train wreck as it’s about to happen - and yet, you just can’t turn away. And I think that’s the best thing about this run. You just can’t turn away. While I felt like I read a trashy B movie that I will forget about within a week’s time, I still wanted to finish this trashy movie.
Look, the ultimate version of the Avengers have issues… lots of them. It just seems like Millar was intentionally making each one of them insufferable pricks. Most of the Ultimates were just bad people. Cap is a violent brute, Pym is a wormy jerk, Natasha is a straight up ass, Betty is a narcissist jerk, Banner is a sociopath, etc. There are some good moments, like when Steve spends some downtime with his old friends. This painted a different Steve from the one who was on the field, but those moments come few and far between.
If you want to read about these characters or about different interpretations of these characters, there are better options out there.
I think they could have imagined the Avengers in the modern era, without them being such jerks - though perhaps I’m being idealistic (and I wouldn’t have grabbed ‘em sales had I been writing).
That being said, train wreck and all, for some reason, I looked forward to reading it. iI felt weird since this read like straight up garbage at times, but I couldn’t put it away. So, I think that the run did what it was supposed to do. While Bendis’s Spidey did the clear heavy lifting for the 1610 universe, this also grabbed the attention of new readers in the early 2000s. And heck, it continues to do so 20 years later.
Oh, and the art is pretty good - 7/10 there for me. But 5/10 for the story.
May 27, 2012
I give this somewhere in the 3.5 range. I feel strange ranking this so low, because this will certainly stick around in my mind, as I've already been mulling over it for a couple of days. This is essentially an alternate reality Avengers, for those who don't know what it is. This omnibus was a huge set of ups and downs for me. I particularly found the second half of the omnibus to be much better than the first, and the beginning section where they introduce everyone was not nearly as good as when the action began for me. Here are a few of my thoughts:
1) Characters: As other reviews have said, it is absolutely true that every character in this collection is an ass, but your own preference on whether you preface that with "bad" or "jack". My reactions were a bit of both. Let me submit that this actually made me like Thor for the first time, really. Iron Man is his typical awesomeness. Captain America seemed a bit off to me for reasons I haven't yet put my finger on, however. I definitely did not like him with The Wasp. I absolutely deplored how they handled Bruce Banner. As my husband stated, it seems like modern writers don't seem to truly understand how to make the Hulk angry. In this he is not only ugly and wimpy, but The Hulk is more in a nerd rage than it is true justified anger, and Banner just is not a nice guy. Also, he threatens to rape women, which isn't okay in my book, even if it fits.
2) Plot items: Overall I enjoyed the plot, but I found the scene with Ant Man and the Wasp really unsettling. Again, I'm not sure that really needed to be shown. Some of the ending was a bit deus ex machina, but that was to be expected.
3) Humor: There were a great many moments where I laughed out loud and panels that were so completely outrageous and awesome that I'll remember forever. That said, there were a lot of jokes that frankly were simply not that funny surrounding them. They were attempting to be culturally relevant, which meant many pop culture jokes, most of which fell flat.
1) Characters: As other reviews have said, it is absolutely true that every character in this collection is an ass, but your own preference on whether you preface that with "bad" or "jack". My reactions were a bit of both. Let me submit that this actually made me like Thor for the first time, really. Iron Man is his typical awesomeness. Captain America seemed a bit off to me for reasons I haven't yet put my finger on, however. I definitely did not like him with The Wasp. I absolutely deplored how they handled Bruce Banner. As my husband stated, it seems like modern writers don't seem to truly understand how to make the Hulk angry. In this he is not only ugly and wimpy, but The Hulk is more in a nerd rage than it is true justified anger, and Banner just is not a nice guy. Also, he threatens to rape women, which isn't okay in my book, even if it fits.
2) Plot items: Overall I enjoyed the plot, but I found the scene with Ant Man and the Wasp really unsettling. Again, I'm not sure that really needed to be shown. Some of the ending was a bit deus ex machina, but that was to be expected.
3) Humor: There were a great many moments where I laughed out loud and panels that were so completely outrageous and awesome that I'll remember forever. That said, there were a lot of jokes that frankly were simply not that funny surrounding them. They were attempting to be culturally relevant, which meant many pop culture jokes, most of which fell flat.
March 26, 2023
7.5/10
This book was really fun to read.
Reading this for the first time Is it still groundbreaking in 2023? No. Is it an interesting alternative take on characters we know and love? Absolutely.
One of the biggest gripes I've heard about this book is that it's 'edgy'. While that is true to some extent I don't think it's nearly as bad as people say it is. Yes, there are some moments that are a little awkward as well as some pop culture references that haven't aged super well. But none of that detracted from my experience of the book.
I think the most jarring part about this book is the characterization of characters. For example, Captain America is not the go-lucky boy scout that you know from the 616 or MCU. He's a little more violent and hot-headed. While that can be kind of jarring, it's also an interesting take that I personally found compelling.
For me, my biggest gripe in this book was the action set pieces. While the stakes were always high, the climax action set pieces of ultimates 1 and ultimates 2 weren't necessarily as enthralling as they could have been. However, even if I didn't believe the stakes were as high they should have been the art always portrayed a phenomenal scale.
I think the espionage, the character relationships and the world building were particularly excellent. And yes, the art was spectacular.
All in all, I enjoyed this book and I do see myself rereading it in the future. Just be warned that some of the characterizations of popular characters might be different from what you expect.
This book was really fun to read.
Reading this for the first time Is it still groundbreaking in 2023? No. Is it an interesting alternative take on characters we know and love? Absolutely.
One of the biggest gripes I've heard about this book is that it's 'edgy'. While that is true to some extent I don't think it's nearly as bad as people say it is. Yes, there are some moments that are a little awkward as well as some pop culture references that haven't aged super well. But none of that detracted from my experience of the book.
I think the most jarring part about this book is the characterization of characters. For example, Captain America is not the go-lucky boy scout that you know from the 616 or MCU. He's a little more violent and hot-headed. While that can be kind of jarring, it's also an interesting take that I personally found compelling.
For me, my biggest gripe in this book was the action set pieces. While the stakes were always high, the climax action set pieces of ultimates 1 and ultimates 2 weren't necessarily as enthralling as they could have been. However, even if I didn't believe the stakes were as high they should have been the art always portrayed a phenomenal scale.
I think the espionage, the character relationships and the world building were particularly excellent. And yes, the art was spectacular.
All in all, I enjoyed this book and I do see myself rereading it in the future. Just be warned that some of the characterizations of popular characters might be different from what you expect.
August 4, 2011
I started out this one not really knowing or caring much about the characters within. I just wanted to learn more about some Marvel classics to tide me over for more Marvel vs. Capcom 3 news. But I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. Anyone who can take a character and make you hate him as much as Millar does to Hank Pym, and then by the end of the run turn around and almost redeem him is a good writer, that much is for sure. Bryan Hitch's art was well done, and I can see why Millar and Hitch were a good match.
I do admit that I liked the first run better than the second, just because the second seemed to want to do too much. The first was more simplistic, and more focused on the characters ... and that made it more readable, I found.
Unfortunately, I still don't care too much for Captain America or Fury or Iron Man ... Their characters just are too flat for me to really get behind. But I was surprised by Thor -- I didn't think that I would like him, when I really found his Is-He-Crazy arc to be really well done. And I have a new-found respect for Bruce Banner. His trial might be the best thing that ever happened to The Hulk. And as I hinted at before, Jan and Hank were my favorite characters to follow, definitely.
Overall, I'm glad that I read this one ... but I'm very blah about it too. There were parts that I could not put down, but there were also parts that I thought went on too long.
I do admit that I liked the first run better than the second, just because the second seemed to want to do too much. The first was more simplistic, and more focused on the characters ... and that made it more readable, I found.
Unfortunately, I still don't care too much for Captain America or Fury or Iron Man ... Their characters just are too flat for me to really get behind. But I was surprised by Thor -- I didn't think that I would like him, when I really found his Is-He-Crazy arc to be really well done. And I have a new-found respect for Bruce Banner. His trial might be the best thing that ever happened to The Hulk. And as I hinted at before, Jan and Hank were my favorite characters to follow, definitely.
Overall, I'm glad that I read this one ... but I'm very blah about it too. There were parts that I could not put down, but there were also parts that I thought went on too long.
February 16, 2010
This is arguably the best Superhero Action book of the last decade and IMO, The best work Mark Millar has produced.
June 14, 2025
vraiment noir et troublant comme comics
April 16, 2023
I’ve avoided the Ultimate universe for a long time, because nothing I’d heard about it sounded flattering. However, the upcoming Ultimate Invasion event finally encouraged me to give this a read.
I was thinking maybe 2.5 or 3 stars for this, but ultimately (pun intended) rounded down to 2.
There’s some interesting satire here as well as plenty of political commentary surrounding events in the early 2000s, but that’s about it.
I’m honestly surprised Marvel let Millar take their characters and make every single one of them a blatant asshole. All of them an inferior version of their 616 counterpart (probably the point).
I also hate how dirty the women were done in this book. Only three women on the Avengers - one a traitor, one in an incestuous relationship with her twin brother, and one who’s kind of a jackass but also gets the shit beat out of her by her husband. The latter two also get made fun of for their “lame” powers fairly often. All three are routinely demeaned by their male counterparts (repeatedly being called “honey” and “sweetheart”). Again, probably all part of the satire at play, but irritating to read nonetheless.
As others have mentioned, Thor stands out as the only consistently likable member of our team of heroes while carrying his own thought provoking subplot - is he truly the god of thunder from legend, or a mentally ill man whose powers come solely from technology he stole? Is his treatment at the hands of his “friends” meant to symbolize the way mental illness is viewed in our society?
As a Cap fan I’d be remiss to discuss how much I hate this interpretation of the character. How quickly he leaps to violence and how easy it is for him to kill. This Steve doesn’t hesitate to be a bully.
The book ends with America facing comeuppance for their own actions on the world stage and in the global arms race. It feels almost wrong to root against the villains when they have a strong point against our so called heroes, but the heroes realize the error of their ways and strike out on their own to do better for the sake of the world. But only after they completely obliterate their victims turned villains.
After reading this I’m just hoping the upcoming event doesn’t add the 616 to the Ultimates list of victims.
I was thinking maybe 2.5 or 3 stars for this, but ultimately (pun intended) rounded down to 2.
There’s some interesting satire here as well as plenty of political commentary surrounding events in the early 2000s, but that’s about it.
I’m honestly surprised Marvel let Millar take their characters and make every single one of them a blatant asshole. All of them an inferior version of their 616 counterpart (probably the point).
I also hate how dirty the women were done in this book. Only three women on the Avengers - one a traitor, one in an incestuous relationship with her twin brother, and one who’s kind of a jackass but also gets the shit beat out of her by her husband. The latter two also get made fun of for their “lame” powers fairly often. All three are routinely demeaned by their male counterparts (repeatedly being called “honey” and “sweetheart”). Again, probably all part of the satire at play, but irritating to read nonetheless.
As others have mentioned, Thor stands out as the only consistently likable member of our team of heroes while carrying his own thought provoking subplot - is he truly the god of thunder from legend, or a mentally ill man whose powers come solely from technology he stole? Is his treatment at the hands of his “friends” meant to symbolize the way mental illness is viewed in our society?
As a Cap fan I’d be remiss to discuss how much I hate this interpretation of the character. How quickly he leaps to violence and how easy it is for him to kill. This Steve doesn’t hesitate to be a bully.
The book ends with America facing comeuppance for their own actions on the world stage and in the global arms race. It feels almost wrong to root against the villains when they have a strong point against our so called heroes, but the heroes realize the error of their ways and strike out on their own to do better for the sake of the world. But only after they completely obliterate their victims turned villains.
After reading this I’m just hoping the upcoming event doesn’t add the 616 to the Ultimates list of victims.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2023
an era defining work...deftly adapts the then obsolete core Avengers elements into an utterly ridiculous parody of post-9/11 America...the mcu begins to make perfect sense when you consider it adapted so many ideas from this satire, stripped of the satirical bite, replaced with flaccid attempts at Silver Age earnestness laced with a distanced irony...the mcu can be "self-aware" about narrative tropes, comic book logic, etc but it can never be aware of its own politics, unlike its Ultimates counterpart, there is no real bite to the central conceit of the 21st century's cinematic Avengers!
and reading that same setup with its original intent back in place, there's so much more fun to be had! we don't just get an arrogant billionaire arms dealer in Stark, we get a demented alcoholic dying from a brain tumor...we don't get a dull, out-of-touch Rogers but a racist, pathetic asshole...a Banner that exists to give the team something to fight, because otherwise the military budget ballooning in response to 9/11, the rapid increases in security, crackdown on privacy, etc etc would have no justification! we've got a terrorist cell of foreign enemies going up against the agents of an imperialist empire, terrorists whose desire to protect civilians is stronger than the Ultimates themselves, and this arc culminates in the middle eastern version of Cap, whose origin story is being forced into a truck by Steve during a preemptive American strike against his country, being impaled to death by The Man Out of Time
it's all so gloriously on the nose, not exactly prescriptive in its deconstruction but certainly thorough and pointed...one can just look to the use of hippie activist Thor as the mouthpiece for all the criticisms the book knowingly levies at its world police and know that unlike the mcu's supercops, the "heroes" of this book are supposed to be fascist weirdos because of course they are...and while in my Ultimates 3 and Ultimatum reviews i intend to go into the downsides of this comic as the prescriptive model of its Age, for now i'm honestly blown away with how well Millar and Hitch's foundational work holds up
and reading that same setup with its original intent back in place, there's so much more fun to be had! we don't just get an arrogant billionaire arms dealer in Stark, we get a demented alcoholic dying from a brain tumor...we don't get a dull, out-of-touch Rogers but a racist, pathetic asshole...a Banner that exists to give the team something to fight, because otherwise the military budget ballooning in response to 9/11, the rapid increases in security, crackdown on privacy, etc etc would have no justification! we've got a terrorist cell of foreign enemies going up against the agents of an imperialist empire, terrorists whose desire to protect civilians is stronger than the Ultimates themselves, and this arc culminates in the middle eastern version of Cap, whose origin story is being forced into a truck by Steve during a preemptive American strike against his country, being impaled to death by The Man Out of Time
it's all so gloriously on the nose, not exactly prescriptive in its deconstruction but certainly thorough and pointed...one can just look to the use of hippie activist Thor as the mouthpiece for all the criticisms the book knowingly levies at its world police and know that unlike the mcu's supercops, the "heroes" of this book are supposed to be fascist weirdos because of course they are...and while in my Ultimates 3 and Ultimatum reviews i intend to go into the downsides of this comic as the prescriptive model of its Age, for now i'm honestly blown away with how well Millar and Hitch's foundational work holds up
November 24, 2022
Alors ça, c'était une surprise.
Jusqu'à présent, dans ma lecture du Ultimate Universe, j'ai Spider-Man sont corrects, et le reste plutôt médiocre. Mais voilà, ceci, c'était plutôt génial.
En 2002, bien avant The Boys, un peu avant Invincible, Millar nous offre un monde de superhero réaliste, cynique, avec à peu près les même thématiques post-11-septembre.
Gros point pour le comic : Millar ne se sent pas obligé de mettre des scènes d'action partout, par crainte de perdre le lecteur. Il se prend plutôt son temps pour préparer l'histoire et les personnages.
Alors, pour l'histoire. Ma critique comprends les 13 comics de Ultimates (pas seulement les 6 premiers comme le dit la fiche) : Les Ultimates sont l'équipe de super-héros du Ultimate Universe. Leur version des Avengers, quoi. En beaucoup plus sombre.
Ici, Captain America est un vieux rétrograde encore coincé, culturellement, en 1945.
Tony Stark est connard capitaliste alcoolique qui fonde les Ultimes entre autre pour les fonds publics que cela amène à son entreprise.
Scarlett Witch et Quicksilver sont dans une relation incestueuse.
Thor est un espèce alter-mondialistes en guerre contre l'impérialisme américain, qui attend à la dernière minute pour sauver le monde pour extorquer plus de financement à l'aide humanitaire de la part des USA
Hawkeye et Black Widow gèrent la section Black Ops de Shield, avec une licence to kill dont ils abusent.
Antman & Wasp sont un couple toxique, Antman la bat régulièrement, la gaslight et fini par la laisser pour morte dans une scène plutôt graphique.
Bruce Banner, scientifique de l'équipe, décide de se transformer en Hulk et de détruire New York juste pour donner quelque chose à faire aux Ultimate, pour qu'ils arrivent la ville et justifie leur utilisation de fonds publics. (L'événement devient un genre de 11 septembre du Ultimate Universe.)
Jusqu'à présent, dans ma lecture du Ultimate Universe, j'ai Spider-Man sont corrects, et le reste plutôt médiocre. Mais voilà, ceci, c'était plutôt génial.
En 2002, bien avant The Boys, un peu avant Invincible, Millar nous offre un monde de superhero réaliste, cynique, avec à peu près les même thématiques post-11-septembre.
Gros point pour le comic : Millar ne se sent pas obligé de mettre des scènes d'action partout, par crainte de perdre le lecteur. Il se prend plutôt son temps pour préparer l'histoire et les personnages.
Alors, pour l'histoire. Ma critique comprends les 13 comics de Ultimates (pas seulement les 6 premiers comme le dit la fiche) : Les Ultimates sont l'équipe de super-héros du Ultimate Universe. Leur version des Avengers, quoi. En beaucoup plus sombre.
Ici, Captain America est un vieux rétrograde encore coincé, culturellement, en 1945.
Tony Stark est connard capitaliste alcoolique qui fonde les Ultimes entre autre pour les fonds publics que cela amène à son entreprise.
Scarlett Witch et Quicksilver sont dans une relation incestueuse.
Thor est un espèce alter-mondialistes en guerre contre l'impérialisme américain, qui attend à la dernière minute pour sauver le monde pour extorquer plus de financement à l'aide humanitaire de la part des USA
Hawkeye et Black Widow gèrent la section Black Ops de Shield, avec une licence to kill dont ils abusent.
Antman & Wasp sont un couple toxique, Antman la bat régulièrement, la gaslight et fini par la laisser pour morte dans une scène plutôt graphique.
Bruce Banner, scientifique de l'équipe, décide de se transformer en Hulk et de détruire New York juste pour donner quelque chose à faire aux Ultimate, pour qu'ils arrivent la ville et justifie leur utilisation de fonds publics. (L'événement devient un genre de 11 septembre du Ultimate Universe.)
April 16, 2024
I thought I had never read these stories, but they were familiar to me. I know that I had a few of the individual comics, but I didn't have them all.
So this is Mike Millar's take on the Avengers. They are a mixed bag of sick puppies if you ask me. I hated that he made them a bit more awful human beings than the regular Avengers (at least the earlier Avengers). They have been getting darker over the last twenty years and this Ultimates version were a blend of nut cases and traders and heroes all rolled into one.
I did enjoy these stories. Fighting the Chitari in the first thirteen issues, then fighting other countries that were worried about the super-hero powers that America was amassing were well done.
Throwing doubt on almost everyone on the team at different times and killing some beloved characters was a shocker, because in this Ultimate's world -- I don't think they'll come back.
I have definitely not read Ultimates 3 and 4 or the other Ultimates Comics Ultimates (vol 2) Cataclysm, or the others that have followed, but I am hoping that they live up to what Millar started.
So this is Mike Millar's take on the Avengers. They are a mixed bag of sick puppies if you ask me. I hated that he made them a bit more awful human beings than the regular Avengers (at least the earlier Avengers). They have been getting darker over the last twenty years and this Ultimates version were a blend of nut cases and traders and heroes all rolled into one.
I did enjoy these stories. Fighting the Chitari in the first thirteen issues, then fighting other countries that were worried about the super-hero powers that America was amassing were well done.
Throwing doubt on almost everyone on the team at different times and killing some beloved characters was a shocker, because in this Ultimate's world -- I don't think they'll come back.
I have definitely not read Ultimates 3 and 4 or the other Ultimates Comics Ultimates (vol 2) Cataclysm, or the others that have followed, but I am hoping that they live up to what Millar started.
January 1, 2023
A great artistic and creative take on the characters that would establish a movie franchise. The art is amazing. The story is a fresh take on the Avengers set in a post 9-11 USA. The stories do pass at a rushed pace due to the limited run but they are amazing. I remember reading these when they hit as single issues and not being as impressed. I think that the omnibus allows the reader to see a better grasp of the creativity. I also think my previous note on the story line being rushed is less of a problem when you can read start to end. I think that the work hold its own whether you are a first time fan or long time reader. I’m my opinion worth the cost to add to your shelf.
February 19, 2025
What an amazing run! The entire story taken as a whole was awesome. Sure, there was moment, the romance part and even when Ant-Man join a side group, which were just mehh when they happen, but on the long run, they were meaningful and lead to something. Very well structured storyline with amazing take on some characters (Thor, Hawkeye), the small elements that add ta little something (Wanda/Vision relationship), the artwork (that 8 folded pages gigantic action scenes was something for the ages) and so much more make it a really good comic book to read and to collect. I’m glad to have put my hands on that omnibus to add to the library! I recommend it!
December 2, 2022
Not your parent's Avengers
I enjoyed this a lot, especially because our heroes aren't all heroes, they're insanely flawed to the point where some aren't what I'd consider good human beings. The story buildups were great and you can tell Millar actually planned ahead. It's also very obvious this is what the MCU Avengers was based on. Definitely a darker take, and has some real pre-The Boys vibes to it.
I enjoyed this a lot, especially because our heroes aren't all heroes, they're insanely flawed to the point where some aren't what I'd consider good human beings. The story buildups were great and you can tell Millar actually planned ahead. It's also very obvious this is what the MCU Avengers was based on. Definitely a darker take, and has some real pre-The Boys vibes to it.
February 4, 2024
This omnibus is 880 pages and contains issues 1-13 of both Ultimates and Ultimates 2, as well as Ultimates Annual #1. The Ultimate Universe is super fun to read because it doesn’t have to abide by decades of storytelling before it. It’s able to take chances and be a unique take on familiar characters. I highly recommend this omnibus as long as you realize you’re not gonna get the traditional Avengers.
December 17, 2023
When I was in high school I LOVED this series bc it was all action and a jumping on point for comics.
But re-reading this with adult eyes now it’s just so bitter and angry. A little racist and homophobic quips scattered through out make it a hard read.
Art remains 10 stars. Bryan Hitch is amazing artist.
But re-reading this with adult eyes now it’s just so bitter and angry. A little racist and homophobic quips scattered through out make it a hard read.
Art remains 10 stars. Bryan Hitch is amazing artist.
February 13, 2024
Como tal funciona para renovar 30/40 años de continuidad, hasta el momento de publicación, tiene momentazos, un montón de world building que fue 100% pensado para adaptarse al cine, sin embargo, se quedó en lo edgy y vacío, definitivamente es, en su mayoría, un postureo de 24/25 números, a la fecha esta versión de los Vengadores ha envejecido muy mal.
March 28, 2024
Cada vez quedo más fascinado con esta reestructuración que empezó Marvel con la fase Ultimates. En esta oportunidad, esta colección estuvo cargada de emociones y sorpresas, de principio a fin. Ya me gustaría que hubiesen agregado algunas imágenes satelitales de las peleas en cámara lenta para ver si Pietro decía la verdad! :')
January 3, 2023
The fastest I’ve read through an omnibus in a long time. I just wanted to pick it up again and again when I had a moment. Amazing art by Hitch. Dialogue that, despite its datedness, I appreciated how it was of its moment and definitely not the sanitized stuff that we’d get today.
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