Erwin Rafael
Mar 3, 2002, 11:14 am
<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/covers/ultimates-02.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/covers/ultimates-02t.jpg" align=left alt="Ultimates #2"></a> Reviewer: Erwin Rafael, 3rdsummers@edsamail.com.ph
Quick Rating: Excellent!
Story Title: Big
Iron Man, Giant Man, the Wasp and Bruce Banner join the fold as the formation of the ultimate super team continues.
Written by: Mark Millar
Pencilled by: Bryan Hitch
Inked by: Andrew Currie
Lettered by: Chris Eliopoulos
Colored by: Paul Mounts
Assistant Editor: Brian Smith
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Editor-in-Chief: Joe Quesada
President: Bill Jemas
When Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch were assigned to this project, I already knew then that the book would be good. I also expected that we would be treated to terrific action sequences since they made their name doing such kind of stories in The Authority and later in their separate subsequent projects. Mark Millar, for instance, distinguished himself with attitude-laden dialogue, break-neck pacing and over-the-top ideas. Bryan Hitch specialized in widescreen storytelling. Both styles scream "ACTION!" to our faces.
So I was really surprised at how good they were in this issue - basically a quiet set-up and pure character development. What's more amazing was that both Millar and Hitch still stuck to their respective styles in achieving this. Just goes to show that good writing and good art AND good chemistry can not be bound and stereotyped.
The issue in a flash: After popular billionaire Tony Stark finally agreed to volunteer Iron Man's services to the government in its bid to create its own superhuman team, Nick Fury, head of S.H.I.E.L.D., proceeded to recruit other potential players. First up was Dr. Bruce Banner, who was hired to continue his attempts to recreate the super-soldier formula, which was lost when Captain America plunged to the Arctic waters in his final mission. Next up - the duo of Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne, Banner's colleagues who were not exactly thrilled to work with Banner once again. Hank Pym was able to perfect the Giant-man formula, making Banner more insecure than ever. However, it would appear that Banner's prayers have been answered, as Captain America's frozen body was finally found by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.
In his kickoff for Ultimate X-Men, Millar focused on mind-blowing action scenes, as we have big fights in every issue of the X-Men's first story-arc, "The Tomorrow People". Character development came in bits and pieces along the way. It's like a John Woo-inspired approach to writing - big action and big explosions with a little dose of soap-opera making a great story. With The Ultimates, Millar is taking a wholly different approach. While last month's issue of The Ultimates boasted of a great war sequence, there were already hints then that Millar's putting characterization first in this title. This became more evident in this second issue as we have an excellently written all-talk, no-action story. It's like Millar took a page from Brian Michael Bendis' writing in Ultimate Spider-Man, as he's taking time to flesh out the characters first before they have their first big encounter.
Bruce Banner feeling asleep just feels a little too much like the Hulk being awake sometimes, if you know what I mean.-- Bruce Banner
Through insightful dialogue and a premium on characterization, Millar has already established a well-rounded cast of characters by this second issue. Bruce Banner is an insecure and reclusive but well-meaning scientist harboring a monster inside him. The ultimate Hank Pym is a cross between his mainstream MU personalities, the calculating Dr. Pym and the mischievous Yellowjacket. Janet Van Dyne is a seemingly perfect romantic and intellectual partner for Hank Pym. Tony Stark is the confident and popular billionaire with a playboy attitude. Millar kept his over-the-top writing "reined in" for the most part and developed highly individualized voices for each member. At the same time, Millar was still able to deliver his trademark one-liners which properly reflect each character's personality.
I don't know if it's all the electrical storms we've been having lately or just the fact that they're moving us out of this dump but the ideas for super-people are coming to me faster than I can type these days, Jan - Hank Pym
Millar also provided more grounded explanations for each character's motivation for joining the team. The original Avengers and JLA raison d'etre is a bit too good to be true - that of a bunch of heroic superpowered beings teaming up to do good together. In The Ultimates, the noble intentions of each character were still there, although Millar introduced another element - personal fulfillment. For the three scientists in the team, being part of such a project provided them an avenue to satisfy their intellectual curiosity. In the case of Tony Stark, his motivations came more out of an altruistic and almost philanthropic desire.
The team itself was not borne out of a "gathering of heroes" thing (like the rather hokey "answering a distress ham radio call" that started the Avengers). Economics, public relations and politics came into play in the team's formation. What we have, consequently, is a more plausible super-team story, which hopefully is more relevant to the new generation of readers.
I just wish that sweaty little Banner guy wasn't coming back to spoil everything. - Janet Van Dyne
Millar seems to be enjoying the soap-opera elements a lot. The development of a Bruce Banner and Hank Pym intellectual rivalry is a nice touch. Another interesting element was the presentation of Banner as an ostracized character even outside his Hulk persona. Even Banner is subconsciously hammering himself down with his insecurities. It's a nice build-up for the inevitable Hulk reappearance, and the panel showing a brief glimpse of the beast within was really chilling, to say the least.
Old-time readers are also in for a treat as we see Millar planting familiar soap opera elements which hopefully would play a big role in the future. Millar subtly dropped hints of Tony's alcoholism and Hank Pym's potential breakdown. There were even references to the Fantastic Four, which has been rumored to be the subject of the next Ultimate title. Millar did a nice job of referencing elements from the original stories without sacrificing the accessibility of the current story to new readers.
Oh, shut up and stop giving me the creeps, Jarvis. You're supposed to be the perfect English butler, for God's sake. - Tony Stark
Millar was not only able to make the Ultimates' team members well-rounded. He was also able to develop a nice supporting cast. Foremost of this would be Nick Fury, who now acts more like an intelligence chief rather than a grizzled war veteran. There's also this scientist called Jason, a long haired "cool but geeky" scientist, who reminds me a lot of some individual in The X-Files. And of course, there's the long time Avengers cult favorite, Jarvis the butler. The Ultimate Jarvis is witty and sarcastic, almost like a Frank Miller-written Alfred or even Niles from The Nanny on TV.
In my opinion, Bryan Hitch is the best mainstream comic book artist nowadays. His work is detailed, beautiful to look at and distinctively his. His storytelling skills are also excellent. Now I don't want to come out gushing because I might be accused of not being critical in my review, but really, Hitch's artwork in The Ultimates is just that good. This issue, Hitch was able to make the quiet scenes work, while at the same time dazzling us with his splash pages. His work on the New York skyline, in particular, was breathtaking. Hitch's work is a marriage of realism and the spectacular, which perfectly complements Millar's writing in this book.
Oh, man. On a scale of one to ten, how much did that rock, Doctor Banner? - Jason
This issue definitely deserves a ten (or in our case, 5 full X's :D). Two issues are already out for The Ultimates, and it's been two homeruns so far. Millar is proving his critics wrong for calling him a "one-trick pony", and Hitch is delivering, as usual, his usual brand of widescreen entertainment. If you want a well thought-out modern superhero epic with beautiful artwork, The Ultimates is definitely a must-read.
ART:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg
STORY:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg
OVERALL:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg
Buy this issue online now from X-World Comics (http://www.x-worldcomics.com/x/bstore/newbooksmain.html) and save!
Quick Rating: Excellent!
Story Title: Big
Iron Man, Giant Man, the Wasp and Bruce Banner join the fold as the formation of the ultimate super team continues.
Written by: Mark Millar
Pencilled by: Bryan Hitch
Inked by: Andrew Currie
Lettered by: Chris Eliopoulos
Colored by: Paul Mounts
Assistant Editor: Brian Smith
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Editor-in-Chief: Joe Quesada
President: Bill Jemas
When Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch were assigned to this project, I already knew then that the book would be good. I also expected that we would be treated to terrific action sequences since they made their name doing such kind of stories in The Authority and later in their separate subsequent projects. Mark Millar, for instance, distinguished himself with attitude-laden dialogue, break-neck pacing and over-the-top ideas. Bryan Hitch specialized in widescreen storytelling. Both styles scream "ACTION!" to our faces.
So I was really surprised at how good they were in this issue - basically a quiet set-up and pure character development. What's more amazing was that both Millar and Hitch still stuck to their respective styles in achieving this. Just goes to show that good writing and good art AND good chemistry can not be bound and stereotyped.
The issue in a flash: After popular billionaire Tony Stark finally agreed to volunteer Iron Man's services to the government in its bid to create its own superhuman team, Nick Fury, head of S.H.I.E.L.D., proceeded to recruit other potential players. First up was Dr. Bruce Banner, who was hired to continue his attempts to recreate the super-soldier formula, which was lost when Captain America plunged to the Arctic waters in his final mission. Next up - the duo of Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne, Banner's colleagues who were not exactly thrilled to work with Banner once again. Hank Pym was able to perfect the Giant-man formula, making Banner more insecure than ever. However, it would appear that Banner's prayers have been answered, as Captain America's frozen body was finally found by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.
In his kickoff for Ultimate X-Men, Millar focused on mind-blowing action scenes, as we have big fights in every issue of the X-Men's first story-arc, "The Tomorrow People". Character development came in bits and pieces along the way. It's like a John Woo-inspired approach to writing - big action and big explosions with a little dose of soap-opera making a great story. With The Ultimates, Millar is taking a wholly different approach. While last month's issue of The Ultimates boasted of a great war sequence, there were already hints then that Millar's putting characterization first in this title. This became more evident in this second issue as we have an excellently written all-talk, no-action story. It's like Millar took a page from Brian Michael Bendis' writing in Ultimate Spider-Man, as he's taking time to flesh out the characters first before they have their first big encounter.
Bruce Banner feeling asleep just feels a little too much like the Hulk being awake sometimes, if you know what I mean.-- Bruce Banner
Through insightful dialogue and a premium on characterization, Millar has already established a well-rounded cast of characters by this second issue. Bruce Banner is an insecure and reclusive but well-meaning scientist harboring a monster inside him. The ultimate Hank Pym is a cross between his mainstream MU personalities, the calculating Dr. Pym and the mischievous Yellowjacket. Janet Van Dyne is a seemingly perfect romantic and intellectual partner for Hank Pym. Tony Stark is the confident and popular billionaire with a playboy attitude. Millar kept his over-the-top writing "reined in" for the most part and developed highly individualized voices for each member. At the same time, Millar was still able to deliver his trademark one-liners which properly reflect each character's personality.
I don't know if it's all the electrical storms we've been having lately or just the fact that they're moving us out of this dump but the ideas for super-people are coming to me faster than I can type these days, Jan - Hank Pym
Millar also provided more grounded explanations for each character's motivation for joining the team. The original Avengers and JLA raison d'etre is a bit too good to be true - that of a bunch of heroic superpowered beings teaming up to do good together. In The Ultimates, the noble intentions of each character were still there, although Millar introduced another element - personal fulfillment. For the three scientists in the team, being part of such a project provided them an avenue to satisfy their intellectual curiosity. In the case of Tony Stark, his motivations came more out of an altruistic and almost philanthropic desire.
The team itself was not borne out of a "gathering of heroes" thing (like the rather hokey "answering a distress ham radio call" that started the Avengers). Economics, public relations and politics came into play in the team's formation. What we have, consequently, is a more plausible super-team story, which hopefully is more relevant to the new generation of readers.
I just wish that sweaty little Banner guy wasn't coming back to spoil everything. - Janet Van Dyne
Millar seems to be enjoying the soap-opera elements a lot. The development of a Bruce Banner and Hank Pym intellectual rivalry is a nice touch. Another interesting element was the presentation of Banner as an ostracized character even outside his Hulk persona. Even Banner is subconsciously hammering himself down with his insecurities. It's a nice build-up for the inevitable Hulk reappearance, and the panel showing a brief glimpse of the beast within was really chilling, to say the least.
Old-time readers are also in for a treat as we see Millar planting familiar soap opera elements which hopefully would play a big role in the future. Millar subtly dropped hints of Tony's alcoholism and Hank Pym's potential breakdown. There were even references to the Fantastic Four, which has been rumored to be the subject of the next Ultimate title. Millar did a nice job of referencing elements from the original stories without sacrificing the accessibility of the current story to new readers.
Oh, shut up and stop giving me the creeps, Jarvis. You're supposed to be the perfect English butler, for God's sake. - Tony Stark
Millar was not only able to make the Ultimates' team members well-rounded. He was also able to develop a nice supporting cast. Foremost of this would be Nick Fury, who now acts more like an intelligence chief rather than a grizzled war veteran. There's also this scientist called Jason, a long haired "cool but geeky" scientist, who reminds me a lot of some individual in The X-Files. And of course, there's the long time Avengers cult favorite, Jarvis the butler. The Ultimate Jarvis is witty and sarcastic, almost like a Frank Miller-written Alfred or even Niles from The Nanny on TV.
In my opinion, Bryan Hitch is the best mainstream comic book artist nowadays. His work is detailed, beautiful to look at and distinctively his. His storytelling skills are also excellent. Now I don't want to come out gushing because I might be accused of not being critical in my review, but really, Hitch's artwork in The Ultimates is just that good. This issue, Hitch was able to make the quiet scenes work, while at the same time dazzling us with his splash pages. His work on the New York skyline, in particular, was breathtaking. Hitch's work is a marriage of realism and the spectacular, which perfectly complements Millar's writing in this book.
Oh, man. On a scale of one to ten, how much did that rock, Doctor Banner? - Jason
This issue definitely deserves a ten (or in our case, 5 full X's :D). Two issues are already out for The Ultimates, and it's been two homeruns so far. Millar is proving his critics wrong for calling him a "one-trick pony", and Hitch is delivering, as usual, his usual brand of widescreen entertainment. If you want a well thought-out modern superhero epic with beautiful artwork, The Ultimates is definitely a must-read.
ART:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg
STORY:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg
OVERALL:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg
Buy this issue online now from X-World Comics (http://www.x-worldcomics.com/x/bstore/newbooksmain.html) and save!