THE ULTIMATES 3 #3 REVIEW

[Anand Khatri]

<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/marvel/0208/ULTMTS3003_col.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/marvel/0208/ULTMTS3003_colt.jpg" alt="The Ultimates 3 #3" hspace=10 align=left></a> Reviewer: Anand Khatri, CaptainBuddocks@aol.com
Story Title: Untitled

The Wasp: “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Hawkeye: “**** off, Janet.”
Captain America: "Hey. Watch that language, Mister."
Hawkeye: “**** you, too.”

Writer: Jeph Loeb
Artwork: Joe Madureira
Digital Paints: Christian Lichtner
Letters: Richard Starkings
Production: Brad Johansen
Asst. Editors: Rosemann & Sankovitch
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
Cover By: Madureira and Lichtner
Variant Cover By: Frank Cho and Jason Keith

“**** you too Anand!”

At least that’s how I felt after reading this issue. Let me explain...

Jeph Loeb has penned many great comic books, but sadly The Ultimates 3 doesn’t even come close. Everything that Millar and Hitch did with this team seems to have been forgotten. I understand changes to the mood of a book are expected when a new creative team signs onto an already established title. What we have with this series is a total atmospheric overhaul. Everything that Millar and Hitch put into the ambience of this series was thrown out the window. The grittiness and realism that made this book shine aren't there anymore. There is no sense of suspense, no bigger picture. This book has been reduced to a flashy soap opera. So far though, the only thing that has been present in every issue are splash pages and sex. We get it: super heros like to get their swerve on too. However, it seems like we’re just being beaten over the head with it. First the sex tape, then Quicksilver and Wanda’s insinuated relationship is made completely obvious, and on top of that apparently Wolverine and Magda hooked up back in the day. That’s ‘cool’ and all, but can we get on with the story?

<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/marvel/ULTMTS3003_col-var_Cho.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/marvel/ULTMTS3003_col-var_Chot.jpg" vspace=10 hspace=10 align=right alt="The Ultimates 3 #3 (variant)"></a>Why all the violence and sex anyway? I mean sure Madureira gets to draw more boobs, but at the cost of what? The quality of the story? Someone needs to tell Marvel that it wasn’t the sex, violence, or censored cusses that made the Ultimates a good read. It was the characters. Millar did take 616 classic characters and wrote them into a more mature world, but the relationships and battles that took place in his run weren’t just written for the hell of it, it all added to the characters. We saw this team of virtually indestructible super people face, cope with, and learn from things ranging from spousal abuse to an alien invasion. In this mini-series though, it seems like everybody on the team has turned into short tempered children.

So far the only thing about this book that has improved is the art, and even so it’s because the colors aren’t as dark anymore. The pages seem a bit more polished since a noticeable amount of brightness was added. Other than that, there really hasn’t been an improvement since the first issue. The writing is still awkward and spastic, and the art is too hectic to fit these characters. The Ultimates have been reduced to a less interesting version of Dragon Ball (for the young ones out there, you know this show as Bleach). Lots of yelling, fighting, and filler.

I’m pretty sure that I won’t be picking up The Ultimates 4, but I will be picking up the rest of this series (“**** you too wallet!”) just because it’s easier to get rid of a complete set on eBay. Maybe I’ll gift it off to someone I hate, but as far as I’m concerned The Ultimates ended with Volume 2.

OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/umhalf.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/umnone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/umnone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/umnone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/umnone.jpg

‘Buy this issue online now from X-WORLD and save!’ (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=2892&cat=ULTIMATES+VOL+3)

[Rictor]

The Wasp: “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Hawkeye: “**** off, Janet.”
Captain America: Hey. Watch that language, Mister.
Hawkeye: “**** you, too.”


:rofl: TELL me this conversation happened!!!! :LOL: :LOL: :LOL:

I'm not as familiar with Loeb's work, but I did enjoy his run on X-Force all those years ago. This sounds like a complete travesty though, so I'm staying well clear. Welcome back, Joe - Come back to Uncanny!

[Xavier Disciple]

I thought Loeb used to be a good writer, WTF happened? Didn't his DC stuff get acclaims? Well at least Ultimates isn't as bad as his Wolverine stint. As soon as I figured out where he was going with the whole mutant/lupin thing I was like you have got to be ****** kidding me.

[gnosis]

The Long Halloween is probably one of the best Batman stories ever written. Dark Victory is pretty good too. Loeb's writing seems to have gone off the rails (to me at least) right around the Hush storyline, and he hasn't really gotten back on track yet (although I'm still holding out hope for the Hulk book). From the sound of it, I am glad I decided not to continue with this book after issue 1.

[Mightiest_mortal]

Well i for one love it. Chalk it up to a guilty pleasure. Its the Bad Boys 2 of comics. The typical unnecessary sequel. Flashier art, needlessly over the top action, more gratuitous sex, yet strangely hollow and confusing in its story.

I think, this book was damned from the start because it HAD to be compared to the original Ultimates, which is unfair for any book. Ultimates has been one of the highest points in comic book telling for the past 10 years (until the end wich imo was so ott and Pro-America, it brought it down a bit) There was no way ANYTHING was ever going to live up to that.

Rather than being another volume of the Ultimates, just think of this as "The Ultimate Avengers" and try to enjoy it for the dumb, action packed, over the top roller coaster ride that it is.

(...and at the very least.. the arts very pretty :))

[Jos1988]

i find it pretty funny that i've avoided picking this up after leafing through the first issue in a comic store :D

[Jason Grasso]

Fantastic review. From the minute i saw the story title in the first issue of this volume, I had my concerns. Joe Mad was the artist of the X-Men run that really re-introduced me to comics, specifically the X-Men. So there was that appeal. But the coloring is so dark in the Ultimates that it lacks that vibrancy of days long gone. But the story? Ehhh. This reads more like an Ultimate limited series than an issue of the Ultimates. And at that, it's so ridiculously over-the-top, it plays now like a mindless summer movie to Ultimates 1 and 2's gritty epic.

[citizenx]

The more I hear about this, the more I hope that this will all be revealed on the last page or two to be Hank Pym's pitch to a Hollywood studio for an Ultimates movie and he'll get rejected. That could make the entire storyline golden. Otherwise . . .

[Jos1988]

i LOVE your suggestion citizenx! :D

[ultimateX]

sorry guys buy i'm a big fan of joemad, hence i love the book. jeph loeb... i used to read his work in superman/batman and i can't say i complain about his work. maybe its a good thing that i haven't read ultimates 1 & 2. i'll give my judgement after i read those. but so far, im enjoying the read.

[heffy]

I think that I will read anything Joe Mad pencils.....so...yeah.

and its ultimates anyway.

Its a lot different now Mad and Loeb have taken away Millar and Hitch's baby. I mean. We get to still see fun awesome things. I could probably care less about the dialogue in this and still like it, and come on.....UGH. Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver.....I know i'm from Arkansas....but you know....heh

Maybe it would be cool again if we had another big cool suprise ending to each issue as well.

[David Henry]

The Long Halloween is probably one of the best Batman stories ever written. Dark Victory is pretty good too. Loeb's writing seems to have gone off the rails (to me at least) right around the Hush storyline, and he hasn't really gotten back on track yet (although I'm still holding out hope for the Hulk book). From the sound of it, I am glad I decided not to continue with this book after issue 1.

It comes down to "DC writers" vs "Marvel writers."

Joeph Loeb is a DC writer. His writing style fits DC and its characters to a T.

His style does not fit Marvel very well.

Add to that, he's doing a lot of work for Heroes, so I'm sure he's spread a bit thin.

That said, the book is poorly written, which is unfortuante for all the reasons Anand pointed out.

Ultimates goes from one of the greatest comics of all time to one of the most trivial rags in quite some time. I still continute to get it, but I don't take it very seriously.

Why make Wanda and Pietro's relationship explicit instead of leaving it implicit? Why kill Wanda off panel? Why kill Wanda anyway? We barely tapped into who she was in the first two volumes -- which only added to her mystique.

Ultimates is shot to hell -- not to mention Hawkeye's personality and established rep. Speaking of Hawkeye, Ultimate Hawkeye is NOT blond. Someone should point that out.

[Anand Khatri]

:rofl: TELL me this conversation happened!!!! :LOL: :LOL: :LOL:
Yes it did. There is some funky dialog in this book.
Didn't his DC stuff get acclaims?
His DC stuff is amazing. Even his old Marvel stuff was good. His Wolverine/Gambit:Victims four part mini was awesome.
I think that I will read anything Joe Mad pencils.....so...yeah.
That's the only reason I bought the second and third issues. The muddy style of coloring doesn't fit Mad's art.
Speaking of Hawkeye, Ultimate Hawkeye is NOT blond. Someone should point that out.
Holy ****. I didn't notice that, but now that kinda ticks me off.

[citizenx]

It comes down to "DC writers" vs "Marvel writers."

Joeph Loeb is a DC writer. His writing style fits DC and its characters to a T.

His style does not fit Marvel very well.


I don't know, DD: Yellow and Spider-Man: Blue were very good. Loeb just has a more nostalgic style because when I think of his great works they are pretty much all collaborations with Sale about the early days of the hero. Although I did enjoy his X-Man work back in the day too. I just think that Loeb doesn't care about the Ultimate Universe, he at least seems to have no familiarity with it. The characters are completely different all the way from personality to costumes. I have to wonder why he even took the gig.

[tyran80]

It's a real shame that Loeb's writing for Marvel has been so subpar over the recent years. I remember being a big fan of his work over in the X books in the 90s and i definitely enjoyed his Hush arc over in Batman. But trying to read his recent runs on Wolverine, Onslaught Reborn and now Ultimates 3 has been pretty painful, almost as if he's lost contact with the characters in the years he has been away. Perhaps his work on tv has been sapping his more creative side, i don't know, but, at least from my standpoint, Ultimates 3 has been reading as if he never actually read the Ultimates books, but rather read the online summaries and wrote in a gritty version of their 616 counterparts instead. Which is a shame, really, because i truly believe Loeb can do much better, and instead i find myself groaning in anticipation every time i pick up one of his new books.

[cyborgspider]

very strange arc. i have a headache after all those muted splashy colors and big bouncing Magda boobie~ so is Spidey and Venom ever gonna be explained? i guess they got two issues to do it

[Chris Nutall]

I'm not getting this series; I read it in the LCS. I can't see any value in it whatsoever; they've just sunk the entire team in three issues.

Chris

[Berry]

As far as I’m concerned The Ultimates ended with Volume 2.

I almost agree with you, but I think Ultimates ended with the Ultimates saga written by the lovely Mindy-CB team :dance:

[citizenx]

I almost agree with you, but I think Ultimates ended with the Ultimates saga written by the lovely Mindy-CB team :dance:

Had a few awesome Travis Charest pages too. Good stuff.

[Mightiest_mortal]

Why make Wanda and Pietro's relationship explicit instead of leaving it implicit?

Ultimates is shot to hell -- not to mention Hawkeye's personality and established rep.

people have said these two complaints on reviews for other issues so just got a few counters...
1) theres only so long you can leave something like that implicit with out ANYBODY mentioning it at all. We still don't exactly know whats up with the two, we just hear that the other members of the team think theres somthing messed up going on as well.
2) In Ultimates, Hawkeye was a loving family man, now he's changed completely... i WONDER what might have changed his character? I'd be more worried about him if he still was a loving family man. The fact he's so messed up that he's pretty much Kamikazying himself is quite entertaining.

[Kizmet]

I find things like the sudden inclusion of Mount Wundergore and Thor's old English speech pattern the most annoying. Nagging reminders that this is closer to 616 with more sex as opposed to really being Ultimates.

[citizenx]

people have said these two complaints on reviews for other issues so just got a few counters...
1) theres only so long you can leave something like that implicit with out ANYBODY mentioning it at all. We still don't exactly know whats up with the two, we just hear that the other members of the team think theres somthing messed up going on as well.
2) In Ultimates, Hawkeye was a loving family man, now he's changed completely... i WONDER what might have changed his character? I'd be more worried about him if he still was a loving family man. The fact he's so messed up that he's pretty much Kamikazying himself is quite entertaining.

For me it's more the execution of these things. There's no subtlety. Everything in U3 is like being hit by a big rig. In issue #1 we have Cap being told that SW and QS are being all incetious and then he's basically told to stop being so square as if incest is so commonplace in the 21st Century

As for Hawkeye, how many times do we need to be hit over the head with the fact that losing his family has made him a suicidal maniac? It's like "Hey Hawkeye, why you actin' so crazy?" "Oh, am I acting crazy? I hadn't noticed, I was too busy wishing I was dead since my family was killed . . . did you know my family was killed? Because they are dead guys, because they were murdered. Murdered to death! So maybe that's why I'm crazy. I'm crazy because my family is dead!"

Hawkeye going off the deep end makes sense, and it could have been interesting yet it's not. At least to me it's not.

[Jordan T. Maxwell]

between this review and the hilarious re-dubs over at 4th Letter...i'm happier and happier that i dropped this after the first issue. can probably save my money on Ultimates 4 as well. maybe even Ultimatum!

i remember a time when i looked fondly forward to every Ultimate title coming out, even the mini series. it's pretty much down to Spidey, FF and whatever mini they can bribe Warren Ellis into writing these days. :P

[Nick Costanzo]

So basically, treasure my Ultimates 2 hardcover and forget this mess? It sounds completely out of sync with Millar's title.

And I don't like Millar's style.

I LOVE IT

[citizenx]

i remember a time when i looked fondly forward to every Ultimate title coming out, even the mini series. it's pretty much down to Spidey, FF and whatever mini they can bribe Warren Ellis into writing these days. :P

I know what you mean. I'm down to just Spider-Man. And I'm going to check out Ultimate Human when it's collected (I hear that's a much better continuation to Ultimates). I'm still wondering when that long talked about Ultimate Origins by Bendis will see the light of day.

[Rednax310]

Ultimates 3 doesn't make sense. How'd Wolverine know Wanda was shot? How'd Pietro "call" Magneto? Shouldn't Pietro, like everyone else, think Magneto is locked up? Cap told Wolverine that they've dealt with Magneto before, but I can't remember, have they? There really haven't been that many Magneto stories in the Ultimate universe. It really does seem like Loeb didn't read any Ultimate books. And I guess there's no editor on the book either.

[Iceman_Fan15]

Ultimates 3 doesn't make sense. How'd Wolverine know Wanda was shot? How'd Pietro "call" Magneto? Shouldn't Pietro, like everyone else, think Magneto is locked up? Cap told Wolverine that they've dealt with Magneto before, but I can't remember, have they? There really haven't been that many Magneto stories in the Ultimate universe. It really does seem like Loeb didn't read any Ultimate books. And I guess there's no editor on the book either.

The Ultimates fought Magneto in Ultimate War. I think that was the same time in which Magneto shot out Quicksilvers kneecaps but I read it forever ago so i don't really remember.

On a side-note, Ultimate Thor's sudden Asgardian dialect is just stupid. I want Hawkeye to shoot him every time he talks.

[Kevin Jones]

On a side-note, Ultimate Thor's sudden Asgardian dialect is just stupid. I want Hawkeye to shoot him every time he talks.Yeah, why does he have the new dialect, anyway? When he did it in Ultimate Power, word was it would be explained at the end of Ultimates 2. Does realizing he's really a god really make him talk different?

[Kizmet]

No, apparently he always talked that way, but repressed his accent because he wanted to seem more credible. Only now that he's boinking the teenager he feels confident enough to be his real self.

Here's the actual quote from Ult 3, #2

Val: Thor, ever wonder why SOMETIMES you talk like in that movie "Romeo and Juliet"? With all those "Thous" and "Thees"?

Thor: That I speaketh true? Mayhaps... for the year past I struggled to prove my identity to the people of Midgard. Now, I have no such conflict.

Val: So... 'Cause I BELIEVE in you, you can be kinda like yourself?

Thor: Verily

Kizmet: :puke:

[Kevin Jones]

Yeah, that makes perfect sense. If I want to convince you I'm a real thunder god, I should purposefully try not to talk like one. I'm so glad I'm not buying this series.

[Kizmet]

Yeah, that makes perfect sense. If I want to convince you I'm a real thunder god, I should purposefully try not to talk like one. I'm so glad I'm not buying this series.

Well that part actually does make a little sense. I mean if I wanted to convince anyone of anything, I wouldn't go around talking like a reject from a Shakespear play. Of course I don't think going around spouting New-age, hippie stuff lends credibility either...

What I want to know is why thunder gods who grew up in Norway would naturally speak like they learned English from Shakespear anyway.

[Kevin Jones]

What I want to know is why thunder gods who grew up in Norway would naturally speak like they learned English from Shakespear anyway.I actually don't have a problem with that. "Thee" and "Thou" used to be common english (the informal version of "you"). If these gods are immortal and they first visited Earth a long time ago, that would've been the English they learned. It would be kind of cool to have another god show up speaking Old English. <hears "Canterbury Tales" ringing in his ears>

[BlingstonHughes]

Also, apparently having the people of Midgard believe in you makes you grow facial hair, wear hotplates on your shirt, and morphs your once-cool hammer into a stone block.

[Nick Costanzo]

Hmm...

No one is stepping up to defend this book from what I see, except for one who just calls it a guilty pleasure. Sad to see this book fall in such a way.

[Kevin Jones]

My LCS owner actually defended it. I was talking to him about how muddy and strange the art looked to me, and he agreed, then said "But thank God for Jeph Loeb." I was mystified. He made it sound like he thought it was a solid piece of writing.

[Iceman_Fan15]

I actually thought the art was the only saving grace of the book. Yeah, it's really dark and muddy but I thought it just looked pretty badass.

[Jordan T. Maxwell]

No, apparently he always talked that way, but repressed his accent because he wanted to seem more credible. Only now that he's boinking the teenager he feels confident enough to be his real self.

Here's the actual quote from Ult 3, #2

Val: Thor, ever wonder why SOMETIMES you talk like in that movie "Romeo and Juliet"? With all those "Thous" and "Thees"?

Thor: That I speaketh true? Mayhaps... for the year past I struggled to prove my identity to the people of Midgard. Now, I have no such conflict.

Val: So... 'Cause I BELIEVE in you, you can be kinda like yourself?

Thor: Verily

Kizmet: :puke:

wait...seriously?

.....

...SERIOUSLY?

people actually PAY Loeb to write this stuff? oy...

[impulseucf]

wait...seriously?

.....

...SERIOUSLY?

people actually PAY Loeb to write this stuff? oy...I feel for the guy. He's certainly been through a lot, but man, his writing has tanked over the last few years. Call me the "vocal minority" if you like, but I dropped this damn book and put my money where my mouth is. Ugh. It's so disappointing to go from the Ultimates to this dreck. This is like following The Matrix (the first one, you know, the good one) with Dude, Where's My Car. UGH.

[Kizmet]

This has been the first five issue miniseries that I've ever gone to the trouble of canceling. My comic book store requires a three month warning before canceling a subscription, so I couldn't drop it before the next issue.

Ultimates #3 is sufficiently bad to make it worth the trouble just to purchase one less issue of this trainwreck.