Ultimates vol. 1 TPB

[hjcho]

I finally got around to reading this. Despite all the hype, it wasn't at the top of my pile. Reading through this book, I was reminded of an assignment I had back in the day when I was a freelancer. I was put on a three issue story arc to fill in for an artist who was running behind, and the writer was someone whose work I was familiar with. I liked some of his stuff but didn't really cast a critical eye until I actually had to draw his story. It was a frustrating experience, because the script was full of all sorts of gratuitous flourishes af violence and sex that really did not contribute to the story, and there were all sorts of absurd plot twists. However, I couldn't just blow this stuff off because at the core of the story was a good idea, and I had to work hard to maintain that thread of narrative. I think I really failed miserably, and it was a challenging and unpleasant experience.

Reading through Ultimates vol. 1, I had the same feeling. Millar's writing is flawed, in some ways very deeply, but at the core there is a good story that is sometimes or often obscured by the window-dressing. IN updating the Avengers, he has constructed an interesting concept that is richer and more complex than the original "super-friends" premise. Each member has his or her own agenda, and they obviously are not congruent. The overall sinister element of government sponsorship pervades the story. It is an interesting and believable way to bring together such disparate characters.

Unfortunately, this gets mired down in a lot of extraneous, gratuitous bullshit. First and foremost, Millar does not or cannot write female characters. Whether this is a conscious choice, a professional shortcoming, or a reflection of mysogyny, the end result is the uniform portrayal of emasculating, unfaithful harpies who get their asses kicked eventually. This is a theme that repeats in most of Millar's work that I've seen, although beyond this and Authority, that is admittedly not a large amount.

Second, after reading this volume I have to come down on the side of those who disfavor "decompressed" storytelling. This six issue story could have been trimmed to four at least, if not three. There are too many scenes that are extended for no particularly good reason. Many conversations extend well beyond that which is useful. It feels padded.

Third, the gratuitous hollywood namedropping gets very tedious. Millar is s smart man, and he is working more angles than just telling a good story, but this becomes akin to product placement. Why not just tell yer damn story and wait until the movie option to start pimping?

Overall, the story was good even if padded, and I really liked his portrayal of Stark and Thor. I appreciate that Millar was going for a fresh take on the characters. Obviously I thought the female characters sucked, and I didn't care for his take on HUlk and Cap. That's merely a matter of taste, for this story they were appropriate, but I didn't like them, particularly Cap. The conservative Might-Makes-Right Cap didn't jibe with me. I don't think the Sentinel of Liberty would kick a man when he was down, villain or otherwise.

The big plus of this book is Bryan Hitch's remarkable pencils. He really turned on the juice for this book, and while I personally do not think there is any excuse for delays of several months, I didn't have to wait so I can just admire the great pages without ire. His work here compares very favorably with early Neal Adams. I have minor quibbles with some of the storytelling and layouts, but technically this stuff rocks on all fours.

I'll probably move on to vol. 2 sooner rather than later, if only to see some more great art. I suppose we can look forward to vol. 3 sometime in 2006.

Overall: C+ (story) A (art)

[Christian Otte]

While I don't agree with your rating (this is an A book all around), I still think it's a good review.

[GhettoRebel]

I thought it was pretty good. Just finished reading it Friday night.

I already had read from issue 9 on up but this helped clear up a few things for me.

I was glad to see some the old stuff was revamped differently.

Bucky didn't die and even went on to marry Steve's fiance.

Apparently all of Steve's family is dead cept for a niece or cousin and he wont go to meet her. (616 Cap would've)

I think the part of Steve wearing his Army uniform is classic. He still considers himself a solider.

A great revamp and I cant wait for more

A+A+

[melperfect]

Hjcho, I formally demand that you review every book that you read every week. :p

Although I disagreed with about half of it, (I love the Ultimates) it was so well written and thoughtful that it was impossible to dismiss.

Great review, keep 'em coming. :D

[TheFoo]

You see people, that is how a review is done!! Like that!!

Finally, someone who is willing to stand up to Millers crap writing. (Yeah, that was constructive, I know!)

[leez34]

I gotta agree with most of what my man HJ has said here, although I didn't notice problems with the women characters. I hate the Hulk and Cap, especially the Hulk's dialogue. And why does he eat people? The Hulk doesn't even need to eat.

I did think it had a great core idea, but Millar has some big problems. He's a decent enough writer, but Big Time Bendis he's not.

[Dougie02]

I have the Superhuman book, but I havent read anything past that. I'm going to wait until the summer when the Volume 1 hardcover comes out.

I really like this book, but its mainly becuase of the art. I feel that Millar is way too preachy with the book. While I think some of the things he has done with certain characters, a lot of it leaves me feeling slightly troubled.

For example, lets take Cap. Yes, He looks ABSOLUTELY AMAZINGLY FRICKING AWESOME, but there is somethng troubling about his character. On one hand, he comes off as a very old school hard core World War Vet, yet there is something sinister and nasty in the way it is handled. In a lot of his actions, its not clear wether he is doing what he does becuase its how someone from a different generation may have acted, or if he is acting that way becuase Millar hates the Political Right and is satiring it.

SPOILERS BELOW

In example, lets take Cap's kicking of Bruce following the rampage. On one hand, its something I see a person like Cap doing this. Bruce did this for very selfish reasons. He killed dozens, perhaps hundreds of people, did millions of dollars of property damage etc. And then after that, he has the nerve to ask for pity. His transformation was a very conscious thing- he injected himself on purpose. There was no reason for all of those people to die, for all of the things to be destroyed. It was a senseless rampage. Entirely inexcusable and utterly deplorable.

On the other hand, kicking em while their down is something the Left characterizes the Right as doing, the left being Millar, the right being the establishment. He may have cuased tremendous harm and damage, but he said he was sorry. Feel bad for him. He is the victim. Look to yourself for the reasons he is this way.

Ditto for the France comment (I have heard about it, but I havent actually read it.) On one hand, it is something the ww2 era guys would say. The Vichy government essentially sold their country out to the Germans/aliens. The skrull/nazi would have been there for that. Cap is saying he wont go down without a fight.

On the other hand, its a satire/criticism of the right half of society's response when learning France was dealing miltary goods to Sodom.

And there is the power-mad drunk capitalist, who is literally drunk while walking around in a giant weapon...

All in all, Im buying the book for the art.

[Godfather]

I read this book a while ago, I got it cheap because it was damaged. I liked the story, loved the art. I agree with most of what hjcho brought, except one thing.

I really like the Captain America in Ultimates. Think about all the war heroes you know, they're not all boy scouts. I really liked Captain America and Thor, 2 characters I've never cared much for in the past.

And yes, I felt the hollywood stuff was a little gratuitous.

B for Bryan Hitch!

[flutegirlrockz]

I think storywise Ultimates has been hit and miss but when Millar hits the bullseye he realy hits it, some of the issues have been outstanding. As for the art it's been consistantly great. I'll give it a B for story and an A for art.

[The Creeper]

GREAT VOLUME!!!


SOLID STORY AND BEUTIFUL ART!!!

[Goose]

I really liked this stuff.

I didn't buy the trade but I have the floppys (I hope nothing's different) and I think Miller did a good job. There is no rule that says that the "ultimate" versions of the heros have to act in even remotely the same way as the "marvel U" charactors.

I think Cap is acting a whole lot more like a soldier would. The Iron Man and Thor charactors are great reinterperetations of the originals.

The whole point of the ultimate universe is to throw out what doesn't work well about a charactor and try to reinvent something that does and I think what Miller has done works.

and the artwork is spectacular

[Sparker]

Originally posted by hjcho Third, the gratuitous hollywood namedropping gets very tedious. Millar is s smart man, and he is working more angles than just telling a good story, but this becomes akin to product placement. Why not just tell yer damn story and wait until the movie option to start pimping?

Yeah, that who-will-play-me scene went a little long, didn't it? Three things you can count on in a Millar book--a Newsweek/Time cover montage, a hollywood casting remark, and politics. But I like Millar and seeing those scenes just make me smile, really. And his politics have always been very-evenhanded, especially coming from a Labour Party speech writer/doctor. There was that one incongruous line in the Ultimates, when Nick Fury reacted to Thor's appearance and the aide informing him that the president doubled international aid by saying "And to think I voted for Nader". But it was funny, so I was willing to overlook the fact that a military intelligence guy would never say something like that.

Millar's approach to his books always seem bigger-than-life and are good fun, and the same holds for the Ultimates, IMO. Couple that with Hitch's truly superb artwork, and you have an A comic on your hands. I just won an auction for issues 7 - 12 and can't wait to get them.

[dollman]

Hjcho, it looks like you and I will continue to disagree. I thought Ang Lee's Hulk was disappointing, you thought it was great. You gave the Ultimates C-, I give it an A+.

See I'm not a Millar fan in particular. His work on other titles were either ok, or didn't interest me at all. I do agree with your comment that he is smart guy, and definitely knows to self promote his stuff. Case in point was Superman Red Son.

That said, his work on Ultimates just blew me away. Millar approached this title as writing a comic book with blockbuster movie sensibilities. And that's exactly what he delivered. I described this as the Independance Day of comic books.

Or better analogy, remember Scott McCloud's DESTROY? This was DESTROY with real world consequences. The swarth of carnage left by Hulk's rampage was mindboggling. The last time anyone attempted to demonstrate real world carnage in a battle of super powers was in Miracleman.

Who cares if he can't write female characters! At the risk of sounding like a pig, most big action pics are male bonding rituals anyway. For the most part, women in action films are there to be rescued or are window dressing (Kill Bill and Lara Kroft notwithstanding). And for the most part, the same can be said of most superhero titles.

If I wanted to read a title which is character driven first, and plot second, I'd be looking at Vertigo or Focus titles, not the Ultimate line. Good thought out review though.

[hjcho]

Originally posted by dollman
Hjcho, it looks like you and I will continue to disagree.

What can I say? I don't disagree that they've accomplished a "Bruckheimer" level sensation with Ultimates. There are specific aspects of Millar's writing that detract significantly from the experience, at least for me.