The Ultimates Vol. 1: Superhuman
Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: Bryan Hitch
They are not just Avengers... they are THE ULTIMATES!!!
Ranking: 4 stars
The Ultimate Marvel Universe has been the reality where a majority of my favorite comics Marvel has published, come from! Marvel Comics whose title begins with the adjective "Ultimate," are not part of the mainstream universe. The Ultimate Universe was created at the dawn of the 21st Century, as a method of presenting Marvel's characters to modern audiences. Effectively, this allowed writers and artists to create new stories without being held back by any set continuity, or character history. The crown jewel of these comics, was ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN by the unbelievably talented Brian Michael Bendis, who not only captured Spidey's superhero duties, but also portrayed his everyday life as a high school student. While I only focused on the fight scenes as a kid, I felt that the Ultimate wall-crawler was a character that I could relate to when I reread the books in my teens. Although he has spider-powers, Peter Parker must endure being a social outcast in school, he desperately attempts to lead a normal life, and makes hilarious references to popular culture! I felt that Bendis truly understood how the minds of teenagers functioned, which has made him my second favorite comic book writer (right behind the author of BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN, and SPIDER-MAN: BLUE; Jeph Loeb). Outside of the web head's adventures, I was particularly fond of Bendis and Mark Millar's run on ULTIMATE X-MEN (although Millar was extremely fast-paced, his version of Magneto is my favorite), as well as Millar's modernized update on the Avengers: THE ULTIMATES.
Starting in 1945, the American icon and super solider Captain America, makes a valiant attempt to divert a Nazi nuclear missile from striking Washington DC. Although he succeeds in disarming the missile, he is cast into the abyss of the North Atlantic Ocean, where he will remain frozen for 60 years. Once Captain America is recovered from the ice and revived, he is shocked to discover that the world he once knew is history. His friends, family, and war comrades are either elderly or deceased, and it seems as if he has lost his purpose in the world. But he soon discovers that the ones who have revived him, S.H.I.E.L.D (an international counter terrorist organization), have offered a great purpose for continuing on. For S.H.I.E.L.D director, General Nick Fury, has been authorized by the U.S. Government to create a small, but advanced team of super humans to counter threats that are on an entirely different scale than what civilization can handle on their own (the rising emergence of Mutants, illegal genetic mutations, and eventually extraterrestrials who appear in the next volume). The proposed roster for this team includes IRON MAN, an alcoholic billionaire CEO, and playboy, who shows off in a high-tech suit of armor; GIANT MAN, an energetic scientist in the field of genetics, who hides a dark past; WASP, a double PhD who is a mutant of short stature, and a woman who is not as joy hearted as she appears to be; the HULK, a gentle, world-renowned physicist who has the potential to destroy everything he loves, should he ever become angry; and THOR, a man who claims to be the actual son of Odin from Norse Mythology, but is believed by most to be a former mental patient with an extremely powerful hammer! As this team is assembled before the public eye, they must prove their worth as heroes by trial and error; whether it means saving Manhattan from a familiar gray-skinned monster, as well as the revelation of a secret that can ruin the reputation of one of their own.
While Mark Millar's edgy and fast-paced style can be annoying at times, this is probably the best of his work in the field of comic books (along with SUPERMAN: RED SON, and ULTIMATE X-MEN). Instead of focusing primarily on action-packed battle royales, Millar sets the majority of the book's focus towards the social interactions among the characters. Members of the team reveal their backstories and personal conflicts through dialogue with others while they are forming the Ultimates, which allows the reader to see a group of various behaviors brought into a single environment. This in turn, allows the heroes values to be contrasted with those of their peers, which has the potential to create an atmosphere of either friendship, or conflict. One of my favorite factors of all books in the Ultimate Universe, is the numerous references to media and popular culture, which Millar expertly uses to create humorous one-liners. Three of my favorite pop culture jokes include Nick Fury claiming to have his nose broken more times than Robert Downey Jr. (burst out laughing), the Ultimates discussing which actors will play them in a movie adaptation, Cap says he has no idea who Brad Pitt is, and Nick Fury says Samuel L. Jackson would be the perfect one to play his character! Interestingly, the Ultimate version of Fury was modeled after Samuel L. Jackson, and it was Jackson who played the character in films like IRON MAN and MARVEL'S THE AVENGERS (somewhat ironic). While Bryan Hitch isn't among my favorite artists, his pencils perfectly blend in with the story Millar has plotted. I love his portrayal of the Iron Man armor, Cap's battle in WWII, and the gatefold of the Hulk wreaking havoc on Manhattan in particular.
So while I don't find Mark Millar to be one of my favorite writers, I am a fan of his work on the Ultimate Marvel Universe, and THE ULTIMATES VOL. 1: SUPERHUMAN, is no exception. His edgy style succeeds in creating a story about characters we can come to care about, as well as create a story of action, suspense, and tragedy. If you're looking for a great place to start with The Avengers comic books, you can do no better than Mark Millar's astonishing work on THE ULTIMATES!!!
-President Bush:"So what's your verdict on the 21st century Captain America? Cool or uncool?"
Captain America:"Cool Mister President. Definitely Cool."
