Tomorrow Men

The book, as stated by the other reviewers, is a nice little interlude between the two series of comics. The characters were written the way they should have been, and that is the problem. It is obvious, after reading the second series of Ultimates, that there is a huge character problem. I don't think it was the author's faulth though, since he probably didn't get any input from Marvel or Millar on what was coming. My biggest problem with the book is that the villains are sorely lacking in the "We're going to destroy the Earth!" department. There is no real threat that would make it necessary for the Ultimates to be involved with these guys. Granted, it could be a nice lead in for the Maggia, AIM, Hydra, or some other group, or if you stretched it, Kang. But the villains were just too subdued and not threatening enough. I never felt that the Ultimates were the ones for this job, it was more of a FF book to me. And for those who haven't read it, stop here, a spoiler follows.... In the future, why wasn't there anything based off of Tony's armor? Why was he the most powerful person, when everyone was from his company? There should have been all kinds of technology that made him obsolete. Oh well. The author did a good job of using the characters and turning things around on them a bit, and then putting them back none the worse for wear. All in all, not a bad book. Save the money and go check it out at the library.

This here's an Ultimates (rebooted Avengers for a new generation) adventure that takes place between the 2 volumes of the comic books by Mark Miller. It's a pleasantly written tale that's not earth shaking, but enjoyable none the less. Although Captain America is featured on the cover the main hero of the story is Iron Man and his budding romance with the Black Widow. All of the characters (Thor, Wasp, Giant Man, Hulk, Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, Quick Silver)are spot on for the ultimate line of comics. Lightly recommended for hardcore Ultimates fans.

The Ultimates: Tomorrow Men bridges the gap between the first 12 issues of Ultimates and the second 12 issues. It is a fun, energetic story written by Michael Han Friedman. That is the only fault of the story, is it's written by someone other than Mark Millar, and therefore, some of the magic is missing. The plot, without giving too much away, involves a band of white and green clad figures with shaved heads showing up, claiming they are from the future. Whether they are or aren't is up for debate over the course of the book, while the Ultimates engage a host of menaces and traps from without and within. There are plenty of thrills and chills, though not as epic a scale as is avalible in the Ultimates comics. The characters are what make me give the book 4, not 5 stars. Friedman does a good job relaying the characters, and even polishes some of the details left fuzzy by the comic books. But unfortunately, some of the twists that took place in the second Ultimates series make moments in this book ring completely false. This is unfortunate and I'm sure not Friedman's fault- I know this novel took a long time to publish and he didn't have all those last moment details. Still, the `pink elephant' of conflicting plot is there, and hard to miss. If you're like me, an avid reader and rabid Ultimates fan, this book is an amusing way to pass the time until Millar comes out with another Ultimates series (oh, please soooooonnnn) and frankly, I am going to buy the other novel that comes out late 2007. But reading this book is akin to being ravenously hungry and eating popcorn when you want stake. Does this take the edge off your need? Yes. Does it satisfy your craving, not completely. Buy the book and enjoy it, just don't expect something as good as Millar's Ultimates. Recommended for comic junkies in need of a fix....