Ultimates - Volume 1: Super-Human

I grew up reading comics and though I rarely read them now, this book was more exciting and well written than most action films. Even those who have never read a comic will enjoy it. All great characters, comic or otherwise, must adapt their personas and themes for the current times. The Marvel comics company has been especially great at doing this with its superheroes. From Captain America fighting in Vietnam to a member of the X men dying of AIDS, they have always addressed and reflected the issues of the day better than any other comic book company. "THE ULTIMATES" is an excellent retelling of the original Avengers story, updated for the War on Terror. There are some great twists in this landmark graphic novel. 1) captain america is rescued from suspended animation not in the 1960's , but in the 21st century. 2) Ant Man and the Wasp's domestic problems are expanded and intensified to actual domestic violence and mental illness. 3) Iron Man is not only an industrialist, but a Donald Trump like media star. 4) Thor has been reinvented to reflect the far left's views on the war on terror and U.S imperialism. 5) The Hulk is now considered literally to be a "Weapon of Mass Destruction". I also loved the appearances of Larry King and George W. Bush in the story. Changing Nick Fury to an African American man and a burgeoning romance between Captain America and the Wasp were inspired as well. A great, entertaining read that is also exceptionally illustrated!

This fantastic collection of the first 13 issues of The Ultimates is a truly great and original comic. Forget everything you know about the Avengers. Aside from common names and similar origins, the characters that make up this team are much different than their mainstream Marvel counterparts. The biggest difference is that all of the characters here are rife with human flaws and singular viewpoints. Each character is truly different from the others, which makes for some real interesting chemistry and fireworks between them. This team is a government-funded team of super-beings, employed to battle the worst threats that america may ever face - known or unknown, seen and unseen. This collection is very human in the telling, which makes it a real joy to read through. I enjoyed each character's individuality - in look, speech, attitude, and character flaws. The book is filled with action, bits of humor, political satire, and top-notch art. I gave this book a five-star rating because I just really enjoyed the writing, the art, and the overall concept. I would not recommend this book for kids under 13, however, as there are things in the book that are made for a more mature readership. If you're redy for a fresh, new, realistic take on some classic heroes, though, this is just the book you're looking for!

The Ultimates, as most of you may already know, is Mark Millar's new take and new look on the Avengers. Millar's story, combined with Bryan Hitch's awesome artwork, makes The Ultimates is one of the best comic books of our time. The Ultimates is an almost totally new look at the Avengers. The story is set at the present timeline(2002) and this time, the Avengers now works as a military group. The Ultimates is a super-hero team built to protect America from super-human attacks and acts of super terrorism that can no longer be handled by the military. The team is headed by Nick Fury, who is still the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. Among its members are Steve Rogers (Captain America), who is the team leader, Tony Stark (Iron Man), Hank Pym (Giant Man), his wife Janet Pym (The Wasp), Bruce Banner (Hulk) and Thor. New recruits such as Black Widow, Hawkeye, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch are also added later on in the book. Readers will also get to see the Avengers in a dimmer, darker and more mature storyline this time. Its story is much more interesting and intruiging this time. Millar did a good job of making The Ultimates fun and full of action, while still keeping the storyline dim. Hitch's pencils and Currie's inks also raised the darkness and maturity level of this comic book. Mark Millar really outdone himself in this book. The story is very creative, it manages to be deep, intruiging, and would you believe, even realistic at the same time. Almost all of the characters in this comic book have been retold and remade. For example, Thor is now a hippie who drinks booze and protests for human rights and stuff like that, but is still the all-powerful, hammer-wielding Norse God that we love, only without the accent. Hank Pym, also known as Giant-Man, is now a hunky scientist who is witty and funny, but at the same time has an ego and an inferiority complex that could tear apart everything he loves, and he proved it by almost killing his wife Janet after an argument. Nick Fury is now a black man. Need I say more??? In other words, THIS IS AS HUMAN AND AS REALISTIC AS THE AVENGERS ARE EVER GONNA BE. I've never seen such realism in comic books in my life. The characters are heroes, yeah, but at the same time almost all of them have negative traits or dark secrets that could destroy the team. Emotions, egos and personal agendas now play a big part in the story and characters, which makes them more vulnerable not only to their enemies, but to each other as well. (It was jealousy that started the Hulk rampage and Giant Man's almost fatal assault to his wife.) However, the Ultimates still managed to stay true to each member's roots, even for a little bit. Cap is still the responsible and patriotic fighting machine that he always was (although much more gritty and emotional this time), Hulk is still the strongest there is, Thor is still the all-powerful Norse God (although much more human this time), Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch are still Magneto's offsprings and T

The Ultimates is as original as a "re-imagining" of characters can get. This TPB collects the first six issues of the series and re-introduces us to the characters of: Captain America, Iron-Man, Thor, Giant-Man, and the Wasp. Each of the characters is handled well and Mark Millar does a good job of setting the tone of the series...which starts off slow and then powers forward to the conclusion of Issue #6.On the weakness front we have Millar's usual M.O. of rushed storylines and too many characters. Unlike his run on Authority or Ultimate X-Men he has just enough characters to juggle without too much confusion (Thor is the only lacking character in the TPB). The only other problem that readers may face when diving into The Ultimates is that it does not tell a complete tale. This TPB was rushed out while the title is enjoying an immensely popular run so there is no 'end' to the stroyline...but there is one heck of a set-up for what will undoubtedly unfold in the second TPB.But let's look at the strengths of the Ultimates:1) A great WWII intro with Captain America as well as a new take on the Cap - Bucky friendship.2) A great twist on why millionaire Tony Stark would want to be Iron-Man.3) The strong use of SHIELD and Nick Fury in setting up the Ultimates...and then the hilarious idea that..."Now that we have a superhero team...what happens if we never have any villains to fight?"4) A good battle with The Hulk (who is much more enjoyable to read when instead of saying "Hulk Smash!", we get..."I'm gonna rip off your head and #@! & down your neck!" It scared me.5) Domestic violence between Giant-Man and the Wasp which was handled more powerfully than anything I'd read in a long long time. Rereading the scene and reading between the lines only helps demonstrate that these are heroes with "real world" troubles.All in all I recommend The Ultimates. While not as strong as Brian Michael Bendis run on Ultimate Spider-Man, it does outshine the Ultimate X-Men and 95% of the comics and TPB's being published today.

In the beginning, there was a global altercation that became known as World War II, an altercation that plunged sons into a similar bloody chaos that had enveloped their fathers only twenty years ago. During this second World War, though, a choice was made to create a new hero and wrap him in the red, white and blue of the flag of the United States-a living, breathing, battling embodiment of strong-willed freedom. They named him Captain America, and he was every bit the symbol that those far-thinking men had hoped he would be. Only one day they lost him. The loss came as they had thought it would, in the heat of battle, warring against impossible odds for the highest stakes imaginable. Even in tragedy, Captain America still succeeded. Years later, with the future of the world in question and stakes rising around the globe, another decision has been put into play regarding the invention of not one, but several super-powered beings-and all of these heroes would come together under the close-knit supervision of General Nicholas Fury, one-eyed leader of S.H.I.E.L.D. Fury has talked the American government into reactivating the Super-Soldier program that created Captain America. Unfortunately, under its first incarnation, Dr. Bruce Banner created a rampaging entity that came to be known as the Hulk and all but got the program cancelled. Banner takes the number two spot on the new program, and the lead designer role goes to Dr. Henry Pym, who has already begun experimenting with communication with ants and size-changing powers, calling himself first Ant-Man then Giant-Man. His lovely wife Jan, hiding dark secrets of her own, is the Wasp. Tony Stark, known throughout the world also as Iron Man, has also agreed to join the team for reasons of his own. Even as the new Super-Soldier program goes on-line, Captain America turns up in suspended animation, a combination of the freezing waters of the North Atlantic Ocean and the super-soldier drug in his system. At the same time, General Fury opens negotiations with Thor, a self-proclaimed deity, environmental activist, and New Age guru, resides in Norway but has powers over the weather that no one can explain. A considerable amount of political jockeying has to take place before the team of super-powered individuals begin to assemble-and that cohesion also takes the reappearance of the Hulk, bigger and badder than ever, and way past control. If Fury's Ultimates aren't careful, they could only be singing the opening stanza of their swan song.Mark Millar, author of THE ULTIMATES, has also written THE AUTHORITY, ULTIMATE X-MEN, THE FLASH, SUPERMAN ADVENTURES, VAMPIRELLA, and THE COLUMN for Comic Book Resources. Bryan Hitch has drawn for JLA, THE AUTHORITY, MARTIAN MANHUNTER, and WILDCATS.Anyone who has read comics, especially Marvel Comics, is familiar with the genesis material for this Ultimate Marvel series. The original Avengers (Thor, the Hulk, Iron Man, Ant-Man, and the Wondrous Wasp) gather