The Ultimates Volume 3

Issue 1

Written by Jeph Loeb

Drawn by Joe Madueira

The Ultimates have eben the cornerstone both of Marvel's Ultimate line and of what, for many, has been wrong with that line. The persistent delays caused on a little under three years worth of issues, whilst grounded in Mark Millar's very serious and very real health issues, made the book an easy target for those seeking to decry it as needlessly smug, needlessly self-aware post modern pop culture. It is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most impressive and entertaining runs any pair of creators have had on any title for the last five years but the fact remains that when you say 'Ultimates' to someone, the words 'empty spectacle' are rarely too far behind.

This is something of a pivotal issue for the series, with highly respected writer Loeb and legendary 'rock star' artist Madueira taking over and it's interesting to see what exactly the changes are. It's also interesting to note that Marvel, very publically, let it be know that several complete issues were in the can before the first was solicited.

Out from under SHIELD's control, the Ultimates find themselves in a world of trouble. Hawkeye, scarred by the events of the previous volume, appears to have a deathwish, the Black Widow is causing more trouble from beyond the grave than she did when she was alive and both Captain America and Tony Stark are absentee members. Janet Van Dyne, the most consistently hard working team member and now, leader, is doing her best to hold it together but the cracks are starting to show. And that's even before Venom arrives...

Loeb, a senior figure on Heroes' writing staff does character work very, very well and this is already a far more introspective take on the team. His Hawkeye is particularly fun, a brooding, bitter, savagely competent figure who does the job first and worries about his safety never. Likewise, he has a nice handle on Wasp, the most perenially under-used Avenger (Or Ultimate) of any incarnation. On the art side of things, Joe Madueira's style has undergone a near total reinvention, massively lush, rich colours backing character work which is still brawny but has much more character and is, crucially, in much more proportion than it's ever been before. Even Valkyrie, the newest (And for some fans, most troubling character) looks superb here as a direct result of that.

But despite the huge talent involved, despite the clear effort both have put in, something's missing. This issue feels, for want of a better word, like nothing but an extended instrumental. Characters are put in play, events are hinted at but for all the battles, all the admittedly shocking ending you get a sneaking feeling that very little has actually happened. This is the same problem the series has always had, the sense that it's too busy grandstanding to actually get anything done, and the fact that that weakness has transferred over to this new run suggests that it's a fault with the characters rather than the writers. In turn, perhaps the rumoured collapsing of the Ultimate line is not before time.

Don't get me wrong, this is a fun issue produced by two great creators but it's got very little soul. There's spectacle here but it's empty, cold and only time will tell whether Loeb and Madueira can do anything to change that. This is a hugely fun book but it's not one I remotely care about, and that I suspect, is not a problem that is easily fixed.