Rating: 
Summary: Solid re-imagining of the Avengers
Review: I'm admittadly not the biggest fan of Marvel's Ultimate line, but there was something about The Ultimates that just made me want to give it a look. Mark Millar's re-imagining of the Avengers is flawed to be sure, but it sure does have it's flashes of brilliance here and there. Beginning with Captain America's final mission during World War II where he was believed to have been killed, and leading up to his frozen body being found and later joining the government funded Ultimates consisting of Nick Fury, Bruce Banner, Tony Stark, Hank Pym, and his wife Janet. Later on we are introduced to the mighty Thor, re-invisioned here as a hippie, pacifist who can mysteriously control weather elements and wields a rather large hammer. Nick Fury undergoes probably the biggest change as he is now black (he looks so much like Samuel L. Jackson it's not even funny) and not the cigar chomping grizzled war hero we knew and loved. Dr. Bruce Banner is re-imagined as a brilliant scientist who feels left out by the woman he loves (Betty Ross) and the rest of the team, concluding with him becoming the Hulk. This version of the Hulk is where my biggest gripe is; he's a sex crazed, beer guzzling idiot who rambles moronic things while trying to kill Freddie Prinze Junior (yes, you read that right). This version of Tony Stark is practically the same as in the regular Marvel universe, although I'm not too fond of the new Iron Man armor. The volitale relationship between Hank and Janet Pym however, is where the book shines, as the domestic violence and Hank's ego mania takes control and becomes quite chilling. The rendition of Captain America I really enjoy, even though I wish more of Cap trying to cope with this new world would have been seen. The art by Bryan Hitch is fantastic, but the book loses points with one too many pop-culture references that are here to remind us that this story is supposed to take place in the present day. All in all, this is my favorite Ultimate title, but the issues that followed after this (due out soon in the next volume called Homeland Security) is where The Ultimates becomes something really special.
Rating: 
Summary: The Avengers meets Entertainment Tonight
Review: If Giant Man fantasizing about being played by Matthew McConaughey in a movie sounds like a good read to you, then you should buy this paperback. It was almost as good as my teenage sister's diary. Shallow, pop junk. I feel so ripped off.
Rating: 
Summary: Well, that was new...
Review: If I were to come up with a single word to describe this book, it would have to be "Disturbing". Marvel has strived to apparently make far more realistic characters out of the Avengers Icon, and have succeeded in ways I hadn't forseen. For those expecting the noble Captain America, I'd worn you that he's about as hard-nosed as you'd expect a WWII vet to be. Thor's motives are.... unexpected. And while character twists on Hulk, Ant Man, and Wasp do allow their characters to be far more human, they cross lines I wasn't expecting.Overall, I would definatly call this a good book. Just understand that it's not the same Marvel Universe you grew up with.
Rating: 
Summary: Avengers For the 21st Century!
Review: 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) gathered to defeat the menace of Thor's evil half-brother Loki in the 1960s. Comic books have never been the same since. THE ULTIMATES: SUPER-HUMAN is clearly a 21st century relaunch on that comic. Mark Millar brings darkness and a razor-edged thrill to the series. All of the characters have been made over in his or her own image, but with new oddities and twists that increase long-time readers' interest with a new look at favorite heroes, and offer an organic history of very real characters for the uninitiated. In some ways, the flow of the story seems very familiar: the Hulk is a rampaging monster trapped inside weak Bruce Banner, Captain America is rescued from a frozen wasteland after being preserved in suspended animation, Hank and Janet Pym are married, Thor was an emergency medical technician till something changed him into a Norse god (or revealed that aspect of himself), and Tony Stark/Iron Man is a rich playboy. But the spins that Millar brings to the characters and to the stories are unique and the stuff from which successful series spring from and run for years. Bryan Hitch's artwork is jaw-droppingly beautiful, panels and splash pages of action and character interplay that seizes the eye and just won't let go. Even after a reader has finished the graphic novel, he or she will probably find himself or herself wandering back through the pages just admiring the art. The decision to set the first issue back during World War II was dead-on. Seeing Captain America in action, especially dressed in Hitch's take on the familiar red, white and blue uniform (complete with pistol, ammo belt, and helmet) draws the reader into the story with the urgency of an all-or-nothing mission in the final days of the war. The final couple pages showcasing Tony Star atop a snow-covered mountain peak, knowing he is Iron Man, whets the appetite for the next issue. Each of the six issues of the monthly comic gathered in this graphic novel lends itself to the next, building on the action and sharp character byplay of the previous issue. THE ULTIMATES is recommended to regular AVENGERS fans and to anyone who is only now discovering the breathtaking world of the graphic novel. Readers that have learned to enjoy the graphic novel medium can't afford to pass up on a book that is definitely going to be an award contender.
Rating:
Summary: it was interesting
Review: It was interesting to see this new take on some old favorite characters--Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Wasp, and Giant-Man. And surprisingly Wasp and Giant-Man's story was one of the more interesting ones. It's pretty well done.
Rating:
Summary: better than the regular avengers
Review: Marvel's ultimate line is probably the best thing the company has done in years, and this is possibly the strongest ultimate title. The stories are well-written and quite innovative, and the art is beautiful. This is a must read for anyone.
Rating:
Summary: Hit and Miss
Review: More `adult' re-imagination of the formation of Marvel's premier super team The Avengers, which begins with the final World War II mission of Captain America and touches on the ups and downs of the founding members, Giant Man, The Wasp, Iron Man, The Hulk, and Thor, throwing in Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. The art is quite good, and while the story moved well, I had some problems with a few of the characterizations (though these could be a matter of personal taste). The author plays around a bit with established canon for the sake of this new universe, and that is understandable, but changing the Hulk into a raging, oversexed skirt-chaser was a little bit...well, dumb to me. I also didn't care for Nick Fury's recasting. The art and the writing SO made him look and seem like Sam Jackson that it kind've didn't ring true for me that this was supposed to be Nick Fury. He was too suave and cool. The authors of The Ultimates seemed to have a good time casting their characters with real life actors (there is one sequence where the newly discovered by the media team sits around and speculates on who would portray each of them in a Hollywood adaptation.), but personally, I didn't care for all the pop references (reverences?). I'd like to think that a molecular biologist and the leader of Shield would be a little less like fanboys. Fury's supposed to be this grizzled cigar chomping ex-GI a la Sgt. Rock, but he comes off more as Tony Stark with an eyepatch here (for the record, Tony Stark doesn't look anything like Johnny Depp in his rendering, either - he looks more like Jonathan Frakes from Star Trek). Most of the other characterizations didn't bother me. Portraying the Wasp and Giant Man as having such extensive, violent domestic troubles went a long way to humanize them, and turning Jarvis, Tony Stark's faithful butler into an aging homosexual (wearing a colorful vest to gain Thor and Cap's attention...) was pretty daring. Didn't like Tony Stark's Iron Man armor though - he looked like a Micronaut. I would have liked to have seen more of Thor, but I'm not sure I cared for his reinvention as a hippie pacifist eco-warrior - the Norse god of Thunder??? At Ragnarok this guy drowned in the venom of a giant serpent he slew, and here we find him hanging out with that guy with the guitar on the stairs in Animal House... But these are minor quibbles, again, possibly a matter of my own personal taste. There is a lot to like about The Ultimates - a lot to make it stand above the normal superhero fare. The rivalry between Dr. (Giant Man) Pym and Bruce (The Hulk) Banner is very well played out - the frustrations and the pettiness of these two in their race to perfect the next big superhuman for the team is like watching Dr. Jekyll try to outdo Dr. Frankenstein. Pym comes off as a selfish egomaniac who will posture and fabricate to protect his reputation, whereas the more honest Banner is something of a maladjusted loser. Both are well realized and interesting to watch. Its a great juxtaposition when you consider that Pym is something of a monster (which is apparent in the final pages - that scene with him wearing the ant helmet `You shouldn't have made me look small...' creepy!) trying to be a good man, and Banner is a good man who wants to be a monster. The motivation for Tony Stark's desire to join the team as Iron Man is revealed in a touching manner (possibly the best dramatic scene of the book, toward the end where Thor, Stark, and Cap are sharing dinner at Stark's penthouse apartment) and goes a long way in making me like the playboy, who I will confess never interested me much in the past. Captain America and his story arc comes off the best (which as an ardent fan of ol Winghead, is fine by me) - the reunion with an elderly Bucky (I know, I know, Bucky's dead!... But it didn't bother me) near the beginning of the book is heartfelt and nicely done. There's a good sense of humor to this story too - Giant Man's embarrassing habit of growing beyond the capacity of his clothes (and the dismay of his colleagues), Cap's mistaking Fury and Stark and the Marines for Nazi agents when he awakes, The Hulk's rage at Freddy Prinze Jr. (go get him, Mr. Fixit! Captain America, indeed. I, along with Millar, see no one but Brad Pitt behind the big round shield), and those few panels where George W. Bush meets Steve Rogers made me smile (the Prez's expression is hilarious - `Cool or Uncool?'). In closing, an interesting read, but I was put off by The Hulk and Sam -I mean Nick Fury. And all the pop culture references can be done away with. Underneath the foil and hologram is a good read, that interested me enough to want to see where these characters are going. Keep in mind that this is more of an adult read - at least age fourteen and up. Oh, and in spite of my dislike of casting, I can't resist - Valdmir Kulich (Buliwyf from The 13th Warrior) as Thor...
Rating:
Summary: Humanizing the Superhuman
Review: Not particularly fond of Marvel's Ultimate line, I usually approach any of Marvel's 'Ultimate' series with hesitation. However, I was never that big into the Avengers, so I figured I would give The Ultimates a shot, and I was very pleased with the results. Once again re-imagining and re-telling the story of one of their most famous super groups, Marvel captures a whole new dimension of story-telling with the Ultimates. Making them seem like real, ordinary people with real problems is probably one of the best parts of the entire story. Of course, there is plenty of action and fighting to go around too. Alot of the character's origins and general appearences have been changed too. For example, instead of Tony Stark having a terminal heart condition, he know his an inoperable brain tumor. Nick Fury is probably the most dramatic change, in that instead of being a grizzled, cigar chomping World War II veteran, he's a blatant Samuel L. Jackson look-alike with attitude and spunk. An interesting reworking of Fury, but I could've done without it, despite how it fits with the story. Hank Pym and his wife Jan Pym, Giant Man and Wasp respectively, have marital problems, with Hank being an abusive, chronic alcoholic. The entire comic seems to revolve around the telling of everyone's personal lives, which gives all the characters alot of depth. Finally, Thor is the son of Odin from Asgard who has spent more than his fair share of time in a mental institution, and is now a peace-loving pacifist...until it comes time to defend the world. From Tony Stark's pompous, rich jerk attitude to Captain America's good old American spirit, The Ultimates is definitely worth the read. The interesting spin on the Hulk and other story elements make this one of the best Marvel re-tellings yet. The only thing that bothered me was that the comic got a bit too political at times. I appreciate seeing the inclusion of real-world problems into the comic, making it that much more realistic and adult, but sometimes it got just a wee bit critical and outspoken. But all in all, The Ultimates was a fantastic read that I just couldn't put down. When I got to the end I was thirsting for more, and The Ultimates: Volume 2 definitely delivers after this great introduction. Great job from Marvel.
Rating:
Summary: Worth the wait
Review: Note: this review refers to the recently released Ultimates TPB entitled Homeland Security. After managing to take down the Hulk, the government sponsored superhero team called the Ultimates have run into some problems. A shape changing alien race, which are responsible for some of humanity's worst moments (Captain America fought them in World War II) are once again rearing their ugly heads with a plan to wipe out the human race. Sad part is, the Ultimates are in shambles with Janet Pym AKA Wasp severely injured by her husband Hank AKA Giant Man, who himself goes on the run with Captain America in pursuit to teach him how to properly treat a lady. New members Hawkeye, Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, and Quicksilver are introduced as well as the team unites to defend the planet. The issues contained in Homeland Security is where the Ultimates really shines, improving on the first few issues by far. Mark Millar has cleverly crafted a modern day version of the Avengers while staying true to their original roots, while Bryan Hitch's artwork is better than ever. All this leads up to the upcoming (hopefully, many single issues of the series were loaded with shipping delays and would not reach shelves for months at a time) Ultimates Vol. 2 monthly series which Millar has hinted at will change everything you think about this modern day Avengers team. All in all, out of all of Marvel's Ultimate line (the new Ultimate Fantastic Four is impressive as well), the Ultimates is something really special.
Rating:
Summary: Worth the wait
Review: Note: this review refers to the recently released Ultimates TPB entitled Homeland Security. After managing to take down the Hulk, the government sponsored superhero team called the Ultimates have run into some problems. A shape changing alien race, which are responsible for some of humanity's worst moments (Captain America fought them in World War II) are once again rearing their ugly heads with a plan to wipe out the human race. Sad part is, the Ultimates are in shambles with Janet Pym AKA Wasp severely injured by her husband Hank AKA Giant Man, who himself goes on the run with Captain America in pursuit to teach him how to properly treat a lady. New members Hawkeye, Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, and Quicksilver are introduced as well as the team unites to defend the planet. The issues contained in Homeland Security is where the Ultimates really shines, improving on the first few issues by far. Mark Millar has cleverly crafted a modern day version of the Avengers while staying true to their original roots, while Bryan Hitch's artwork is better than ever. All this leads up to the upcoming (hopefully, many single issues of the series were loaded with shipping delays and would not reach shelves for months at a time) Ultimates Vol. 2 monthly series which Millar has hinted at will change everything you think about this modern day Avengers team. All in all, out of all of Marvel's Ultimate line (the new Ultimate Fantastic Four is impressive as well), the Ultimates is something really special.
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