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The Maker has recreated the Ultimate Universe (now numbered Earth-6160), but transformed Earth into a world without superheroes. Since then a young Tony Stark and a number of other desperate survivors have started the fight back, but the Maker's Council has convinced the world that Stark and Co. are actually dangerous terrorists.
That's the basic setup for The Ultimates - a new ongoing series from writer Deniz Camp and artist Juan Frigeri. While Spider-Man, Black Panther and the X-Men are off adventuring in their own series, The Ultimates is the line's flagship team book. We've read the first issue and while we can't get into any spoilers just yet, we can say that this is an effective and suitably epic start to the new series.
Roughly split into two halves, the first part of the issue does an effective job of establishing just how desperate the situation is: Iron Lad and Doom are barely getting on; both Captain America and Thor are temporarily out of action; the team are fugitives; and their attempts to kickstart a resistance against the Maker are failing - with disastrous consequences. Even worse, Tony has calculated how long they have to save the world and the answer is bleak: just 18 months. The countdown starts now.
In the second half of the issue the gang come under attack from Captain Britain - now one of the Maker's minions. It's here that the series' other leads - Hank and Janet Pym - step forward, and give the issue some heart. There's a real warmth and vulnerability to Camp and Frigeri's portrayal of the couple. They're care-worn, down on their luck, but still trying to do the right thing in a world that has made being a good person that much harder.
Frigeri's art (with coloring by Federico Blee) is strong throughout. If the first half of the issue feels hemmed in and claustrophobic, the latter part opens things up and gives space for the artist to cut loose with an epic brawl that gives the Ultimates their first chance to fight back. Each character is given a moment here that capably shows off who they are, with the fight between Captain Britain and Iron Lad hitting particularly hard. It's a handsome-looking book that's cinematic in scope while also telling the story clearly and efficiently.
If I have one criticism, it's that Doom feels oddly sidelined. This take on the character - a corrupted Reed Richards - is fascinating, but he's given little to do here. Then again, this is only the first issue and that's sure to change in the coming months. For the most part The Ultimates #1 is an exciting, fun, and suitably widescreen start to a series that has immediately become one of Marvel's monthly must-reads.
The Ultimates #1 is published by Marvel on June 5.
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