Review: THE ULTIMATES #1

 

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THE ULTIMATES #1
Written by Al Ewing
Art by Kenneth Rocafort
Published by Marvel Comics
Release Date: November 11, 2015

The big picture stories in the Marvel Universe haven’t left with Jonathan Hickman, as proven by Al Ewing and Kenneth Rocafort’s The Ultimates #1.

During Hickman’s time on Avengers and with the Infinity event and everything leading up to Secret Wars, cataclysmic scale threats were all the rage. With Ultimates, Al Ewing and Kenneth Rocafort have created a team to cope with extinction level threats…and that is right up my alley.

Al Ewing writes this team well and I liked the voices he has for these characters. He’s got a great cast, which you can see from the cover alone and I’m already a huge fan of the dynamic between Monica Rambeau and America Chavez. America steals the show in this issue, as she did in the preview and her rise to the big time as a powerhouse is a great thing. Powerhouse is really the name of the game here and that’s just fun…hell, Galactus is involved so Ewing has my full attention. He doesn’t waste that attention, explaining why this team has been assembled and the sort of things they will deal with in an entertaining way. This comic is fully accessible to new readers while also giving a lot of nods to the Hickman era, which I appreciated. I like where he takes the story in this first issue and he alludes to what will be some fun stories down the line.

Kenneth Rocafort’s style reminded me of Leinil Yu’s Marvel work with this first issue, which really drove home the Infinity feeling. He hits some of the big notes in the issue really well and I think he’s a really interesting artist to tap for some of these crazy galactic threats. There are some inconsistent spots in the issue but the tone is the biggest thing and he nailed it. His work with Monica and America is one of the stronger parts of the issue and I liked how he showcased Monica’s power. He and Ewing pair nicely and the feeling of this first issue is nothing short of “epic”. That’s a good thing, in my mind and I’m game to see what’s coming when he really cuts loose.

The Ultimates #1 is a great debut issue that gives those of us who love the grand-scale threats a lot of hope. Ewing handles this team of titans nicely and the final page got me really intrigued for what this team is going to have to handle down the line. This comic is already a bit outside the box, which I like a lot and there are many indications in this first issue that Kenneth Rocafort is going to go a little wild at points and the results will be stellar. I’m definitely in for more Ultimates and I recommend this to anyone who enjoyed Hickman’s work in the Marvel U.

The Verdict: 8.5/10

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