If you aren’t reading the current Marvel Ultimate Universe titles then you are missing out on the best titles they are publishing right now. “Ultimate Spider-Man” and “The Ultimates” are some of the first titles I read each week they come out. Seriously, if you haven’t tried out these titles, come talk to us now about them and we will all tell you how awesome they are.
One part of the Ultimate universe that has been quietly building over the last year is that this universe is happening in real time. A month passes for the universe in between each of the issues meaning that no character feels caught in the superhero status quo that can haunt the main universe versions of these characters. It’s not just a creative exercise for the writers and artists behind this universe, but it also serves a plot reason. The villainous Maker - who created the universe and stifled the age of heroes from happening - is locked away for two-years time plotting how he is going to stop the newly created heroes from toppling his control over the world. With the publication of this week’s “Ultimate Universe: One Year In” one-shot the clock has just moved that much closer to the Maker coming back.
What this title does exceptionally well is it serves as a welcoming point for the curious reader to get you up to speed with everything happening while it also serves as a payoff to questions that the Ultimate books have set up over the last year. Making his Ultimate universe debut in this issue is Nick Fury, but before you breathe a sigh of relief… this isn’t the Fury you know. This Fury doesn’t head S.H.I.E.L.D. but rather the H.A.N.D. organization which exists to keep the Maker’s world order in his absence. This issue excels with making Fury a deep and complex character all in a single story. You will get to experience his conflicted nature of wanting to keep the world order but being racked with guilt by his actions to keep it. I closed the book with a new appreciation for all that this universe is attempting to do and so incredibly excited to read the next issues of each of the titles.
Deniz Camp writes the hell out of this issue. Camp is one of the rising stars of the comic book industry who feels like they came out of nowhere. Before this one-shot, Camp has been masterfully handling the “Ultimates” title and brings their A-game here. One of the greatest strengths of Camp’s “Ultimates” issues is each one builds to a much larger endgame while feeling self-contained and truly fulfilling as a reader. I will say this now: DO NOT SLEEP ON DENIZ CAMP. I fully expect them to be one of the major comic writers of the next decade and you don’t want to miss seeing their evolution.
Jonas Scharf and Mattia Iacono’s visuals and panel layouts are a joy to look at on each page. The callbacks the pair make to Steranko’s time with Nick Fury as well as their depictions of how this Ultimate universe prevented the age of heroes from happening really sell the emotional weight that Fury holds. Travis Lanham letters this book seamlessly.
If all of this hasn’t sold you on this book, there is one more thing I should say about this book. Not only do you get a great welcome to the structure of Ultimate Marvel, you also get a preview for the next title coming out in January. From Chris Condon and Alessandro Cappuccio, you get a very quick look at the Ultimate Wolverine, which I have been sold on the title with the three-pages they give you in this one-shot.
The Ultimate Universe is the best thing Marvel Comics are publishing right now. Full stop. This one-shot is the perfect way to dip your toes into the most creative and well-structured line of titles out there.
Camp and company have done so much with this universe. You should get in on the action now and countdown to the release of the Maker’s malicious machinations! (I couldn’t help but get a little alliterative at the end…)
Save the world, read comics!
-Tripper
P.S. Lighthouse Keepers got not one, BUT TWO FREE COMICS this week with their subscription. If you want to save some money on comics while also getting our curated best-of-the-best picks each week, don’t forget to subscribe to our January Lighthouse Keeper today! You can come into the shop or hop on over to our webstore to pay $20 (plus tax) to get FIVE books each month selected by us here at House of Heroes.
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