The Ultimates 2: Volume II – Grand Theft America picks up from where Vol I left off, with a member of the team apparently turning traitor. In this instance it seems to be the man who’s basically a public symbol of what The Ultimates are supposed to be all about – and Nick Fury is... well... furious. He goes immediately to take out his man, but all is soon revealed to be really, really not what it seems...
Please note – this review is written with readers familiar with the earlier Ultimates volumes in mind. If you haven’t, please zip down to the bottom of the review for my reviews of those instead of continuing to read this, which may or may not make much sense to you. If you do decide to read this anyway, be aware that there will be some plot spoilers for the earlier books.
Having saved Manhatten from the Hulk and the world from aliens , the Ultimates are in for their greatest challenge yet - yeah well, they say that every time don't they? :-D The challenge this time is pretty daunting, but the resolution isn't too satisfying. Still there is plenty to enjoy along the way.
Ultimates 2 Vol 2 is, computer game pun in the title aside, quite a well-written, action-driven comic about a group of rival superheroes taking over America (and, by implication, the rest of the planet). The back story and motivation of this group has largely been kept secret in the first volume, but there were hints of Loki, Thor’s brother, being (possibly) real (ish), and a small sub-story about a young boy in Iraq (sorry – I meant to say unnamed Middle Eastern Country) who was less than impressed to be turfed out of his home by American soldiers and superheroes. Without saying too much more about this, a team led by the unnamed “Captain Iraq” turn up just when the Ultimates are least prepared for it...
Many of the good things from Vol I are still present here – the drawings are still top-notch, there is a lot of humour, and the writing is, on the whole, pretty decent. The story jumps forwards and backwards in time a bit, but certainly not in a way that's difficult to follow. The storyline isn’t too bad but eventually it descends into a series of vendettas and grudge one-on-one battles between for instance Captain America and Captain Iraq, Hulk (well come on, you knew he wasn’t really dead!) versus Abomination, etc. These seem rather contrived and also the Ultimates seem to win their battles very easily after the initial desperate situation. However some of the action sequences are well done, and the Hulk once again provides some good moments of humour – Abomination, more in control of his mental faculties as a huge green monster than Hulk is, can’t understand why he’s losing. Hulk’s logic is irrefutable: ”You know your problem, ugly scientist guy? ... ... YOU THINK TOO MUCH!”.
The way Tony Stark managing to outwit a real traitor in the ranks is ingenious, and his ability to rebound from a broken heart (”Never underestimate the healing power of a blonde”) is hilarious. A few peripheral characters in the earlier books – notably Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver – are much more prominent here, and their strange relationship is explored a little. The real star of the show though his Hawkeye – his escape to freedom is exhilarating and his revenge scene is amazingly powerful.
The images in this book are well up to the standard of the previous volumes, perhaps even better, and there’s an 8-page foldout spread in the middle of the book which looks pretty spectacular. Overall The Ultimates 2 Volume 2: Grand Theft America has many things to recommend it; it’s just a shame that they chose to have a series of predictable showdowns for the main battle. Not as good as Ultimates 2 Vol 1, but I still enjoyed this more than either volume of The Ultimates.
(As with the previous volumes, there is content in this that means it isn't necessarily for kids, even though it's a comic.)
Related Reviews
The Ultimates, Vol I
The Ultimates, Vol II: Homeland Security
The Ultimates 2, Vol I: Gods and Monsters
This review was an entry to ElvisDo’s Funny Pages Write Off
My Top Ten Superhero Movies
Ultimates characters in the movies: Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk
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