The Ultimates 2: Volume I, intriguingly titled Gods & Monsters is a real step up from both volumes of The Ultimates. Our heroes got together and saved the world, via nearly destroying it, some neat political satire and funny moments mostly involving The Hulk and Captain America, but this first volume of the next set improves on all aspects of the comic –the drawings are superb, the plot is much more interesting, and humour as sharp as ever (if not sharper) and – [GASP SHOCK HORROR PROBE] - even the dialogue is good.

With the world having been saved from an alien invasion (there is a brief resume of the events from the previous two books at the start of this book), it seems that the Ultimates might get a little rest. Sadly no – the world is still a dangerous place, and many people believe it to be so largely because of the American government – which is a bit tricky as they bankroll SHIELD, who in turn employ the Ultimates. Tensions begin to rise when it is suggested that their recent mission into an unnamed middle-eastern country was not simply a humanitarian effort. When Thor, potentially the Norse god of Thunder or some Norwegian nutter possessing great powers officially distances himself from the team, many take it as a sign that the rumours are correct. There is much speculation that the Ultimates are going beyond their remit of providing “Homeland Security” – and some of that speculation seems to be coming from the team itself.

Thor is an interesting character – we’re never quite sure if he’s a Thunder God, a Nutcase, or potentially both. Are his delusions about being visited by evil brother Loki, God of Mischief, real, or part of his mental illness? Since Loki claims to be able to manipulate reality, it is difficult to work out which of these possibilities is true...

News about the Hulk creates big shockwaves for the Ultimates, not least Bruce Banner who is to stand trial for the murder of over 800 civilians during one of his big green periods. Betty, the love of his life who was utterly file in the Ultimates I, actually comes across as something like a decent person here. Strange things are happening and there seems to be a traitor in their midst, and a bunch of European superheroes are coming onto the scene. A lot of the characters who were introduced in The Ultimates I Vol II (and were largely ineffectual there) start to come into their own here, with Hawkeye, Black Widow, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver actually having some decent action sequences and a fairly large part to play in the plot. Iron Man, Captain America and The Wasp are key to several things going on as always (and struggling to adjust to being a couple, along with Steve Roger’s struggle to come to terms with the modern world and modern America), and Nick Fury seems to be up to something...

The characters here are interesting and starting to be well developed, even if Janet Pym (Wasp) is quite annoying at times. One of the best sequences in the book, however, comes from her estranged husband Hank (Giant Man) who is trying to get back on the team and also trying out new superpower ideas (”Does Ant Man sound retarded?”). He falls in with a bunch of hero wannabees called “The Defenders”, who have cool names and outfits but no actual superpowers, and who in the book are basically there for a couple of evil but very funny jokes, to show just low Hank Pym’s existence has fallen, and to have a hot chick who calls herself Valkyrie prance around wearing practically nothing. She ends up having an affair with Hank (15 years her senior) and, just when it seems that his life can’t possibly get any worse, asks if he could dress up as Captain America next time they make out. As I said, cruel... but very funny! There’s also a large dose of political satire here – can’t imagine the Ultimates without it somehow – and some very funny bits throughout.

The action scenes are nicely done and as mentioned, the drawings are absolutely superb. To me this was superior to the first Ultimates books that I’ve reviewed in just about every way – so good that it might even win over a few fans who didn’t previously like comic books. It ends on a real cliff-hanger, and I ended up reading Volume II almost immediately – the plot draws you in to the extent that you just have to know what happens next!

Related Reviews

The Ultimates, Vol I
The Ultimates, Vol II: Homeland Security


This review was an entry to ElvisDo’s Funny Pages Write Off

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Ultimates characters in the movies: Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk







Recommended: Yes