Ultimates #1 is a comic book with tremendous expectations placed upon it. The original Ultimates was the prestigious cornerstone in a line of comics that modernized Marvel Comics’ storytelling tropes and style for the 20th century. Even today it remains a hotly discussed series with readers seemingly only set to agree on the stylistic merits of Bryan Hitch. Relaunching Ultimates as the narrative foundation for an entirely new Ultimate Marvel universe nearly 20 years later provides writer Deniz Camp and artist Juan Frigeri with inevitable expectations for how their vision of a remade Earth-616 will measure up against once-revolutionary superhero comics. Camp and Frigeri prove they are more than up to the task in Ultimates #1.
While the comparisons between this Ultimates and the original are inevitable, they are most alike in how differently they approach the challenge of reimagining Marvel comics. Ultimates #1 is instantly distinguished by its narrative approach; it presents readers with a densely woven story combining an ensemble of conflicted characters, grandiose sci-fi, and a layered timeline. It has much more in common with the highlights of prestige television than the “cinematic” comparisons of the early 2000s. Ultimates #1 is a comic book that assumes its audience is intelligent and treats them accordingly.
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This series addresses the high-concept framework for Earth-6160, which is summarized in a few paragraphs on the opening page before the story picks up where Ultimate Invasion left off. Camp seeds key ongoing character arcs and plot elements from that series throughout the first issue, ensuring that even if readers are joining in media res they won’t be lost by the issue’s end.
The sci-fi mechanics provide a compelling framework for the story at hand and are woven into the artwork as expository dialogue plays with visual elements and characterization to avoid growing dry. It’s an effective presentation that moves too quickly to grow dull. It sets global stakes for a small team of heroes and the resulting underdog dynamic is undeniably compelling. Camp and Frigeri’s vision of the Marvel universe is still loaded with colorful, superpowered individuals, but most of them are in league with authoritarian systems or resigned to their fate. It makes the resistance of a few bold individuals stand out more than the waves of endless Avengers found on Earth-616.
Frigeri proves an excellent match for this approach. They capture the mood of a world resigned to its fate in the issue’s opening splash of a decimated Manhattan. Despite notable changes like this or the inclusion of Moloids, the world outside of Tony Stark’s lair is recognizable and manages to make the wondrous costumes and powers displayed seem grounded in their relationship to the billions of people on Earth. There’s a sense of consequence when these figures move through the streets of New York City and even their own resplendent hideout still seems to be composed of steel and glass.
Frigeri knows how to draw a superhero and the costume designs range from good to outstanding with a couple of reimagined classics standing out. Rather than running from the style of superhero comics for something more realistic, like what audiences have come to expect from every new MCU film, Frigeri leans into the strengths of the medium. Superheroes are still figures of wonder, even if their costumes hide very human figures beneath them.
Those figures contain the greatest strength of Ultimates #1. As it presents an ensemble composed of seven superheroes on the cover alone, the issue provides each of them with at least one notable character beat and serves to define their conflicts and relationships well enough that I found myself invested in the entire cast after only 30 pages. Nowhere is this better exemplified than in the introduction of Hank and Janet Pym who arrive as recognizable personalities grappling with sympathetic dynamics and traumas in a way that emphasizes their humanity. Where a prior volume of Ultimates opted to flatten Hank into an unsympathetic wretch, Ultimates #1 offers him sympathy and understanding without denying his flaws.
It’s the fallen nature of this superhero team that defines Ultimates #1, each of them grappling with failures while recognizing the need to act in a world desperate for heroism and good actors. They serve to reflect a readership surrounded by tides of uncertainty and horror. How does one respond to climate change, rising fascism, and worsening wars? It’s an impossible question, but Ultimates #1 serves to remind readers that heroism lies in rising to face great threats without any certainty of victory.
Published by Marvel Comics
On June 5, 2024
Written by Deniz Camp
Art by Juan Frigeri
Colors by Federico Blee
Letters by Travis Lanham
Cover by Dike Ruan and Alejandro Sánchez
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Image Credit: Marvel Comics
