Ultimate Endgame #1 Begins The End of Marvel’s Grand Experiment in Epic Fashion

Wrapping up something as grand as Marvel’s entire Ultimate Universe was always going to be a challenge, especially when you consider just how much was happening across the line. The talented creative team of Deniz Camp, Terry and Rachel Dodson, Jonas Scharf, Federico Lee, Edgar Delgado, and Cory Petit took that challenge head on with Ultimate Endgame, and now that the first issue of the epic Ultimate Universe finale is here, the feeling of trepidation has mostly vanished, as the team has already shown that it has what it takes to land this plane and keep you guessing the whole way through.

Since its creation, the entire Ultimate Universe has been looking at the clock, as the return of The Maker loomed large over every step and every decision. Now that his exile has finally ended, all those plans Iron Lad, Doom, and the rest of the crew created are put into action. Perhaps fittingly for this world, absolutely none of those plans happen as expected, and that’s part of the magic that Camp has crafted throughout the entire issue.

Rating: 4 out of 5

The issue does a rather amazing job of showcasing how much of an impact Iron Lad has had on this world while the Maker’s been locked away, and how many situations he’s currently affecting at any given moment. The scale of the UltNet and the Ultimates’ influence is massive, and Camp utilizes that to establish the current progress of the world’s various conflicts incredibly efficiently. There’s a lot happening though, so if you haven’t been keeping up with every facet of the world to this point, you still might find yourself a little lost.

Regardless of your grasp on the various battles happening across the world, what will absolutely be conveyed is how critical Iron Lad is to all of it working in their favor, and how one unexpected circumstance can send even the best laid plan completely crashing down. Camp also conveys that there are real people being hurt and killed by this crash, and Iron Lad is going to have to deal with the weight of that and still navigate the way forward.

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That brings us to the second half of the issue, which deals with the world inside the bubble, and one of the most fascinating elements was the sheer unpredictable nature of everything once the team crosses that threshold. Characters you’d never expect show up to play an internal role, and even the city itself and what it represents defy expectations. Again, there’s a lot to process in that regard, but it’s less just mass information and more about setting compelling hooks for later issues, and at the moment, I’m 100% along for the ride.

We can’t talk about Ultimate Endgame without praising the art team, and that praise is more than deserved. The Dodsons and Blee bring you right into the chaos with battles that pop with color and bigger-than-life action. Meanwhile, Scharf and Delgado create an almost unhinged Maker that is perhaps the most menacing version to date, and the city he controls is no less imposing and hostile. Petit brings everything together with dynamic lettering that allows every sequence to crackle with impact. Also, Death’s Head looks insanely cool, and frankly, I’m just happy he’s along for the ride.

There’s a lot to digest here, and obviously, you would like to spend more time with certain characters, but with everything the book is trying to address, that’s simply impossible. That task is only going to become harder with future issues with the X-Men, Black Panther, and Wolverine likely joining the fray, but as it stands right now, Ultimate Endgame #1 does the impossible pretty well.

Ultimate Endgame #1 is in comic stores now.

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