I’ve written well over a hundred reviews for the Avengers Forever website, and that review was the first time I had gotten such feedback, some vicious blowback. Apparently most of the world hated that issue, but I alone liked it.

Now, I’m not going to apologize for my opinions, but I do believe in second chances, so with this second issue of Ultimates 3 I promised myself (and several concerned friends) that I would be extra diligent in my review of #2. So, with my crap sensors set to kill, I dive into Ultimates 3 #2.

At first glance at the cover, or at least the cover I got, things don’t bode well for a good review. The banner across the top proudly proclaimed “March to Ultimatum.” It is a sign that this isn’t just a miniseries about the Ultimates, it’s a lead-in to yet another miniseries. In other words, groan, it’s likely we won’t be getting the entire story within the confines of Ultimates 3, and will instead also have to buy Ultimatum.

For the record, Ultimatum, scheduled to begin in May 2008, is a crossover that will supposedly change the Ultimate Marvel Universe forever. Riiight. Written by Ultimates 3 scribe Jeph Loeb and drawn by former New Avengers artist David Finch, it will force readers to read almost all of the titles under the Ultimate banner. It begins in Ultimate Power, then bounces over into Ultimate X-Men and Ultimate Fantastic Four. Save up your allowances now, kids, May is coming quick!

As if that’s not enough of a bad start, my alternate cover featured artist Joe Madureira’s Captain America face to face with Sabertooth. Old Ultimate Sabe has a particularly bestial face, which may or may not be in character, but it is also the way Joe Mad draws Thor for some reason. It’s one of my pet peeves with his work. Beard equals beast.

Also notable is that this issue has no story title. Now that’s nothing new at Marvel Comics of late. Personally I think that Brian Michael Bendis would rather lose a limb than title one of his Avengers stories, but here it’s a bit different. The first issue was titled, “The Ultimates 3.1: Improbable Cause: Sex, Lies & DVD.” That’s quite a mouthful, and just by its structure it suggests titles for successive chapters as well. What happened? Hmmm, maybe the same thing that happened to what I thought was a pretty cool comic last time around.

I’m really not sure what to make of the opening sequence with Grifter, I mean Ultimate Hawkeye, hunting down Spider-Man. I realize the man has a death wish and has been traumatized by the murders of his family but that doesn’t mean Hawkeye’s reasoning and logic should be so clouded. I mean, think about it. He was after Spider-Man, because SHIELD says “Venom is somehow related to” him. Riiight. But didn’t Hawkeye run off last issue to find the Black Panther who was tossed ten blocks by Venom – not to go shoot Spider-Man? If nothing else, Spidey’s dialogue was amusing.

After the ‘previously’ page and an ad for Dragon Wars (ominously significant because it also looks good but ultimately disappoints), we get a few weak pages of ‘characterization’ that are just vaguely disguised recounting of last issue – redundant because of the ‘previously’ page mentioned above. We’re not getting much from Loeb this time out other than copy-and-paste scripting.

Visually, I quite enjoyed Joe Mad’s Spider-Man and Christian Lichtner’s digital paints really make him pop. Lichtner does a similar dance with Captain America, it’s just a shame there is very little else this issue that stands out that way.

The art gets much uglier when the Brotherhood drops by, almost as if on cue. Too convenient for me, and it brings the story down. Joe Mad draws the evil mutants as ugly. I’ve already mentioned my problems with beard beast Sabertooth, but what is up with Ultimate Blob? Am I the only one curious to see an x-ray to verify and define his skeleton, skull and jaw? Talk about mutants!

The battle between the two teams is very quick if that. It’s almost as if Loeb is teasing us, showing us the shiny object that vanishing it behind our ear. The Iron Man/Mystique could have been something very interesting as it spins on Black Widow’s post-death continuing presence in the story, but it’s over before it can begin. Same with Thor/Valkyrie/Lorelei, just when it gets good, the scene is over. And can some one tell me what good Hawkeye and Multiple Man did either team in their encounter? Furthermore, how does Sabertooth get behind Captain America on page eighteen when he and Hawkeye are back to back at the top of the page?

While the illusion of battle pervades the mansion, Quicksilver and Magneto have a quick father/son catch up chat. Why does Pietro even consider trusting his father? Last I checked, Ultimate Quicksilver was even more of a jerk than his 616 counterpart, why would he fall for this? Especially with his sister’s death so recent? I don’t get it. But then Jeph Loeb seems to be low on motivation and characterization in this series so far.

My favorite character from last issue, Valkyrie, has been turned into a jabbering Valley girl (pun intended) and my favorite character from the first two Ultimates series seems to have completely disappeared. Where is Ultimate Thor? I can’t wait for him to return and rid us of the overacting beard beast that has replaced him. Second chances be damned, most of what I enjoyed about last issue has done a vanishing act.

Little things stuck out for me. The robot servants at the Stark mansion were a bit over the top. I miss poor dead alternate lifestyle Ultimate Jarvis. Loeb’s intimation online that this may be a new Wasp had me watching her sharp, but it’s hard to tell if there really is a difference considering the vast difference in artistic styles between Joe Mad and previous artist Bryan Hitch. Could the Wasp be a shape-shifting Skrull, excuse me, a Chitauri? She seems to have changed from Asian to Caucasian.

I really didn’t need to give this book (or myself) any second chances, as the work speaks for itself. I give Ultimates 3 #2 two stars out of a possible five, and that’s only for the illusion of a superhero/super-villain battle. Maybe we’ll get more than a momentary skirmish or passing in the night next time.

Oh yeah, and maybe we’ll also find out what happened to the Ultimate Black Panther too. Anyone want to play conspiracy theories? I’ve got a doozy for you. Could the Black Panther really be Nick Fury? It might be a way to keep his thumb in the team’s pie now that they’ve separated from the government, and it would also explain Cap vouching for him. Discuss, I’ll be over here with my coffee.

With the inclusion of Spider-Man, Wolverine and the various non-traditional Avengers villains in this issue I wonder if Loeb isn’t going for a more New Avengers-ish feel with his Ultimates. There is also the further NA reference of the heroes surrendering the Scarlet Witch to Magneto. The parallels haven’t been lost on this reader. But then again, it appears with Ultimatum coming, it won’t matter much anyway. At least from all indications. Rumor has it that the Ultimate Marvel Universe will be taken down the road the Distinguished Competition has followed of late – if it ain’t broke, kill it or blow it up. Only time will tell…

	Glenn Walker
	Glenn has been a fan of Marvel Comics' Avengers since the early 1970s, when their current adventures were chronicled by Steve Englehart and their early exploits by Stan Lee in classic reprints featured in Marvel Triple Action. He has persevered through many incarnations of the team and he still loves the Avengers to this day.