| Suspended
Animation:
Marvel's Ultimatum
Sometimes, loyalty hurts. Case in point:
Because I ordered all five issues of Marvel’s Ultimatum
miniseries, I still owe my comic book retailer $3.99 for
the last issue. “Why does that hurt?” you might
ask. Read on, and beware of spoilers.
Billed as a miniseries in which big things
happen, Marvel is hyping the final installment as a “series
finale that will shock fans for years to come!” True
enough of the first four issues. But, is shock, minus any
significant characterization, worth the hefty price tag?
The afore-mentioned shock is partially due
to an evil mutant (The Blob) cannibalizing a member of the
Avengers (The Wasp), with her death being “avenged”
by her husband (Yellow Jacket) when he bites the Blob’s
head off. Literally. And, though fans may justifiably expect
to see Sabretooth (another evil mutant) rip a wing off of
The Angel (an X-Man) with his teeth, or Magneto snap the
neck of X-Men founder Charles Xavier, what was the point
of Dr. Strange being squeezed until his head exploded? This
is not just shock, but schlock.
Far from being meaningful, the deaths of
characters with such history behind them seem much smaller
than they should be, the fact that it took place in Marvel’s
much younger Ultimate universe, notwithstanding.
There are more deaths, caused by world-wide
disasters engineered by Magneto, but it all feels forced.
The only good thing about the series is
the incredibly detailed art of David Finch. His work crackling
with energy and emotion, Finch could one day become a master
of comic book art...., IF he can learn to be a bit faster,
and tone down the super-model quotient among his female
characters.
So, am I stuck buying issue five of Ultimatum?
Yes. Am I done ranting about it? You bet. Should YOU buy
it at cover price, or wait eagerly for the trade paperback?
Ummmmmm....
Ultimatum
is only recommended for the most hardcore Marvel-head, and
only if you may suffer heart, kidney or nerve damage if
you DON’T get it. It’s the cheapest form of
prevention.
|
