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The Ultimates (2024)
The Ultimates, Vol. 3: Rescue Mission
Year two of the Ultimate Universe, and the clock is ticking!
Time is of the essence! And no one knows that better than Iron Lad. With the Maker set to be released in six months, it’s time to kick off new, more daring actions! Enter: Ultimates 3.0! But on the team’s next mission, to destroy one of the Hellfire Club’s strongholds, a dangerous pair of twins complicates matters: Get ready to meet the Ultimate Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver! And when the Ultimates return to the site of their untimely deaths at the hands of the Hulk, they encounter a young boy who has started his own insurgency!
COLLECTING: Ultimates (2024) #13-18, Ultimate Hawkeye (2025) #1
Time is of the essence! And no one knows that better than Iron Lad. With the Maker set to be released in six months, it’s time to kick off new, more daring actions! Enter: Ultimates 3.0! But on the team’s next mission, to destroy one of the Hellfire Club’s strongholds, a dangerous pair of twins complicates matters: Get ready to meet the Ultimate Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver! And when the Ultimates return to the site of their untimely deaths at the hands of the Hulk, they encounter a young boy who has started his own insurgency!
COLLECTING: Ultimates (2024) #13-18, Ultimate Hawkeye (2025) #1
176 pages, Paperback
First published February 17, 2026
32 people are currently reading
117 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
April 19, 2026
I enjoyed this book, i wanted to give it 4.5 stars, if the fights were done a little better it would have been an easy round up to 5 stars. The story is very good a little slow, but i is accept that as there is a lot to get through. Very good artwork, except in the fights.
The Ultimates have been hitting the Maker's Council where it hurts in their profits. However they are also winning the war of public opinion as well. With the count to the Maker's return imminent battle lines need to be drawn and enforced. Everyone must choose a side.
This book is full of big moves and revelations. Especially in an issue dedicated to Doom, how will he deal with the revelation at the end of Ultimate Inclusion? Now the battle lines are drawn the main event is coming. The book finishes bonus story of the Ultimate Hawkeye, but is he the hunter or the hunted? Also with a huge variant cover gallery.
The Ultimates have been hitting the Maker's Council where it hurts in their profits. However they are also winning the war of public opinion as well. With the count to the Maker's return imminent battle lines need to be drawn and enforced. Everyone must choose a side.
This book is full of big moves and revelations. Especially in an issue dedicated to Doom, how will he deal with the revelation at the end of Ultimate Inclusion? Now the battle lines are drawn the main event is coming. The book finishes bonus story of the Ultimate Hawkeye, but is he the hunter or the hunted? Also with a huge variant cover gallery.
April 21, 2026
4.25
When Ultimate is really hitting on all cylinders, it's among the best out there. Which is why it feels so disappointing when it's just another good comic.
This first few issues in this collection were fantastic. The rest...just good. Forgettable good.
When Ultimate is really hitting on all cylinders, it's among the best out there. Which is why it feels so disappointing when it's just another good comic.
This first few issues in this collection were fantastic. The rest...just good. Forgettable good.
May 10, 2026
I think this takes what I love about superhero comics and distills all of it into one ambitious and entertaining series. It's fantastical and exaggerated and hopeful and soooo hype. I love the individual moments of badassery that a some of the heroes get (Hawkeye gets some love woo!). My favorite issue was #14, though #16 was pretty fun, too.
I do think the storytelling in this was a little messy, especially since I read this all at once in one whole volume rather than as a bunch of individual issues over the course of months. Every issue tackled a singular topic or event that happened during one month in the Ultimates universe. It's setting up a lot of dominoes, and every issue tackled something new, so the whole thing can feel scatterbrained and unorganized. I also wish that the comic could take a breather to explore some of its concepts more. This introduced so many ideas that are really cool, but the story breezed past them because the format of the comic forces it to move at a breakneck pace. Even the fights felt like they went too fast. This world is so interesting, and I'm kind of sad that I won't be able to spend more time in it since it's ending soon :(
Overall, though, I think this volume was a really good time. This Ultimate series specifically as a whole has been so creative and ambitious and well-written. Idk how to be more articulate with what I love about this comic but all I can say is that it made me smile a lot lol. This volume especially feels like it's all building up to one showstopping event, and I can't pretend that I'm not waiting with bated breath. I'm so excited for the next phase!
I do think the storytelling in this was a little messy, especially since I read this all at once in one whole volume rather than as a bunch of individual issues over the course of months. Every issue tackled a singular topic or event that happened during one month in the Ultimates universe. It's setting up a lot of dominoes, and every issue tackled something new, so the whole thing can feel scatterbrained and unorganized. I also wish that the comic could take a breather to explore some of its concepts more. This introduced so many ideas that are really cool, but the story breezed past them because the format of the comic forces it to move at a breakneck pace. Even the fights felt like they went too fast. This world is so interesting, and I'm kind of sad that I won't be able to spend more time in it since it's ending soon :(
Overall, though, I think this volume was a really good time. This Ultimate series specifically as a whole has been so creative and ambitious and well-written. Idk how to be more articulate with what I love about this comic but all I can say is that it made me smile a lot lol. This volume especially feels like it's all building up to one showstopping event, and I can't pretend that I'm not waiting with bated breath. I'm so excited for the next phase!
April 30, 2026
Ultimates continues to be the second best series in this universe. The anthology style naturally makes it a little more hit and miss but when it hits, it really hits. The doom story is a superlative comic issue: the writing, the art, the page layout, all great.
Review of advance copy
the story slows down some but picks back up at the end.
April 22, 2026
4.5 BANGER
March 20, 2026
Great writing, powerful story. The Ultimates are barely surviving but are still refusing to give up.
March 29, 2026
The clock is ticking. With only 6 months left before the City opens and the Maker returns, the Ultimates scramble to make as much progress as they can - which means taking the fight to their enemies on an unprecedented scale.
This book just captures my attention. It builds out the world more and more with each issue without feeling like it's skimping out on the character work that more straightforward storytelling allows for. The issue that focuses on Doom is insanely good, and the introduction of some familiar faces like Scarlet Witch and Shang-Chi are exceptional too. Camp's dialogue is straight to the point, not beating around the bush in terms of what he's saying about both the Maker's Council and the world at large. And the final issue ends ominously as hell - it's time for things to really go wrong.
The Ultimate Hawkeye one-shot is also included, which is decent, but nowhere near as good as the main story. The Ultimate Ronin gets to show up, there's some fighting, and nothing much more than that. If anything, it makes the rest of the book look even better by only being 'okay'.
Series artist Juan Frigeri draws four of the six main issues, with Von Randall taking the Shang-Chi flashback issue and Phil Noto on the Doom one, while Michael Sta. Maria handles art duties on the Hawkeye story.
Despite starting a little later compared to the other Ultimate books, Ultimates is definitely the one you want to be reading to get the larger world story for this universe. And it's hella good too, which doesn't hurt.
This book just captures my attention. It builds out the world more and more with each issue without feeling like it's skimping out on the character work that more straightforward storytelling allows for. The issue that focuses on Doom is insanely good, and the introduction of some familiar faces like Scarlet Witch and Shang-Chi are exceptional too. Camp's dialogue is straight to the point, not beating around the bush in terms of what he's saying about both the Maker's Council and the world at large. And the final issue ends ominously as hell - it's time for things to really go wrong.
The Ultimate Hawkeye one-shot is also included, which is decent, but nowhere near as good as the main story. The Ultimate Ronin gets to show up, there's some fighting, and nothing much more than that. If anything, it makes the rest of the book look even better by only being 'okay'.
Series artist Juan Frigeri draws four of the six main issues, with Von Randall taking the Shang-Chi flashback issue and Phil Noto on the Doom one, while Michael Sta. Maria handles art duties on the Hawkeye story.
Despite starting a little later compared to the other Ultimate books, Ultimates is definitely the one you want to be reading to get the larger world story for this universe. And it's hella good too, which doesn't hurt.
March 22, 2026
Otra buena entrega de esta buena, aunque condenada a la cancelación porque Marvel es completamente estúpida y dirigida por incompetentes, serie.
Por supuesto, el cómic guionizado por Camp no sería tan bueno si no tuviera concomitancias clarísimas con el mundo real, el nuestro. Da que pensar el hecho de que nuestro mundo sea tan distópico o más que el construido a medida por un súper villano. Trump está ahí porque somos idiotas y vagos, y no movemos ni un dedo para que las cosas cambien. Lo mismo, por cierto, con el régimen de Irán, para ser justos, o con el de Maduro, ambos despreciables, y ambos fagocitados, o a punto de serlo, por otro con un grado de repugnancia semejante. ¿Y dónde están nuestros Ultimates? Pues, como se dice en el cómic, en cada uno de nosotros, si no pasamos el día mirándonos nuestros propios perezosos culos. El cambio comienza y termina en nosotros, porque los de arriba (sean el Hacedor y sus secuaces o Trump y los suyos) no nos van a hacer ni el más mínimo favor, y, desde luego, no nos lo van a poner fácil. Hace falta fallar tres mil veces, como le ocurre a Muerte, para acertar una, pero con una nos sobra. Este cómic nos habla directamente a nosotros. Iron Lad afirma que no se tiene que poseer nada especial para iniciar el cambio, tan solo voluntad y esperanza. Pues a aplicarnos el cuento, cojones, pero yaaaaa...
Por supuesto, el cómic guionizado por Camp no sería tan bueno si no tuviera concomitancias clarísimas con el mundo real, el nuestro. Da que pensar el hecho de que nuestro mundo sea tan distópico o más que el construido a medida por un súper villano. Trump está ahí porque somos idiotas y vagos, y no movemos ni un dedo para que las cosas cambien. Lo mismo, por cierto, con el régimen de Irán, para ser justos, o con el de Maduro, ambos despreciables, y ambos fagocitados, o a punto de serlo, por otro con un grado de repugnancia semejante. ¿Y dónde están nuestros Ultimates? Pues, como se dice en el cómic, en cada uno de nosotros, si no pasamos el día mirándonos nuestros propios perezosos culos. El cambio comienza y termina en nosotros, porque los de arriba (sean el Hacedor y sus secuaces o Trump y los suyos) no nos van a hacer ni el más mínimo favor, y, desde luego, no nos lo van a poner fácil. Hace falta fallar tres mil veces, como le ocurre a Muerte, para acertar una, pero con una nos sobra. Este cómic nos habla directamente a nosotros. Iron Lad afirma que no se tiene que poseer nada especial para iniciar el cambio, tan solo voluntad y esperanza. Pues a aplicarnos el cuento, cojones, pero yaaaaa...
Review of advance copy
The movement is in full swing, as the Ultimates try to upset the established order.
The kicker for me this volume is how tied to the whole push pull of the "resist/down with the establishment" this batch of issues felt. Camp isn't one for subtlety and his politics are no surprise. I just felt with what space we had to tell the story, and the amount of space being taken up for what did go in here felt a smidge at odds.
Issues 13 and 18 felt very similar in messaging and content, about building up the world to fight back. Cap and Hawkeyes confrontation with the Maximoff twins felt a bit harsh and didn't paint them in a good light. The rebrand of Shang Chi being the iron fist and messiahic figure irks me only for the fact it's part of a consistent rebrand of Danny Rand/IF. Taking one whole issue to show a girl's boots on the ground perspective was welcome, but it also takes time away from a overstuffed super team we don't see. Dooms followup issue doesn't hit as well as the first one did, but you feel empathy for a man possessed.
I found this volume wanting for the grand tapestry, and hope the next volume can round the corner on the mission statement.
The kicker for me this volume is how tied to the whole push pull of the "resist/down with the establishment" this batch of issues felt. Camp isn't one for subtlety and his politics are no surprise. I just felt with what space we had to tell the story, and the amount of space being taken up for what did go in here felt a smidge at odds.
Issues 13 and 18 felt very similar in messaging and content, about building up the world to fight back. Cap and Hawkeyes confrontation with the Maximoff twins felt a bit harsh and didn't paint them in a good light. The rebrand of Shang Chi being the iron fist and messiahic figure irks me only for the fact it's part of a consistent rebrand of Danny Rand/IF. Taking one whole issue to show a girl's boots on the ground perspective was welcome, but it also takes time away from a overstuffed super team we don't see. Dooms followup issue doesn't hit as well as the first one did, but you feel empathy for a man possessed.
I found this volume wanting for the grand tapestry, and hope the next volume can round the corner on the mission statement.
April 26, 2026
I wanted to like this volume, but too many aspects continued to pull me out of the story
- The plot was potty thin and the characters were mostly all one sided
- Continued normalization of LGBTQ issues which have scientifically been proven to be false
- Continued normalization of racism towards whites people (all the main villains are white people). I’d be fine with this if even the majority of villains were white with a smattering of other races. This is especially relevant with the news that the southern poverty law center was found to be finding racist groups instead of fighting against them (which they falsely claimed to be doing)
- Whenever capitalism is mentioned it’s always in a negative light, even though it has brought more people out of poverty than any other economic model
- Normalizing the incorrect labeling of all bad guys as “fascist”. While fascism is truly evil, democrats in the US currently label anyone they don’t or even disagree with like as fascist to justify violence against those people. So anything we can do to minimize the use of that word except where accurate will help reduce tempers
- The plot was potty thin and the characters were mostly all one sided
- Continued normalization of LGBTQ issues which have scientifically been proven to be false
- Continued normalization of racism towards whites people (all the main villains are white people). I’d be fine with this if even the majority of villains were white with a smattering of other races. This is especially relevant with the news that the southern poverty law center was found to be finding racist groups instead of fighting against them (which they falsely claimed to be doing)
- Whenever capitalism is mentioned it’s always in a negative light, even though it has brought more people out of poverty than any other economic model
- Normalizing the incorrect labeling of all bad guys as “fascist”. While fascism is truly evil, democrats in the US currently label anyone they don’t or even disagree with like as fascist to justify violence against those people. So anything we can do to minimize the use of that word except where accurate will help reduce tempers
March 23, 2026
"You are under arrest. You have the right to months of physical and psychological torture. Anything you say or think can and will be used to hunt down and kill others like you. You have the right to weep and beg."
- a no-faced man (agent of H.A.N.D.) to Wren Montgomery, suspected terrorist (Ultimate).
This is one busy TPB:
First, Iron Lad monologs his experiences and develops an app to combat the Maker and his Agents of H.A.N.D.
Next, Cap and Hawkeye have a run-in with Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch.
A very different version of Shang-Chi, named Shen Qi, master of Kung Fu but who also wields the iron fist.
Young "ultimate" Wren Montgomery tells her story, which includes a version of Jennifer Walters.
Then, Doom revisits his origin. I usually dislike these multiple-timelines-told-in-patallel type of issues, but this one works better than most.
Iron Lad sends a video message to everyone who's on the Ultimates app.
Finally, Hawkeye tries to go against the elites, but ends up fighting Ronin.
All over the place, but still really solid stuff. Four stars.
- a no-faced man (agent of H.A.N.D.) to Wren Montgomery, suspected terrorist (Ultimate).
This is one busy TPB:
First, Iron Lad monologs his experiences and develops an app to combat the Maker and his Agents of H.A.N.D.
Next, Cap and Hawkeye have a run-in with Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch.
A very different version of Shang-Chi, named Shen Qi, master of Kung Fu but who also wields the iron fist.
Young "ultimate" Wren Montgomery tells her story, which includes a version of Jennifer Walters.
Then, Doom revisits his origin. I usually dislike these multiple-timelines-told-in-patallel type of issues, but this one works better than most.
Iron Lad sends a video message to everyone who's on the Ultimates app.
Finally, Hawkeye tries to go against the elites, but ends up fighting Ronin.
All over the place, but still really solid stuff. Four stars.
Review of advance copy
Probably my favorite volume yet, but it might be that I’ve just given in to the unique pacing and approach of this series. I still think I may have preferred a more decompressed version of this series, but, as we near the end, the series is making the most of its breakneck pacing and time jumps. Great art can be made through constraints, but I remain a little confused and a little frustrated by those constraints existing to begin with.
The art is a mixed bag. Juan Frigeri’s work continues to be the highlight, and Phil Noto is again the weekest. I think he’s a talented illustrator, but I’m baffled by his persistent inclusion in the biggest superhero series at Marvel. He should be doing work for smaller publishers on more human stories. His character work and acting is solid, but his attempts at action and dynamism always end up stiff and awkward.
The art is a mixed bag. Juan Frigeri’s work continues to be the highlight, and Phil Noto is again the weekest. I think he’s a talented illustrator, but I’m baffled by his persistent inclusion in the biggest superhero series at Marvel. He should be doing work for smaller publishers on more human stories. His character work and acting is solid, but his attempts at action and dynamism always end up stiff and awkward.
April 23, 2026
This volume of Ultimates was a lot of fun. I enjoyed the introduction of the Maximov twins and the appearance of Emma Frost. The Doom issue is also very cool, with impressive artistry in the ways it's written. There's a couple of issues in here that go hard in terms of we're talking about fighting fascism and we are not pulling punches. I was here for it even if it's a little heavy handed.
I was not particularly interested in the Iron Fist issue, but that's a general dislike of that character for me. I also felt like there were maybe 3 issues of this volume that all had some variation on monologue over a montage of several things that are happening and that's a little too much for me. Excited to see where the series goes now that the ticking clock is ending.
I was not particularly interested in the Iron Fist issue, but that's a general dislike of that character for me. I also felt like there were maybe 3 issues of this volume that all had some variation on monologue over a montage of several things that are happening and that's a little too much for me. Excited to see where the series goes now that the ticking clock is ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy
this might be one of the most important comics of our generation. after this past year everything in the ultimates hits scarily close to home our world is not far off from the one here. camp really nailed the political commentary in this book, in a way that hasn’t been done in a superhero comic for quite some time. i love the optimistic approach this book takes especially the emphasis on needing everyone’s help because we are stronger together. the ultimates reminds me why i love comics so much.
March 22, 2026
Honestly I'm obsessed. This is probably one of my all time favourite runs published from Marvel comics.
The team dinamic withing the Ultimates team feels natural and moves the story into new exciting directions.
I love the idea of normal people being destined for more and rising up to evil even though they know they migh fail. But still they try. And for me, this is very inspirational.
Can't wait for what's next.
The team dinamic withing the Ultimates team feels natural and moves the story into new exciting directions.
I love the idea of normal people being destined for more and rising up to evil even though they know they migh fail. But still they try. And for me, this is very inspirational.
Can't wait for what's next.
November 20, 2025
Six more one off stories as we get down to the Maker's return at the end of #18. Plus Hawkeye's one shot. I thought the regular series was quite good. The last issue had me amped up for the Maker's return and to see how it shakes out.
March 31, 2026
Read as individual comics on Marvel Unlimited, ratings below:
#13= 3.5 stars
#14= 4.5 stars
#15= 3 stars
#16= 4 stars
#17= 5 stars
#18= 4 stars
Hawkeye one shot= 4.5 stars
Overall rating of 4.5 stars
#13= 3.5 stars
#14= 4.5 stars
#15= 3 stars
#16= 4 stars
#17= 5 stars
#18= 4 stars
Hawkeye one shot= 4.5 stars
Overall rating of 4.5 stars
Review of advance copy
"Just because you're broken doesn't mean you need to be fixed."
Review of advance copy
4.25
The latter issues in this collection didn't wow my like the earlier ones.
The latter issues in this collection didn't wow my like the earlier ones.
Review of advance copy
Dig this series so much
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
2.8 stars
Review of advance copy
Read in single issues
March 20, 2026
building a movement
a good blend of episodic stories that come together towards the end.
it captures the momemt we live in and the counter culture roots of the 1960s.
a good blend of episodic stories that come together towards the end.
it captures the momemt we live in and the counter culture roots of the 1960s.
March 27, 2026
unfortunately doesn't reach the highs of the first volume but still maintains a high quality, particularly in the more explicitly political issues.
April 25, 2026
Feels a little bit like treading water. The new Ultimate universe's real time gimmick means that this issues need to march on, even if it doesn't always feel like these issues have anything to say.
May 7, 2026
"Just because you're broken doesn't mean you need to be fixed" 🥲
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews