Ultimate Hulk vs. Iron Man: Ultimate Human

Ultimate Human #1-4

by Warren Ellis (Writer), Cary Nord (Illustrator)

It's the Ultimate war between the Hulk and Iron Man! Desperate for a cure to his dark disease, scientist Bruce Banner begs Tony Stark for a release from the curse of the Hulk! Stark agrees, but in the midst of the experimentation, something goes horribly wrong. And you know what happens next: man and monster collide! Be there as writer Warren Ellis (Ultimate Galactus) begins his next Ultimate epic - and is joined by amazing artist Cary Nord (Conan)!

Collecting: Ultimate Human 1-4

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, Superheroes, Fiction, Science Fiction, Comic Book

96 pages, Hardcover

First published May 28, 2008

About the author

Warren Ellis is the award-winning writer of graphic novels like TRANSMETROPOLITAN, FELL, MINISTRY OF SPACE and PLANETARY, and the author of the NYT-bestselling GUN MACHINE and the “underground classic” novel CROOKED LITTLE VEIN, as well as the digital short-story single DEAD PIG COLLECTOR. His newest book is the novella NORMAL, from FSG Originals, listed as one of Amazon’s Best 100 Books Of 2016.

The movie RED is based on his graphic novel of the same name, its sequel having been released in summer 2013. IRON MAN 3 is based on his Marvel Comics graphic novel IRON MAN: EXTREMIS. He is currently developing his graphic novel sequence with Jason Howard, TREES, for television, in concert with HardySonBaker and NBCU, and continues to work as a screenwriter and producer in film and television, represented by Angela Cheng Caplan and Cheng Caplan Company. He is the creator, writer and co-producer of the Netflix series CASTLEVANIA, recently renewed for its third season, and of the recently-announced Netflix series HEAVEN’S FOREST.

He’s written extensively for VICE, WIRED UK and Reuters on technological and cultural matters, and given keynote speeches and lectures at events like dConstruct, ThingsCon, Improving Reality, SxSW, How The Light Gets In, Haunted Machines and Cognitive Cities.

Warren Ellis has recently developed and curated the revival of the Wildstorm creative library for DC Entertainment with the series THE WILD STORM, and is currently working on the serialising of new graphic novel works TREES: THREE FATES and INJECTION at Image Comics, and the serialised graphic novel THE BATMAN’S GRAVE for DC Comics, while working as a Consulting Producer on another television series.

A documentary about his work, CAPTURED GHOSTS, was released in 2012.

Recognitions include the NUIG Literary and Debating Society’s President’s Medal for service to freedom of speech, the EAGLE AWARDS Roll Of Honour for lifetime achievement in the field of comics & graphic novels, the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire 2010, the Sidewise Award for Alternate History and the International Horror Guild Award for illustrated narrative. He is a Patron of Humanists UK. He holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Essex.

Warren Ellis lives outside London, on the south-east coast of England, in case he needs to make a quick getaway.

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half stars

Hey, this is an Ultimate book from Marvel. What does that mean? Back in 2000, Marvel launched a line of comics that reimagined and updated their superheroes, while still keeping their regular universe of comics going. Ultimate Spider-Man was probably the most successful re-invention, with others like the X-Men and Ultimates/Avengers achieving variable amounts of success. Well, what about the Ultimate Hulk?

The Ultimate Hulk comes pretty close to Stan Lee’s original cop of the Jekyll and Hyde myth, with this Hulk being Bruce Banner’s Id run amok. This Hulk doesn’t have a conscience, this Hulk doesn’t want a kitty, this Hulk kills people, this Hulk eats people, which is why we have Bruce Banner going to Tony Stark for a cure.

Ultimate Iron Man/Tony Stark is pretty much a drunken asshat, ordering around his minions while planning his next drink. Warren Ellis delivers the requisite battle between the two (Hulk to Stark – “Hulk peel Stark’s skin and wear as pants”), which sets up the ultimate (pun intended) meet and greet with the villain, The Leader.

And this is the problem – we get an entire issue devoted to The Leader’s origin story – He wants to develop British super soldiers, but due to geo-political reasons (snore), he runs into a brick wall, so he tests himself with a combination of Hulk super serum and Tony Stark nanites, with the result being he has a brain so big he has to prop it up. But he’s super smart, but not smart enough to escape a pounding from the Hulk, who labels him Big Head Man.

More Hulk beating the crap out of stuff and less wordy discourse would have been nice.

[Lost Planet Airman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this tale from the Marvel Ultimate universe, but I can certainly see where it could be a "your mileage may vary" sort of story. Dr. David Bruce Banner, still hiding the terrible burden of also being the Mr. Hyde-like Hulk, approaches Tony Stark, billionaire genius playboy philanthropist Iron Man, for help.

We see some more of Tony Stark's serious side, as he undertakes the research necessary to help Banner regain his human side. And we see a touch of hubris as well -- both when Stark fogets the possibilty and cost of failure, and as a new super-villain is revealed to be stalking the same data as Banner and Stark.

This is a much more human story, in many ways, than it is a super-human story. The art was continuously good, with a slightly impressionistic feel and somber tones adding to the less-super-more-human feel.

1/18/17 update: I finally figured out why this review seemed incomplete: the "new" super-villain (who is not so new, having been hiding in the shadows) became my new favorite. A short-lived joy. (It's The Leader, by the way. I won't go full-on hardcore spoiler, because his Ultimate Universe backstory is pretty cool, in a nasty, unsporting, I-coulda-been-a-contender sort of way.) But between Iron Man and Hulk, it is implied that he winds up as nothing more than a greasy smear on the hardpack of a remote desert.

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well you do get Iron-man vs Hulk, for all of 10 pages.

So Banner comes to Stark for help. He's begging him to help him not change into the big green meanie. In doing so Stark agrees by running test on his buddy. Of course that goes wrong and bam, we run into Hulk vs iron-man. Then we have a storyline of "The Leader" who comes into play who can control minds by having a big ass brain.

Good: The fights are actually pretty great. Hulk is over the top and silly but works well. The art is pretty solid as well. I liked the banter between stark and banner aswell.

Bad: The whole origin story of the Leader. Who gives a fuck about this big headed loser? HULK SURE Don't! HULK SMASH BIG HEAD!

Overall a fun little story with nothing more or less to it. A easy 2.5 out of 5, but I'll hit it with a 3.

[Sam Quixote · Rating 3 out of 5]

Iron Man fights Hulk after a failed experiment to infect Banner’s blood with nanotech to control the Hulk genes. But the fight is cut short as another failed experiment, the Leader (dude with a big head), tries to take the blood of both Iron Man and Hulk!

Warren Ellis’ Marvel work is very hit and miss and unfortunately Ultimate Human is one of his lesser books. This short four issue book is really a bridge between Mark Millar's first two Ultimates volumes where in Volume 1 Hulk goes on a rampage in Manhattan killing 300 people and Volume 2 where he’s imprisoned, facing trial and a death sentence (by the by, Millar’s Ultimates run is well worth checking out if you haven’t read it).

There’s also not as much Hulk/Iron Man in the book as I’d like. A whole issue (25% of the book) is devoted to the Leader’s origin which was reallllly boring. Then the book comes to a swift and unsatisfying conclusion - basically the old Bond villain nonsense.

The artwork in the book is quite poor. Looking at it feels like I'm looking at the pages through a window with water pouring down it; it's very unpleasant to see page after page of.

While I usually love Warren Ellis’ work, this is definitely one of his weaker efforts. If you're looking for a better Ellis/Marvel book I suggest Ultimate Iron Man: Armor Wars or the Ultimate Galactus Trilogy instead.

[Sud666 · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Ultimate Human" is a very interesting story. It's set in the Ultimate's universe, so there are some differences with the standard Marvel lore. Collecting Ultimate Human issues 1-4, this is Warren Ellis writing a one-shot story revolving around Iron Man and Hulk. You know what? It's actually entertaining and well illustrated as well.

Dr. Banner requests Tony Stark's help in curing his Hulk problem. Apparently, in the Ultimates lore, he tried to develop a super-soldier serum superior to Captain America's serum. It turned him into the Hulk. Banner believes that Stark's technology can help him defeat the Hulk impulses. But, it seems that there is another super-serum soldier. He is the "Leader", a genius-level intellect saddled with a crippled body. This turns what I expected to be a simple Iron-Man fights Hulk story into a rather complicated spy thriller. That was unexpected.

If you're looking for a fun, one-off that is strangely complex in story and also well illustrated, theny you will appreciate Ellis' "Ultimate Human". I certainly did. It's certainly different.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Banner needs help but Stark cannot help him, only talk useless jargon.

HULK SMASH!!!

Eventually, the main attraction comes about: Iron Man and the Hulk go at it.



HULK SMASH!!!

What more do you need to know?

HULK SMASH!!!

Written by Warren Ellis and illustrations by Cary Nord. His artwork is arguably the biggest attraction to this fun yet very light piece.

CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B minus; STORY/PLOTTING/EDITING: B minus;
ARTISTIC PRESENTATION: B to B plus; ACTION SCENES: B minus to B;
WHEN READ: end of January 2013; OVERALL GRADE: B minus to B.

[Bookwraiths · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bruce Banner goes to Tony Stark for help in suppressing his Hulk alter ego. Everything goes to plan until an updated version of the Leader shows up needing Bruce and Tony’s blood for his plans to create super humans. A fight thereafter ensues as well as a James Bond-esque ending.

Warren Ellis is hit-or-miss with me. And while this story wasn’t bad and did perfectly fit into the Ultimate Marvel timeline, it had too many meh asides (The Leader’s origin story) and far too little Hulk-Iron Man page time. I did enjoy the art though.

[Q. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Alasondro Alegré · Rating 3 out of 5]

★★★½

[Caleb Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the art style.
This story is focused and rooted in the conflicts of humanity, which is parallel to our own world.
Overall was a fairly boring read

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Hulk is sad. I deduce this from the fact that he has taken to hulk out in somber grays instead of his more usual jolly green hue, and the fact that in human form he dresses like a homeless trucker and looks like a kicked puppy. (These are probably just Ultimate things, but whatever.)

The Hulk is sad because the Super Soldier serum made "dumb as a sack of hammers" Steve Rogers into some kind of tactical genius, whereas it reduces poor Bruce to something "with the IQ of a shoe". (Apparently, in Ultimateverse, they aren't even going to try to make that gamma rays thing plausible.) He is also jealous of some thing that Tony has where apparently through the use of nanotechnology he has managed to distribute his neural mass throughout his body—a proposition I have yet to decide whether I find erotic or just squicky—but he figures that Tony can put all that brain to good use and come up with some technobabble to help him with his Hulk problem.

Which, of course, he does, but then promptly undoes irreversibly because of reasons, partly involving the first super villain I am aware of whose backstory involves bureaucratic meddling by the European Parliament (thank you, Brussels!). The Hulk sulks off afterwards and that is the end of that.

[Dan Magaha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, but not really up to Ellis' standards, though this may not be fair considering his Extremis arc is basically the definitive modern take on Iron Man and much of the bible for the film franchise juggernaut.

It's the same Downeyesque Tony Stark here, but the focus of the story is really on Bruce and the Hulk, and then Ellis pulls an Ellis and introduces a character he created years ago (Pete Wisdom) and rolls out a new backstory setting him up as the Ultimate universe's Leader (massive cranium and all). While this is geeky and moderately entertaining, it's not really the focus most readers would have expected from a book with Shellhead and The Hulk engaged in midair combat on the cover.

Stylistically, Cary Nord draws a great gray Hulk (and I mean great), but I am not as in love with his Iron Man (who seems to be bumbling through this book with a half-assed suit that looks bad and is even less functional, and has no backup despite being locked in his facility with the intent of "curing" Bruce). The fight scenes are great but there are precious few of them, unfortunately.

Not bad, but not a keeper.

[Chris Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is a cool attempt to mix hard sci-fi and John Le Carre style espionage into a superhero narrative that derails itself over pacing issues--about 50% of this book is talking heads, which isn't Nord's strong point as an illustrator and wouldn't be particularly interesting to look at even if it were. Pete Wisdom as a vainglorious MI6 operative is an interesting concept that's weirdly shunted into the third act in the least excusable of the comic's many exposition dumps. It's like Ellis wanted to write a 3rd volume of The Authority by hook or by crook and didn't care if it made sense in the universe he was plotting for.

Still, there are cool ideas here: the economics of supersoldierdom, European nativism as it relates to the superheroes of this world. If Ellis had longer than 4 chapters and reshifted the focus entirely to Wisdom's story this could have been something special. As it is it's a fine thing to kill time with at the library or to pick up for a couple bucks secondhand, but the squandered potential remains deeply unfortunate.

[Brad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Warren Ellis has the recipe down on these books. Mix some smart characters, a few big sci-fi ideas (here: nanotechnology and making soldiers that can fight on Venus), a lot of dialogue and a teensy bit of action. It reads quick and fun. It's worked for him ever since Stormwatch, and he doesn't deviate much from the formula. Hulk and Iron Man's fighting mostly make sense, and the new version of the Leader, using an old Ellis mainline Marvel character Pete Wisdom, is a menacing reminder that there must be mishaps in combining bleeding-edge technology and the human body. Granted, that's an oft-repeated moral for the Hulk, but it works well here, too.
Cary Nord's art is okay. The action scenes work, but it feels a bit rushed and almost blurry in places.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't bad but for a Hulk vs. Iron Man story, it sure had a lot of talking. Tons of dialogue slowed things down but there were a few interesting twists. Overall this really wasn't quite what was advertised, but it was okay. If you're looking for tons of a action and huge battles, there's not as much here as you'd expect.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a major fan of Iron Man, Warren Ellis, and Marvel's Ultimate line, there was never any doubt I would enjoy the Ultimate Human limited series. I'm sure it was no coincidence that Marvel scheduled this series just as the main characters - Iron Man and the Hulk - are riding a major wave of box office driven popularity. This 4-issue series focuses on Tony Stark's efforts to cure Bruce Banner of his Hulk "problem" and also introduces the Ultimate version of the old Hulk foe The Leader. Like nearly every Ultimate character, this version is far less ridiculous than his mainstream Marvel counterpart.

Warren Ellis is a natural when it comes to writing the Tony Stark character, and his all too brief run on Iron Man Vol. 1: Extremis remains one of my all-time favorite Iron Man tales. He does a great job here as well, making Tony Stark the star of the series rather than his Iron Man persona, whose role is much more limited than Banner's alter-ego. Ellis's dialogue is, as always, priceless, and brings to mind both Robert Downey Jr.'s portrayal of Tony Stark as well as the Stark from Mark Millar's Ultimates series.

I've never paid much attention to Cary Nord's artwork in the past, but his work on this series is pretty impressive. Of course I'd rather have seen Bryan Hitch or Greg Land (or better yet, Ellis's Extremis partner Adi Granov) get this assignment, but Nord's artwork is definitely better than average. He and colorist Dave Stewart have done some truly remarkable things with the finished artwork.

My only real complaint about this series is that it felt like the story was deliberately extended to fill in all four issues. With some judicious editing, this might have been more effective as an Ultimates Annual issue. Still, it's an impressive series overall, and one that just about any Ultimate Universe fan will want to add to their bookshelf.

[Artur Coelho · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dentro do universo Ultimate, que modifica os personagens clássicos da Marvel para estarem mais alinhados com o universo cinematográfico, Warren Ellis usa o seu habitual futurismo amoral para recriar a narrativa clássica de lutas entre Hulk e outros heróis. Bruce Banner contacta Tony Stark para este usar a sua nano-tecnologia para o curar da maldição do Hulk, neste universo específico não o resultado de uma exposição a raios gama mas de uma tentativa frustrada de recriar o soro que tornou Steve Rogers no Capitão América. O resultado é a criatura conhecida como Hulk, de uma biologia avançada capaz de se adaptar a todas as condições e ameaças. Os nano-robôs que permitem a Stark ser o Homem de Ferro prometem uma cura para a condição de Hulk, mas a intervenção de um vilão inglês desestabiliza tudo. Este vilão é uma óbvia caricatura do vilão clássico dos comics e literatura pulp: um agente secreto inglês, que se aproveita de um programa de pesquisas secreto para se dotar de super-poderes. Infelizmente, a ciência não produz os resultados esperados e o que resulta é uma mutação cerebral com corpo atrofiado, que busca nos nano-robôs de Stark e no sangue do Hulk a fórmula potencial para se tornar o ser super-poderoso que sonha ser. Divertido, com a linguagem visual cinematográfica que marcou a série Ultimate, e Ellis a misturar o estilo marvel com as suas peculiaridades como argumentista.

[Michael J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This rates a solid 3.5 Stars. This is nowhere near the best of what Warren Ellis is capable of, but it's still pretty darn good. I was entertained. There are long passages of exposition, especially the telling of The Leader's origins and office politics/power grabs and head-scratching exchanges between Tony Stark (Iron Man) and Bruce Banner (Hulk). But the action scenes are good, especially when Hulk does what Hulk does best - - - smash.
In the Ultimate Universe (as opposed to regular Marvel Universe) Bruce Banner became the Hulk not through exposure to gamma bomb radiation but by experimenting with the Super-Solider serum and Captain America/Steve Roger's blood. Bruce comes to Tony for help and he seals Bruce in a special room meant to trigger the emergence of - - and eventual subjugation of - - the Hulk. But the Hulk adapts to the cell's technology and violently escapes.
No sooner does Stark get things back under control than the mysterious Leader dispatches his army to subdue Stark and Banner. The Leader obtained his frightening mental powers and psionic abilities by self-experimentation with remnant DNA from Stark and Hulk. Now he wants to bleed them dry of their DNA so he can finish the transformation into the Ultimate Human. Best scenes are when Hulk confronts the Leader and refers to him as "big head man". Not for long.

[Christian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ultimate Human is about Iron Man trying to cure the Hulk. It is not about Iton Man fighting the Hulk. It's an odd book with weird pacing. The first two issues are about the development of the cure. The third issue is Leader's origin story, which I'm fine with in theory, but we've only got 4 issues to work with here. The 4th issue involves Stark uncuring Banner to save them (I'm not going to spoiler tag this. You know it won't last). It should have been Banner's choice, at least. Overall, it's fine, but I do wonder why it exists. It's not fun on its own merits, it barely sets up anything, and the status quo is the same at the end as at the beginning. We learn that Hulk adapts to anything and that he is slowly taking over Banner, but neither of these revelations justify this comic's existence.

[Todd Stansbury · Rating 3 out of 5]

Upon third reading this is a cluttered mess of a book. It genuinely feels that the majority of the Ultimate Universe line do not stand up to further review at this date. (Spider-Man and X-Men are exceptions to this; having re-read some of them recently they are still mostly strong reads.)

“Ultimate Human” falls apart because of the thin motivation of all the characters, as well as the general sense of “I have x number pages, I better fill them all up.”

The artwork is muted; dark shades and soft lines; but still very well done (with the exception of how Bruce is represented. Just not a fan of how he’s drawn.). I want to say more good things but this story is just too vague to hang your hat on.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

A pretty generic mini-series that has the Ultimate Universe's Iron Man and Hulk come together in a bid to cure the latter's transformations. There's a lot of technobabble about nanobots and evolution, but the lead characters' connection feels pretty superficial.

The Leader is introduced as the main baddie here, and he's both underwhelming and underpowered. Even his origin story basically involves some higher-ups telling him to buzz off, and it's hard to ever really see him as a threat.

The art by Cary Nord doesn't elevate the story--it feels muddy and flat throughout. There aren't really any key plot points here either, so this volume is safely skippable.

[Marloges · Rating 2 out of 5]

This actually started off pretty fine with Stark and Banner working together to get rid of the Hulk for good. Both had some interesting banter and hearing more about Bruce's motivation to become a super soldier was cool. But when the actual villain was introduced it went downhill pretty fast. They spent an entire issue building this guy up and it's the most boring thing ever since it's countless of pages of old men arguing and it led pretty much nowhere. The ending was pretty rushed and anti-climatic. Felt like a waste.

[Re • · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 THE ART IS GOOD
i read this YEARS ago!!
and i didn't realize until after finishing this there was another book, obviously but here we are.
This was intense but i just didn't care about the villain's backstory one bit, which is cool i get it. but to me i was just here to see my precious Hulk kick Ironman's ass and call it day. So i'll have to inquire further to see if this was actually accomplished. PLEASE READ THO

[Burrito von Ska · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not bad, but it's not great. It's marketed as Ultimate Hulk vs.Ultimate Iron Man, and it is, in the sense that X-Men was Wolverine vs. Sabertooth - that was part of the story, but only a small part. I don't regret the buy, but I wouldn't recommend it to anybody ever.

[Nick R · Rating 4 out of 5]

As far as ‘team up’ stories go, this one is pretty good. The story is tight, the characters are handled with great understanding and the pacing helps you burn through this thing really quickly. I finished it in one sitting.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally a Warren Ellis comic I enjoyed! No toxic machismo, no womanizing, just a character study of two of the most shallow heroes in the Ultimate Universe so far. Ellis did a fantastic job setting the stakes, introducing a villain, and delivering a satisfying conclusion – all in four issues.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bridge between Ultimates 1 and Ultimates 2. This is a nice comparison of what make Tony Stark and Bruce Banner tick.

Ellis being mad tinkering scientist, this is him fleshing out the geniuses of the Ultimate Universe.

[Frans Kempe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stark tries to cure Banner when the Leader tries to attack

[Nathan Guetteville · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lecture très secondaire et oubliable même si pas désagréable à lire pour développer un peu Stark et Banner

[Timo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do like what Ellis did with the Hulk and how Nord draws him but the on-and-on-and-on dragging bit about how the Leader came to be was just waste of space.