The Ultimates by Al Ewing: The Complete Collection

The Ultimates by Al Ewing #1-4

by Al Ewing, Kenneth Rocafort (Artist), Christian Ward (Artist)

Black Panther! Captain Marvel! Ms. America! Spectrum! Blue Marvel! Together, they form the ultimate super team, finding and fixing problems beyond the limits of the infinite! From cosmic forces lurking on Earth to whatever waits beyond the omniverse, the Ultimates start with the impossible — and take it from there! Their first task: ending the planet-eating threat of Galactus…forever! But spacetime is broken — and to solve that, the Ultimates can’t just think within the box. They need to go outside reality! But when they learn that Eternity itself has been chained, the team discovers a threat far larger and older than everything that exists! Can the Ultimates rise to the ultimate challenge, and save the very concept of reality from being absorbed and rewritten?

COLLECTING: Ultimates (2015) 1-12; Ultimates 2 (2016) 1-9, 100; material from Avengers (2015) 0

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Superheroes, Graphic Novels, Space Opera, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book

512 pages, Paperback

First published August 16, 2017

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many great ideas derailed by so much crossover bullshit. I would love to see where this could have gone had Ewing not had to keep setting up the next crossover event.

That said, it is still a mind-blowing read, with a Morrisonian firehose of ideas.

[Adrian Montanez · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the impossible needs doing. When the mission difficulty goes from FUBAR to Infinty. There's really only one team that fits the mission criteria. THE ULTIMATES!

Wow, I did not expect this. Cosmic Avengers dealing with problems that are on a level that I find difficult to describe. But somehow Al Ewing found a way. This was a rollercoaster. A team composed of Captain Marvel(Carol Danvers), Blue Marvel(Anti-Matter man), Spectrum(Living Energy, Ex-Captain Marvel, the amazing Monica Rambeau), Black Panther(King T'Challa), and Mrs. America(Multiversal Super-Teen, America Chavez). Just what does this team of heavy hitters have to face. Well, the danger level goes from Galactus until Infinity.

I'm sad to see it end, but it's such a satisfying ending, that I find myself chastising this thought. Al Elwing did a fantastic job with the story ad the group of artists brought out their A-Game in this series. Lovely artwork. I kind of want to see if there will ever be a need to reunite The Ultimates once more.

[andré crombie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Notes: One of my favorite runs of the past several years. The art is just mind-boggling, and the story is bizarre, high-concept, and tons of fun. Things lag a bit in Ultimates 2, but the conclusion is satisfying. I’d love to see this book mined for the MCU, which seems plausible: America Chavez is entering the fold in Multiverse of Madness; Spectrum and Captain Marvel are getting their own film; Shuri as Black Panther would be a natural evolution of T’Challa in this series; and as much as I would love to see Blue Marvel in the movies, it’s not hard to imagine them replacing him with an already established character (Doctor Strange?).

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

I spent years trying to find this for an acceptable price and I'm happy it was worth it. This reads like a sequel to Hickman's Avengers and Secret Wars which are some of my favorite runs. The big ideas are super creative and I like most members of the team (This was during the character assassination times with Captain Marvel). Lifebringer Galactus is amazing and I loved being able to see him as a force for good. The only thing that sucks is Marvel didn't let Ewing do his own thing completely as they kept having to tie in to shitty events like Secret Empire and Civil War 2. This is one of those runs that should've been allowed to be insulated from BS events.

[Laura Gomes · Rating 3 out of 5]

good enough entertainment para aulas de reumato

[Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fighting its way out of getting stuck in two studio spanning crossovers has to tire a creative team out. Instead? Rethink Galactus. Maybe there's time for a heart to heart with Ego.

They have a cosmic concept team that is designed to deal with BIG issues and universe breaking possibilities...yet you have them mess around in 'Civil War 2' and its precog crime crossover. If that isn't enough, you jam them back into the middle of things during 'Secret Empire' as the shield around Earth is up and impenetrable.

This is full of high concept meta universe thinking that you used to see in the old Silver Surfer series. The Living Tribunal, Lord Chaos and Master Order, Eternity. All the meta that would make Grant Morrison salivate. Keep them out of small fry super team BS. This is the team that took on Galactus.

Bonus points for Ewing bringing back Psi Force and some of the old New Universe concepts.

[Omni Theus · Rating 4 out of 5]

FULL REVIEW *Spoiler Free*- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkbO3...
Strong Ending Paints Over Some Sloppy Loose Ends
OVERALL RATING: 4.25 stars
Art: 3.25 stars
Prose: 4.25 stars
Plot: 4 stars
Pacing: 4 stars
Character Development: 4 stars
World Building: 5 stars

Being a 20 issue run is always a weird spot for a writer. A platform to build a decent couple of arcs and develop an intertwined narrative but probably not long enough to make the story epic in scope. Add a large interruption some issues ended up being a bit of a waste, however, Al Ewing pushes past this to deliver something decent.

The name of the new entity in Ultimates2 was a little on the lame side. A little more thought and some use of more vibrant vocabulary could have made the story stronger. Say 'Transmogrifyer' or 'Quantifyer' or 'Equalubrium' or 'Harmonizer/Harmony'or 'Patternmaker' made so much more sense here than 'Logos'. Was an epic fail for me. A bit of creativity and less ripping off of the Bible would be very much appreciated. The lack of a strong and imaginative name gave the impression Ewing's well of creativity had dried out or he had partially checked out.

[Csepke Sallai · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite superhero comics I have ever read. I especially like the political intrigue and the character interactions, as they are masterfully written. Even though the stakes are a little bit hard to understand (the entire cosmos is being kept prisoner), the characters' actions alone help sell it. I especially liked the writing for Galactus on this, since his PoV or personality are rarely explored, and I find the character fascinating, especially his reaction to being transformed from villain to hero.
I read this at a vulnerable time in my life where I liked to binge read comics on my phone, and I have re- read this multiple times. I even own the first volume of the collected edition (I read this on Marvel Unlimited) , which should tell you something about what this series means to me.
Also, this series introduced me to Monica Rambeau and Adam Brashear, and when she made her debut in Wandavision, I was fangirling so hard.

HOWEVER, if you do not know much about Marvel's lore (especially since not many things from this series have appeared in the movies), I would not recommend this series as you will be so very and utterly confused. If you really want to read it, though, I would highly suggest you open up each character's page on the marvel wikia and read their history, because OH MY GOD is this thing DENSE.
(or just be like me and read it while not really knowing about anything in this except for galactus and having watched the black panther and capt. marvel movies)

[Rose Swan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This entire series was insanely good. The art in Ultimates 1 was the best I have ever seen in a comic book. The panel layout manages to be insanely unique and for the tone of the book so well. I was awestruck by every page and found myself re-reading issues to take in the art again. I don’t like the art in Ultimates 2 nearly as much while the art in Ultimates manages to increase the quality of the book and outshine the writing the art in Ultimates 2 hampers it. It is really stylized which I can appreciate the attempt but it ultimately fall flat for me. The cosmic stuff looks quite good but the characters faces mostly look weird. It does improve by the end of the book though. I do enjoy the writing in ultimates 2 more so it all evens out to be one lovely experience. The stuff with Galactus is the star of the show. My favorite issue was the Ego one. It was really masterful storytelling. Ewing also does a good job of not letting the cosmic stuff overshadow the character drama which would be easy to do. The ending is really great even though it is rather generic it really works for this book. I wish there was more America Chavez but I think that’s because I just really like that character.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this. It’s a strong cast of characters and the premise of “Avengers, but for the real insane, universe-ending shit” was intriguing. It just never felt entirely cohesive. It reaches for the kind of mind-bending storytelling that made Hickman’s Avengers run so potent, but fails short many times. The art is inconsistent. The Galactus as Healer pivot was pretty cool, but I admit that once stuff like Eternity, the Living Tribunal, Celestials, etc. enter the picture, I’m mostly out. That’s never been my corner of the Marvel Universe, so that could be why I didn’t enjoy this as much. I mostly read this because it was recommended background for Ultimate Invasion.

[James Bowman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novel take on cosmic-level superheroics, with an earthbound (if extremely powerful) team working to fix omniversal problems, in the wake of the Marvel Universe's reboot after Secret Wars. This is an ambitious series full of big ideas, and somehow the stakes keep getting higher as it continues forward. Unfortunately, the series was also interrupted by two Marvel events - Civil War II and Secret Empire - which likely kept it from living up to its full potential. The ending also feels a bit compressed as well. But overall, this is a fun ride for any fan of Marvel's cosmology. (A-)

[Jiro Dreams of Suchy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big cosmic stories are usually not for me, but these kicked ass! Galactus was as interesting as ever and I’ll read anything with a biblically accurate angel. Ewing has a great handle on making big stories feel important to each character for reasons outside the obvious world ending issue at hand. The artwork is very simple Marvel style, loved the moments outside of human comprehension, is that what that stuff really looks like Al?

[Trike · Rating 4 out of 5]

512 pages of absolutely insane over-the-top cosmic clashes, featuring ALL of the heavy hitters of the Marvel universe. When Thanos and Galactus are the least powerful entities in a story, you know you’re in for a freakin’ ride. Even Jack Kirby would’ve had his mind blown by this one.

Over so many issues with several artists the art is inconsistent. Some is great, some is not, but the underlying story keeps it moving along.

[Elias · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pros: A good intro to cosmic level Marvel; buoyed by a strong cast of Ultimates, appealing, colorful artwork and a constant stream of interesting ideas from Ewing.

Cons: Frequent artist changes, though the colorful essence remained. Writing occasionally too focused on setting up Marvel events and not on sticking to the story of The Ultimates.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit over the top and dealing with higher level beings a concepts than one would expect with a book about super humans, but it plays with big ideas and concepts, even with inconsistent art and some dropped threads. Good, but not great

[jeremi · Rating 3 out of 5]

the art in this was insane

[Joshua]

This was so big and weird and crazy

[Alex Jiménez · Rating 3 out of 5]

i wanted to like this more than i did…i enjoyed the interpersonal conflict but the antagonist (galactus) was super disappointing and fell flat for me.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Choppy worldbuilding. It reads like modern theology.

[a.g.e. montagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Marvel Comics eventually resolved to fold the Ultimate Universe¹, somebody must have thought the name was too cool to ditch. Or maybe just liked recycling and believed the brand would sell. Enter the Ultimates of this universe, an ensemble that comes together in the wake of Secret Wars with the self-appointed job description of "attempt[ing] to solve problems of cosmic scope before they become an issue for Earth and the wider universe", no less.
The small cast of very powerful characters ⸺ Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers), her friend and predecessor Spectrum (Monica Rambeau), Black Panther (king T'Challa), the under-used Blue Marvel (Adam Brashear) and Ms. America (America Chavez) ⸺ decide that their first mission will be to solve Galactus (yes, seriously: the colour-coded restyling is badass), and from there proceed to go bigger, again and again. Al Ewing manages to write an epic of truly cosmic scope for this team, while foregrounding the humanity and freshness of lesser known black and brown heroes: with three Afro-Americans, a Latina teenage lesbian, a female majority and no white male lead (take note, Guardians of the Galaxy), the group "looks like a damn Benetton ad", as government top brass are quick to quip; but skin colour tends to loose meaning when when it's made of antimatter or "living electromagnetic energy" and your survival is often predicated on whether you can breathe in deep space. Or outside reality itself, as the story unfolds so majestically that ultimately nothing short of the Multiverse is at stakes.

There is, for the record, one too many tie-ins²: Civil War II in the second storyline of Season One ⸺ incidentally, the point when "universal ambassador" Danvers' proactive approach towards potential threats infamously leaves her in dire waters; what I think is a tie-in with Secret Empire in Season Two... Yet Ewing weaves these threads in a tapestry made of the building blocks of reality itself. And throws in a number of juicy cameos for good measure.

It doesn't hurt that the criminally underrated Kenneth Rocafort is the main artist for Season One. Judging from his kynetic style, he must have been schooled at the Institute of Marc Silvestri and Brett Booth, but Ewing isn't slipping into hyperbole when he boasts that it looks like nothing else on the stands. Rocafort has since been working mainly for DC Comics, and I might pick up a couple of titles just for the art. It's also unsurprising that such detailed greatness takes time, and the occasional fill-in artists, with the exception of the always delightful Christian Ward, seem barely competent, perhaps due to last-minute contraints. Fortunately, artistic coherency is maintained by wisely relegating the fill-ins to flashbacks and other asides.

This volume collects an opening #0, the 12-issue first season, the 9-issue second season plus a very-conclusive #100. "It's almost certainly the last time I'll write Adam or Monica" says Ewing in his farewell page, and there's a definite sense of closure, but the interdimensional ride has been amongst the most exciting in recent years.

¹ Which was an early testing ground for ideas that would later resurface in the MCU, among them an attempt at modernising the entire franchise and the central role of a certain otherwise bottom-of-the-barrel superhero group...

² Company-wide crossovers are the reason why I altogether STOPPED reading Marvel Comics after the original Civil War. Unfortunately, as of 2016 they were still a thing. Lately they have generally been smaller in scope.

[Elia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always wanted Ewing to wow me (I liked but didn't love his Hulk run), he comes close here. I thought I was going to read a story mired in Ultimate Marvel continuity, instead we get something quite unique. Not a version of the Earth proteticing Avengers team in the Ultimate universe, more of a cosmic/multiversal Avengers. And the ideas are Grand here, heavily involving Galactus, Thanos, and the entities of Chaos and Order. The team fits as well, and it's a fun mixture of characters with Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers) and Black Panther heading up a team that includes America Chavez, Blue Atom, and Monica Rambeau. Sometimes the plots and grandness of ideas and science babble overtake everything else, and it takes a strange detour mid run to incoporate Civil War II, but it all feels unified in a single run. It does feel wrapped up a bit too quickly, after ending one run and rebooting only to end 9 issues later.

[Niyel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peak