"Avengers: Armageddon," #2 and, "Captain America," #13 are Two Comics by the Same Writer Yet Have Such a Tonal Difference

Chip Zdarsky is a fantastic writer. There are not too many folks writing comics at Marvel right now I get excited to pick up the work of, but they include Jed MacKay, Jonathan Hickman, and good ol' Chip. Last week, he had two comics come out that take place within the same Universe, a part of the same event (to a degree), and are just so different it is astounding. You've got the second issue of, "Avengers: Armageddon," which is full of geopolitical intrigue, arguments about how to utilize militaristic power in the name of affecting change, and so forth. Then, Captain America was brutally injured by the Red Hulk/Thunderbolt Ross before, "Avengers: Armageddon," and his comic follows him in some surreal iteration of Hell, leading damned souls and some demons to overthrow Mephisto. It's good, but weird.

One comic is doing an interesting take on, "Powerful hero questions why the other heroes do so little," concept, which has been riffed on by everyone from Alan Moore (Miracleman) to your friend who complains, "Why won't Batman just kill the Joker?" This questioning is being done with by a newer character, David Colton, who appeared in the start of Zdarsky's run on, "Captain America," in a flashback arc (to establish he's been around in continuity but just hasn't been seen much) and then got some extra powers due to a magical Origin Box from the Ultimate Universe...yeah, it is a bit confusing, comics can be wacky. It is still interesting and slightly grounded in reality with its exploration of if, "Might makes right," and how much justification America has to put its forces in other countries--be they superheroes or the military.

Meanwhile, we've got the same writer taking the, "Captain America," comic that had the same vibe but suddenly segued us into Hell. As for why Captain America went to Hell, Doctor Doom kinda ended up there too when he died in his recent, "One World Under Doom," comic (he's got some beef with the Devil, as past comics established) and used his magic to get Steve Rogers dragged down there too upon being mortally wounded. This is not a metaphorical or symbolic Hell, either; this is a literal Hell, full of mystical monsters and fire. The shift from, "Riffing on real-world politics with fictional superheroes," to, "Hey, let's take a big journey through Hell," brings some tonal whiplash for sure, but Zdarsky is a skilled enough writer that it isn't too jarring. Plus, again, comics can be wacky! Both comics are great reads, and this isn't a review so much as me discussing how strange comics can get. Chip Zdarsky knows how to spin a good yarn, though, and I congratulate him on his, "Stillwater," comic getting a T.V. series order, as well!

The Ultimate Universe, "Ends," Tomorrow

 

The current Ultimate Universe, as we know it, ends tomorrow. We will get, "Ultimate Endgame," #5 and a, "Finale," special. I've seen some spoilers that make it abundantly clear how, even if Marvel is concluding the current run of, "Ultimate," books, there are ways it will, "Return," in some fashion. Plus, the latest Ultimate Universe has had an impact on the regular Marvel 616 Universe already, with those little boxes of powers ending up jumping around the multiverse. That said, Marvel is essentially ending the latest iteration of the Ultimate Universe tomorrow (for now), and it does surprise me to a degree they actually went through with it--especially considering that, "Ultimate Spider-Man," was a license to print money for a hot minute. 

The original Ultimate Universe remains a fascinating piece of history (I'd highly recommend Ted Adams book, "The Ultimates (Marvel Age of Comics)," for an in-depth examination) and the success of its pseudo-return/reinvention will go down as pretty intriguing, as well. Between DC's Absolute Universe (and its continued massive success) and this most recent Ultimate Universe, unique takes on seemingly-familiar concepts worked out quite well. I really enjoyed a lot of this Ultimate Universe and while I'll miss a number of the series from it, at least this publishing cycle of an, "Ultimate," Marvel World did not wear out its welcome.

Marvel Is Hinting at a New, "Midnight," Universe Coming This Fall

Marvel is in the process of wrapping up their reboot of the Ultimate Universe (I'm still shocked they are actually ending it) and just started hinting at something called the, "Midnight Universe," with the tagline, "A terrifying new universe from Marvel Comics arrives this fall." Upon seeing this my first thought was Marvel is going to try and do something similar to DC's smash-hit Absolute Universe, with some kind of dark or scary twist...hence the spooky-ish time of Midnight? Well, Bleeding Cool has announced with a big All-Caps, "SCOOP," that the Midnight Universe is a mix of Marvel's answer to the Absolute Universe and will have a horror focus. Jonathan Hickman, Phillip Kennedy Johnson, and Benjamin Percy will all be working together for a radically reimagined alternate Marvel Universe that will have a focus on Blade, Ghost Rider, Darkhold, Dracula, Morbius, and the good ol' Werewolf By Night.

This announcement has me feeling both a bit cynical and excited. I am rolling my eyes a bit at the idea of Marvel so unabashedly going, "Let's do our own Absolute-type thing!" but hearing it has a horror bent perks my ears up as someone who enjoys sci-fi and horror comics, as well as superhero stories that twist the genre a bit into those styles. Will there be enough interest in a more horror-styled alternate universe for this line to succeed or will it fall flat on its face? Nobody can (for sure) know as very few predicted the Absolute line would be as popular as it has become--I will say I am eager to learn more because I'm always down for a solid Blade or Ghost Rider yarn. Marvel will officially be revealing more next week, so let's stay tuned for the (official) details that will be coming before too long.

The First Issue of, "Ultimate Endgame," Sets the Stakes Well

A lot of the press about, "Ultimate Endgame," has been for the blind bag fiasco, but how is the comic itself? Well, I quite enjoyed the first issue, I can say! One thing that helps the stakes feel real is that this iteration of, "The Ultimate Universe," has been confirmed by Marvel to--against all odds and logic--be ending. I imagine they might spin off some characters to another Universe, but Marvel's insisted this Ultimate Universe is done soon and will be a nice, relatively self-contained epic with a start and end. I applaud the gall of Marvel doing this and this debut issue of, "Ultimate Endgame," sets the stage nicely for a lot of mayhem.

The comics have been counting down for two years or so when, "The Maker," who was an evil Reed Richards from the old Ultimate Universe, would try to emerge from his time-bubble prison that Howard Stark put them both in. As the issues advanced with every month signifying a real month (for the most part, they followed that format), anticipation built for this final showdown. Some heroes enter the surreal city the Maker is contained within, others help everyone rebel against the evil forces trying to control our planet ever since the Maker came to this Earth, and installed his council to run the World. 

This premiere issue has a lot of fighting, some trippy sci-fi visuals, and I am excited to see just how this latest Ultimate Universe concludes. The fact that this could end horribly for the heroes because the Ultimate Universe is soon done makes the comic a bit more exciting than if we knew in a couple months things would be, "Business as usual," in this alternate Universe in the same manner the , "Regular," Marvel Universe doesn't ever change too much. As the rest of the Ultimate books race to their conclusion and we await the final results of this, "Ultimate Endgame," I wonder what, exactly, will be next. The fact that we have some uncertainty for once adds a bit of extra fun, and I look forward to finding out!

5 out of 5 Stars.

Uh Oh, Ultimate Endgame Blind Bags Suffered Lots of Damages

On December 31st, Marvel kicked off the end of their (latest) Ultimate Universe with, "Ultimate Endgame," #1. As part of the fun they had one variant option of that hot new trend--which is already burning itself out--blind bags. There was a problem, however, in that many of the blind bags turned out to have quite damaged comics inside once opened. Apparently, these weren't shipped the best in some cases and that could result in a store's whole order having nasty nicks and spine tics--not encouraging if you're hoping to pull a rare variant in decent shape. Marvel hasn't said anything official about this, but Penguin Random House (the distributor of Marvel floppies) has declared that as long as retailers send in the damaged comics with the covers stripped off, they'll refund the expense. I mean, that's something?

This is a bit of a mess, and considering how many blind bag promotions there have been from assorted publishers, you'd think PRH/Marvel would know how to ship these. I know Marvel is planning to do more mystery polybags for their, "Daredevil," relaunch, so one can only pray a valuable lesson was learned, and we won't see the same stories about damaged comics in a handful of months. Then again, if this blind bag craze peters out as quickly as it seems to be, it may not even matter before long if people simply quit caring. I suppose we'll have to see what 2026 holds for comic gimmicks and whatever the next hot promotional schtick is.

Two Early Marvel Announcements From NYCC 2025

New York Comic-Con will be occurring in New York City this weekend (funny enough, while I'm busy at a different convention, GalaxyCon STL). That show officially starts tomorrow, but is doing a, "Retailer Day," right now. Two early announcements out of NYCC 2025 have come from Marvel and are intriguing.

Another, "Moon Knight," Relaunch. 

Jed MacKay has been writing some form of, "Moon Knight," for quite some time (with various artists on the differing series), and that makes me happy as he is good at it. I will admit it has been confusing, however, as we had, "Moon Knight," which led into, "Vengeance of the Moon Knight," and that turned into, "Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu," before it was just announced it is ending. However, there is no need to fret as the same writer (MacKay) will be continuing the epic saga he's been telling over all the series with the latest Moon Knight title, "Marc Spector: Moon Knight," which is a nice homage to the first series with that name from back in the day. As long as we keep getting quality Moon Knight content, I don't mind the renaming and renumbering of series too much--it most likely confuses more casual fans/readers of the character, however. Look for the latest series this February 2026.

The Ultimate Universe Truly Ending?

I've blogged about the idea that it seems outlandish for Marvel to truly pull the plug on this latest Ultimate Universe, as it has been a critical hit and made good money. That said, they are doubling down on the idea that they are actually going to shut it down in April of 2026 when, "Utlimate: Endgame," concludes. If Marvel really does end this Ultimate Universe I would appluad their metaphorical brass balls (and I'd expect some characters to be folded back into the regualr 616 Universe). I still feel like we are heading toward some kind of relaunch/reboot that allows this current Ultimate Universe to stand alone but gives, "Birth," to a new one. Prove me wrong, Marvel.

Marvel Might Actually Destroy the Latest Ultimate Universe At the Height of its Popularity

In June, it was rumored that the current Ultimate Universe could very well end after two or so years, as it counted down in real-time to the return of its creator, The Maker (currently locked in a time-bubble). It sounded a little outlandish as this newest Ultimate Unvierse is a hit (Ultimate Spider-Man in particular), but during CCI/SDCC, Marvel revealed, "Ultimate Endgame," and how it spins out of all the current Ultimate books as they conclude. 

Will, "Ultimate Endgame," bring us a surprising conclusion to this Ultimate Universe, with some elements perhaps spinning off into the regular Marvel Universe? Could it not be an end so much as a leading into a relaunch of books as the heroes (possibly) prevail over The Maker and enter a new era of Ultimate books? I don't know, but we'll start getting answers at the end of December when all the other Ultimate books end and, "Ultimate Endgame," #1 brings us the beginning of the end of the beginning...or something like that.

The (Latest) Ultimate Universe Could be Heading to a Conclusion and/or Relaunch

Could these be among the last isssues of the latest Ultimate Universe?

The latest line of Ultimate books have been following an interesting trend where they almost all each take place within a month (putting aside flashbacks or how Ultimate X-Men is the worst of the books and seems quite trashy with its timeline). This has made sense as at the end of the mini-series that kicked off this latest Ultimate Universe ("Ultimate Invasion") the Maker--who altered this dimension--was locked away in a time-bubble of sorts for 24 months. 

It has been apparent a timer is ticking down so-to-speak, but these new Ultimate books have been a surprise big hit--with, "Ultimate Spider-Man," especially getting rave reviews (and selling numerous copies). Some talents at Marvel have said everything ends when that 24 months is up, and other creators have disputed that. Could Marvel actually shut down this latest Ultimate Universe against all logic and financial sense, or is it more likely that we will have a big event followed by a bunch of relaunches and renumberings? Probably the latter is more likely than the former, but it would be a legit shock if Marvel counted down, did a big event, and blew it all up like the first Ultimate Universe that the Maker hails from. It is extremely unlikely, but whatever happens when the Maker emerges back into this latest Ultimate Universe, we will have had a solid two years of some snazzy storytelling across a bunch of series and one-shots...plus the, "Ultimate X-Men," book too. We shall see.

"Ultimate Wolverine," #1 Gives us a Mystery Wrapped in Brutality

"Ultimate Wolverine," is the latest of the (thankfully slowly) growing Ultimate line of comics. Marvel's latest venture into a new Ultimate Universe has actually been fantastic, with each issue moving time ahead one month--a feat that is still somehow working--and telling interesting stories around this World that The Maker altered in countless twisted ways. The Ultimate iteration of Wolverine has some hints dropped about who he is/was, but much of the comic centers on the heads of Eurasia (Colususs, Magik, and so forth) using their, "Winter Soldier," as he is dubbed (no relation to Bucky) to enforce their mutant rule in the region they control. 

The mutant weapon we witness was once called Logan, we learn, and part of the opposition to this tyrannical government, but a lot is left unclear. It also appears Wolverine won't be waking up anytime too soon as the first mission has him murdering his old friends (Mystique and Nightcrawler) in a shockingly detailed manner. I cannot compliment artist Alessandro Cappuccio enough, having become a huge fan of the artist during his time on, "Moon Knight," comics. They do an amazing job with, "Ultimate Wolverine." This isn't to ignore how writer Chris Condon is setting up a whole lot of interesting plot beats in this debut issue, I just can't stop admiring how simultaneously gorgeous and grotesque Cappuccio's work is. I'm loving almost every Ultimate Universe book currently ("Ultimate X-Men," is alright but drags horribly), and this latest title is a fantastic new entry into this line.

5 out of 5 Stars.

An Assortment of Free Comic Book Day Titles Have Been Announced for 2025

Free Comic Book Day occurs the first Saturday of May ever since its inception (some COVID-era wonkiness aside). The day features a special comics publisher release for the event and the next one will be on May 3rd of 2025. As of today, some of the comics that will be on offer have been announced!

In regards to Marvel, they'll be spotlighting the Fantastic Four (which makes sense with an MCU movie on the way) and have a combination comic featuring some Amazing Spider-Man goodness and a tease of an upcoming Ultimate Universe event. Since it began I would say Marvel has shown shocking levels of restraint in regards to the latest Ultimate Universe, not putting out a ton of titles or immediately forcing it to do an event. As the series has been moving in real-time somewhat (each month of a comic is treated as an actual month) and counting down to The Maker escaping a prison in a manner of months, it makes sense that would lead into an event--my hypothesis would be that is what's approaching.

Out of some other announced comics, one thing I would not have predicted was a crossover between the Thundercats and Powerpuff Girls, but that's what we're getting! There will also be an issue set in the Energon Universe for Skybound (which has been popular with its original content, G.I. Joe and Transformers). Other interesting releases include a Conan comic from Titan, a Minecraft comic, Archie-themed goodness, and more! These are just some of the comics to expect for FCBD and plenty more will be declared, so I look forward to the next Free Comic Book Day for sure!

The, "DC All-In Special," #1 is a Promising and Creative Start of a New Venture

DC is launching their, "All-In," Initiative which involves the standard DC Universe and an alternate one (the Absolute one) somewhat co-existing and (one assumes) eventually overlapping in some fashion. It's a bit like the original or new Ultimate Universe Marvel is doing, in other words. This new, "DC All-In Special," #1 is a one-shot that kicks everything off...and it actually does so in a clever way.

There is a lot of artistic creativity in this special that makes a big commercial endeavor actually feel almost a bit quirky--and I like that. You see, this is a flipbook that tells the same story from vastly different viewpoints and uses that format for all kinds of intriguing ways to tell a surreal story. We see things from the perspective of the heroes on the main DC Earth as they expand the Justice League--and Booster Gold is there as everything goes wrong with  Daniel Sampere providing some solid art. 

We also witness Darkseid getting up to a bunch of evil stuff and enacting a master plan...with Booster Gold yet again there from a slightly different metaphorical angle as everything goes wrong (the man can't catch a break in this comic). I liked seeing an alternate take of the same yarn and the Wes Craig artwork on the, "Evil," side is especially impressive--as others have observed. I give props to writers Joshua Williamson and Scott Snyder for their creative use of the comic-book format and using that to give us two stories that end up uniting beautifully as one twisted tale.

The, "DC All-in Special," #1 is much more experimental than I expected for a random one-shot that launches a new line of stories (and a whole new Universe of heroes). This gives me some optimism for the upcoming Absolute titles--I was thinking of at least trying their first issues and definitely plan to do so now--and makes me curious about what will be happening in some of the, "Main," DC books as well like the upcoming, "New Gods," series. Color me pleasantly shocked at how good this was. I tip my hat to DC for getting me excited about all the other things coming down the pipeline for, "All-In."

5 out of 5 Stars.

More Information is Leaking About DC's New, "Absolute," Line of Comics

DC is going to be launching a new Ultimate Universe-style line of comics called, "Absolute." That was rumored a while ago but there is now concrete proof in the form of an, "Absolute Batman," ashcan due to release at the upcoming Comic-Con International AKA San Diego Comic-Con. This new Absolute Universe will run concurrently with the standard DC Universe and they will somehow connect/acknowledge each other via, "DC All-In," which is the term for the new publishing initiative of the standard DC Universe and the Absolute version--two narrative strands that will intertwine in some fashion, I suppose?

The latest Ultimate Universe that Marvel is doing have been a lovely surprise of great stories so if DC wants to experiment a bit without going too far (the New 52 was a lot, after all), I'm all for it. The biggest mystery as of now is how everything will connect. I imagine CCI/SDCC will answer many questions, so I look forward to late July!

Remixing Marvel With "The Ultimates," #1

Back in, "Ultimate Invasion," a twisted version of Reed Richards known as, "The Maker," found a Marvel Universe much like the, "Regular," 616 one and his own original, "Ultimate," version. However, he altered much of the events in that World from the early 20th century on to ensure a place he ruled with little to no challenge. At the end of, "Ultimate Invasion," the Maker was trapped away in his own castle for a period of time, but not before framing the Stark family for attacking New York City (with Howard Stark now trapped too and his teenage son Tony left to try and make sense of how to help the World). Since, "Ultimate Invasion," we've had the launch of other Ultimate titles that range from amazing ("Ultimate Spider-Man,") to enjoyable ("Ultimate Black Panther,") to decent enough ("Ultimate X-Men,")...and now, "The Ultimates," itself has arrived. Oh, and it is good.

The, "Ultimate," line seems to intriguingly enough be advancing somewhat in real-time, with issues mirroring the flow of an actual month (flashbacks aside). Hence, when the characters within, "The Ultimates," observe they jumped six months into the future, it really has been that long since the main Ultimate books kicked off with Spidey. Hence, the observation they have a limited amount of time before The Maker emerges from his temporal jail in 18 months or so rings quite true. Johnathan Hickman has designed much of this new Ultimate Universe but Deniz Camp writes, "The Ultimates," itself and does a fantastic job bringing us a ragtag group of heroes painted as terrorists fighting against the secret evil powers of this World (The Maker had plenty of lackeys now trying to split-up territories around Earth in his absence). Juan Frigeri is the artist and excels at giving us some explosive fight scenes between the Ultimates and powers that would challenge them.

I especially like how this latest Ultimate Universe is not just a reboot, but a World where the heroes are aware they were meant to be different and can choose to try and achieve their destinies or reject them. This leads to a poignant scene with Hank Pym remarking how upon seeing what his 616 counterpart has been like he doesn't know if he actually wants to have powers and be anything like that person with a history that is relatively fraught (from creating Ultron to striking his wife and so forth). Others found this way of approaching Pym interesting too. This latest Ultimate Universe is both its own fascinating beast, but also in a way a reflection of the, "Main," Marvel Universe, commenting on it and tweaking itself to be both similar yet different. It's a little meta, and I always appreciate that kind of thing.

This first issue of, "The Ultimates," continues the tendency of this new line of comics to be full of great reads (and the passable X-Men one). With its real-time setup and a clear timetable for something big on the horizon, little time is wasted in any Ultimate-related issues and this newest series makes a fantastic addition to the relatively tight line-up--something I appreciate in an era where a new hit universe/concept/etc. can get bloated really fast with too many tie-ins or such. Whether you're new to this latest Ultimate Universe or have been following it since the, "Ultimate Invasion," series this debut issue of, "The Ultimates," is worth a read!

5 out of 5 stars.

DC Comics Allegedly to Launch an, "Absolute," Line of Comics With Scott Snyder at the Helm

Marvel and DC love creating lines of comics set in alternate universes. Whether it is Marvel's Ultimate line (which is now back and doing well in a new iteration), the New Universe, DC's Elseworlds or some of the Vertigo stuff (that's a little complicated), unique lines of comics often occur over the decades. It seems Marvel bringing back the aforementioned Ultimate line has piqued DC's interest as they aren't going to do a full reboot like in 2011 with the New 52, but are going to launch an, "Absolute," line which is not to be confused with their big hardcover Absolute collections. Bleeding Cool is a bit of a tabloid site with way too many ads (seriously, without an adblocker it is impossible to navigate) but it sometimes breaks big news and it seems Rich Johnston and company found somebody to leak them the juicy story about the Abstolue line.

These Absolute Comics will have a separate continuity and start DC over fresh in a new-reader-friendly manner. The rest of the DC Universe will continue doing its own thing so as not to enrage longtime readers and Scott Snyder--a skilled writer for sure--is spearheading much (if not all) of this new Absolute Comics line. The heroes in Absolute Comic will be heavily reworked versions of DC heroes and will share their own universe but be separate from the main DC one. It'll all be the same multiverse, apparently, so I imagine in 10 or so years these heroes might overlap with the main DC ones or such as eventually all the separate Universes end up interacting at some point or another. The line supposedly will kick off in late 2024 and early 2025, so now we just await the, "Official," announcement from DC since this big ol' leak.

Hot Comics Revue 16--Baby, Come Home to the Ultimate Universe. No, the Other One!

When it was first announced how in the latest iteration of the Ultimate Universe Spider-Man would be married to Mary Jane with kids I wrote that it would probably appeal to folks who grew up back when Spidey was married (before the Devil/Mephisto undid it, it was weird) and younger readers curious about an older Peter Parker with kids. Talk about an understatement because, "Ultimate Spider-Man," #1 (2024 edition) is the first big hit of the year and Marvel's first (new) book to really strike a nerve and get hot in some time.

Cover A is normally priced at $5.99 due to being extra-big and such, but the book is now trending for $35-$40 online with other variant covers creeping up from their cover price too (a rising tide raises all boats, perhaps). People have been saying online the book is probably a hit because it features a great writer (Jonathan Hickman) a stellar artist (Marco Checcheto) and tells a story fans have wanted for some time (Peter Parker grown-up, married to Mary Jane, with kids). Who knew having a solid creative team telling a story people would like to read would make a comic popular (sarcasm intended)? Only the first issue has come out so the series could very well get even hotter or faceplant. Whatever the case, it is a bit funny to think the original Ultimate Universe had a very young Peter Parker and was incredibly popular for some time and this iteration has a much older Pete and is a hit now as well.

"Ultimate Universe," #1 Fully Kicks-off the New Ultimate Universe

I really dug, "Ultimate Invasion," from its first issue to the final fourth one. I and other reviewers honestly feel that this, "Ultimate Universe," #1 one-shot is a bit of a fifth issue to, "Ultimate Invasion," with Jonathan Hickman writing this as well (Stefano Casellli is the artist for this, however, and Bryan Hitch was on, "Secret Invasion). That said, I don't mind because this issue does a great job setting up this new Ultimate Universe. A general idea seems to be that this Universe was going to have heroes, but due The Maker coming in and screwing stuff up the whole World is just wrong. Hence, we've got an interesting assortment of characters trying to, "Fix," the Universe. 

We meet a new Ultimate Thor (plus Sif), have Reed Richards as a kind of Doctor Doom, and a younger Tony Stark is trying to right the World. Not to mention, Ultimate Black Panther has a cameo, we already know a married Ultimate Spider-Man is coming, and hints are dropped about the Ultimate X-Men within the issue too. There's a chunk of closure, a good deal of setup, and I'm pretty intrigued by this new Ultimate Universe so far. It should be quite the wild ride as the other series begin!

5 out of 5 stars.

Spider-Man is Married Again...in the Ultimate Universe

Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson originally got married back in 1987 and remained (mostly) happily as such until 2007. That year had the infamous, "One More Day," event where Mephisto/the Devil, basically, undid their marriage retroactively in exchange for saving the life of Aunt May--she'd gotten shot when someone was trying to kill Spidey. The whole thing also undid Spider-Man revealing his identity to the World as a bit of a soft reboot. Many fans hated it and demanded since it occurred that Marvel undo this change. A lot has changed since 2007, and Peter and MJ were a couple at points, but no wedded bliss occurred. Until now. Kind of.

The Ultimate Universe has returned in a tweaked form. The Reed Richards from that dimension was one of the few survivors of the realm (along with Miles Morales) and they came to the mainstream 616 Marvel Universe. He escaped to a new place and made some tweaks, however. A part of those tweaks seems to be that Peter Parker won't be Spider-Man until he's already older...and has a wife and kids. That's right, the marriage is back!

This is a big deal for those who grew up with Spider-Man married and even though the Universe and origins have been tweaked, that fact we've got a grown-up Spidey with MJ and kiddos is pretty cool. Plus, Jonathan Hickman is writing this and he's a stellar storyteller so that's awesome. Marco Checcheto is doing the art and I'm a fan of them as well, so this is shaping up to be another interesting piece of the newest iteration of the Ultimate Universe!

"Ultimate Invasion," #1 Sets a Lot of Intrigue in Motion

Jonathan Hickman is a writer who has done a lot of cool comics and written some big stories at Marvel, especially. He took the Ultimate Universe Reed Richards years ago and helped start him on a dark twisted path to becoming The Maker. He did a massive run on, "Avengers," and, "New Avengers," which led to the last, "Secret Wars." He relaunched the X-Men into their current status quo of having the big island of Krakoa (then either left the books a bit early of his own volition or was pushed off, it seems unclear). Now it has been revealed Hickman will be relaunching the Ultimate Universe in some fashion, with, "Ultimate Invasion," kicking things off via a four-issue mini-series. The artist for this is, fittingly, Bryan Hitch, a man who was there quite early in the life of the original Ultimate Universe with, "The Ultimates."

This debut issue lays a ton of groundwork, with The Maker breaking out of a specialized prison in the, "Regular," 616 Marvel Universe and the Illuminati coming together after he takes a ton of their tech. We also witness as the Maker/evil Reed makes an offer to Miles Morales to go back to the Ultimate Universe as they are the only two refugees from there and Miles politely declines. Eventually, the Maker does seem to escape and the 616 heroes worry just how bad his plans might be. If I may spoil the issue's end, something interesting happens that shows we are possibly getting a different Ultimate Universe indeed. It's the present yet events from the past are just about to happen with a unique spider nearly biting teenager Peter Parker...before a somewhat-disguised Maker stops it. 

This seemingly new Ultimate Universe might end up being familiar but also have some big differences. I'm eager to see how Hickman and Hitch tweak the Ultimate Universe formula. After all, the original take was basically, "The Marvel Universe, but more modern, more edgy, and lots of characters are kind of jerks." Then it spun off in all kinds of wild directions with twists way different than the main Marvel Universe and ended up being destroyed along with a variety of other Universes during, "Secret Wars." I'm quite curious what Hickman and Hitch are going to give us as, "Ultimate Invasion," concludes and a possibly new and significantly different Ultimate Universe hits the scene. It'll be fun to find out what happens!

5 out of 5 stars.

Marvel Announces, "Ultimate Invasion," is Coming this Summer

Ever since Marvel's Ultimate Universe ended during the, 2015 "Secret Wars," event there have been hints of something brewing with its possible return. The Ultimate Universe's Reed Richards (who became an evil fellow named The Maker) popped up in the, "Venom," series while Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman worked on it, and Miles Morales originated in the Ultimate Universe before being folded into the main 616 continuity after, "Secret Wars," with issues arising at times for him due to that (the, "Other Miles," also called Ultimatum). Things are coming to a head, however, with, "Ultimate Invasion."

Writer Jonathan Hickman (who did a chunk of work with the Ultimate Universe when he came to Marvel) and illustrator Bryan Hitch (who was basically involved with the Ultimate Universe from the start back in the 2000s) will be doing, "Ultimate Invasion." It'll have The Maker and Miles Morales heavily involved along with heroes from both Universes seeming to face off with that troublemaking Illuminati that Bendis created in, "New Avengers," and Hickman also wrote having some involvement too --possibly an Ultimate Illuminati? The exact details of the event are scarce, but with a solid creative team and a fun concept, I'm already on board to at least try the event out. I just hope it doesn't have a ton of tie-ins as that gets tiring (although it is often easy to skip a chunk of those if needed). More of, "Ultimate Invasion," will apparently be revealed in a Free Comic Book Day offering from Marvel with the first issue following in June.

I Wonder What Could Have Been With the Donny Cates and Ryan Ottley's, "Hulk," Run

One thing to get out of the way is how "Immortal Hulk," was an amazing comic and whatever came after it was sure to fail to measure up. Still, when it was announced Donny Cates would be writing a new, "Hulk," comic and Ryan Ottley would illustrate it, that gave me hope we would get something cool and different from, "Immortal Hulk," even if it wouldn't be as magical. Then the, "Hulk," comic started and it was pretty cool and zany! It crossed over with the, "Thor," comic Cates had been writing for a while and then...was really delayed. Super delayed. Suddenly fill-writers seemed to become permanent on, "Thor," and, "Hulk," with Ottley taking over the writing and drawing. At some point, Marvel decided it was better to just outright cancel the comic than retool it because after it became apparent Cates was gone and Ottley was going to be done too. Therefore, the whole thing will end with issue #14. It's like someone suddenly yelled, "Shut it down," and the series with its Titan Hulk and other fun weirdness went kaput.

There have been ample rumors about why Donny Cates has seemed to quit all his Marvel series as of late. More optimistic theories are that he is working on something big for Marvel--possibly with Greg Capullo. Some people think he had some kind of emotional breakdown for one reason or another. He has confirmed he is single and went through a divorce and needed a break due to various life events. I honestly don't know what Cates did or did not go through but as a fan of his work wish him the best. If it turns out he is doing something really snazzy like bringing back the Ultimate Universe or such I will be pleased, and if he simply needs to take time for his mental health and do a few creator-owned series and chill, I'm happy for him as well. I just wonder what could have been with his and Ottley's run on, "Hulk," if everything had continued as initially planned. 

Ottley has expressed he'll be moving back to shorter runs on various creator-owned series as after doing, "Invincible," a long time and now abbreviated, "Hulk," run he wants to dabble in various titles briefly as opposed to spending all his time on a single book. Cates is mostly radio silent about future plans with his comics but will probably share more when he is ready. It's just a bummer.