True believers, face forward! Today is another wonderful Wednesday. That means it’s time for Marvel Rundown. Last week we covered a lot of Apocalypse, and this week we’re back with a wrap-up of stories from across the Marvel Multiverse. First, The Ultimates #17 spotlights a timeless and moving tragedy. And in a quick overview, we take a look at Ultimate Spider-Man #22 and more dispatches from the Age of Apocalypse.
As always, The Beat wants to hear from all you true believers! Let us know what you think of this week’s Marvel Comics! Give us a shout in the comments section below or on social media @comicsbeat or @comicsbeat.bsky.social.
Ultimate #17
Writer: Deniz Camp
Artist: Phil Noto
Written by: Travis Lanham of VC
Cover by Dik Luan and Neeraj Menon
The Ultimates has been one of Marvel’s best books since its release, but if there’s one criticism of the title, it’s that the series focuses more on plot and themes than characters. Part of that is the nature of the Ultimate series as a whole, with an ambitious real-time monthly publication schedule, with each new issue published in its launch month. The entire book lineup ends up feeling disjointed. The characters are rather thinly defined, as there’s no space to sit in depth with each individual character, and most of their adventures occur off-page. There are exceptions, of course, but one of the best issues of The Ultimates is the fourth, which focuses on the story of Ultimate Doom, Reed Richards, and its history. Not only was it a moving exploration of the character’s tragedy, but it was also ambitiously constructed and beautifully illustrated by Phil Noto. The focus on the character and his motivations allowed Doom to become one of the most distinct and interesting figures in the new Ultimate series.
Now that word is officially out that the Ultimate Universe is coming to an end, each issue of this series feels even more precious, and I was looking forward to Deniz Camp reuniting with Noto in the sequel to the now classic issue #4. #17 begins with a repeat of the previous issue’s narrative structure, with four separate but interconnected stories stacked vertically on each page. But as Doom’s emotional journey unfolds, his past invades his present, and the Maker looms, the pattern breaks down. There is no longer a simple rigid structure of four lattice panels. Past and present intertwine. The lack of what could have been haunts the page, giving the panels a gutter of blankness.
Just like the patterns on this page, we can break through patterns of self-hatred, self-pity, fear, disillusionment, and isolation. Let’s build something new and hopeful out of nothing. Even in the face of tragedy and pain, we can choose to live freely. We can choose new ways to deal with difficulties. It’s a way that comes from those pains and isn’t limited by the past.
Throughout Doom’s harrowing journey of loss, torture, self-loathing, and grief, all present on the page at once, Camp and Noto physically express a sense of memory and recognition, past and present, as a single unit that defines us with every breath. This juxtaposition of time is one of the beautiful things comics are capable of. We see cause and effect at the same time. The past is always right there, as real as the panel in front of you. VC’s Travis Lanham’s lettering smartly and subtly transcends panels and timestreams to interrupt multiple narratives on the page, with balloons floating over multiple panels, allowing the reader to absorb multiple stories as a unit, even on a second or third reading that focuses on individual moments.
There’s probably no one in the comics world better at understanding the subtle nuances of facial expressions and body language than Phil Noto. Like the series’ regular artists, these Doom-centric issues require subtlety and precision. Doom has to sell years of suffering with just a glimpse of his eyes, a turn of his head, or a slouch under his cloak. Noto’s color choices are also notable, with monochrome blues and grays capturing the hopelessness of Doom’s daily floggings, all but washing away this issue. Finally, it’s a red-hot blow from an unsuspecting colleague that snaps Doom out of his coma, bringing unexpected warmth and light and cutting through his gray world.
This final moment is what takes this issue from compelling to great. One panel, actually a shot of Reed’s eyes behind his expressionless armor, and a single speech bubble. It radically changes everything. And this is a gift to this reader who has struggled with feelings of “heartbreak” and the nagging feeling that something is missing for much of his life. Camp and Noto take readers on a journey with Reed Richards that ultimately invites him to let go of his only obsession with driving in life. This is a story about not giving up on your goals and not letting losses and failures define you. It’s about working through the sadness of wondering what might have been if you had been healthy, or if you had been born in a different time, in a different place, in a world that doesn’t feel so broken. It’s about the power of giving yourself hope that despite the ever-present past, a brighter future may be waiting on the horizon, inspiring you to define not just who you have been, but who you can be, here and now, on this panel.
Verdict: Buy. The Ultimates #17 is the best issue of one of the year’s best superhero comics.
rapid rundown
Ultimate Spider-Man #22 Ultimate Spider-Man #22 is a bizarre issue written by Jonathan Hickman and illustrated by Marco Checketto. It feels more like issue 23 than issue 22, especially after issue 22’s explosive finale that led to the death of Gwen Stacy of the Mysterio family and caused Peter and his family to abandon their separate home. I feel like an insane cliffhanger issue like this needs a proper follow-up that really shows the depth of the Ultimate versions of these characters. However, in issue 22, following the monthly narrative structure, the fallout from the previous issue is resolved off-screen, as later issues start to show weaknesses and time jump a month back in time. We don’t see Harry’s reaction to Gwen’s death, Peter’s family’s reaction to losing his home, or even Black Cat’s reaction to his own father’s death, and we move on to other stories. Instead, we have a “family dinner,” which feels a bit out of place, with the characters mostly acting as if nothing significant is happening. As always, there’s a lot to like about Ultimate Spider-Man. These new interpretations of characters and plotlines are very interesting and worth picking up. There’s even a cute scene between Peter and MJ, even if this interpretation of their relationship has grown stale. If you’re reading Ultimate Spider-Man from beginning to end, you’ll want to at least see how it all comes together at the end. But it’s hard to ignore the elephant in the room. Ultimate is coming to an end, and this issue feels like a rushed attempt to tie together plotlines and ideas that Hickman conceived before the entire universe came to an end. Let’s hope that by rushing things along, the remaining issues don’t crash and burn. – LM Ultimate Spider-Man: Incursion #5 In recent weeks, it has become clear that the current Ultimate Marvel series is nearing its end. Creators have reported that they are appalled as to why this happened, and they have every right to be. Now, Ultimate Marvel is keeping the company creatively afloat. These books take bolder chances than current mainstream books. So it seems a shame to see them go. But books like Ultimate Spider-Man: Incursion, which concludes with issue #5, might indicate that this might be a good idea. Co-authors Deniz Camp and Cody Ziglar send Miles Morales on a globetrotting journey to Earth 6160 in search of his baby sister. This brings up the interesting possibility that this could be a way for the Maker to escape his city. Instead, it just ties up the loose ends of the ultimate invasion if Miles eventually reaches Earth-6160. Most of these five issues were about Miles’ sister being the key to something, but no, she’s just a baby. After spending time here, there was a subplot where Miles regained his memories of the original Ultimate Universe and Doom finally learned why The Maker was so attached to him. These things feel impactful, except that they’re fully explored in the characters’ own books. Who knows if what Miles brought back to the main Marvel Universe will ever be seen again or if it will have any real consequences. So why bring Miles to this new world in the first place? How can this be a self-contained story if it only exists to set up other stories and tell a story that is meaningful on its own? When the original “Ultimate” series was announced, Joe Quesada said that if it intersected with the main books, he would run out of ideas. When the crossover happened towards the end of the original Ultimate line, Spider-Man met Miles Morales. The reappearance of Miles Morales before this ultimate world ends may indicate that they’ve run out of ideas here as well. –DM
Dispatch from the Age of Apocalypse!
Radioactive Spider-Man #1 For a very short time, Joe Kelly wrote X-Men under the close supervision of editor Bob Harras. It was so short-lived that he teamed up with future Man of Action co-creator Steven T. Seagle, but both left the book after being forced to constantly change the story to appease Halas. One of the characters Kelly focused on during this operation was mutant doctor Cecilia Reyes, a reluctant X-person. So it’s somehow no surprise that he returned to the Radioactive Spider-Man character when writing part of the Age of Revelation crossover. What’s even more surprising is that she is his current girlfriend. But honestly, that’s the only thing that’s interesting about this miniseries. This is the kind of story that begs for a more horror-oriented interpretation. Peter Parker has been exposed to increasing doses of radiation over the past decade as part of efforts to limit the effects of the X-Virus. Naturally, he’s mutated even more, but it’s hard to tell if artist Kev Walker backed out or if Marvel just didn’t want a full-body horror comic. Anyway, this mutant version looks pretty tame. If the anime, rather than the comics, presents Spider-Man as Man-Spider across the board, you know you’re probably expecting a skippable tie-in miniseries. –DM
X-men: Book of Revelation #1 Let’s get this out of the way. The plot structure of Age of Revelation is strange. The plots span various heterogeneous tie-ins with different levels of interconnectivity. This mostly works well, as it helps build this hellish spectacle, but makes it difficult to recommend which books to read because of the “plot”. Apparently the plot is that Revelation has angered Arako’s Apocalypis and war is on the horizon, but the X-Men attempt to assassinate Revelation before the war begins. In the end, when it comes to The Age of Apocalypse, I feel that the definitive book that follows is the one written by Jed McKay. As proof of that, Book of Revelation #1 focuses on the inner workings of Revelation, dealing with the aftermath of the events from X-Men: Age of Revelation Overture. Tales of palace intrigue abound as writer Jed McKay focuses on Fabian Cortez, an unknown villain and current number one choirboy who manipulates those around him to serve him. If Amazing X-men is the main X-men book, Book of Revelation is a lot like Krakoa’s Immortal X-men. This issue sees the return of Death, son of Apocalypse, and plenty of intrigue and political maneuvering, as well as the fragile peace between Earth and Arako being shattered. Frankly, it’s a pleasant surprise to see more Krakoa elements return in the From the Ashes-era finale. Artist Netho Diaz applies a formal grid overlay to the pages, giving them a uniform look, but without much impact on the pages in terms of narrative. However, it still looks beautiful. I love Diaz’s portrayal of Cortez. He toys with a traditional heroic pose with Cortez, but subverts it by Cortez’s sliminess. The story is fascinating and a welcome peek into the inner workings of the Age of Apocalypse. I recommend anyone following this event to check this out. –J.J.
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