New Beginnings - Hunger #1

In the aftermath of the Age of Ultron, we have a short four part miniseries called Hunger. Now having not read Age of Ultron, I was a little wary as the cover has AU Aftermath emblazoned across it. I didn’t know how events from the Bendis maxiseries would tie in and relate to this title. Plus not knowing the storyarc I was worried I would be at a bit of a disadvantage, however I was happy to see that this is not the case.

If you are looking for this on the shelves it won’t be hard to find as the cover features the devourer of worlds himself, Galactus, rendering in glorious Adi Granov artwork. Opening the cover though, the first page sets it all aside and places this firmly in the alternate dimension we know as the Ultimate Universe. The Watchers have bestowed Rick Jones, a teenage boy, with the power cosmic so he can serve as creation's champion. But how will a teenage boy cope with the power and responsibility?

Well at first, badly. Youth has a way of ignoring the bigger picture a lot of the time, and instead concentrates on things like burgers. Seeing as he is shirking his responsibilities, the Watchers shift him back to where he is needed.

At first it could be some kind of missionary quest, as he is plunged into the middle of the Kree-Chitauri war. But this is not the case. Amongst the furore, the Gah Lak Tus swarm is detected, something that it is far greater than the current situation. A huge amount of insectoid-like machines are approaching, and they bear an uncanny likeness to the headgear of a Marvel Universe Celestial with a similar sounding name.

Drawn to the power of the action like moths to a nightlight, they decend upon the scene and it’s only after a series of events that includes Rick unleashing a huge amount of power that things look up.

Momentarily...

Through a temporal crack the real Galactus emerges, hungry and searching for food. It’s a metaphorical Mohammed and mountain situation as Galactus meets the Gah Lak Tus swarm, ending the first issue in a pivotal point for the Ultimate Universe.

Joshua Fialkov - a well know horror writer for titles such as I, Vampire and the film Infected - is helming this title. Having worked with most of the main publishers (and some smaller ones too) this is a large step for him taking on quite a complex and renowned character. The premise of the title does mean that he has a certain amount of free reign though, as the Ultimate Comics line is renowned for taking huge risks. The possibilities are huge and with such a short run of issues, it does feel as if though this miniseries is something of a proving ground for him, but time will tell. He has a good writing style, which is light and in this case isn’t taking things overly seriously. This plays well into Rick Jones’ characterisation.

Captain Britain and MI:13 alum Leonard Kirk is the artist for the issue, and when it comes to big impact pieces, boy can he deliver! Some of the larger spreads in space and the emergence of Galactus are fantastic looking. It did feel though that he needed to fill these bigger spaces in order to really flex his artistic muscles, as some of the smaller images just felt a bit more cramped and lacking in detail. Overall though it is impressive to look at.

As a first issue for a comic I wasn’t really aware of before, I was pleasantly surprised. I think that fans of Galactus will enjoy the spotlight being shone upon him without the Fantastic Four’s involvement, and those who don’t know him it’s a different approach to introduce him.

With only four issues in the series - and beautiful cover art from Adi Granov throughout - it makes it a very collectable proposition, especially in the light of the ComicCon announcement of the forthcoming Cataclysm series.

Matt Puddy could really go for a burger right now.

Why Should I Read... The Ultimates?

I hate Captain America. There, I said it.

I'm a lifetime comic nut and I have watched all the classic good guys and bad guys waging war through the eons with each other. But there's no villain, no matter how disturbed or vile, in fact no other character that I detest more than Captain America. I have never been one to enjoy the mainstream, let alone embrace the American dream. The idea of this star spangled moron running around in spandex being everything that Americans should stand for - and bleating about how much better things were a few years back - is just so stomach-churningly irritating. Anyone who's encountered me on this subject knows that my staple response to this insipid super soldier is that he's a whining pussy liberal. He's a throwback to the Golden Age of comics, when villains were laughable and the realism that draws us in and allows us to believe the unbelievable was just plain absent.

This is why I was never big on the Avengers. I didn't really get behind a lot of the headline heroes from yesteryears. After a few years without comics, I returned to the stores and steered clear of both the big universes, and went for the kind of the things I have written about in previous articles. So when my erstwhile comic retailer suggested the Ultimates (One and Two) for reading on a business trip, it's safe to say I baulked at the idea. Then he flipped to the page where Captain America is smashing some guy's face until he died. Oh, and he cracked a terrible joke about the French while he did it.

So I bought Ultimates One and Two.

The Ultimate universe is based on a wonderful comic staple; what if? Where events and individuals are changed to show alternate outcomes. Ultimates is actually one of the best examples of this I've read. The changes they make aren't drastic. Some of them aren't even significant - Nick Fury can be a grizzled old black guy who smokes cigars and is missing an eye, or a grizzled old white guy who is missing an eye and smokes cigars. It doesn't make a whole heap of difference, unless you're a casting agent.

What is wonderful about the Ultimates is that a lot of the stark truth (no pun intended) of stories you may have already come to know is brought to the forefront. The veneer of the Golden Age of comics is stripped away, and the very harsh reality of everything that's only been hinted at for our group of heroes is shown, often in a very intense way. I don't know if you realise this, but on discovering your have abilities beyond the norm, the regular response is not "Right, I need a spandex suit and a lawyer, I'm about to go assault people!" even if a guy who looks suspiciously like Samuel L. Jackson tells you it's OK. If a person decides to do that, even in the Marvel Universe, they better have either a damn good reason, or a damn good therapist.

Ultimates takes this premise and runs riot with it, highlighting all the issues that before may have only been approached tongue-in-cheek, or passed over entirely. Subjects such as addiction, depression and spousal abuse are covered, and although not the central focus, they are covered well. These aren't new premises for the as-was Avengers, but it could put off those readers who are loyal to the original team. It shouldn't, nothing is being dishonoured here, just remoulded for a modern age.

There are touches to the action, too. The Hulk is my favourite example. Back in the day, our big green wrecking machine threw things and punched stuff, but ultimately left with a body count no worse than an original A-Team episode. But stop and think for a moment. If a scientific accident causes a man to become a monster with no rational thought and immense strength, do you really think that there won't be a casualty or two? Ultimates doesn't. It's this conceptualisation which epitomises the Ultimates for me. I feel like I'm being told the adult version of the history I've learned as a child. This lack of propaganda appeals to me, in a way that the Avengers never did.

These articles aren't meant to be a review. There is enough of those. I want to persuade you to pick up the books, and enjoy them in the same way I have. The Ultimates is damned good reading, especially if you're familiar with the 'regular' Marvel Universe. This is apparent with the new range of movies, as much of the story and character backgrounds are from Ultimates - including this universe's S.H.I.E.L.D. and it's most famous agents. So ultimately, it comes down to this; how can Samuel L. Jackson be wrong?

Chris Boyle will warn you away from Ultimates 3. Yuck. Jeph Loeb, get out!