Ultimate Comics: Avengers 3 #2
Nerd Hulk… Vampire! Kid Daredevil… Vampire! Guy in Iron Man suit? I dunno who or what he is. But I do know the Ultimate Avengers are rushing headlong into a fanged trap!
Ultimate Comics: Avengers 3 #2
The issue begins recounting the capture of the Hulk. All he wants is to become an Ultimate and to not be a part of a black ops team anymore. He wants the opportunity to get out in the world instead of being cooped up in the Triskelion all the time. Dammit, he wants to get some comic books signed at Midtown Comics! He details all this to Captain America, who seems to be pretty damned annoyed by the Hulk interrupting his workout. So, Steve being Steve, he tells the green lug that he’s just not cut out for it. So, what’s a gamma-irradiated guy to do? He decides to escape anyhow to get his comics signed.
Of course, he runs afoul of some vampires and goes missing. The rest of the Avengers go looking for him. Meanwhile, Blade is getting answers from a vampire about what’s going on, and who the “Master” of this new outbreak of vampires is. The Ultimates, unfortunately, run into a vamped out Daredevil and things get kinda interesting.
Ever since the introduction of the really cool Red Skull character, the Ultimate Avengers’ exploits have gone downhill. It’s not that Mark Millar as a whole has lost his touch, but you kinda get the feeling that maybe his attention isn’t fully focused on the stories he’s telling. The bite and maturity of his original Ultimates run is missing. Instead we have an arc about not much of anything that uses unlikeable characters to tell a lackluster story and an arc that echoes more of a 70s feel and absent of a real punch.
On the other hand, only two issues in and this arc is already better than the Ghost Rider one. Yes, there’s a more shallow feel of an old school storyline, but this one’s kind of fun. Maybe we don’t get much out of characterization. Maybe the story will ultimately be a little forgettable, but if there’s one thing I can definitely say, it’s a fun little story.
For some that have read Millar’s work with the Ultimate Marvel version of the Avengers since the beginning, it isn’t going to be enough. It’s undeniable that since Ultimatum the entire line seems kinda weird. I may not read the other titles (besides the Avengers ones), but it really feels like the line is running out of steam.
I will admit that I’m invested in this arc. I want to see who the Iron Man vampire is, even if I have strong feelings about who it is, and I want to see how the good guys can get out of this little hole they’re in. I can’t even say that I’m disappointed in the arc because the second one gave me little hope that the Ultimate Avengers will be able to recover from decompressed stories that just aren’t interesting.
A COMIC BOOK BLOG RATING
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| For one thing, this arc is more fun than the previous. Steve Dillon’s art is pretty good. It’s got the classic look for the classic feel. | Maybe Millar is stretched a bit thin with the original stuff he’s creating and preparing for a new Kick Ass. Either way, maybe we’re about ready for him to move on. |
| Rating |
