Ultimates 3, a different opinion.

It’s a brand new day here at New Age Comics, and with it comes some new things I’m trying out. I wanted to get back into throwing out random opinion based things like I did earlier on with things like Spawn #185, Image United and One More Day.

This time we’re taking on a much bigger thing though, something that practically rivals OMD in fan-backlash and hatred. The Ultimates 3. The sequel that everyone hates and no one seems to want to defend.

Well I’m here to bring you a different look at Ultimates 3. A more clear minded vision of it. I won’t be randomly bashing it and screaming curse words, like most of the Marvel fans. Also, this won’t be like Comic Report Card or any kind of review. No, this is more just me saying my opinion on something that’s stuck firm in the minds of Marvel fans.

Before I even give my opinion on Ultimates 3, I think I should delve into the previous volumes of the popular Ultimate title. For one, as I’ve said in a previous post as to why I read comics, I’m not a big fan of Brian Hitch (I keep forgetting how exactly to spell his name anyway…) and it isn’t his fault necessarily.

Whenever I say I don’t like his artwork on a forum, people usually take that as meaning that I hate his work and think it’s horrendous. While really, I think he’s a fine and good artist, but his style simply doesn’t appeal to me. I don’t care for his deeply realistic and somewhat gritty style. It’s not that I don’t like his art because it sucks, because it doesn’t’, I don’t like it because it doesn’t appeal to me.

Now as to the story…I tried reading Ultimates 1…I really did. I sat down in my Barnes and Noble and opened it up…after reading about 2 or so chapters into the first collection, I was bored to death with it. Now I’m a big fan of Mark Millar, I think he’s great, but I just didn’t care or enjoy his work on Ultimates.

So there you have it. I already didn’t like the first 2 volumes, now coming in to volume 3, there was only one reason I was interested: Joe Madureira.

I was a big fan of his through the 90’s and have always favored his style. He paved a way for a new generation of artists, similar to artists like Marc Silvestri and Todd McFarlane. He’s the reason I bought issue 1, he’s the reason I’m sticking with this series.

Now I figured…hey, I could just do a Comic Report Card on the previous 4 issues, right? Well no, that wouldn’t be very fair because my point as to enjoying Ultimates 3 has nothing to do with the storyline. I will repeat this for you, I don’t like the storyline. I hate the character work. This is, in every way, a poor and uninteresting storyline.

I’m not even going to go over the characters, because their all emo ass-wipes that make me hate comic books. Seriously, characterization is so far off and out the window that it’s jut a joke. It’s like a bad long running joke.

There you go folks that were your 2 minutes of bashing.

While I know the story is, for the most part, weak, I have to give credit where credit is due. Jeph Loeb is really writing the Wasp well. From issue 1 she’s her usual strong willed and caring self and Loeb characterizes her perfectly. He’s writing Ultimate Wasp a hell of a lot better than Bendis is 616 Wasp.

But really, art is everything to me when it comes to Ultimates 3. If not for Joe Mad, I wouldn’t have even considered this book. But I saw those amazing preview pages and I just couldn’t resist. It’s too good to miss out on, for me at least.

I love Mad’s work so much that I got both the Black and White variants. Their awesome, I keep them on the nightstand by my bed and look at them every once in a while. Their that good. Seriously.

I got the Frank Cho Slutty Witch (Or is it still Scarlet?) variant for #3. I really am enjoying the art work that much. It’s nothing short of amazing.

So that said, while I agree with the unanimous “Story sucks!” I disagree that it’s all that bad. There are some okay moments here and there, Wasp is great and the art is spectacular. And that, my friends, is Ultimates 3 from a different perspective. I can’t wait for more great Joe Mad art tomorrow!