It's been a long while since I re-read this, and doing so right after re-reading Ultimates 1 was a good move. Ultimates 1 was amazing, but this... this was far more epic. The story was far more complex, far deeper, the characters got to play out so much more. As a stand alone piece of fiction Ultimates 1 is better hands down, but as a work within the comic genre, this one beets out Ultimates 1.Bryan Hitch's artwork is stunning, simply stunning. The raw emotion he brings to the table... The scene...

It is interesting rereading this after not having read this storyline for several years. It was one of my favorite storylines when it first came out, and I read the compilation at least once a year (crazy, I know!), but the artwork is so amazing! I think the artwork might actually be better than the first series, to be honest. Hitch did some amazing work in this series. It is an interesting take on the United States having a "super soldier" program (that is apparently fairly successful) and how

I already gave the first edition of The Ultimates 5 stars, maybe I should give this one 6 stars. What I liked most about the first issue is that it made the Avengers/Ultimates so much more real: in a more 'real' world and more 'real' humans, even with their superpowers (Captain America strugglin with gap of 70 years between his first 'dead' and his return, the very tight relationship between Quicksilver and his sister The Scarlet Witch).But this time, it's not all about heroïsm. In fact, the Ult...

Wow. This comic is absolutely massive. I don't mean in length, I mean the action sequences in this story are so large that to even attempt to put them on to film would cause the movie's budget to skyrocket. Not only is the action huge, but it is incredibly well paced and very well thought out. Millar has given us a follow up to his reboot of The Avengers that easily surpasses the first. This story may have a ton of action, but the narrative is still incredibly intimate. One of the strongest aspe...

Millar really wanted to get political and criticize American interventionism in the Middle East but instead of some intelligent commentary he just wrote the Ultimates as mindless government goons, who at the blink of an eye will even turn on one another. Captain America even bordering on fascism. And that scene where Captain and Hawkeye attack Thor with a flamethrower? Ugh. Later on there's another lame-o big event with Chinese knockoffs of Ultimates where we're supposed to cheer for our side, b...

Another good Ultimate story. Yeah, the members are still pretty much jackasses, but at least they begin to slowly gel as a team and understand one another. Just like in the Avengers, I find myself drawn more to Captain America and Thor, wishing the plot would spend more time on them, because let’s be honest there is only so much reality tv show “who’s sleeping with who” a comic story really needs, but all the team members had a moment or two. My only criticism is that Loki wasn’t used to his ful...

In a pinch, I'd have to say I liked this volume better than the first, if only for the Thor story and the way you couldn't quite tell if he was a crazy person with a belt that gave him superpowers or the actual god of thunder. I liked the Defenders bit as well, although it feels wildly out-of-place.Still, most of my complaints from the first volume hold true here. Hawkeye killing people with his fingernails? The nations of the world managing to put together entire armies of supersoldiers without...

This was a fun follow up to The Ultimates 1. The team is back with Millar & Hitch returning as well to write 13 more issues on this modern take on the Avengers. This one deals with the fallout of Vol 1, with the world finding out Bruce Banner is Hulk, and a traitor finding their way on the team, The Ultimates must work together before this mysterious foe seizes control of, and takes down America.Millar’s story is still pretty good, even if the dated references are sprinkled throughout. The way h...

I would have to say that this book would be the best of Millar's work regarding Marvel. The story starts off with a one year jump that shows Captain America saving some hostages, and providing the criminals a chance to surrender. The plot thickens when we see Banner being outed as the Hulk and placed on trial. Despite the fact that he was given the death penalty, I felt that he would have survived before reading the next parts. Adding to the idea that Thor is a crazy person seemed interesting, t...

If you're amazed by Volume 1, you just can't miss the second volume. The story about a modern take on Marvel's all-star superhero team just gets bigger and brighter. It's just more of the best comic book material of the last decade. More characters, more scifi, more fantasy, more explosions, more flashbacks, more villains, more casualties.The story features even more political aspects.There's no way a film adaptation can be this epic. And it doesn't have to be thanks to the superb art of the cre...

4,5/5 this was such an intense and raw take on Avengers. Loved it

I liked a lot of stuff in this, and it was probably an improvement to the first series. Bryan Hitch's artwork is definitely better all around. I liked how it addressed the war on terror and inherent problems with the US military but same with the first volume it kinda gets muddled with how America is just bad ass and the good guys for the most part. Although what happens with the Ultimates at the end seemed to counter balance this.The stuff with Thor was my favorite because he really is consiste...

The Ultimates 2 is a strong believer in the more is better philosophy. This time there are more Ultimates, more villains and now we are hijacking America. Miller makes sure Bryan Hitch has his work cut out for him, the details on these panels are awe inspiring, with some spanning multiple pages. But it’s the characters that make the Ultimates memorable. The multi-dimensional and diverse cast brings the story life. Throw out those images of perfect boy scouts heroes, you won’t find them here. Mil...

A year after the events of Ultimates, the team struggles to find its identity. Newcomers Black Widow, Hawkeye, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch come from the black ops team to the public team to fill the ranks following the firing of Hank Pym (for spousal abuse- he nearly killed his now ex-wife in a fit of rage) and the Hulk being outed as Dr. Bruce Banner for the whole world to know. She's now dating Captain America.As Hank considers leading a new team (the Defenders), the Ultimates discover t...

Another really good Avengers story. They are still assholes but they are starting to understand that they need each other. Still a twist on the Avengers we know and love but a fun twist.

There's a traitor among the Ultimates, Thor's lost touch with reality, and America's enemies are tired of only one super-powered superpower. Tough times ahead.Great art, great wring, great concept... And an 8-page gatefold spread!

The follow up to the 2002 mini series "The Ultimates", The Ultimates 2 builds on everything The Ultimates 1 established and really puts the titular heroes into the thick of things. The ending of the Ultimates 1 had the Ultimates ending on a high note. They had stopped an alien invasion, Jan left Hank and has begun a relationship with Steve Rogers and things were looking up. However the Ultimates are soon thrown into a rollercoaster of a story. Thor cuts off all relations to the Ultimates after C...

I should start by saying, I enjoy Ultimate X-men and Ultimate Spider-man for what they were. Ultimates though I have a tough time deciding if this is something I like. At first glance its a bombastic slap in the face to what came before it. Tony Stark is a characture of an alcoholic billion-are, Captain America is often the butt of jokes about being old and then he beats the crap out of people who make them. "Ant Man" is considered a stupid idea. Bryan Hitch's artwork even makes me ponder if its...

The Ultimates season two, Annuals #1-2, now that the concepts and themes are settled, here is a genuine master class in comic book storytelling by Mark Millar and co. with some astounding arcs centred around, Who is Thor?, the trial of the Hulk, the utter defeat of the United States and the end of the Government Ultimates program. It is this volume that makes the Ultimates the Ultimates for me. 9 out of 12.

Volume 2 begins with Captain America invading Iraq. He saves American tourists who were held captive. Symbolically, this connects to the first issue of the first season. In that issue, Captain America battled Nazis and it was clear which side was good and which was evil.Millar begins season 2 in a manner that is both patriotic and critical of the situation. Cap is shown as being heroic, but he is illegally in Iraq. Nick Fury openly admits that The Ultimates were designed to protect America, and