The countdown to Ultimatum begins here - and when it's over, the Ultimate Universe will never be the same! And when we say that in the Ultimate Universe, you know we ain't fooling around! A year later, who are the Ultimates? After going through the tumultuous events of the past two volumes, the Ultimates find themselves operating out of Tony Stark's mansion in New York where, no longer working for S.H.I.E.L.D., they have to make it on their own. But a terrible secret is about to tear them apart and bring about a murder at the mansion! One of Earth's greatest heroes will die, and there'll be plenty of suspects! New Members! New Adventures! And New Secrets! All this and Ultimate Venom, too! Join Eisner winner and Emmy-nominated writer Jeph Loeb (TV's Heroes, Fallen Son) and the superstar team of Joe Madureira and Christian Lichtner (Uncanny X-Men, Battle Chasers) as they take the Ultimates on their wildest ride yet! Collects Ultimates 3 #1-5.
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
There is nothing good I can say about this book. Jeph Loeb has destroyed the Ultimates in every way.
Every character is written poorly, their development from the past years completely discarded. Every bit of dialogue is pitiful. There isn't much of a plot and what little is there is really, very poorly conceived.
Jeph Loeb does not treat these characters or this title with respect. It would have been okay if he wrote a different kind of story that Mark Millar, but he just didn't write a story. He strung together page after page of ridiculous scenarios in an attempt to be "shocking" and all that he accomplished was making a book that was shockingly bad.
Seriously, don't buy this.
Every character is written poorly, their development from the past years completely discarded. Every bit of dialogue is pitiful. There isn't much of a plot and what little is there is really, very poorly conceived.
Jeph Loeb does not treat these characters or this title with respect. It would have been okay if he wrote a different kind of story that Mark Millar, but he just didn't write a story. He strung together page after page of ridiculous scenarios in an attempt to be "shocking" and all that he accomplished was making a book that was shockingly bad.
Seriously, don't buy this.
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Bruce Parker
Format:Hardcover
Plenty of plot twists, non-stop action and incredible artwork. Having said that, I must warn you that this is a very alternative and controversial take on the characters and their universe. If you are looking for classic acts of heroism, than stick with the Bendis' New/Mighty Avengers because this book is all sex, drugs and rock 'n roll.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2.0 out of 5 stars
30 reviews
58 of 60 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
...a poser...
Jan 26 2009
By H. Bala
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Dang, Jeph Loeb sure is getting dumped on... Pardon me as I pile on. After the bounty of awesome that Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch handed out with the first two ULTIMATES series, ULTIMATES 3 swaggers in, trashes the place and insults your intelligence (and then probably bags on your momma behind your back). Highly anticipated, and then deeply resented are these five issues. Comparisons being inevitable, it's only natural that Jeph Loeb would want to make his own mark. But you can't top the untoppable, which is the watershed mark established by Millar and Hitch's run. Jeph Loeb, he crashes and burns.
The first issue may give longtime readers a mental whiplash, as Loeb has switched things up. No longer officially sanctioned by S.H.I.E.L.D. and the American government, the Ultimates have gone their own way and are now based out of Tony Stark's posh Manhattan mansion. In this roster of suddenly one-dimensional characters, Hawkeye, his family recently murdered, is on a self-destructive trip and now looks like that guy from WildC.A.T.s. Iron Man is a boozer. Hank is under house arrest. Wasp is the new leader. And Cap hasn't been around much. As the story opens, a video of Tony Stark and the Black Widow en deshabille has been leaked to the Internet. As they debate the pros and cons of this Triple X escapade (the only pro being that NBC had the decency to blur out the graphic bits), the Ultimates are suddenly attacked in their mansion by Ultimate Venom, for some unfathomable reason. That this assault takes place as soon as in the second page of the first issue foreshadows the extent of meaningful character development Loeb means to invest in this series.
A glance at this volume's title should clue you in to the impetus of the narrative. Someone has offed the Scarlet Witch, which not only presents a murder mystery for the Ultimates but also leaves Pietro no option now but to date outside his family gene pool. Wanda's death brings Magneto into the picture, and, yep, the Brotherhood of Mutants isn't too far behind. The other significant story arc has to do with the machinations of Ultimate Ultron, of which subplot has been brewing since ULTIMATES 2. And if you stick with this series long enough, you'll eventually hook up with the Ultimate versions of Ka-Zar and Shanna as the fighty fight moves to the Savage Land.
And because I guess Marvel doesn't think Spidey and Wolverine get enough exposure, these two pop in for guest-star stints (with artist Joe Madureira turning out a very nifty looking wallcrawler). In the overall scheme, this means diddly-doo.
3 is not the magic number, 3 times is not the charm. ULTIMATES 3, oy! Somewhere, Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch are hanging out, feeling all kinds of superior. "Jeph Loeb!" is my new curse word. Eisner-winning, Emmy-nominated, currently hack writing Jeph Loeb. I say "currently" because dude deserves props for excellent past works like BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN. But he tanks it here (he also tanks it in HULK, but that's a different bitter pill).
THE ULTIMATES, as conceived by Mark Millar, generated mucho excitement by dint of meticulous character development, panoramic, hardhitting storytelling, and a grounded worldview. THE ULTIMATES, as rendered by artist Bryan Hitch, conveyed images of power and scope and grit. ULTIMATES 3 presents us with a dumbing down of characters and of narrative. It's as if Loeb went to sleep and woke up in the 1990s and working for Image Comics. These five issues are basically a whole lotta weak in-your-face woofin', bombast without foundation. Loeb injects cusswords and bad attitude and this is supposed to pass as hardboiled and edgy. But it comes off as a poser. And are you kidding me with the script? A sample of Loeb's brand of banter:
- Iron Man, about to apply a whuppin' on the Blob: "Didn't you see the sign on the way in, Blob? 'The management reserves the right to refuse service to anyone.' That means you, you fat tub of goo."
- To which witticism Wasp responds with a: "You go, Tony!"
Somewhere, Brian Michael Bendis - baldy-domed and Master of Dialogue - rolls his eyes (and then applies some scalp cream).
Jarring elements, elements which jar. Thing #1 is that Loeb doesn't, but doesn't, bother with shedding light on the Black Panther - what the bleep he's doing with the Ultimates or why dude doesn't ever talk (although this is apparently delved into in the Ultimate Captain America Annual). Anyway, we eventually find out the guy behind the mask, but we never find out the why of it. Thing #2: When did 19-year-old superhero groupie Valkyrie, formerly a member of the pathetic (and powerless) Defenders - suddenly gain powers? And, while Pietro and Wanda had this creepy relationship, I think that Valkyrie's shacking up with the very mature Thor also smacks of the unsavory. Thing #3: What's up with Thor's hammer and Iron Man's armor now resembling those of their 616 counterparts? And with Wanda being gigged out in a costume closer to the one worn by the 616 Scarlet Witch? Thing #4: I'm not down with Thor suddenly speechifyin' in archaic flavor, although he does explain why he's now doing it. Thing #5: Can Loeb be more pointed with Cap's fuddy-duddiness? Yes, we get it already, there's a generational gap; Steve Rogers is a Man Out of His Time.
The art? Gone is Bryan Hitch's awesome hyper-realistic art. And respect to Joe Madureira, whose stuff I liked in UNCANNY X-MEN, but the guy's style doesn't translate well to what brung THE ULTIMATES its street cred. Joe Mad's pencils are stylized and exaggerated, carrying a whiff of Simon Bisley and of manga. But he doesn't have Hitch's gift for the cinematic canvas and Joe's strengths, which gravitate toward the more dramatic moments, aren't really suited for the quieter, more contemplative beats. And I don't like it when Captain America doesn't have a neck. I'd say even more about Joe Mad's art taking away from that undertone of realism in THE ULTIMATES, except that Jeph Loeb has already beaten him to it.
About this trade, ULTIMATES 3: WHO KILLED THE SCARLET WITCH? collects issues #1-5 and reproduces the series's three spiffy gatefolds, including the humongous one with the Ultimates and the Brotherhood of Evil facing off. Again, in the overall scheme, this means squatty-cumquats.
Back on theme: ULTIMATES 3 is loud and garish and undermines the excellence of its predecessors. The worrying thing is that Jeph Loeb is also writing ULTIMATUM, the Ultimate imprint's crossover event and a killfest of a mini-series. In fact, ULTIMATUM springboards off the events in ULTIMATES 3. Big changes are promised in ULTIMATUM, and, being a fan of the Ultimate universe, I'm hoping my favorites make it thru. But if not, I guess all I can do is shake my fist and spew profanity at the sky: "JEPH LOEB!!!"
The first issue may give longtime readers a mental whiplash, as Loeb has switched things up. No longer officially sanctioned by S.H.I.E.L.D. and the American government, the Ultimates have gone their own way and are now based out of Tony Stark's posh Manhattan mansion. In this roster of suddenly one-dimensional characters, Hawkeye, his family recently murdered, is on a self-destructive trip and now looks like that guy from WildC.A.T.s. Iron Man is a boozer. Hank is under house arrest. Wasp is the new leader. And Cap hasn't been around much. As the story opens, a video of Tony Stark and the Black Widow en deshabille has been leaked to the Internet. As they debate the pros and cons of this Triple X escapade (the only pro being that NBC had the decency to blur out the graphic bits), the Ultimates are suddenly attacked in their mansion by Ultimate Venom, for some unfathomable reason. That this assault takes place as soon as in the second page of the first issue foreshadows the extent of meaningful character development Loeb means to invest in this series.
A glance at this volume's title should clue you in to the impetus of the narrative. Someone has offed the Scarlet Witch, which not only presents a murder mystery for the Ultimates but also leaves Pietro no option now but to date outside his family gene pool. Wanda's death brings Magneto into the picture, and, yep, the Brotherhood of Mutants isn't too far behind. The other significant story arc has to do with the machinations of Ultimate Ultron, of which subplot has been brewing since ULTIMATES 2. And if you stick with this series long enough, you'll eventually hook up with the Ultimate versions of Ka-Zar and Shanna as the fighty fight moves to the Savage Land.
And because I guess Marvel doesn't think Spidey and Wolverine get enough exposure, these two pop in for guest-star stints (with artist Joe Madureira turning out a very nifty looking wallcrawler). In the overall scheme, this means diddly-doo.
3 is not the magic number, 3 times is not the charm. ULTIMATES 3, oy! Somewhere, Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch are hanging out, feeling all kinds of superior. "Jeph Loeb!" is my new curse word. Eisner-winning, Emmy-nominated, currently hack writing Jeph Loeb. I say "currently" because dude deserves props for excellent past works like BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN. But he tanks it here (he also tanks it in HULK, but that's a different bitter pill).
THE ULTIMATES, as conceived by Mark Millar, generated mucho excitement by dint of meticulous character development, panoramic, hardhitting storytelling, and a grounded worldview. THE ULTIMATES, as rendered by artist Bryan Hitch, conveyed images of power and scope and grit. ULTIMATES 3 presents us with a dumbing down of characters and of narrative. It's as if Loeb went to sleep and woke up in the 1990s and working for Image Comics. These five issues are basically a whole lotta weak in-your-face woofin', bombast without foundation. Loeb injects cusswords and bad attitude and this is supposed to pass as hardboiled and edgy. But it comes off as a poser. And are you kidding me with the script? A sample of Loeb's brand of banter:
- Iron Man, about to apply a whuppin' on the Blob: "Didn't you see the sign on the way in, Blob? 'The management reserves the right to refuse service to anyone.' That means you, you fat tub of goo."
- To which witticism Wasp responds with a: "You go, Tony!"
Somewhere, Brian Michael Bendis - baldy-domed and Master of Dialogue - rolls his eyes (and then applies some scalp cream).
Jarring elements, elements which jar. Thing #1 is that Loeb doesn't, but doesn't, bother with shedding light on the Black Panther - what the bleep he's doing with the Ultimates or why dude doesn't ever talk (although this is apparently delved into in the Ultimate Captain America Annual). Anyway, we eventually find out the guy behind the mask, but we never find out the why of it. Thing #2: When did 19-year-old superhero groupie Valkyrie, formerly a member of the pathetic (and powerless) Defenders - suddenly gain powers? And, while Pietro and Wanda had this creepy relationship, I think that Valkyrie's shacking up with the very mature Thor also smacks of the unsavory. Thing #3: What's up with Thor's hammer and Iron Man's armor now resembling those of their 616 counterparts? And with Wanda being gigged out in a costume closer to the one worn by the 616 Scarlet Witch? Thing #4: I'm not down with Thor suddenly speechifyin' in archaic flavor, although he does explain why he's now doing it. Thing #5: Can Loeb be more pointed with Cap's fuddy-duddiness? Yes, we get it already, there's a generational gap; Steve Rogers is a Man Out of His Time.
The art? Gone is Bryan Hitch's awesome hyper-realistic art. And respect to Joe Madureira, whose stuff I liked in UNCANNY X-MEN, but the guy's style doesn't translate well to what brung THE ULTIMATES its street cred. Joe Mad's pencils are stylized and exaggerated, carrying a whiff of Simon Bisley and of manga. But he doesn't have Hitch's gift for the cinematic canvas and Joe's strengths, which gravitate toward the more dramatic moments, aren't really suited for the quieter, more contemplative beats. And I don't like it when Captain America doesn't have a neck. I'd say even more about Joe Mad's art taking away from that undertone of realism in THE ULTIMATES, except that Jeph Loeb has already beaten him to it.
About this trade, ULTIMATES 3: WHO KILLED THE SCARLET WITCH? collects issues #1-5 and reproduces the series's three spiffy gatefolds, including the humongous one with the Ultimates and the Brotherhood of Evil facing off. Again, in the overall scheme, this means squatty-cumquats.
Back on theme: ULTIMATES 3 is loud and garish and undermines the excellence of its predecessors. The worrying thing is that Jeph Loeb is also writing ULTIMATUM, the Ultimate imprint's crossover event and a killfest of a mini-series. In fact, ULTIMATUM springboards off the events in ULTIMATES 3. Big changes are promised in ULTIMATUM, and, being a fan of the Ultimate universe, I'm hoping my favorites make it thru. But if not, I guess all I can do is shake my fist and spew profanity at the sky: "JEPH LOEB!!!"
27 of 27 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
Breathtaking Art, But The Story's A Crapfest
Jan 18 2009
By Greg Rivera
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
Ultimates 3, Vol. 1: Who Killed The Scarlet Witch?
The Good: Joe Madureira's art. It is beautiful and stunning, done in a very manga style. Coupled with Christian Lichtner's color painting, the book's art is glorious to behold. Words such as sumptous, gorgeous, and incredible all apply, consistently from the first page to the last. I can only hope that I will one day get to read a book drawn by Joe Madureira, again colored by Christian Lichtner, with writing that matches the art in terms of quality, preferably written by Jeph Loeb in an effort to redeem himself for the travesty which is the story - what there is of one - in The Ultimates 3. Which brings me to:
The Bad: Joe Madureira's art! It totally dominates the book, there is no balance. The story serves it, instead of the other way around. Each panel is a pose, a spread, a glorious frozen moment destined to be sculpted into a maquette. And it never makes any sense.
The Ugly: Jeph Loeb's descent into crapdom. I find it difficult to believe that The Ultimates 3 came from the same writer who brought us The Long Halloween, A Superman For All Seasons, or even Hush. It seems as if Jeph Loeb instructed Joe Madureira to go nuts and draw whatever he wanted, but leave him enough space in the panels for caption balloons and boxes, which Loeb would fill in. The worst part is that the bizarre and poorly-explained turns that the characters take (Thor speaking in thees and thous, Hawkeye behaving like a perfect psycho, Valkyrie getting powers for no better reason than it provides a spectacular two page spread early in the book, Thor and Valkyrie depicted as a total "schmoopy" couple - the list goes on) destroys the groundwork laid out by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch in The Ultimates 1 and 2.
I'm shocked that the editors at Marvel Comics approved this mess; it really is that bad.
The Good: Joe Madureira's art. It is beautiful and stunning, done in a very manga style. Coupled with Christian Lichtner's color painting, the book's art is glorious to behold. Words such as sumptous, gorgeous, and incredible all apply, consistently from the first page to the last. I can only hope that I will one day get to read a book drawn by Joe Madureira, again colored by Christian Lichtner, with writing that matches the art in terms of quality, preferably written by Jeph Loeb in an effort to redeem himself for the travesty which is the story - what there is of one - in The Ultimates 3. Which brings me to:
The Bad: Joe Madureira's art! It totally dominates the book, there is no balance. The story serves it, instead of the other way around. Each panel is a pose, a spread, a glorious frozen moment destined to be sculpted into a maquette. And it never makes any sense.
The Ugly: Jeph Loeb's descent into crapdom. I find it difficult to believe that The Ultimates 3 came from the same writer who brought us The Long Halloween, A Superman For All Seasons, or even Hush. It seems as if Jeph Loeb instructed Joe Madureira to go nuts and draw whatever he wanted, but leave him enough space in the panels for caption balloons and boxes, which Loeb would fill in. The worst part is that the bizarre and poorly-explained turns that the characters take (Thor speaking in thees and thous, Hawkeye behaving like a perfect psycho, Valkyrie getting powers for no better reason than it provides a spectacular two page spread early in the book, Thor and Valkyrie depicted as a total "schmoopy" couple - the list goes on) destroys the groundwork laid out by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch in The Ultimates 1 and 2.
I'm shocked that the editors at Marvel Comics approved this mess; it really is that bad.
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
Horrible
Jan 26 2009
By Gabriel
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
After reading Ultimates Vol. 1 and 2, I could not wait for this to come out. Then I read the first issue and I was disapointed. Very dispointed. Gone was the depth and realism that Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch brought to the first two volumes. The artwork is nice looking, but the characters do not have that "Ultimate" look. They look they do in the regular Marvel Universe. The story is also something that could have appeared in the regular Marvel Universe. It's really disapointing. If you are a fan of The Ultimates do yourself a favor and don't read this. You'll be really pissed off.
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2.0 out of 5 stars
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