The Ultimates Vol. 1 - It's been a few years since I've originally read this series and to be honest it's lost a little of the luster I used to associate with it. That said, it's still far superior to just about any super hero book on the market. Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch reinvent the Marvel Comics super team, TheAvengers, for the modern age and try to apply a liberal dose of reality to characters who are normally far removed from it.The series easily splits into two halves.
The first half deals with the creation of the super team. Tony Stark and Nick Fury have a grand plan to make a team of heroes to protect the world from the forces of evil. The lynch pin of the plan is the a team of scientists led by Bruce Banner attempting to recreate the super soldier serum that created Captain America in World War II. The program is immediately validated when Caps frozen body is found in the North Atlantic. Eventually the team is set - Cap, Iron Man, Giant-Man, Wasp with more heroes ready to be made. They are a P.R. hit with only one problem - they have no one to fight. Doc Banner, meanwhile, jilted by Betty Ross and cracking under the pressure to recreate Caps formula decides if he can't make a hero for the team the least he can do is give them a villain to fight - thus the Hulk is born. The rampage through NYC is great and has several very cool fight scenes and Thor finally comes around and joins the team too.
The second half deals with repercussions from the Hulk attack, personal issues with Jan and Hank Pym (Wasp & Giant-Man) oh and an alien invasion Cap thought he had defeated back in World War II.
A lot of characters end up showing up as the book unfolds including Hawkeye and Black Widow and Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch (who have two hysterical scenes in the book)
The main focus of the book is Cap, Iron Man and Thor, and rightly so. They have some of the best scenes and dialog in comics. I actually thought Thor was done ten times better in this series than he's ever been portrayed in the Marvel U proper. Iron Man is fantastic but the to me, Cap is simply the best. The man of out time angle is played perfectly and is only topped by some truly amazing visuals by Hitch.
Overall - an excellent book, and could probably be attractive to non comic book readers for is great fights, hip taling and pure cinematic vision of the artist.
The Flash : Wonderland - The very first comics story from uber-writer Geoff Johns. Honestly, it's a nice start. Not his best story but serves as a nice introduction to his vision of the Flash that would turn into one of the most popular periods in the characters history as Geoff would stay with the book for 5+ years.
Alternate reality storyline done with a few new wrinkles. What I found liked best reading this years ago as single issues is still what I like best about it this time around as a trade - The Rogues, Captain Cold and Mirror Master are a blast and play off Wally (the Flash) in ways they really hadn't done under past writers.
I'll skip the lengthy recap here, if the names Geoff Johns, Flash, Captain Cold and Mirror Master don't do anything for you you are beyond my help.
Powers Vol 9 : Psychotic - I'm hesitant to say too much about this series in a blog review. This is a book you need to start at #1, so much has happened that almost anything i say could be construed as a spoiler.
So know this - Detectives Christian Walker and Deena Pilgrim solves crimes that involve super heroes and super villains, aka 'Powers', and things never play out they way you might think they would. Peeling away the layers of heroes to reveal the flawed people that have the power of gods!
In this volume things are in play and Deena is changing after her capture and torture at the hands of powered villain in the last volume. Oh and they have to the solve the murder of the hero known as Blackguard.
It's brilliant. Not the best volume but still very strong. Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Omeing keep up this great series!
