“Age of Ultron” is supposed to be story that changes the Marvel Universe forever. But its first issue was lacking in the story department. (Cover artwork by Bryan Hitch, Paul Neary & Paul Mounts; Property of Marvel Comics)
By: Jacob Elyachar
Warning! Spoilers are ahead!
Ultron is back and he is about to shake up the Marvel Universe in a huge way.
Age of Ultron is a 10-issue maxi-series written by celebrated Marvel scribe Brian Michael Bendis and with artwork from Bryan Hitch, Brandon Peterson and Carlos Pacheco shows how the longtime Avengers villain took over the world.
The first issue focuses on Hawkeye rescuing Spider-Man from the clutches of two of his old enemies: the Owl and Hammerhead. Unfortunately, their fight causes a patrol of Ultron drones to arrive on the premise and wipe out the villains’ hideaway.
As the two Avengers arrived to the headquarters, the heroes were rudely welcomed by Luke Cage, She-Hulk and Iron Man, who were not happy that the archer brought back the Webbed Wonder. Luckily, Emma Frost advised them to back down. After, Hawkeye gave a passionate speech and blamed his fellow heroes for giving up, the readers saw Captain America on the floor with his head down and his shield broken.
Overall, Bryan Hitch did an incredible job with the artwork in this issue. His two-page spreads showcasing a devastated New York City were impeccable and this is some of his best work in years.
However, the only problem I had was the story itself. There were some small moments that had too much action and not enough story. I would have liked to see why the Avengers would not let Spider-Man back in to the fold (do they know Spidey is really Doc Ock?) and what really caused the fight between Hawkeye and the others.
Final thoughts and grade: Overall, the Age of Ultron has potential to be a Flashpoint-like series with incredible art but the story (at this point and time) is missing the mark. B-
For more information about the Age of Ultron, visit Marvel Comics’ website: http://marvel.com/
