Ultimate Universe #1

This book has everything you're looking for if you're a Jonathan Hickman fan. All of the maps, charts, graphs, and graphic design pages where there could have been story and art are here. After a lackluster ending to Ultimate Invasion, the hope was what spilled out would pick up on the promising start that of that series. Unfortunately, that's not the case.


The great thing Hickman has been able to do with a good number of his past events (House/Powers of X, Secret Wars come to mind) is finalize a story, with a clear jumping off point for what's coming next. Sure, it may be muddy water after he leaves, so much so that the next X reboot is coming. You DO get a glorious number of years afterwards of people trying to maintain a high quality with the characters and scenarios involved. I feel like there's already an opaque ocean here, and he's the only hand involved so far. The clear jumping off point? Its not here. This is more like Ultimate Invasion 4.5, no clear answers at the end, art that wasn't as good as the mini, and no character as compelling as The Maker to wield either heroism or villainy as a can't miss cudgel. The last panel of the book? Am I looking at Tony Stark or Peter Parker? One of them is supposed to be dead, so I know who I think it is, but if the reader can't tell, its just a 'mystery guy' watching the news.

None of this means I won't be reading what's next- more Ultimate Spider-Man? Yes please. What it does mean is that the expectations will have to be lowered, something I didn't think would happen with Hickman involved.