On the surface, there's a lot going on in this issue. There's plenty of action and an alien invasion plot is exposed. In reality, though, it's just the hook. But man, what a hook. Millar offers up an action-packed script, and Hitch is more than equal to the task of bringing it to life. It makes exciting reading, but given the sporadic publishing schedule, I guess I'm looking for a quicker pace and a little more in the way of characterization. Still, Millar's clever interpretation of super-hero genre conventions and injections of politics make for another satisfying issue.
The black-ops side of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Ultimates operation -- led by the Black Widow and Hawkeye -- has its eye on a particular New York City office building that looks like another other, and the people working inside look like typical nine-to-five office types. But deadly things lurk within, and it's up to the operatives to kill... well, everything. Meanwhile, Nick Fury calls up the available public team members to deal with the next step in this new threat, but Captain America and Giant-Man are curiously unavailable.
The big news on the visual side of things with this issue is the reunion of Bryan Hitch with his longtime inking partner, Paul Neary. Andrew Currie's inks on previous issues were strong, and brought an appropriately gritty quality to the book. But Neary's inks tighten things up a bit, and there's a more crisp look at play now. That's key, given the hectic pace of the opening scene, and the bizarre, surreal and stomach-turning alien element that turns up later on in the book. Hitch makes Millar's action-movie, Matrix-esque opening scene really pop, and his closing splash page -- featuring a grizzled, drunken member of the team -- has a real impact with its realism.
The more I think about it, the more I realize that the real, hidden title of this series is Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Millar, in "casting" Samuel L. Jackson in the role, has crafted a character who steals every scene he's in. He serves whatever purpose the story and audience needs, but it all seems to fit with his character. He's a hero but he's a weasel too. He's a big brain, but one gets the distinct impression that he's also a grunt at heart.
Fans who nitpick over continuity best avoid this issue, though. How all of this fits in with Ultimate War and Ultimate X-Men... there's no point in trying to piece it together, as it'll get in the way of the story.
As enjoyable as this issue was, it's the next one for which I'm chomping at the bit. It promises to be just as action-packed, but the catalyst for the action won't be an alien invasion, but a clash of ethics.
