Goddamn, that was an exciting comic book.
Imagine an Indiana Jones flick combined with the military action of a Tom Clancy thriller with the dialogue of Aaron Sorkin. Now imagine it with super-heroes. That's what you get in this issue of The Ultimates. This was the most riveting issue of the series to date, and when one considers the excitement and intellect we've seen in the previous nine issues of this title, that's really saying something. This is Millar's and Hitch's best issue of the series yet. Even those who haven't read this title before would be ill-advised to miss out on this issue.
General Nick Fury leads a S.H.I.E.L.D. strikeforce -- which includes Captain America, Iron and Thor among its ranks -- to Micronesia to attack the suspected stronghold of a race of shapechanging aliens, intent on conquering the Earth. The situation makes Cap uneasy, reminding him of a similar attack in 1945 that resulted in his reluctant five-decade hibernation. Meanwhile, Janet Pym, AKA the Wasp, continues her recuperation in the Triskelion's medical ward, but she gets the feeling that something is amiss.
Never has Hitch's reputation as a "widescreen" artist been better deserved. Millar's script provide plenty of opportunities for the Hitch and Neary to knock the reader's socks off with larger-than-life images that reinforce the epic -- epic, hell, make that apocalyptic -- nature of the story. The artists bring a stunning level of realism to the concept of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Heli-carrier, and that's just the tip of the iceberg of visual accomplishments to be found in this issue.
Of course, one must also acknowledge the contribution that colorist Paul Mounts makes to the book. I love the grey and yellow tones he uses to set apart the World War II flashbacks. They not only serve as a storytelling cue, but they capture a sense of the historic. And then there are the skies behind the airborne S.H.I.E.L.D. convoy. That natural beauty makes for an interesting contrast with the unnatural and eerie green glow of the alien weapon.
The plotting gallops along, taking the reader on a suspenseful thrill ride that combines the strengths of the super-hero genre with a military-movie feel. I also enjoy how Millar approaches the same story from a large scale (with the Micronesian assault) and a smaller, more focused aspect with the Wasp scenario. Furthermore, he makes room amid all of this over-the-top action to explore the characters a bit. From Cap's uneasiness to Thor's assertion of his own personal authority in the face of Fury's orders, Millar makes sure to give the readers a sense of who these characters are, not just what they're doing.
