I'm sorry, but horrendously late or not, I still love this book. It encourages prima donna behavior in creators to reward constant lateness with great sales and critical acclaim, but the argument that good work comes when it comes, not on a monthly schedule, is hard to ignore when you're faced with The Ultimates. Millar's witty and dark take on the heroes continues to entertain, especially with hints this issue that one of the team members may not be as amoral as the rest and a subtle element that comments on the danger the Ultimates present, and there's not much I can say about the artwork without using words like gorgeous, amazing and stunning.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, but one of the thrills for this book is that it's set in New York. Not the New York of most Marvel books, which is made up of amorphous buildings and scattered geography, but an almost photo-realistic backdrop that makes the reader immediately connect The Ultimates with the real world. The realism of the city setting makes the more outrageous elements of the story stand out more, as well as being beautiful on its own terms. That shot of Saint Patrick's Cathedral in the opening splash sets the stage for the rest of the story, and every time we see The Triskelion instead of Avengers Mansion, I'm reminded of the difference in scale and approach of The Ultimates and the Avengers.
Of course, that difference in approach comes as much from the writing, if not moreso, than the artwork. Millar intercuts a sober and solemn memorial for those who died in the attack by the Hulk with scenes of Jan being rushed to the hospital, and the message is clear: Despite the public face they put forth, the Ultimates are dangerous and deadly. The remorse that some of them show is more worried about the public relations fallout than the actual damage they did, and the implications are frightening.
Despite this somewhat amoral approach, though, I find myself liking these characters a lot. Betty Ross is a character I love to hate, just relentlessly cynical and cold-hearted, and Tony Stark's playboy exterior is softened by his pleasant demeanor. Nick Fury, of course, continues to be "Samuel L. Jackson as..." and it's hard to complain about that, and Banner gets some good moments to shine this issue as well as we see the ramifications of his rash actions beyond the death and destruction in New York. And then there's Captain America, whose growing dissatisfaction with his teammates comes to a fairly interesting boiling point in the issue's final pages, leaving me anxious to see the next issue... presumably some time in 2003, unfortunately.
Though the cover promises Black Widow, she's barely in the issue, but her brief appearance does have interesting hints about the potential threat the team will be facing, and she's interesting enough with her momentary on-panel time. Instead, the focus in this book, as always, is on strong characterization and a more realistic look at the life of mega-popular super-heroes, all rendered in artwork that is arguably the best thing going in comics at the moment.
