Ultimate War is the first big crossover mini-series of the Ultimate universe, clearly meant to remind us of the classic battles between the X-Men and the Avengers. Instead, it just reminded me of how late the Ultimates is, and how much my interest in Ultimate X-Men has waned as well. I had worried that Bachalo's work would be too unclear to really work for this type of series, but while it's not as strong as the work of either Adam Kubert or Bryan Hitch in my mind, it's certainly effective enough and in places pretty spectacular. Unfortunately, going into this big epic crossover it would have been better if both of its component books had been on stronger footing, because a weak foundation undermines the story.
There's a lot of fun stuff in here, including some great characterization for characters who are showing up here for the first time; except that they're supposed to have showed up in Ultimates by now, and it shows. I was more than a little annoyed to discover tidbits about Hawkeye and Black Widow, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch and the whole notion of a covert Ultimates team in these pages. While I'm interested in Hawkeye's arrogance and his role in the Secret Service, it's a throwaway bit here and I know it'll be months before I find out the actual story when Ultimates actually comes out.
Of course, Ultimate War seems to be a series that is built on the idea of stuff getting blowed up and plenty of action, and it delivers on that promise. The opening sequence is pretty effective for setting up the threat that Magneto and his followers pose, and this does serve as the first real justification for the Ultimates' existence and lavish budget other than their tear through Manhattan chasing the Hulk. Some of the action sequences are pretty impressive and speak to the inspirational power behind the characters rather than the debased personalities that have been their focus, including Captain America's raid on the Brotherhood and Hawkeye's assistance in that raid.
Much of the credit there must go to the artists, Bachalo, Townshend and Mounts. Bachalo's style has grown more cartoony than the realistic approach he used to use, and I confess that his characters still look a little goofy to me, but his storytelling here is clearer than it's been in a long time. The shots of New York after the opening terrorist attack, the detail on Captain America as he crashes in through a window, the use of several close-ups and half-shots to reveal Hawkeye's prowess with a bow and the eerie emptiness of the X-Mansion are all great examples of Bachalo setting the mood. His characters bear little to no resemblance to the established versions, but his storytelling is clear enough that I can work out who they are from context.
Honestly, what I didn't like about Ultimate War is mostly a whole bunch of minor things: some minor spoilers for The Ultimates, some art that isn't to my taste and an unfortunate shift to a really cheap-feeling cover stock, to name a few. Taken altogether, however, they leave me more than a little disappointed. It may be that later chapters can grab my attention more fully, and I'm certainly pleased and surprised at how great the artwork looks overall, but this is one case where the hype didn't live up to the expectations in my case.
