Broken Frontier

In the fourth issue of Ultimate Comics Fallout, Bendis, Hickman, and Spencer continue working towards the new status quo of the Ultimate Universe. Each handling a respective character, the writers catch us up with characters old and new, while flavoring each segment with the definitive alternate take on classic Marvel stories that the Ultimate Universe is known for.

Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli take on the introduction of the new Ultimate Spider-Man, now revealed to be Miles Morales. While there have been many different opinions about this new Spider-Man, some citing his ethnicity, others wondering about why Peter Parker was even replaced, consider me an instant fan of this new Spider-Man. With the passing of Peter Parker, Bendis told a complete story, the journey of a hero, from birth to death.

With Miles Morales, Bendis is given the opportunity to show a completely new young man, inspired by the passing of a hero, and trying to go out and live up to that legacy. While we only get a brief glimpse of our new Spider-Man, he’s just as humorous and awkward as Peter Parker was, whose idea of fighting bad guys is flailing around, cracking wise at them. This is effectively conveyed through Pichelli’s bright, fluid art, whose work is a combination of David LaFuente and Stuart Immomen. Fun, dynamic and expressive, Pichelli is the right artist for this character.

The next segment catches us up with Reed Richards, floating in the Negative Zone, defeated and scarred after trying to invade Earth. Hickman, who writes a noble Reed in his series FF, writes a dark mirror in Ultimate Reed Richards. This is a Reed who, after Ultimatum, has been deeply traumatized, and because of his vast intellect, hopes to go and save the world from itself. While Reed Richards from the regular Marvel Universe turned away from trying to solve everything due to his family and friends, Ultimate Reed Richards, who has no one left, throws himself headlong at the problem. Hickman, with Larroca’s crisp work, and D’Armata’s chilling colors, creates a tight, creepy take on Reed Richards and his new goal.

Finally, Nick Spencer and Clayton Crain address a contentious point from Bendis’ Ultimate Origins: that of how mutants in the Ultimate Universe came to be through manipulation on the behest of the United States government. Not as thrilling as the story’s outcome will be, Spencer and Crain do a fair enough job of setting up the big reveal, and the fallout that will follow.

Ultimate Fallout #4 sees the series going strong, as Bendis, Hickman, and Spencer continue planting seeds for the new Ultimate Comics relaunch in the coming months. Funny, exhilarating, and at times tense, this is a solid issue in the Ultimate Universe.