View from the Other Side: Ultimates Homeland Security TPB - 2004-06-11 7:51 AM
This tpb followed hot on the heels of the publication of The Ultimates #13, and contains issues #7 -#13.
People will recall that in thr first tpb, the Ultimates took down the Hulk, and then Giant Man committed domestic violence against his wife, the Wasp. This tpb follows along with the consequences of each of these pivotal events.
Millar introduces us to some new members of the team: Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, and Hawkeye. Of course, we've already seen them in Ultimate War: the Ultimates monthly book is notoriously late in publication. This is plainly obvious in the very different depictions of Hawkeye: in Ultimate War, he is the Olympic show-off described in an early issue of the Ultimates. In this tpb, he is instead a hardbitten black ops soldier. The two versions are hard to reconcile.
We are also introduced to the Ultimate version of the Skrulls, who have evidently been plotting to take over the world since 1777 and were responsible for, amongst other things, WW2.
Millar continues to use contemporary themes in his text. Black Widow and Hawkeye take down two buidlings filled with aliens in a scene very reminscent of the Matrix. One of the issues is called "Persons of Mass Destruction". George W Bush makes another cameo. The Ultimates' programme is called the Superhuman Defence Initiative.
The main plot of the story, the fight with the aliens, borrows heavily from the movie Independence Day. Big spaceships, dogfights with air force fighter planes (as if - no dogfight has happened since the Vietnam War, because of radar advances - fighter planes shoot down their opponents over the horizon), nasty aliens with doomsday weapons. I really disliked that movie: I absolutely hated this theft of one of its worst elements.
The fireworks and celebrations in Independence Day, when American saves the world, was repeated in this story: this was jingoistic rubbish. Cap's patriotism is in contrast fundamental and inspiring. He tells soldiers to disregard their superior officiers (who may be disguised Skrulls) and take up arms because "Your country needs you". This was a great line by a character who lives and breathes love of his country. The I-Day rehash was a disappointing contrast.
The more absorbing plot line was Hank Pym's beating of Janet Pym. This was at the time a subject of great controversy: a founding member of the Avengers has been reworked to be a wife beater. The full extent of Pym's nasty side unfolds: in college, he hit Janet so hard she broke the roof of her mouth. Cap is sickened and he goes after Pym. By way of a spoiler, the aftermath of this is that Pym is alone, and trying to sweet-talk Janet back to him. She tells him to get lost, and overcomes her own securities and fears.
Fury points out that Giant Man was supposed to be an action figure, not a wife beater. Millar has thrown us a neat spin on this. Pym is indeed no role model: Cap takes him out. Pym has in fact, with his wife beating, become just as much a villain as the Skrulls or the Hulk. Millar has taken a topic which has not been at the forefront of comics before - wife-beating - and clearly defined it as unacceptable and despicable behaviour.
I thoroughly approve of this plot line. Villains don't necessarily have to be world conquerors or jewel thieves. They can even be hidden in the ranks of the world's greatest superheroes.
It seems to me that Millar disguises heroism in his characters. Giant Man seems to be a hero, but he is anything but. Heroism is lerss obviously apparent when Tony Stark overcomes his own fears. Iron Man pushes a spacecraft along so it misses a city, and saves thousands of people. Stark almost loses it after the near miss, and only through the trust and need of those ordinary people who look to him as a hero does he overcome his panic and rise to the challenge. Stark is not fearless: he is brave. There is a notable distinction here. Surely the man who overcomes his own fears is more admirable than the man who is fearless. A great scene.
The Hulk also gets another outing and eats one of his opponents. Betsy Ross is clearly aroused at the Hulk's dietary habits. I found this kinkiness very amusing.
Overall 7 out of 10: more if not for the silly I-Day crap.
People will recall that in thr first tpb, the Ultimates took down the Hulk, and then Giant Man committed domestic violence against his wife, the Wasp. This tpb follows along with the consequences of each of these pivotal events.
Millar introduces us to some new members of the team: Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, and Hawkeye. Of course, we've already seen them in Ultimate War: the Ultimates monthly book is notoriously late in publication. This is plainly obvious in the very different depictions of Hawkeye: in Ultimate War, he is the Olympic show-off described in an early issue of the Ultimates. In this tpb, he is instead a hardbitten black ops soldier. The two versions are hard to reconcile.
We are also introduced to the Ultimate version of the Skrulls, who have evidently been plotting to take over the world since 1777 and were responsible for, amongst other things, WW2.
Millar continues to use contemporary themes in his text. Black Widow and Hawkeye take down two buidlings filled with aliens in a scene very reminscent of the Matrix. One of the issues is called "Persons of Mass Destruction". George W Bush makes another cameo. The Ultimates' programme is called the Superhuman Defence Initiative.
The main plot of the story, the fight with the aliens, borrows heavily from the movie Independence Day. Big spaceships, dogfights with air force fighter planes (as if - no dogfight has happened since the Vietnam War, because of radar advances - fighter planes shoot down their opponents over the horizon), nasty aliens with doomsday weapons. I really disliked that movie: I absolutely hated this theft of one of its worst elements.
The fireworks and celebrations in Independence Day, when American saves the world, was repeated in this story: this was jingoistic rubbish. Cap's patriotism is in contrast fundamental and inspiring. He tells soldiers to disregard their superior officiers (who may be disguised Skrulls) and take up arms because "Your country needs you". This was a great line by a character who lives and breathes love of his country. The I-Day rehash was a disappointing contrast.
The more absorbing plot line was Hank Pym's beating of Janet Pym. This was at the time a subject of great controversy: a founding member of the Avengers has been reworked to be a wife beater. The full extent of Pym's nasty side unfolds: in college, he hit Janet so hard she broke the roof of her mouth. Cap is sickened and he goes after Pym. By way of a spoiler, the aftermath of this is that Pym is alone, and trying to sweet-talk Janet back to him. She tells him to get lost, and overcomes her own securities and fears.
Fury points out that Giant Man was supposed to be an action figure, not a wife beater. Millar has thrown us a neat spin on this. Pym is indeed no role model: Cap takes him out. Pym has in fact, with his wife beating, become just as much a villain as the Skrulls or the Hulk. Millar has taken a topic which has not been at the forefront of comics before - wife-beating - and clearly defined it as unacceptable and despicable behaviour.
I thoroughly approve of this plot line. Villains don't necessarily have to be world conquerors or jewel thieves. They can even be hidden in the ranks of the world's greatest superheroes.
It seems to me that Millar disguises heroism in his characters. Giant Man seems to be a hero, but he is anything but. Heroism is lerss obviously apparent when Tony Stark overcomes his own fears. Iron Man pushes a spacecraft along so it misses a city, and saves thousands of people. Stark almost loses it after the near miss, and only through the trust and need of those ordinary people who look to him as a hero does he overcome his panic and rise to the challenge. Stark is not fearless: he is brave. There is a notable distinction here. Surely the man who overcomes his own fears is more admirable than the man who is fearless. A great scene.
The Hulk also gets another outing and eats one of his opponents. Betsy Ross is clearly aroused at the Hulk's dietary habits. I found this kinkiness very amusing.
Overall 7 out of 10: more if not for the silly I-Day crap.