Pick of the Week
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Size: pages
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Writer – Damon Lindelof
Art – Leinil Francis Yu
Colors – Dave McCraig
Letters – Chris Eliopoulos
Marvel Comics – $2.99
See, this is what happens when the person whose Pick of the Week it is only has five books – you end up with something completely off the wall and out of left field. The funny thing is, I didn’t even intend on buying this book.
I went into the store with my list of four books to buy and I saw this on the rack right next to issue one. I remembered that Ron talked that issue up on one of our podcasts and decided to take a chance, especially since I was spending so little as it was. Had this been a regular week of 15 or so books, I probably never would have even considered buying Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk # 2, but I’m glad I did because it was a lot of fun to read.
The writer of this book is Damon Lindelof, one of the co-creators and writers of the television series Lost. This is significant for two reasons. Reason number one is that, just like with Joss Whedon and Astonishing X-Men, Lindelof is further proof that high quality genre television writers can oftentimes turn into high quality comic book superhero writers. The dialogue here is sharp and swings effortlessly from funny to dramatic depending on the needs of the story at any particular moment. Reason number two is that this comic seems to be unfolding in a way that is very similar to an episode of Lost. Issue one starts in the present and after a few pages almost immediately flashes backwards in time. Issue two starts further in the past than issue one and leads into issue three which will most likely chronicle the events leading up to the opening scene of issue one. It’s a time honored writing structure that allows for a lot of dramatic tension when done well and Lindelof pulls it off nicely here.
The art by Leinil Francis Yu is fantastic here. I haven’t seen a lot of his work, in fact the only thing I can think of is Superman: Birthright, but what I have seen makes me wish I read more of the books he works on. He has a style that defies convention – it is at once very line heavy yet also quite clean. It’s almost like some kind of unholy Jim Lee/John Cassaday hybrid artistic style. That may not be a perfect description, but I know I like it.
This issue poses an interesting philisophical question or two. The first being, which came first Bruce Banner or The Hulk? The second being, what happens when Banner/Hulk spend some quality time in a Buddhist temple with the Panchen Lama, who is the greatest scholar in Buddhism second only to the Dalai Lama? The answer to the first question will probably plague Bruce Banner and the readers for quite some time, but the answer to the second is the chilling final page.
So I jump ship in Hong Kong and make my way over to Tibet, and I get on as a looper at a course over in the Himalayas. A looper, you know, a caddy, a looper, a jock. So, I tell them I’m a pro jock, and who do you think they give me? The Dalai Lama, himself. Twelfth son of the Lama. The flowing robes, the grace, bald… striking. So, I’m on the first tee with him. I give him the driver. He hauls off and whacks one – big hitter, the Lama – long, into a ten-thousand foot crevasse, right at the base of this glacier. Do you know what the Lama says? Gunga galunga… gunga, gunga-galunga. So we finish the eighteenth and he’s gonna stiff me. And I say, “Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know.” And he says, “Oh, uh, there won’t be any money, but when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness.” So I got that goin’ for me, which is nice.
Conor Kilpatrick
Love the Bixby tribute.
conor@ifanboy.com
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Ah Murray.
That took me a minute, but oh how I laughed.
Shit. I can’t make the comic shop till I dunno when. I guess I’ll pick it up at megacon this weekend.
That sounds so all-encompassing. MEGACON!
What could you NOT get there?!
Laid.
Depends on your costume I think.
The girls usually love my Merle from Escaflowne costume. MEOW.
I was a bit hesitant with this issue because I thought after the first one that the story wouldn’t really go anywhere but boy was I wrong. We get Bruce Banner’s journey to the point where he met Wolverine in the end of the first issue. More importantly for me though we get to see a great example of just how fine a knifes edge Bruce Banner walks with the Hulk, get him half cranky and the next panel is just an explosion of Hulk. Leinil Francis Yu does that Hulk explosion so well that it really sinks home how dangerous Bruce is! Then the final page has such a kick arse implication that I wont spoil. 4.5/5 for me.
I don’t know much about this series, but will this mini have any future implications within the Ultimate Universe? Or is it one of those pre-status quo fights, or even one with the magic reset button at the end?
I don’t know much about this series, but will this mini have any future implications within the Ultimate Universe?
-In interviews, Marvel has stated that it will have lasting implications in the Marvel U (Remember, the Ultimate line is the one line of comics where everything stays consistent, IE Spider-Man and Kitty Pride dating).
What could you NOT get there?!
Laid.
Oh, come on…I bet some chick would take her top off for an anime dvd….maybe even her pants for an ‘Amazing Fantasy #15′!
I am really diggin this book right now. I’m not a huge fan of many of the Ultimate titles but this one is doing it for me.
I just started listening to your podcast. Good stuff guys.
Jason
the podcast will return!
It MUST return!
Thanks Jason.
Lacy: “Uncle says you have a screw loose.”
Ty: “Well your ucle molests collies.”
Nice Caddyschack reference Conor
Regardless, speaking of Mr.Yu does anybody remember his work on X-men, Clarmont was hid normal vague over the top plots self, but Mr.Yu draws nightcrawler better that anyone and im sticking to it.
X-Men might have been where I ran into his work. Or did he do a run on Wolverine, or Iron Man about 4 years back? I saw him somewhere dammit!
Lesse…I first ran into Mr.Yu’s work on Superman: Birthright. His art really captured the tone and the series of the book. This book also has him at his best, and I really hope we may see more of him. Anyone else think he’d probably do a really kick-ass Spider-Man, or dare I say, The Flash? He’d do great on anything he was on, but those are the two i’d like to see him take on.
I remember Yu’s first real mainstream work, ironically on Wolverine when Claremont came back and wrote that awful Wolvie marries Viper…
the story was eh but the art was really good. I’m digging his work on this Ult. Wolvie vs. Hulk
That’s it. It was Claremont’s Wolverine. Claremont scared me away. But that art was pretty good.
It seems like there are a lot of guys like this who don’t get regular work. I guess that’s due to be previously mentioned idea that not a lot of books get a creative team for the long term.
Not like that Bagley. He just keeps on chuggin’.
That Bagley is gonna die from this one day. He’ll forget to eat food for several days whilst pencilling the ‘ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN 100 PAGE EXTRAVAGANZA’ or something.
…What happens if his wrist breaks, or he gets carpal tunnel? Is that his equivalent of losing everything to a crack addiction? Will his house be repoed?
I’m guessing he’s lost at least 1/3 of his finger length on his drawing hand.
I bought “Superman: Birthright,” and it was decent enough, art and story. All told, it was 12 issues — money reasonably well spent. But here’s the thing, why do the the major publishers insist on glutting the market with mini-series and separate universes? Why couldn’t “Birthright” just be a special storyline in the regular Superman books?
Or if you take Batman, for example, why can’t “The Monster Men” or “Death and The Maidens” or a zillion other mini’s just be part of the regular Batman books? I know the answer: money, money, money… and yes, I realize I’m a fool for even bringing it up. But it’s getting a little tiring. Why do we need Frank Miller and Jim Lee to do a separate All-Star Batman? Are you telling me Batman’s history is so tired and so convoluted that he needed to be rebooted All-Star/Ultimate style? There’s no way. These constant reboots — both for DC and Marvel — are a slap in the face. Oh, sure, the publishers will say that “we have to refresh these characters for a new generation.” But that’s b.s. The writers and the editors simply need to produce better stories. Crappy stories turn off readers, not a character’s history. That’s like saying “we have to erase all the Major League Baseball statistics because the history of the sport is too hard for fans to understand.”
It’s lunacy.
And if you want to attract a young reader, try selling a kid a book that’s affordable. There’s no reason publishers can’t cut back on a few pages and offer non-cartoony superhero book for $1.50.
Sorry to digress there, back to my original point(s).
Wouldn’t it be great if Frank Miller and Jim Lee simply did a story in Batman’s current continuity? Oh, forgot. We have to worry about Miller’s “vision.” Right. Did Denny O’Neill need mini-series or separate universes to tell a great Batman story? No. He did them in the regular books. Did Dan Jurgens need mini-series or separate universes to tell a great Superman story? No. He did them in the regular books. If Grant Morrison is such a “swing for the fences” superstar, why didn’t DC just give him Superman/Action last year? Why do I have to pay extra for his “vision” in All-Star Superman? (I know, I don’t, but I’m trying to make a point here.)
I know I sound like a cheap old Grandpa, but I really don’t care. There’s nothing wrong with putting the best creators on the planet on the best books on the planet. The glut of mini-series and separate reboot universes is not only a ripoff to loyal readers, but a complete copout by out-of-touch publishers.
(Why do I have to buy 52 when it’s just a glorified JLA story??? Aaaarrrgh!!!)
I’m not sure if other people feel this way, but wouldn’t it be great if you knew the next issue of “Action” — a glorious title that’s been around since BEFORE THE SECOND WORLD WAR — wouldn’t suck?
Hmm…allow me to retort!
But here’s the thing, why do the the major publishers insist on glutting the market with mini-series and separate universes? Why couldn’t “Birthright” just be a special storyline in the regular Superman books? …Or if you take Batman, for example, why can’t “The Monster Men” or “Death and The Maidens” or a zillion other mini’s just be part of the regular Batman books?
For a few reasons. First of all, if you were to throw in all these random concepts, such as Superman’s revisioning in “Birthright” or the story in “Batman and The Monster Men” into the main books, such as Action and Detective, it would be too confusing. They run on schedules, yes, and these stories appeal to different people. You can have multiple stories running at once, and thus people can still BUY your book, even if one book doesn’t sell well (Which is why many limited series are produced, to test waters and give people a small short story, and it follows a sort of ‘Hardy-Weinburg Equilibrium’ theory, in that if theres a change in a large population, it won’t hurt much; If someone did a really bad story and put it into ‘Action Comics’, then it would take a dive and leave a bad ‘taste’ in peoples mouth, and yet, if you see a limited series do bad, oh well, no big loss. It was a one time thing, you can easily recover. )
Are you telling me Batman’s history is so tired and so convoluted that he needed to be rebooted All-Star/Ultimate style? There’s no way. These constant reboots — both for DC and Marvel — are a slap in the face.
They’re convulted to the point where a new reader may not understand the current story, thus a reboot or All-Star/Ultimate book is perfect for new readers (what with the success of the films lately) to jump into comics. The constant reboots aren’t grabs for your cash. Many loose ends have been left in comics, and these reboots attempt to not only tie them up, but to bring new aspects into comics (IE, Wally being the Flash, 198 mutants, so on and so forth). These reboots are NORMALLY handled really well, and are a fun read.
And if you want to attract a young reader, try selling a kid a book that’s affordable. There’s no reason publishers can’t cut back on a few pages and offer non-cartoony superhero book for $1.50.
Actually, attracting kids to comics isn’t a simple thing. Thus, many cartoons are made for the mass market: Batman, Batman Beyond, even more recently Teen Titans were all aimed at children (primarily) to attract them to the comic world. A 1.50 book would consist of…10 pages? Kids generally don’t have alot of money to spend, so spending a 1.50 on a book constantly, maybe even multiple books would be a failed idea.
Did Denny O’Neill need mini-series or separate universes to tell a great Batman story? No. He did them in the regular books. Did Dan Jurgens need mini-series or separate universes to tell a great Superman story? No. He did them in the regular books.
Nobody NEEDS anything. Yes, Jurgens was able to tell a superman story in the normal books, but this still relates all the way back to my prior point. Imagine that DC integrated ‘Superman: Red Son’ and ‘Superman: Last Son of Earth’ into the main Action Comics book. This would have taken a small dive for readers who didn’t feel like reading about an elseworlds tale, which is something DC would like to avoid (See prior point). Secondly, the stories take months at a time to tell. If we had put every elseworlds, or every spin-off book into Detective and Action, we would have NEVER gotten anywhere. We would never have gotten ‘Dark Knight Returns’, ‘Superman: Red Son’, or ‘Batman and the Monster Men’. These stories took forever, and why would someone need to wait forever to get a story completed, just because it would save them money? If I had the choice, I would shell out an extra 3 bucks or so for another book if I wanted to read that story.
If Grant Morrison is such a “swing for the fences” superstar, why didn’t DC just give him Superman/Action last year? Why do I have to pay extra for his “vision” in All-Star Superman?
Well, they didn’t give him Superman/Action because someone else was probably on conract, meaning they had to finish their run before they could consider another author. And it’s not exactly a ‘Vision’; Grant Morrison didn’t say “HEY GUYS, I FEEL LIKE DOING A NON-CONTINUITY SUPERMAN STORY, GIMME A BOOK”. Okay, he might have, but that’s beside the point. But these All-Star books are around for a reason: They’re trying to give readers a story without 60+ years of back history. This is the perfect jumping on point for some readers who are new to comics. Sure, there are some inside references (Superman’s lab, with all the trinkets in All-Star, for example), but they were made as an answer to Marvel’s ‘Ultimate’ line. Simply, just a book for new readers to pick up, or old readers to get even more reading material.
I know I sound like a cheap old Grandpa, but I really don’t care. There’s nothing wrong with putting the best creators on the planet on the best books on the planet. The glut of mini-series and separate reboot universes is not only a ripoff to loyal readers, but a complete copout by out-of-touch publishers.
See, the mini-series and seperate reboot universes as a cop-out? Not so. They appeal to a certain fan base. Think of it as movie genres. You may like Action movies (no pun intended), but others may like Action AND Romance, so they’ll go see those movies whilst you stick primarily to Action. It’s not a cop-out, nor out of touch, because it appeals to the multipltudes of different fanbase categories (IE, Batman Fanboys, Mystery Fans, Old school Superman fans, etc. etc.)
(Why do I have to buy 52 when it’s just a glorified JLA story??? Aaaarrrgh!!!)
So don’t buy ’52′. You don’t really need to buy anything. It’s a choice of free will. 52 was a great idea, it gives people something new, something to look forward too (which is rather rare in comics these days). A year long, weekly series which launches the DCU into a new life is a great idea, and should be alot of fun to read. And at 1.50 cover price, should be easy enough to grab (I can find that much money on the bathroom floor).
I’m not sure if other people feel this way, but wouldn’t it be great if you knew the next issue of “Action” — a glorious title that’s been around since BEFORE THE SECOND WORLD WAR — wouldn’t suck?
My good friend, you’ve contradicted yourself right there. ‘NO REBOOTS.’ ‘NO REENVISIONGS’. And yet, Action comics is over 60 years old!! How could a reader possibly remember all that? How can a new reader jump in at this point? They can’t, so a reboot allows them to solve this, and begin anew.
When a piece of paper is full, do you simply write over what’s previously written, or do you get a new sheet of paper?
TOFURKEY NOT FUNNY!
I totally see Doug’s point in a lot of ways. But it’s sort of a moot point. I think the reason we get these special issues ouside of the regular continuity is that the story tellers come up with stories that don’t work in the regular continuity, and rather than just not telling those stories, they do a special issue that doesn’t mess with continuity, at least in terms of “elseworlds” types of stories. And I’m OK with that. Your real enemy here is continuity, and those who love it, which is probably a fairly heavy section of the whole market.
As far as 52 goes, it sounds to me like it was a concept that they came up with that was both catchy, stood a good chance of making money, and was a challenge the creators wanted a crack at.
But I do see your point in making the regular books good, and to take it one step further, I think they need to condense the number of titles down for the various properties. Instead of 6-8 OK X books, make 2 really good ones. Same with Spider-Man, Superman, or whoever else. I would love good regular books, but they don’t likely sell as well as event books, and these are money making businesses, or at least that’s the goal.
Finally, on that note, the idea of just cutting the price in half is no a realistic one. I’m pretty sure they’re not turning a huge profit on comics these days, and from what I understand, no one is getting rich making comics. I’m guessing the 3 dollar book is just a reality based on the idea that it’s not worth it to sell it for any less. The idea of comics being a product for kids is an old notion, and this is a niche market aimed at adults. And the only way to keep them coming back is making a specific product, directed right at them. Kids are not coming back to comics. Some will, I really think it’s a lost battle, and the industry should focus on who is buying the books, and actually do the opposite. That is, I would make comics that appeal to the masses, the adult masses, like the audience that TV and major films go after. That would require changing the modern perception that comics are for kids, which of course, they haven’t been for at least a decade.
By the way, we love to have a lively argument around here, and disagreement is the nature of good discussion, so I just want to thank everyone for having intelligent civil arguments, as opposed to what happens all over this angry mean world wide web. Game on.
All I’m really saying is that reboots, mini-series, and alternate universes suck away talent from core titles, and in turn little respect is given to core titles which have real links to the silver/golden ages. For example, lets visit JLA. How much has that book been bastardized over the past few decades? Relaunch after relaunch after relaunch. And what are we looking forward to this summer? Another relaunch of the Justice League of America. DC copped out when it originally cancelled the book back in the mid-80s, but they had to because it was so watered down and terrible. Had they had the best creators on it then, it probably wouldn’t have gotten so out of hand. Put me in a straightjacket right now, but why couldn’t “Crisis On Infinite Earths” have been told in the regular JLA book back in the day? My point is valid: for 20 years core titles (especially at DC) have become afterthoughts in order to make a quick buck on something else. JLA is a perfect example.
After ya know…2 weeks or so, if you’re gonna come back and argue, at least have a new point. You’re just reiterating your prior point, and not making any arguement towards having a mini-series or spin-off. Core titles becoming afterthoughts to make a quick buck? What about the Ultimate titles? They’re core books and they’re doing helluva good. The Flash was good before the Vandal Savage arc.
But if you’re asking WHY we have all these events and reboots, its quite simple; After having characters around for 40 years, 40 years of multiple continuity stories every month, you run out of shit to read. Take a look at ‘Sensational Spider-Man’. It’s totally remeniscient of the old 90′s Spidey. That’s why with Civil War, and the Crisi (Crisises? Crisi?) you get new stories out of them. Holy shit, we’re giving characters depth. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it, and go buy Marvel ‘Essentials’ or DC ‘Showcases’.
As per JLA, it hasn’t been bastardized until the past few years. The Identity Crisis allowed people to see a whole new side of the JLA, and caused internal turmoil. Morrison and Waids run on the JLA was a great run, and that had some major talent right there.
And how can you say they’re taking people away from Major titles? Friendly Neighborhood and X-factor have Peter-freaking-David. The Ultimates all have super good writers. Kirkman took over Marvel Team-Up for a great arc. JMS is a good writer, but with some super retarded concepts (MYSTICAL SPIDER LOLOLOL).
And besides. Why are there so many different books, or new writers on core titles? I’ve said it before, but i’ll say it again with an add-on: Different people have stories to tell, and we need multiple outlets for these stories. And if we didn’t have spin-offs we couldn’t test the waters and find new writers. Do you think Bendis was immediately thrown onto all these core titles? No. He started with his own Powers. And when he finally got to Marvel? He started on a brand-new spin-off series. Have you heard of it? It was called Ultimate Spider-Man.
Don’t like all these multiple issues? Don’t buy ‘em. Miss old school writers? Go buy trades. Problem solved. You can’t change the industry my friend. And with this entire industry being almost 40 years old, alot of talent is going to be coming in and some will be leaving. Just how the world works.
I’m really glad you brought up the Ultimate universe, which was created by Marvel marketers to bring in younger readers. I’m sorry, but the last time I walked into a comic shop there wasn’t an 8-year-old in the joint, nor will there ever be. Sad state of affairs.
The truth is, adults buy comics, not kids. I’m not saying the Ultimate line doesn’t tell great stories, but I’d be more impressed if those stories were simply told in the original universe. Bendis on Amazing Spider-Man for 100 issues? I could do that. Did his Ultimate spin really do that much for the character? The jury’s still out, if you ask me.
I think it would have been much more interesting — and more of a challenge to the writer — to see what he could have done with Parker in his regular book. He scored with DD, did he not? And for the record, I can change the industry — by the choices make when I’m at the register.
One last point. The industry is a lot older than 40 years. The holy grail, Action #1, was published in 1939.
In fact, I can’t wait to buy Action #1,000 someday. That is, if DC doesn’t renumber/reboot/send Superman to an alternate universe so “better stories can be told.”
My God, I can’ t believe I’ve been arguing about this. I must be a geek.
You are a geek. There’s always another seat at the table.
I agree that no kids are coming, and they never will. But I disagree that any of this matters as long as I’m enjoying my comics. Tell me a good story, and I don’t care what universe it takes place in. But I’m atypical I think, because I have little to no love for continuity in the greater sense. That’s not to say I have no appreciation for history, but the numbering and the universe just don’t matter to me. I think there’s just good and bad. But yes, the strongest way to vote is with your wallet. And my wallet must vote a lot.