(w) Mark Waid
(a) Andre Araujo
Age of Ultron #10AI is less about being an epilogue to Age of Ultron as it is about being a requiem of Hank Pym's life. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it just feels out of place as a bookend of a series about time travel, warlord robots, and the breaking of the multiverse. Yes, the documented time is technically after all of that happens, thus it sits at the end, but nothing about this issue screams cohesive. Not even Mark Waid's stellar writing can make it feel right.
Now, Waid's writing is spot-on here. I've nothing to complain about on that front. If this was a one-shot called Pym or even Avengers A.I. #0.1, I'd be satisfied, but none of what happens fits into the themes of Age of Ultron. Brian Michael Bendis' opus to the dangers of time travel was about taking responsibility for damaging the fabric of space and time and, eventually, suffering the consequences. Age of Ultron #10AI is about Hank Pym freeing himself from responsibility to do whatever he wanted, which led to Ultron in the first place. In many ways, this issue feels regressive, like Pym didn't learn anything from this horrific event.
I want to stress that Waid writes a good issue here, it's just the context in which Marvel decided it should go just doesn't make sense. Most of the Avengers have seen an alternate timeline or two, including Hank Pym who has always been at the forefront of science. Why now, after all these years, are the visions of a destitute future haunting him? The easy answer is that the "Age of Ultron" was his fault. But the better answer is that there isn't a sensible answer because it's not logical. (Again) Pym is man of science who understands the nature of the multiverse and that, in the end, he prevented the nightmares of Ultron from ever actualizing in the first place. Certainly a man dedicated to science could understand and reconcile the non-happening of something bad?
Apparently not.
Mark Waid's look into Hank Pym's history is intriguing and gives a lot of context for the character's decisions and actions over the years. Pym feels like a more fleshed out hero now, and that's always a good thing. If Marvel had published this in a better fashion, it would have been a home run. As a final send-off for Age of Ultron, if feels cheap and overbearing, preachy and depressing. In the end, it's worth reading for Waid's writing alone.
GRADE
7/10
(w) Brian Michael Bendis
(a) Alex Maleev; Bryan Hitch & Paul Neary; Butch Guice; Brandon Peterson, Carlos Pacheco & Roger Bonet with Tom Palmer; David Marquez, Joe Quesada
This is what disappointment truly feels like.
I defended Age of Ultron in nearly every review I wrote about the series. And while it has indeed been a fun and generally enjoyable ride, Age of Ultron #10 simply fizzles out where it should have been explosive. And one vague, surreal explosion doesn't count after nine issues of build-up.
** SPOILERS AHEAD. THOUGH, YOU PROBABLY READ A LOT OF THIS ONLINE ALREADY. **
Why do I not like Age of Ultron #10? Let me count the ways. One: there are far too many artists on this issue. Two: introducing Angela in the final pages is such an obvious grab for money that I nearly slammed by laptop's screen shut in frustration. Three: this issue is the epitome of anticlimactic.
There are ten different artists credited to Age of Ultron #10 with no guide as to who has drawn what. Sure, I've got some idea based on what I've seen in other books, but overall, it's extremely jarring to see one issue go through so many different styles. Now, Bryan Hitch, Brandon Peterson, and Carlos Pacheco were featured throughout issues one through nine, but that was for a reason. Hitch drew the original timeline, Peterson drew the 'Age of Iron Man' segments, and Carlos Pacheco tackled the sequences set in the past of the Marvel universe. There were three distinct styles for three distinct parts of the story, and generally, it worked well. The only reason that I can imagine Marvel had for employing so many artists was the nature of the story's conclusion. And even if they did -- which is highly unlikely -- the experiment was not worth it because it looks bad.
Angela, Angela, Angela. Everyone is so excited about Angela, and it turns out her presence in the issue amounts to little more than a cameo. Now it makes sense how Bendis was able to "write" a special new part for the character. I phrased it like that not because I believe Bendis can't write, but because it's not a real sequence. Angela's appearance is just her inner monologue with a two-page spread by Joe Quesada as the backdrop. That's not enough. That's just pandering. And I'm sure there are those out there who loved seeing Angela on those final pages. But if you're unfamiliar with the character, this 'epic conclusion' is just confusing.
Which brings us to the fact that Age of Ultron #10 is the most anticlimactic ending to an event Marvel has produced since...well at least before House of M. The biggest revelation we get is that the multiverse is now bleeding into itself, meaning various universes will cross over with relative ease. While this is a big change in status quo, there's only one single splash page that's interesting. The rest is panning images of space and bright lights. It might be menacing and mysterious, yes, but these are the final pages of Age of Ultron.
The big battle we get is basically a reprint of Avengers #12.1 from two years ago, and though it ends differently here than it did before, it's just a big letdown. Alright, sure; the Avengers defeated Ultron before he ever started his apocalyptic invasion of Earth. But we knew that was going to happen. What we needed here was something bigger to keep the momentum going now that the event is over. Unfortunately, Marvel thought giving us one glimpse of Galactus and a spread of Angela would do the trick. And even though the crossover nerd in me did summersaults when I saw Miles Morales facing down Galactus 616, it was a fleeting emotion because the only real reason it was included was for that specific reaction, not because it had anything to do with Age of Ultron.
Age of Ultron wasn't a huge failure. Bryan Hitch's artwork for the first five issues was fantastic, Carlos Pacheco's style fit the 1960s sequences perfectly, and the goal of the entire narrative was achieved by the end of Age of Ultron #10. Brian Michael Bendis set out to create an grand story about the dangers of abusing technology we don't understand. Unfortunately, this sentiment becomes hollow when the lesson isn't learned. Wolverine isn't punished for basically unraveling all of time and space, while Hank Pym believes he can correct the errors in Ultron's programming instead of understanding that creating and manipulating consciousness -- biological or artificial -- isn't right. So what was the point?
Bendis threw the biggest players in the Marvel universe through the ringer for no reason. The characters don't truly grow because they haven't learned from their mistakes, which makes it all the more obvious that the true endgame of Age of Ultron was to allow Marvel to dig into it's plethora of fan-favorite characters with far more ease. This might sound harmless at first, but it means the characters were simply props throughout this event. All the tie-ins, all the deaths; none of it technically matters. And that's a problem. As an event, Age of Ultron was mediocre. As the final issue Age of Ultron #10 was completely lackluster.
GRADE
5/10
(w) Kathryn Immonen (a) Amilcar Pinna
I love that the Runaways are making a comeback. First, Dennis Hopeless threw Nico and Chase into the mix over in Avengers Arena, and now, Victor Mancha gets his own one-shot that ties into Age of Ultron. Fans of Brian K. Vaughan's Runaways already know that Victor is the son of Ultron and a human mother, making him quite the anomaly in this narrative about robots vs. humanity. Kathryn Immonen gets a lot of freedom in Ultron #1AU because Victor hasn't been seen or heard from in a few years. Unfortunately, Immonen drops the ball simply due to this issue's overly-simplistic nature. This is an Age of Ultron tie-in that has one big connection to the event that never gets much real attention.
Victor's situation is rooted in his physiology as half human, half robot. Ultron drones are having trouble understanding exactly what Victor is, causing at least one gold-dome to explode from inexplicable data. Immonen reminds the reader of this fact on multiple occasions, but she does so without delving any deeper into the reason. Why can't the Ultron robots distinguish Victor's composition? Why hasn't Victor attempted to contact his father? What is Victor's greater significance?
Unfortunately, Immonen doesn't touch on any of these questions. Being a One-Shot issue means everything happening here has to be self-contained, more or less. Instead, we're dropped into the action without much set-up before Immonen uses the issue to introduce some new characters under Victor's care during the decimation of Los Angeles. It's a noble attempt to make Victor a foil for his father; protecting some while Ultron destroys so many. This is where Immonen falters because instead of pursuing this rich subtext, she continues to make the entire story about the robotics of it all. Yes, we get it Kathryn; Victor is half robot. Now, we need to know what that means.
Ultron #1AU is still a fun read. Victor himself is generally characterized well -- self-doubt mixed with a self-imposed predisposition to help people. And while Kathryn Immonen does a great job fleshing out Victor's inner journey, she stumbles in conveying a sympathetic plot. It's fair to assume Victor will play a part in Age of Ultron going forward and possibly into the future. That being said, the main reason I'm thinking this is the case is simply because the kid got his own One-Shot, not because of Immonen's story. Without any deeper connection to the main series or further exploration of Victor's significance, Ultron #1AU misses a lot of potential and doesn't feel as integral to the event as it should.
GRADE
6.5/10
(w) Brian Michael Bendis (a) Bryan Hitch
Perhaps I just don't know Black Widow as well as I thought. Age of Ultron #2 brings the focus squarely onto Natasha Romanova in the first act featuring the ex-KGB Avenger facing off against a nameless civilian in the streets of a devastated San Francisco. The thing is, Natasha isn't her usual collected self -- beyond the physical trauma we see that's still a mystery at issue's end, she comes across as a far more violent and angry person than ever before. Of course, it's no small thing to have one's entire planet conquered and one's entire species annihilated. It could push anyone over the edge. With that in mind, Black Widow's overly rash attitude still seems as off-putting and uncharacteristic.
Beyond this minor mishandling of Black Widow, Brian Michael Bendis does an excellent job with AoU #2. When reading the first issue, Spider-Man's captors -- The Owl and Hammerhead -- discussed their plans for turning everyone's favorite wall-crawler over to Ultron in exchange for mercy in the robot's quest to rid Earth of humans. It seemed somewhat inconsequential at first, like the awkward flailing of a fish out of water with no other option than to desperately attempt to flop back into the water. Especially when some Ultron patrol units arrive to lay the smack down on their entire operation. Now, it's very obvious that Ultron's apparent superhuman black market is more important than this reader originally anticipated.
Another important aspect of this issue is Peter Parker's flashbacks. Since Age of Ultron began in the middle of the storm, so to speak, Bendis needed to give readers more context from which to understand how things got so bad so quickly. Though he was unconscious for most of Ultron's razing of the planet, he witnessed the initial strike, and it was a doozy. Bryan Hitch's artwork again makes the issue with his sweeping spreads and skewed perspective. Peter's flashback sequences radiate with terror as Spidey swings into an onslaught he has no hope of fighting. The only place where Hitch falters is the final page; Captain America's appendages and extremities all seem deformed and the angle of his entire body looks strained and slouched at the same time, which I didn't even know was possible.
Age of Ultron #2 isn't as strong as the first issue, and that's mainly because necessary exposition is rarely ever as exciting as the drama and terror that comes from seeing a post-apocalyptic world for the first time. Bendis delivers as much as he can while still bringing readers up to speed on the current standings, piece by piece. In a way, it's a self-defeating notion to sacrifice story development for the sake of explaining the backstory of the current status quo. Fortunately, Bendis pulls it off, more or less, and gets things prepped for the next issue. At ten issues, Age of Ultron is going to need a lot of twists and turns to keep readers interested; I'm confident Bendis is up to the task.
GRADE
8/10
(w) Brian Michael Bendis (a) Bryan Hitch
**SPOILERS AHEAD!**
And so it begins. Age of Ultron starts off with the world in ruins: cities are decimated, heroes are dead or missing, and nefarious Ultron robots patrol the skies. While reminiscent of Age of Apocalypse -- both in name and similar setting -- Brian Michael Bendis and Bryan Hitch's terrifying look at world ravaged by a vengeful android consciousness feels extraordinarily more palpable and frightening. A big part of that is due to Hitch's stellar artwork. Coupled with a surprisingly focused narrative from Bendis, Age of Ultron #1 succeeds as an opening salvo that sets up the framework for the entire series.
Longtime Marvel fans will immediately know what's going on. Besides the months of previews floating around online, anyone who knows Ultron understands the implications of the title "Age of Ultron" and scenes of a devastated New York City, complete with a crashed S.H.I.E.L.D. Hellicarrier in Central Park -- the robot won. After decades of anticipation, Hank Pym's android-gone-crazy-villain, Ultron, finally brought his reckoning upon Earth, and it's bad. Bendis has been using Ultron in various capacities for a number of years now in different Avengers titles, and interviews with both Bendis and Hitch revealed that Age of Ultron was planned and drawn a few years back, only to be delayed a numerous times. Bendis has been building to this for years, and it's no wonder executives wanted to wait for just the right time to publish the story: it's devastatingly, apocalyptically, hopelessly beautiful.
A big part of that beauty comes from how Age of Ultron is situated within Marvel continuity. Ultron as already won, which means we'll be getting the whole backstory as to how that happened on top of the plot line that follows the surviving heroes to victory over their robot opressor. Additionally, Peter Parker is still Spider-Man -- as opposed to the web slinger's current mental state as Otto Octavius -- Captain America is still wearing his old uniform as opposed to the 'Marvel NOW!' update, She-Hulk got her hair cut, and Luke Cage is still in the mix with the Avengers. All of these little details point to Age of Ultron being set either very early in the 'Marvel NOW!' timeline, or in the future. It's fun to speculate, and Bendis' open narrative allows for a lot of ideas and hypotheses about future issues.
Though, if a casual comic book fan not incredibly versed in the history of Ultron or the Avengers were to pick up Age of Ultron #1, the issue's events could be dauntingly difficult to understand. Bendis' decompressed style means information comes in slowly, which is good for fans, but bad for those who are not "in the know". There's no formal introduction to Ultron, the dialogue between characters is so fluid and reliant on previous knowledge that new readers might have to read it two or three times to really understand what happened, and since this story hasn't sprung out of any immediately recent events, there's no context outside online previews from which to gather any preconceptions about the narrative.
By the end of Age of Ultron #1, I was sold. Bendis has mentioned in more than one interview how this crossover event was his swan song to the Avengers, a franchise he helmed for over eight years. It shows throughout this issue, and Bryan Hitch's superb artwork was the perfect choice for a story with this level of emotional and narrative bearing. It seems as though Bendis also foresaw Clint Barton's recent meteoric rise of popularity from his solo series by Matt Fraction enough to make him the main player throughout this issue. While not a whole lot is revealed, Age of Ultron #1 paves the way for an epic tale that's sure to have lasting effects on the Marvel universe.
GRADE
9/10
(w) Mark Waid
