Age of Ultron Review
“Book One”
The Age of Ultron mini-series from Marvel and the mind of Brian Michael Bendis is a hype machine, pumping out some of the most gripping previews I’ve seen in a while. I’ll admit that I was impatiently waiting for this series, and attempting to come into the series with an unbiased opinion. Thankfully, the book backs up the hype. Oh, and it’s the return of the foil covers! Am I supposed to be psyched about that?
There is no lead in story to this book, nothing explaining what happened, just a dystopian New York, taking place in a comic book universe all it’s own. The Avengers are in hiding. Ultrons, yes Ultrons plural, hold the city in a state of Martial law, more similar to the gestapo than actual protection. Hawkeye isn’t content with where the Avengers stand in this war, some friends and teammates still sit imprisoned, he’s out to rescue them. Hawkeye is such a badass.
I’m really unsure how this dystopian universe came to be. The book really tells you nothing of it’s origins. For all we know, this happened in less than a day, or has taken place over several years. My suspicions are it happened over a short period of time, weeks maybe. Hierarchies have already been established, and the general public, the lowlife’s that most of them have become, have a general knowledge of who the Ultrons are.
I love that Brian Michael Bendis has already established the Ultrons dominance. There’s no lead in to what happened, no history lesson, just Hawkeye doing his thing, and a beaten down Avengers squad struggling to find a leader and a foothold in this crazy war. It’s hard to believe the almighty Avengers appear surprisingly beaten. I’m really looking forward to where this story will go!
The book’s art from Bryan Hitch is pretty incredible. He has a lot to deal with, broken landscapes, trash ridden streets, damaged Avengers, and new tech to create. While his action scenes aren’t super clean, they make sure you don’t miss any shot, punch, or explosion. My biggest complaint was with the box layout, I apparently haven’t read enough comics to know when to read right to left, and when to hop down on a page. Some of the boxes cross pages and I would easily become lost in some of these transitions. A veteran comic book reader probably wouldn’t have these issues, but I fear the “casual” reader might get lost in the mix.
A lot of questions will need answers, and the next book features Moon Knight! so you know that shit’s gonna get good.
Read more of Burke’s reviews at nerdfarmblog.com and be sure to get your Age of Ultron books from Cosmic Comics! today.
Oh, ULTRON. I thought you were talking about me…