Writer: Al Ewing / Artist: Travel Foreman / Marvel Comics
I’m upset I even have to take the time to write this review and tell you how good this issue is. You should already know, Al Ewing is straight flames on the track. Travel Foreman? Straight flames in the booth. We got a running joke for those of us that review comics that Jonathan Hickman is the god of world building; if Hickman put south a new project, I wait eight months so I can read straight through that shit and cut the wait time. I’m saying right now, it needs to be known that Al Ewing isn’t a world builder, this guy is a universe builder.
We finally discovered who the jailer of eternity is last week and it’s none other that the first iteration of the universe, The First Firmament. Ewing gives us a detailed origin story of the First Firmament and it plays out beautifully, detailing how the creation of life changed everything for the First Firmament (for the worse, apparently), the origin of the celestials, the split between the celestials we know and the dark celestials, the war between the two species, the creation of the celestials we know from present day, and then how Eternity got caught slipping during its rebirth into the 8th’s iteration of the universe (or, put simply, post-Secret War [2015]).
Rodstvow is revealed to be one of the dark celestials and as we saw Galactus is reverted to a feral form of his old self, hosting a hunger that’ll literally consume everything. Ewing really has shit looking horrible for The Ultimates, but this is where the team shines. A quick and immaculate improvisation on Monica and Adam’s part tips the tide for the team, Mac (America Chavez) proves to be a more than capable leader as she directs her team how to attack with this new power upgrade, and in the middle of all this hectic chaos we learn even more about the Troubleshooters. Listen, we’re going to need the Troubleshooters spin-off. When you see the game breaker this team had in the bank, you’re going to fucking love it.
There’s so much action going on this issue to within every page. Travel Foreman sets the perfect pace through the details of the First Firmament’s origin and then this straight up heavy duty battle. This battle was straight up World of Warcraft, Destiny boss level ridiculous. Foreman is perfect for this series with his taste for alien depictions, as well as Monica Rambeau’s true form.
Foreman and Ewing have transformed this new universe using old characters, as well as linked in America Chavez’s current story in her own series. Ewing is having these characters getting prepared for his phase three, which is a cosmic-level war. Listen, Ultimates 2 makes me so angry because way more people should be talking about this series. This is Oscar-level script writing we’re getting here, people.
Reading Ultimates 2? Find BNP’s other reviews of the series here.
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