Customer Reviews

Ultimate Hulk vs. Iron Man: Ultimate Human

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The last time that the Ultimate Hulk got his own mini-series, well, it never finished (still waiting for Ultimate Hulk VS Wolverine to wrap up thank you), which is why it's funny seeing the Hulk starring in another Ultimate mini-series. Ultimate Hulk VS Iron Man: Ultimate Human is a surprisingly spectacular Ultimate universe tale brought to us by none other than the great Warren Ellis. The storyline is simple enough: Bruce Banner seeks help from none other than Tony "Iron Man" Stark to help him with his problem of "Hulk-ing" out, and before you know it, trouble is a brewin' for everyone involved. Ellis introduces the Ultimate version of his mutant creation Pete Wisdom, who soon becomes a thorn in the sides of both Banner and Stark. Ellis' scriptwork is nearly flawless, with clever dialogue and enough pseudo-scientific plot elements that he injects into the story that really make it something special. Cary Nord's artwork is an awesome sight to behold as well, all of which combine to make Ultimate Human the best title to come out of the Ultimate line since Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch's Ultimates. All in all, if you've been one of the many to give up on the Ultimate line over the past few years, Ultimate Hulk VS Iron Man: Ultimate Human just may draw you back. For fans of either character or for fans of Ellis, this is an essential pick up.

Ultimate Hulk vs. Iron Man: Ultimate Human is actually titled Ultimate Human. It was originally solicited as Ultimate Hulk vs Iron Man, Amazon.com has neglected to change this. Also it's worth noting the battle between the two only lasts two pages. This miniseries is more of an extended Ultimate team-up tale. This four issue miniseries written by renowned writer Warren Ellis with art by Cary Nord is a quick and intelligent read. Ellis combines action with scientific elements to craft an interesting tale about one man's search for normality. I'd never seen Cary Nord's artwork before, but it was extremely detailed and looked like it had been painted instead of drawn.
Ultimate Human takes place in-between The Ultimates: Ultimate Collection and The Ultimates 2: Ultimate Collection. Bruce Banner is a slave to his anger. Every time he gets upset or emotional the Hulk, a brutish monster that he transforms into, is unleashed. Bruce seeks help from the only person he can, Tony Stark, better known as Iron Man. Their plan, *minor spoilers for the first issue*, involves using nanites to suppress the Hulk cells so he can't transform. Little do they both know that a sinister Leader is pursing Dr. Banner and Tony, relentless in his goal to capture them.
Ellis's characterization of the two is spot on. Tony plays the drunk yet genius drunk millionare as usual. I felt myself sympathetic to Bruce Banner though. Ellis manages to create a dynamic between the two that resonates well with the readers. The villain in this book, the Ultimate version of the Leader, is smart and deadly. It is refreshing to see a villain who doesn't spout out his evil plans all the time. Nord's artwork is wonderful. Everything has a hyperealistic quality to it. Facial expressions are genuine and the coloring is perfect.
Overall this is worth looking into if your a fan of the Ultimate Marvel imprint. A 3.5 out of 5.

Warren Ellis' work is always fun to read and this short 4 issue run on two of Marvel's best loved heroes is no exception. The title says it all - Iron Man fights Hulk after a failed experiment to infect Banner/Hulk's blood with nanotech to control the Hulk genes. However the fight is short lived as another failed experiment - "the Leader" (a guy with a big head) - tries to take the blood of both Iron Man and Hulk and an entire issue is devoted to Leader's origin (very dull) followed by a swift and unsatisfying conclusion.

The entire book is really a bridge between Mark Millar's books "The Ultimates Vol 1" and "Vol 2" where in Vol 1 Hulk goes on a rampage in Manhattan killing 300 people and Vol 2 where he is imprisoned, facing trial and a surefire death sentence. If you've read Millar's run you'll know how that pans out and I highly recommend those books over this weak place holder.

The artwork in the book is also really poor, looking at it feels like I'm looking at art through a window with water pouring down it, it's very unpleasant. While I like Ellis, this is one of his weaker efforts. If you're looking for a better Warren Ellis/Marvel book I suggest "Armour Wars". "Ultimate Human" is definitely only for the fans.

As a major fan of Iron Man, Warren Ellis, and Marvel's Ultimate line, there was never any doubt I would enjoy the Ultimate Human limited series. I'm sure it was no coincidence that Marvel scheduled this series just as the main characters - Iron Man and the Hulk - are riding a major wave of box office driven popularity. This 4-issue series focuses on Tony Stark's efforts to cure Bruce Banner of his Hulk "problem" and also introduces the Ultimate version of the old Hulk foe The Leader. Like nearly every Ultimate character, this version is far less ridiculous than his mainstream Marvel counterpart.

Warren Ellis is a natural when it comes to writing the Tony Stark character, and his all too brief run on Iron Man Vol. 1: Extremis remains one of my all-time favorite Iron Man tales. He does a great job here as well, making Tony Stark the star of the series rather than his Iron Man persona, whose role is much more limited than Banner's alter-ego. Ellis's dialogue is, as always, priceless, and brings to mind both Robert Downey Jr.'s portrayal of Tony Stark as well as the Stark from Mark Millar's Ultimates series.

I've never paid much attention to Cary Nord's artwork in the past, but his work on this series is pretty impressive. Of course I'd rather have seen Bryan Hitch or Greg Land (or better yet, Ellis's Extremis partner Adi Granov) get this assignment, but Nord's artwork is definitely better than average. He and colorist Dave Stewart have done some truly remarkable things with the finished artwork.

My only real complaint about this series is that it felt like the story was deliberately extended to fill in all four issues. With some judicious editing, this might have been more effective as an Ultimates Annual issue. Still, it's an impressive series overall, and one that just about any Ultimate Universe fan will want to add to their bookshelf.

You ever read a book and wonder why? Why was this written? What was this book supposed to accomplish? Those are some of the questions I have after reading this trade by Warren Ellis and Cary Nord. Ellis has always been hit or miss for me. Brilliant one week, abysmal the next. Here, Ellis seems to just needed an excuse to add Pete Wisdom to the Ultimate Universe. Its not only unnecessary, its uninteresting. Add that to an awful reimagining of a classic Hulk villain and you have a strange read to say the least. Cary Nord's art has changed drastically since I last remember seeing it. Its good in places but very stiff. Many panels lack detail and/or backgrounds. Overall, this is a complete pass.

The story is pretty interesting as there has always been a fun dynamic between the Hulk and Ironman. A better told story between the two was from the heroes reborn world with Jim Lee doing Iron Man. That was pretty cool. This story is interesting and fits nicely into the ultiamte universe but doesn't really add anything to the bigger picture at all. Cary Nord handles the art great, and Ellis brings his darker sense of humor the story.

Ultimate Human by Warren Ellis and Cary Nord pits Iron Man against the Hulk. While visually stunning and based on a brilliant set-up, the ending falls somewhat flat.

Where this book fires on all cylinders: the art of Cary Nord. WOW. We could have read this book for 18 more issues just to look at the way he renders the characters. Truly a joy to see, Nord's artwork brings the mood of Ellis' plot come to life with just the right mix of realism and fantasy. After we read Ultimate Human, we had to check out Cary Nord's amazing run on Conan for Dark Horse.

Some reviewers felt "not much happens" or that the story really failed to take off. Then again, this is the problem with almost all Hulk stories. The fact that no one can ever solve the poor guy's problem is the crucial and central tragedy of the Hulk. They've been doing this since the 1970's. Every time there's a cure for the Hulk, it gets shot to hell - and he still hulks out.

That's why it's so hard to get into Hulk. He's a one trick pony. He gets mad, he destroys everything, and he's stuck being a monster. Next Issue: He gets mad, he destroys everything, and he's stuck being a monster. YAWN.... So we can't fault Ellis for not taking Hulk in a new direction. He gives us a "classic" Hulk story in Ulitmate Human. He gives us great interaction between Stark and Banner, and a really cool take on the Leader.

The conclusion - swift destruction of the villain in a big fireball - is the weak spot in Ellis' writing armor. OK Warren. We get it. You think all Americans are idiots who are happy when you end a sci-fi story with a big explosion just like Star Wars. Ellis brings us brilliant concepts, develops the characters crisply and expertly through action and dialogue, and then all of a sudden it's the last page: BLOW STUFF UP. Even Ellis' masterful "Black Summer" suffered from the requisite big explosion finale. Come on, Dude! The set up has so much more potential than that.

Maybe to Ellis the entire comic book medium is just about setting up a string of Dominos. No matter how amazing a domino extravaganza you create, all that really happens in the end is that they all get knocked over - and then you're on to the next set up.

This is a fun exercise in thinking "which way will we go from here?" Tony Stark's amazing technology contests with Bruce Banner / Hulk's example of the power of custom biology to make you think about where we may all go from here. In the end it takes a little bit of both machine and monster to beat a surprise contender for the mantle of Ultimate Human.

The artwork is all around outstanding, but not the best seen in the Ultimate Universe. The only letdown is the Leader and the detour into his back story. He's just not worth what was put into him. That and it's too short. The authors could have dug in a lot deeper than they did. There were many paths they pointed to but never followed through to a decent conclusion.

Best Line award goes to Tony Stark (honestly, who's surprised by this?): "How do you get drunk when your body recognizes vodka as a terrorist threat?"

The last time that the Ultimate Hulk got his own mini-series, well, it never finished (still waiting for Ultimate Hulk VS Wolverine to wrap up thank you), which is why it's funny seeing the Hulk starring in another Ultimate mini-series. Ultimate Hulk VS Iron Man: Ultimate Human is a surprisingly spectacular Ultimate universe tale brought to us by none other than the great Warren Ellis. The storyline is simple enough: Bruce Banner seeks help from none other than Tony "Iron Man" Stark to help him with his problem of "Hulk-ing" out, and before you know it, trouble is a brewin' for everyone involved. Ellis introduces the Ultimate version of his mutant creation Pete Wisdom, who soon becomes a thorn in the sides of both Banner and Stark. Ellis' scriptwork is nearly flawless, with clever dialogue and enough pseudo-scientific plot elements that he injects into the story that really make it something special. Cary Nord's artwork is an awesome sight to behold as well, all of which combine to make Ultimate Human the best title to come out of the Ultimate line since Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch's Ultimates. All in all, if you've been one of the many to give up on the Ultimate line over the past few years, Ultimate Hulk VS Iron Man: Ultimate Human just may draw you back. For fans of either character or for fans of Ellis, this is an essential pick up.

This hardcover is definitely worth the money. The main story is about Bruce Banner and Tony Stark trying to find a way to cure Banner of the Hulk. The initial testing leads to an awesome Hulk-out and showdown between the Hulk and Iron Man. This collection also includes the Ultimate line's first appearance of the Leader, a classic Hulk villain. The story does slow down a bit when a flashback tells the lengthy story of the Leader's origin, but when the villain tries to take on both Tony Stark and Bruce Banner in a plot to create the most powerful super-being ever, the **** really hits the fan. For anyone wanting an intricate story of political intrigue, this book has it. But it's also got some awesome action with Hulk smashing stuff and Iron Man using his cool armor, and a showdown with a cool new villain.

Throw in the low price tag and the spiffy hardcover format, and you really can't go wrong.