The Ultimates Omnibus [Hardcover]

Mark Millar (Author), Bryan Hitch (Illustrator), Steve Dillon (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 17, 2009

Is even an Omnibus big enough to contain Millar and Hitch's widescreen super-hero epic?! They are the greatest heroes the world has ever known: Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, the Wasp, Giant Man, Hawkeye, the Black Widow, Quicksilver, and the Scarlet Witch! Brought together by Nick Fury, head of the elite espionage agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., the Ultimates are Earth's last line of defense against a rising storm of strange new threats to humanity - menaces such as the rampaging monster known as the Hulk, and an army of shape-shifting aliens bent on destroying the world and killing all humankind. But just as they begin to get comfortable in their roles as international celebrities and America's champions, things get hard! Can the Ultimates survive the Hulk's execution, Thor's imprisonment - and the advent of the Ultimate Defenders?! The world's greatest heroes are in for the battle of the century - and not all of them will be walking away! Collects Ultimates #1-13, Ultimates 2 #1-13, Ultimates Annual #1, and Ultimates 2 #1 Variant Sketch Edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 880 pages
• Publisher: Marvel (June 17, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785137807
• ISBN-13: 978-0785137801
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 7.6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #776,420 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Along with Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Millar has been one of the key writers for Marvel Comics in the 21st century. After proving himself in the '90s as a talent to watch while writing for DC Comics and the UK comic 2000AD, his arrival to Marvel came at a time when Ultimate Spider-Man had just shot up the sales charts. It was in this environment that Millar made his first major contribution to Marvel with Ultimate X-Men, as Millar integrated forty years' worth of X-Men history, characters and lore into a solid two-year run, making the companion title to Ultimate Spider-Man every bit the creative and commercial success. Next up was The Ultimates, a new rendering of the Avengers that was to continue building on the success of the Ultimate line. He and artist Bryan Hitch pulled it all off in spades: The Ultimates and its sequel, Ultimates 2, were ensconced at the top of the sales charts every month; what's more, they were critical successes, as well. Meanwhile, Millar was invited to enter the regular Marvel Universe to take a stab at two of its most iconic characters: Spider-Man and Wolverine. Paired with industry heavyweights to draw his stories -- Terry Dodson on Marvel Knights Spider-Man and John Romita Jr. on Wolverine -- Millar brought the same fast-paced and cleverly constructed plots with which his Ultimate fans were already familiar. Amid building a small library of Millarworld indie comic books -- including the titles Chosen and Wanted, the latter of which was turned into a Hollywood blockbuster starring Angelina Jolie -- he managed to write Civil War, the epic seven-issue miniseries that definitively reshaped the landscape of Marvel's heroes. Kick-A**, a Marvel Icon project done in tandem with John Romita Jr., made an impressive impact on the sales chart before also being adapted for a major motion picture. In addition, Millar has reunited with Civil War artist Steve McNiven in both the pages of Wolverine and their creator-owned book Nemesis.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing collection of work by some of comic's best, June 28, 2009

By 

E. Blair (Central NY State) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Ultimates Omnibus (Hardcover)

Can't say anything bad about this one. I loved the individual issues, I loved the smaller volumes 1 & 2, and I am totally floored by the quality of this huge omnibus. Marvel really does a great job on these; the binding is top-notch, the printing is exceptional, the materials are first rate. And, of course, this is Hitch and Millar doing what they do best: sweeping, cinematographic stories of epic proportions.

For the price, you can't beat this. Grab it while it's still in print, because it will surely go the way of others in its class and be hard to find at any price.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, June 26, 2009

By 

N. Durham "Big Evil" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Ultimates Omnibus (Hardcover)

Proving that Marvel's Ultimate line was once a place for intriguing new takes on old concepts and characters, Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch's run on The Ultimates saw the pair re-envisioning and re-imagining Marvel's classic Avengers lineup in a more realistic and modern world. Here we are introduced to Steve "Captain America" Rogers, the displaced hero of World War II; Tony "Iron Man" Stark, the brilliant, alcoholic, cancer-ridden eccentric who loves the ladies; Thor, the self-proclaimed Norse God of Thunder who may be the real deal, or may just be insane; Bruce "Hulk" Banner, the scientist whose work to create a new super soldier led to making himself a walking, anger-filled nightmare; Hank "Giant Man" Pym, a brilliant mind with a very short temper; Janet "Wasp" Pym, Hank's long-suffering wife who lives up to her name; and military man Nick Fury, who brings them all together. Later on after the introductory storyarc, the team is joined by Hawkeye, Black Widow, Quicksilver, and Scarlet Witch; but it is the sheer unpredictable nature of what happens as the stories develop that made The Ultimates so good. This Omnibus contains all 13 issues of the first Ultimates run, as well as all 13 of Ultimates 2, which remains one of the best mainstream superhero comics to ever see the light of day. Between Millar's twisty and compelling stories and Hitch's incredible artwork, The Ultimates is a masterpiece of comic storytelling. All in all, if you missed out at all on Millar and Hitch's original Ultimates (disregard Jeph Loeb's Ultimates 3 at all costs), you have been doing yourself quite the disservice, and you should definitely pick up this Omnibus to make it up to yourself.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE SUPERHERO GENRE AT ITS BEST!!!, December 6, 2009

By 

Chris Skinner (Nashville) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Ultimates Omnibus (Hardcover)

This is the book that you buy people who love superhero movies but don't read the comics.

There are few times in the world of art and entertainment when the forces of the universe collide to produce a piece of perfection. This is one of them. The Ultimates Omnibus is a little bit of heaven for anyone who enjoys the superhero genre. Miller's writing on this series is a perfect mix of dialogue-centered character pieces and amazing "widescreen" battles. Hitch's art gets better with every issue.

What you have in this omnibus is two "seasons" of The Ultimates. The first volume is essentially a modern retelling of the classic Avengers origin story. Without giving too much away, The team gets together, has a few bumps along the way, and then saves the Earth. Every issue has some great narrative moments but your jaw will continually drop in issues 12 & 13.

The second season is a little different - more for comics fans but also more social commentary. This series deals with ramifications from the first season and Miller is also able to craft an engaging allegory about US foreign policy.

The bottom line is that this may not be the headiest comic out there. It may not be the best drawn or colored (You won't find many better.), but what you have is all of the parts working together create one of the best pieces of art I've ever seen. This is an expensive book but the amazon discount makes it worth it. Give this as a gift and the receiver will love you for life. And most importantly, buy this book before it goes out of print!