Ultron. Not just the Age of, but probably mostly the Age Of
SolitaireRose
Posts: 1,445
Marvel's new Event is out, and while it doesn't SEEM like an event to me, it will be spilling into books somehow and is the big Bendis farewell to the Avengers.
In a lot of ways, Ultron is the first 2nd Marvel generation Big Bad, having been created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, neither of whom were around at the beginning of the Marvel Universe, so he wasn't created by Kirby, Lee or Ditko and really FEELS like the start of a new generation of villains because he grew out of a character already established. Hank Pym created him, but he draws more from the SF of the time than other Marvel characters.
Thomas didn't use him much after his first couple of appearances, and really, he showed up sparingly in the Avengers until the 1980's, when Shooter used him in Secret Wars as just another character in the mob scenes...and then Englehart used him in WCAvengers and he was gone again.
Once Kurt Busiek came onto the Avengers, the character REALLY felt like a major threat. Since then, they've done a good job of keeping him strong...
Now we have Age Of Ultron which starts after he has won. I thought it was a good first issue, setting up the situation and left us with a LOT of questions.
Anyone got an opinion or discussion yet?
In a lot of ways, Ultron is the first 2nd Marvel generation Big Bad, having been created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, neither of whom were around at the beginning of the Marvel Universe, so he wasn't created by Kirby, Lee or Ditko and really FEELS like the start of a new generation of villains because he grew out of a character already established. Hank Pym created him, but he draws more from the SF of the time than other Marvel characters.
Thomas didn't use him much after his first couple of appearances, and really, he showed up sparingly in the Avengers until the 1980's, when Shooter used him in Secret Wars as just another character in the mob scenes...and then Englehart used him in WCAvengers and he was gone again.
Once Kurt Busiek came onto the Avengers, the character REALLY felt like a major threat. Since then, they've done a good job of keeping him strong...
Now we have Age Of Ultron which starts after he has won. I thought it was a good first issue, setting up the situation and left us with a LOT of questions.
Anyone got an opinion or discussion yet?
Comments
I'm having a hard time springing for that $3.99, I think only two or three issues are two weeks apart, the others are weekly.
Second, I'm not sure that I want to read a story that starts from where Ultron has alrerady won. I want to see my heroes get put through the wringer, see Ultron's rise to victory and then see the heroes that are left fight back. With it starting out with Ultron having won, I don't have a sense of dread for the heroes.
I don't have a problem with the story beginning with the Avengers' apparent defeat; just makes me all the more curious as to how they got there. It's a good story hook.
I remember Shooter doing a couple of good Ultron stories in The Avengers, including the one that first introduced Jocasta.
I like the first issue of Age of Ultron This first issue felt like a "Days of Future Past" meets "The Ultimates" , although Hitch's art might be the reason for the latter.
One of the great things about Days of Future Past is we come into the story after the fall of The X-Men and other heroes with just a brief recap of how it happened. The fall was too big of a story to be told, so it was left to our imaginations. The real story is the final attempt of the X-Men to stop it from ever happening.
I understand how you feel about the story starting after Ultron's victory over The Avengers but I think like D of FP the real story is in the comeback. How can they comeback and at what cost. We may never find out what happened to Thor or the rest of The FF, hopefully we will get some of the backstory in flashbacks and in the dialog to fill in the blanks.
I'm looking forward to finding out what happened and what is going to happen.
For some reason Ultron has always scared the crap out of me. I think it has something to do with him being so cold and calculating (and tough as nails). That, and the fact there is something about Ultron that reminds me of the Space Probe from the Six Million Dollar Man that gave 7 year old me nightmares for months.
Here's hoping the ton of crossovers have more resonance with the current timeline.
side note: at the risk of sounding old and curmudgeonly... I found issue 1 overly violent. Didn't really appreciate it.