“The Reserves”
Story: Mark Millar
Art: Steve Dillon
Colors: Paul Mounts
Letters: Chris Eliopoulos
Production: Tom Valente
Assistant Editors: Nicole Wiley & John Barber
Cover: Brian Hitch, Paul Neary and Laura Martin
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Published by Marvel Comics
This comic book delighted me in every way possible.
In the comic book world, over the years, the term “annual” became something less and less important. At first, an annual was a very special issue, something that couldn’t be told in the confines of the normal page run of a monthly. Then it was just a breeding ground for a sub-par crossover or bloated story. (Atlantis Attack or the Vibranum Vendetta, anyone?) And then eventually an annual became just a place to stick stories that most wouldn’t care about.
And now finally, coming full circle, this Ultimates Annual turns it all around and has a story that matters, that is in continuity, is in fact special, and one that is (most importantly) good.
When I saw that Steve Dillon (Preacher, Punisher) was supplying the art for this issue, I was a bit taken aback. I mean, I always liked his stuff, but he is decidedly not a super-hero artist. Well, I have to take that back, because Dillon has given us some of his best work ever in these pages, and I will never doubt his abilities again. I think because he is not a typical super-hero artist is the reason his stuff works so well here. He has a very straightforward approach that works perfectly with the tone of the Ultimates, and I’d love to see him work on this book again (Volume 3 perhaps? Maybe a reteaming with Garth Ennis? Are you listening Marvel?)
Anyways, I had some concerns as to how this would fit within the ongoing continuity of the Ultimates series. The book seems so tight every month, and I didn’t just want to get a story that didn’t matter in the context of things. But to my relief, that is not that case at all. What we have here would be probably in the “extended cut” of the story if this were a movie. This is an entire storyline that would have been cut out just due to time constraints. But by no means does that diminish the quality of it.
Once again, as Millar does every month with this title, we see the questions and answers about superheroes we didn’t even know existed. “What happens if Captain America dies?” “Who is this mystery man running the team?” “Where do old villains retire?” “What does it take to get a start up hero team running?” and “What would LL Cool J look like as a super hero? (see cover)
The Ultimates has a way of looking at these questions and looking at the super hero genre and turning it on it’s ear to give us a wholly new perspective on things.
This issue in particular gives a new perspective on Nick Fury and his view of the team. We see he views them all as replaceable and is very much a cold, self-serving man. But we can’t truly hate him. We sort of admire his abilities and his drive.
We also get a little more time with the Defenders, and while the scene is funny and oh so politically incorrect, it’s great to see just another angle on how The Ultimates have affected things for these people.
But the main story here is about “the Reserves” who are more or less just picked to be the next heroes in line. It’s a story that could not be told in the core issues, but seemingly had to be told. It’s an intriguing look at what makes and what does not make a hero, and could further be exploited in another issue (or volume) of this series.
But until then, I’ll have to be content with a pretty much perfect comic book right here. I cannot recommend this any higher. It’s a self-contained, involving, and outstanding story.
