REVIEW: ‘Ultimate Invasion,’ Issue #1

Sitting quietly in his cell, a genius that could threaten all creation prepares to stage a breakout. But once loose, what will he do, where will he go, and who could stop him in Ultimate Invasion #1, published by Marvel Comics, written by Jonathan Hickman, art by Bryan Hitch, Inks by Andrew Currie, colors by Alex Sinclair, and letters by Joe Caramagna.

One of the most persistent struggles people cite about getting into comics is understanding the history behind characters with decades of back story. Do you need to understand all the details and past interactions to comprehend what transpires in the latest issues? While generally, the answer is no, you don’t. There are times when having history with the key characters of a story can help pull you in. While I remember the buzz around the Ultimates launch in the 2000s, I never really got into them. Because of this disconnect, I feel like there are elements to Ultimate Invasion #1 that don’t manage to pull me in as much as they might.

Without this core connection to the primary villain and the world he comes from, this issue is a solid beginning to what is angling to be the next multiversal threat in the Marvel Universe. Hickman does a good job of building up the sense of potential danger throughout the book. As the heroes race to catch up to the villainous Maker(Reed Richards from an alternate universe), Hickman imparts the severity of the situation wonderfully, even though little of the character’s actual plan is revealed.

The general sense of threat that Ultimate Invasion #1 imparts in its story is built upon thanks to the art. Hitch and Currie team up to lay down some excellent art that conveys the distress of the heroes excellently. It also nails an early moment that wonderfully displays the cruelty of The Maker, giving readers unfamiliar with the character a taste of what he’s willing to do to get what he wants. These skillful lines are combined with Sinclair’s strong colors to bring the art throughout this book a great energy for the reader to absorb.

But even while there is a general sense of menace coming from The Maker in this issue, Hickman doesn’t allow the character to become a one-note threat simply to be beaten. Before enacting the first stage of his plan, The Maker searches out the only other living refugee from his original universe, Miles Morales. In Ultimate Invasion #1‘s only moment of calm, Maker extends what feels like a genuine invitation to Miles to bring him home to their original reality. This moment establishes that, despite the horrible things The Maker has planned, he is still a human being, capable of connecting with at least some other individuals.

Both the danger and the drama are brought to the reader through the competent lettering of Caramagna. The dialogue is easy to follow, allowing the reader to follow along easily, but there is a noticeable lack of sound effects during key moments in the issue. This absence keeps the more spectacular moments in the book from hitting with the full force they might have.

Ultimately, Ultimate Invasion #1 delivers a solid groundwork for a story that looks to bring a huge threat to the Marvel Universe. While nothing about the issue blew me away, there is plenty of room for Hickman and Company to build this story into something grand.

Ultimate Invasion #1 is available now wherever comics are sold.