REVIEW: ‘Ultimate Universe: Two Years In’ Issue 1

Ultimate Universe: Two Years In Issue 1 is published by Marvel Comics. Written by Deniz Camp and Alex Paknadel, with art by Patrick Boutin, Phil Noto, Francesco Manna, Lee Ferguson and Javier Pulido. Colors are by Federico Blee, Noto, GURU-eFX, Erick Arciniega and Pulido and letters by Travis Lanham.

The Guardians of the Galaxy search for their friends who have been scattered across the universe, finishing horrors and disturbing truths along the way. Ultimate Universe: Two Years In Issue 1 is a comic that never sets foot on the present-day Ultimate Earth. Instead, it echoes the universe around it, travelling through time to find heroes.

The Maker’s interference with his world destroyed its entire potential future. This tore the Guardians of the Galaxy apart and sent them all across time. Revealed in an early issue of the Ultimates, this issue starts to find them. It moves around the edges of the universe, looking at the tears and twists that have occurred.

There is darkness and violence in every point, and finishing those lost behind won’t be easy because this universe is just so hostile. There is a Star Trek influence in Ultimate Universe: Two Years In Issue 1, but this comic is much more cynical. The sense of discovery is muted as it usually leads to tragedy and sadness.

There’s a haunting loneliness to Ultimate Universe: Two Years In Issue 1 at times, as we explore parts of time that have just become desolate and broken. There is some fun, especially in the Ultimate Daredevil moment. It’s a step aside and a completely different idea from the rest of the comic, and it bends reality entirely. And on the other side of that, the mood gets even more bleak. There are glimmers of hope, but it feels like fighting a massive tide of darkness and despair.

The emotional aspect of Ultimate Universe: Two Years In Issue 1 really is gorgeous and yet devastating. The universe seems huge and expansive, and there are these few figures that have been left in chaotic corners. Some of these locations are extremely sinister, like a horror story.

But one of the most recurring emotions is loneliness. The isolation is harrowing and deafening, sending so many characters mad. Camp and Paknadel beautifully capture grief, especially the feeling of missing someone. It’s extraordinary and devastating.

There are so many conversations that send a shiver down the spine. The dialogue brings the story down to incredibly human levels, placed within a seemingly infinite universe, and that contrast is almost unfathomable. All the characters are based on figures from the main universe but are totally reimagined in inventive, intellectual ways.

The art features a host of talented artists, creating a varied and fascinating universe. There are scenes of creation and destruction intertwined, as a version of Ultron is trapped at the start of human history. There are both Celestials and permissive humans.

The technological being observing a wasteland looks incredible. In another time period, there are some horrifying, disgusting creatures wearing a famous helmet, highlighting some of the gruesome fates the Guardians have met. The Daredevil scene attacks the very pages it’s illustrated on, twisting reality.

The panels tilt, the world moves, and details are lost. It’s reminiscent of another Camp story that did the same, but with very unique ideas. At one stage, the panel becomes a script. Perhaps the greatest segment is between Captain Marvel and the Ultimate Nullifier, after they have already witnessed so much.

With art by Noto, it’s quieter than the others. But the emotional weight within it is extraordinary. It may have one of the greatest panels I’ve ever seen, using a reflection to deliver a haunting, broken moment. It’s also the page that poses the greatest threat to the whole timeline.

The colors are fantastic. The blackness of space is often lit up by the wonderful shades, bewildering and enchanting. It’s fascinating how much of the story is controlled purely through the colors. The physical change in Star-Lord is down almost entirely through his skin tone, which has transformed completely by the end of the issue. The lettering is the standard text used across the Ultimate Universe.

Ultimate Universe: Two Years In Issue 1 goes to the furthest reaches of the universe. This one-shot extends beyond the Earth, which had almost never been done before in this Ultimate Universe. And what they’re trying to find is hope, something that’s so rare in this world. Camp and Paknadel go a long way to show just how rare.

The loneliness in Ultimate Universe: Two Years In Issue 1 can be agonizing, but it also features haunting, spectacular visuals and reveals. It’s not just the present day that was broken; it was all of time.

Ultimate Universe: Two Years In Issue 1 is available where comics are sold.