REVIEW: ‘Ultimate Impact: Reborn’ Issue 1

Ultimate Impact: Reborn Issue 1 is published by Marvel Comics, written by Chris Condon, art by Stefano Caselli, colors by Marte Gracia and David Curiel, and letters by Joe Sabino.

Miles Morales has returned from the Ultimate Universe with Origin Boxes, devices that contain superpowers. He intended to give them to some of Marvel’s greatest superheroes, but The Spot is determined to get in the way.

This chapter is a direct sequel to Miles’ last Ultimate crossover, creating another direct link between the two universes. And this time, he’s bringing pieces of that world back with him. The Origin Boxes are incredibly unpredictable, containing potential powers that the Maker used to restrict the emergence of superheroes when he created his own Earth. But now they are in the hands of a teenage boy, and the handover hasn’t happened yet. Ultimate Impact: Reborn Issue 1 has a lively, hurried start, with Miles launching himself out of his bedroom window after sleeping in. From there, there is a constant forward momentum.

Condon brilliantly references the previous crossover by bringing the Spot back. The Spot is a teleporting villain, and his Ultimate counterpart was the first figure Miles fought after being transported to the other universe. So that creates confusion for the young hero in Ultimate Impact: Reborn Issue 1. The fight is intense and desperate, with Miles furiously trying to protect the boxes from a being who can appear anywhere. During the main plot, the comic occasionally cuts to other characters. It beautifully sets up the next phase of the story without derailing the fight with Spot, and the ending is a terrific, fascinating reveal.

Although this book will contain a large cast of characters, Ultimate Impact: Reborn Issue 1 starts very small. Most of the pages contain just Miles and the Spot. It s helps generate energy and explain the important features of the story. As Spider-Man, Miles seems to inherit some Parker luck from the man who inspired him. He sleeps in late, which already makes him nervous and skittish. And then the Spot arrives, and the situation becomes even more drastic.

This is the first time the Spot has met Miles, but it’s not the first time that Miles has met the Spot. He’s a superb villain because he’s particularly annoying for heroes. He’s solely focused on money and is persistent and almost impossible to shake off. The other characters get given long pages to showcase what their lives are like, because they are brand new. Condon hammers home the fact that they are completely normal people—regular humans with very intriguing lives and stories, but relatable and regular all the same.

The art in Ultimate Impact: Reborn Issue 1 is spectacular. Miles is wonderfully expressive, even with his mask on. Caselli makes him mobile and lithe, but also strong. The eye-pieces on his mask change size, shrinking and widening. This helps convey surprise, fear, determination, and a host of other emotions. The Spot looks phenomenal, too, skeletal and creepy. Not quite as unsettling as the Ultimate incarnation, but he shares the same design concept. There are no facial expressions either, and a slight change has been made to the Spot’s head. The eyes have disappeared, and a giant black splodge fills the middle.

It’s a Rorschach test that also references the Watchmen character. The fight between the two is extensive and continuously entertaining. The Spot’s powers mean that his arms can just appear from portals around Miles, grabbing and punching him. And Miles has his unique powers, including his venom sword. Caselli also steps through the portals and into the realm the Spot travels with, which is a really exciting twist.

The other figures inside Ultimate Impact: Reborn Issue 1 are fantastically created. In this opening issue, we see what they look like at first, as average humans. Caselli does an amazing job at ensuring these newcomers don’t look like superheroes. Instead, they have normal jobs and exist within their homes and communities, making them relatable to start with.

The colors are just as terrific as the lineart in Ultimate Impact: Reborn Issue 1. The shades of the characters’ clothing are slightly altered to reflect the lighting and time of day, which is a brilliant detail. The Spot’s suit isn’t pristine white; it has tones of light gray and the occasional blue. It helps with depth perception, muscle definition, and other details, whilst the black spots are a genuine void. The lettering brings the Ultimate Universe font into the mainstream, but it seems bolder, which adds emphasis.

Ultimate Impact: Reborn Issue 1 is much more focused on energy than exposition. It lends the two perfectly, meaning that essential background reading isn’t required at all. The other pieces of this wide puzzle are being added around the fringes of Miles’ struggle with The Spot, beautifully depicting the inciting incident. Miles is the best character to start this crossover because he represents both universes. And whilst the cast starts small, the ending provides the opportunity for massive expansion.

Ultimate Impact: Reborn Issue 1 is available now wherever comics are sold.