Ultimate Comics Doomsday Paperback – January 1, 2011

After the disastrous "ULTIMATUM" I stopped reading the ULTIMATE UNIVERSE comics. This book brought me back to the world of the ULTIMATES, bringing again exciting adventures and a pleasurable reading experience. I hadn't enjoyed the Ultimates and the Ultimate Fantastic Four in a long time. It was fantastic and with some totally unexpected twists and turns.This was the first Comic I bought using the iPad Kindle App and it was a great experience. The app allows us to zoom to dialogs when we find small blocks of text (horizontal pages, for example). Great comic. Interesting format. Highly recommended!

The old Ultimate Universe was one of my earliest gateways into comics when I first started reading them a little over a decade ago. For those that don't know, the Ultimate Universe was a line of comics set in an alternate reality where the established characters of the mainline Earth-616 Marvel Universe were reinvented with a slightly more modern (at the time anyway) perspective, starting in 2000 with the launch of Brian Michael Bendis' first Ultimate Spider-Man series. I really loved that series, and the others set in this universe, but as time has passed and I've found myself more rooted in the main Marvel Universe I've wondered if any of it still holds up. That's why I decided to purchase this volume, and I can say that it reminded me of why I loved, and can say I still love, this different and edgy experiment.There are three separate but connected miniseries collected in this book that together tell one story which is set in the wake of a few different other series. Primarily that of the Ultimatum (2009) event, which was supposed to be the final chapter of the line until popular demand kept things going for a few more years, but also series like Ultimate Power (2006) and the endings of both Ultimate Fantastic Four (2004) and Ultimate Spider-Man prior to the next series relaunch. It starts with a wave of mysterious biological matter attacks simultaneously carried out on a number of high profile targets including the Baxter Building, once home to the Fantastic Four, and the shady Roxxon Corporation HQ. Who is behind these attacks becomes the central mystery that drives the plot as what's left of the hero community after Ultimatum comes together to solve it and when the culprit is at last revealed it is a shocking fall from grace for one of them.This book is essential reading for the excellent Jonathan Hickman run on the Ultimates which came out shortly after it, a run which recently received the Omnibus treatment. Now if you know anything about that future series then you already know how this book ends, but the journey of getting to that point is still relevant.It's all written by Brian Michael Bendis, who can be hit or miss with a lot of people, myself included. His Ultimate Spider-Man was a lot of fun as was his New Avengers (2005) set in the main Marvel Universe but sometimes his approach doesn't quite work like on recent work at DC Comics with the Justice League. In the case of this book it is Bendis on his A game. His signature rapid fire back and forth dialogue fires on all cylinders. Sometimes this style renders his characters indistinguishable from each other but not here. Instead each is given just enough variation in the way they talk to keep their voice unique from the others. This is an event that operates on a massive scale but it actually ends up coalescing around a select, core cast of characters. This smaller cast does help focus the narrative but it also undercuts the higher stakes of what Bendis is trying to do.Along with Bendis is artist Rafa Sandoval, who drew all three miniseries collected. I like his art. It's very full of energy and he really has a talent for presenting the big shock moments in full detail at the perfect angle for maximum effect. I do however find his designs to be lacking. When the actual enemy in the story do present themselves, they're supposed to be super tough and menacing, practically unbeatable. Unfortunately that description doesn't match as the actual designs are a little uninspired and bland. This would not be his only work for the Ultimate Universe either, as he also provides the art on the Ultimate Hawkeye (2011) miniseries that runs parallel to Hickman's Ultimates, and it is also by Hickman. This was more than nostalgic to read again after many years, it restored my love and appreciation for a Universe that was slowly slipping away, and as far as this book, it marks a pivotal shift in this universe going forward and is not to be missed.4/5

This book answers so many questions and really builds up the post-Ultimatum Ultimate Marvel landscape. It's a brilliantly written and drawn series that sets up key aspects for Ultimate Comics: the Ultimates by Jonathan Hickman, a super series. In short, it's a title that I highly recommend for fans of Ultimate Marvel, especially those who didn't quite like Ultimatum very much. A serious breath of fresh air after the disasters of that event. Happy reading!

After several recent mediocre Ultimate stories, Ultimate Doomsday puts this universe back on top where it belongs! Brian Michael Bendis is at the top of his game and Rafa Sandoval's art is off-the-charts good. This type of story is the reason I fell in love with the Ultimate Universe to begin with.BUY THIS NOW. You won't be disappointed.

Lackluster story. Without reading prior ultimates you might be confused.

Awesome storyline and character depth. Reminds me of the first time I picked up Ultimate Spiderman: gripping, original, and unpredictable situations with familiar but distinctly different characters.

Although the reviews are at both ends of the spectrum, I thought this TRUMPS every comic I have thought was TRUMPED up lately on my list.Now , if I TRUMP up a comic, I’m usually quite proud of it, and I have TRUMPED up many lately.I usually TRUMP high action, I TRUMP great mysteries, I have also been known to TRUMP a great comic just for the art alone, and not TRUMP up the writing.Sad to say, many lately have not received a good TRUMPING from me due to terrible plots and horrible , less than TRUMP quality dialogue.Nevertheless, as I continue my quest with TRUMPING this and that in comics , this one def gets TRUMP of the week !

Without doubt one of the best Ultimate stories in a long time. Lots of action, great art and writing. The twists are just amazing.