Ultimate Power #9 of 9 - Mobile Edition

Marvel Comics
Ultimate Power #9 of 9
By Hervé St-Louis
January 16, 2008 - 21:38

Marvel Comics
Writer(s): Jeph Loeb
Penciller(s): Greg Land
Inker(s): Jay Leisten

Thanks to the Scarlet Witch’s spell, there are two versions of the Squadron Supreme fighting against the Ultimates and the X-Men over the latter’s breach into the former’s universe. To unite all the troops, Nick Fury unleashes the Hulk upon the heroes, hoping a common goal will unite them. But times are changing and all those responsible for the destruction and the 10 million deaths will have to answer to someone, once and for all.

At the pace that this story was going, I never expected a complete ending in this issue. Loeb proves that he is capable of finishing the outlandish and padded stories begun by Brian Michael Bendis who started this series. Here there is more than a resolution to the story. There are permanent changes to both the Ultimates’ and the Squadrom Supreme’s universe and rosters. This is good news for a story I expected would end in having both team just shake hands, kiss and make up, before returning home. The motivation, however of some of the catalysts for changes were not all well explained. The fact that Loeb could have replaced Bendis so easily means that this was a story that was “dictated” from above and that all it was intended to do was to follow some greater plan Marvel Comics editorial has for their universe, rather than entertain readers.

Lang is a good artist. He excels at women. All of his characters have a soft look. Even the Hulk and the Thing look cuter when drawn by him. Unlike Adam Hughes, whose style is quite similar, Land’s characters are less cartoony and more realistic. He also lacks Hughes’ gift for facial expression. Land seems to need more space and cinematic layouts to explode, whereas Hughes could fit anything in a nine panel grid. It’s interesting to see how similar artists evolve over time in different aesthetic times.