REVIEW: ULTIMATE INVASION #1 (OF 4)

Marvel kicks off a new major event with Ultimate Invasion #1. And this time Marvel’s greatest heroes are facing off with perhaps their most formidable foe, Reed Richards. Evil Reed from another dimension, aka The Maker, has freed himself and is up to something, it’s not clear what, but it ain’t hard to tell, it’s not anything good.

To stop The Maker, The Illuminati have come together. The whole band is here; Mr. Fantastic, Black Panther, Iron Man, Professor Xavier, Namor, and Black Bolt. It’s always cool to see Marvel’s best and brightest interacting and teaming up. But writer Jonathan Hickman is clearly having the most fun writing The Maker. His dialogue is dripping arrogance, intelligence, and sarcasm. From his unsolicited visit to Miles Morales’ home to his mid-fight taunting of our universe’s Reed Richards, The Maker is definitely in his supervillain bag.

When the Illuminati is shook, you know there’s a problem, and an evil version of the smartest man in the universe is a legitimately terrifying proposition. Brains, brawn, and reinforcements will all be needed. Speculating and anticipating is perhaps the most fun part of major comic book events like this. And it will be interesting to see who eventually works with the Illuminati and who, if anyone, The Maker teams up with (there were already a couple of very interesting teases in this first issue).

The art kicks the storyline off with a bang. While not many chances are taken with the character designs, the color blocking for different scenes and all the interesting things happening on each page more than keep up with the intrigue the story/writing is providing. From bombastic action to a couple of downright macabre panels, if the set pieces in the debut issue created by Bryan Hitch and Alex Sinclair are any indication, readers are in for a wild visual ride.

Major events need a lot of things, but most importantly, they need a great set-up. A seemingly unbeatable foe with a potentially multiverse-shattering plan? Check? A team starring some of the biggest names in comics with hints of more to come? Check. Cliffhanger ending that immediately makes you want to read issue #2? Check. Ultimate Invasion #1 is an exciting and intriguing kickoff to a storyline that looks to shake up the entire Marvel universe.

Writing – 5 Stars
Art – 4 Stars
Coloring – 4.5 Stars

Overall – 4.5 Stars

Written by; Jonathan Hickman
Art by; Bryan Hitch
Colors by; Alex Sinclair
Letters by; Joe Caramagna
Published by; Marvel Comics

Author Profile

Christopher R. Ford

Writer, author, and blogger. Published author of three children's books and also writes for the boy Creators For The Culture. Part-time sneaker head, full time nerd.