Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Ultimate Human #3
Marvel Comics
Ellis, Nord & Stewart
Leader, Leader and more Leader. This issue gives you all the information leading up to the Leader becoming the giant headed villain. This issue barely contains Stark or Banner and doesn’t see one frame of Iron Man or the Hulk, yet the cover has both. We do get all the background on the Leader’s plot, which isn’t a bad thing. However, this issue seems lost in the details. It didn’t feel like it had the same pulse as the previous two. I felt like I was reading a different series.
The issue begins some time in the past. What I like about this issue is that not only does it give you a recap of where we are, but it gives you an org chart for the British Secret Intelligence Service, which is actually very important and much appreciated.
Peter Wisdom, the Director of Operations, is involved in a battle of corporate positioning with his equal, the Director of Intelligence. They both want the Deputy Chief’s job and Wisdom got nosed out in the maneuvering. The current Deputy Chief is finding a spot on the European initiative, vacating his spot. Wisdom is upset at the defection and not pleased he isn’t filling the hole. I am only 90% sure I have this part correct here. It’s complicated and the chatter is back and forth.
Wisdom then attempts to get the backing of the head of Special Section. Wisdom wants to off the Deputy Chief and he is looking for backers. Wisdom wants to create an army of the super soldiers. Sounds like he needs Banner and Stark, no? Wisdom fails in trying to gain support. Does it strike anyone else as odd that conversations about killing bosses would take place in an office environment so freely and without shock from either party?
Wisdom meets with the head cheese (the guy above the Deputy Chief) and it doesn’t go well. This Wisdom guy is a loose cannon and no one seems to like him, want to listen to him or is shocked that he is trying to kill his boss. At any rate, Wisdom takes matters into his own hands and submits himself as the subject of the tests. Take a wild guess as to what happens.
Wisdom returns to the big cheese’s office with a giant head, an inflated ego and a new name, The Leader. Cheese isn’t impressed and fires him. Leader doesn’t get mad. No, instead he kidnaps Stark and Banner. And that is the whole issue.
It’s a good plot and it gives great information, but does this level of detail belong in a four issue mini series? Basically a whole issue gives you the origin of the Leader. Not exactly the most compelling villain in the Marvel Universe. Perhaps it’s just in the presentation. Maybe if this origin was spread over two or three issues in strategic parts it would have been more interesting. For me, when told all at once, it gets repetitive. I got it after four pages that Wisdom is a weasel and cant be trusted. But three separate meetings with the same tone and basic idea got tiresome. Not to mention the scenery doesn’t change.
The artwork wasn’t put to the test. For the most part, the issue is of two men, sitting down in an office. There wasn’t much done with the facial expressions. In fact, it almost didn’t capture what the actual dialogue was about. Murder was being discussed and these guys appeared bored.
I liked the concepts and the story ideas in this issue. I just didn’t like the organization and the placement of the story elements. The complicated dialogue, in all three issues, has been a plus, but in this issue it comes across as overkill, as if it were filler. I hate filler. If you love the Leader then this is the issue for you. If you are buying this because you love the Hulk or Iron Man then be prepared not to see them on any pages. I’m hoping for a strong finish next issue.
2 out of 5 geek goggles.
 Ultimate Human #3 |
