Ult Fantastic Four

[Elliot Kane]

I've gotta admit, I'm really liking this. Mark Millar is doing a great job on the writing, and Greg Land's art is suitably gorgeous. I expected a quality plummet when Warren Ellis left, but it just hasn't happened. This is great stuff from Millar, and I'm really liking it

[Elliot Kane]

...And it's still good, even into the second arc. I like this Millar a lot more than when he's being gimmicky and playing for shock value. UFF is showing that he can also write good stories without the use of his usual trademarks. Very good stuff

[Gray Lensman]

I am FAR from Mark Millar's greatest fan, as a lot of folks probably know. Great action writer, good at writing irredeemable scumbags. The problems with Millar is that he normally can't write heroes to save his life and tends to overload on shock value and "cool" catchphrases.

That said, I think UFF is an excellent book so far. Millar is playing to his strengths, and his weaknesses aren't really evident up to this point. He's showing he has more range to his writing. If he does more work like this, I could turn around on him.

[Max]

I haven't been reading Ult. FF or Ult. X-Men reguarly recently, only been reading old Ult. X-Men in UK reprints.
But since they stopped I'm starting to get the whole Ultimate line in US comics. I'll see what Ultimate FF is like then. Anyone looking forward to the prolouge to The Vision by Millar and Romita Jr.?

[Elliot Kane]

Not really Max, if I'm honest.

I first started reading the Ult U with Ult Spidey, and because I loved that, I tried Ult FF. I read the first issue of Ult X-Men, but it was rubbish, IMO, so I didn't bother with the rest. Ultimates has never interested me.

Ult Spidey lost the plot a while back, leaving my only interest in the Ult U as UFF - and no real likelihood of that changing any time soon.

[Gray Lensman]

Ultimate Vision, I'm not touching. I strongly dislike the Ultimates in general, I must admit. I tried the first series and ended up hating the whole cast inside of a few issues. That book is crammed with all the things I dislike about Millar's work. Just not to my tastes.

Ultimate X-Men, I tried in webcomic form ages ago and didn't like it. I just have no interest or fondness for those characters to speak of. Again, Millar's flaws as a writer showing. I recognize other writers have handled them since, but these aren't the X-Men I care about.

Like Elliot, I dropped USM some time back as well. Bendis jumped the shark some time ago. My final straw was when he killed off Gwen, who was easily the best character in the entire book by a long way.

UFF right now is my only Ultimate reading, and that because the writers actually respect what the FF is about while reimagining what didn't work about the originals. It doesn't hurt that the art has been consistently good.

I'll stick with UFF for now, thanks.

[Gay Titan]

I have wained off the Ultimate titles lately (heavy into DC's Infinite Crisis), but the coming of Ultimate Galactus and Ultimate Vision (see below) has me very interested.

[Dr. Doom]

I love Millar's writing on just about everything, which prompted me to pick up UFF for the first time when he took over. Though I don't really like the characters as much as the regular FF, I am enjoying the series so far. Millar is doing an excellent job, as usual.

And for anyone who likes the series but didn't get the annual, I would highly recommend that. I thought it was pretty entertaining.

[Sir Ped of Ro]

i bought/read up to the leave of Ellis/Kubert team up...i really enjoied a lot.
Jae lee (who draw the following issues) is one of my fav. modern artists, but franquely i don't see his style feating on this title/storys/characterization...

i'm glad people are reading/liking...

regards

[Gray Lensman]

Yeah, I agree there. Jae Lee did a two-issue filler arc, and that's as it should stay. For the best that he's moved on to Dark Tower. I don't think Lee's style works with this title at all. Lee's art is too dark and moody in tone to really suit a lighter series like the FF.

Greg Land, however, has done really well with this since taking over with Millar. I've always liked his work, but he brings a lot of visual depth to this series.

UFF is currently on a roll. The sad thing for me? I honestly wish the regular FF series was even half as good right now...

[Dr. Doom]

So I'm not the only one who thinks it's sucking at the moment. I've been considering dropping it since reading 531.

[Gray Lensman]

Yeah, the regular FF book has gone downhill since JMS took over, sadly. It's an even greater tragedy, considering that Waid and Wieringo's run was the best since Walt Simonson's, easily. Of course, even the Kesel and Grummett filler arc with Diablo was vastly better than JMS.

The most aggravating thing to me about JMS' FF is the stupid and utterly needless retcon of the FF's origin. That alone was enough for me to drop. But even if I leave that out, there's been weak characterization, terribly slow pacing, poor team balancing (the emphasis is on Reed and Ben at the expense of Sue and Johnny), and boring subplots. The best thing about the book is the art, and as much as I like Mike McKone, he's done much better previously.

So, yeah, Ultimate FF is utterly destroying the main book right now. And I won't even go into MK4, which I still don't understand why it hasn't been cancelled yet...

[Sir Ped of Ro]

i've loved the regular FF title before the new team up...i've stoped buying/collecting after the leave of wieringo and waid. overral it was a very good run!

the meeting "creator kirby" story made me smile for hours!!!

about greg land...it really isn't my cup of tea...i'm not much of a photoshop lover!

regards

[Dr. Doom]

I agree that there are many better choices than Land, but I think he's doing a great job anyway.

I wouldn't mind seeing Kubert back, or Immonen. Both were excellent.

[Elliot Kane]

I'm not sure it's fair to say there are many better choices than Land. He's not exactly untalented, you know

[Duncan]

It depends what you want.

I'm not big on photo-real, glossy & ever-so-slightly-vapid; he did an okay job on the first issue, but this has all felt pretty insubstantial to me so far. I do seem to have a hard time enjoying FF, in any form, though. Even though I love the idea.

[Elliot Kane]

True, Duncan. Whatever his talents, I would never want Land to do Lucifer, or most of the vertigo style stuff that should NEVER look like a group of top models. All art needs to be suitable to the story, first and foremost.

On straightforward superhero stuff though, he's pretty good

[Elliot Kane]

Ult Namor is what?!? Well, I gotta say I love the way this is shaping up. Millar has definitely put a new twist on an old theme here, and played on all our expectations to provide the twist. Great stuff

[Elliot Kane]

And the bad guy is 'vanquished' with a kiss! Heh. Interesting way of finishing, but then Millar is really enjoying himself by defying all conventions with this series so far. His best work ever? I think so...

I doubt this is the last we have seen of Ult Namor, though...

[Gray Lensman]

Ultimate Namor is pretty cool so far. The twist is interesting, but he still has all the power and regal arrogance that Namor should have. He's the kind of character that works well for Millar.

This arc had the potential to be yet another "Reed and Namor fight over Sue" story. Which it kind of was, but the execution is different than I've seen before. If Namor comes back, as I expect he will, my hope is that the next story will break the pattern. But as it is, considering it's an introductory arc, it worked pretty well.

UFF is probably the only good FF comic out right now. I'm digging it.