Ultimate Fantastic Four #58-60, "Ultimatum"

DIrishB

DIrishB

The Timeline Guy
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Just read UFF #58...surprisingly, its easily the best UFF issue since Millar's run (#21-32). I really liked how it featured flashbacks which explained Ben and Reed's friendship, and while the reasoning is a bit simplistic and contrived (Ben has daddy issues, Reed is nice to him), it was otherwise handled well. The rest of the issue was great! Perfect FF adventure: Ben, on his own, begins searching for Mole Man (Molekevic), as he's the only one who might be able to help Sue out of her coma (initiated by the events in Ultimatum #1). He recruits the Nursery Two kids to help locate Molekevic, and then rescues Moley from some fire ghouls or something. They return to the Baxter Building and begin plans to help Sue. Also loved the reference at the end about the Pym Particles and Ben just having gotten some "last week" (the events in UXM/UFF and UFF/UXM Annuals). It was definitely the best UFF issue in awhile. I could be biased, as I always loved the Ben characterization issues. But seriously, I was very pleasantly surprised.

3/5
 
I have to agree. I tried to get into UFF but only a few arcs were good. This issue was pretty decent. The only thing I was confused by was Dr. Storm showing up (wasn't she frozen in Latveria in Ultimatum #1?)

I did like that Moleman will probably be the final villain in the series. He was the first villan and now the last even if he really isn't a villain this time.
 
Drunken Pickle said:
I have to agree. I tried to get into UFF but only a few arcs were good. This issue was pretty decent. The only thing I was confused by was Dr. Storm showing up (wasn't she frozen in Latveria in Ultimatum #1?)
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It wasn't expressly stated she was frozen. Doom just calls her name, and the scene pretty much ends after he walks outside to see everthing is frozen. Its very possible she escaped being frozen.

I did like that Moleman will probably be the final villain in the series. He was the first villan and now the last even if he really isn't a villain this time.
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Good point. Though honestly, if I had my way, it'd be Doom. But I guess we'll get plenty of that in Ultimatum.
 
silver age called. It wants their comic back.

I didnt like it. Unexplained fireghoul likes standing in front of waterfalls? (hur dur! fire beats water!!). If its smart enough to chackle a man, then its smart enough not to stand in front of the one thing that can easily kill it.

Once again sue has turned into the damsel that needs to be rescued. How original! We havent seen that before! maybe she should just change her name to princess peach.

And, seriously? We are gonna see an arc where they shrink themself down and enter a human body? Wow! it like im watching saturdaymorning cartoons 15 freaking years ago! This must be the most overused plot gimmick in the history of plot gimmicks!

The art was as bad as the story. Only buy this if you are planning to place it on the bottom of your cats litterbox.
 
robje said:
silver age called. It wants their comic back.

I didnt like it. Unexplained fireghoul likes standing in front of waterfalls? (hur dur! fire beats water!!). If its smart enough to chackle a man, then its smart enough not to stand in front of the one thing that can easily kill it.

Once again sue has turned into the damsel that needs to be rescued. How original! We havent seen that before! maybe she should just change her name to princess peach.

And, seriously? We are gonna see an arc where they shrink themself down and enter a human body? Wow! it like im watching saturdaymorning cartoons 15 freaking years ago! This must be the most overused plot gimmick in the history of plot gimmicks!

The art was as bad as the story. Only buy this if you are planning to place it on the bottom of your cats litterbox.
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Oh please. It wasn't great, but it wasn't that bad either.
 
robje said:
Once again sue has turned into the damsel that needs to be rescued. How original! We havent seen that before! maybe she should just change her name to princess peach.
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:lol: Post of the Day.

mike3717 said:
I thought "Pym Particles" were 616 Pym, not Ultimate Pym.
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Yeah, I don't recall Pym particles having been mentioned a single time in any Ultimate book.
 
mike3717 said:
I thought "Pym Particles" were 616 Pym, not Ultimate Pym.
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E said:
Yeah, I don't recall Pym particles having been mentioned a single time in any Ultimate book.
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Did you guys not read my post?

Me said:
Also loved the reference at the end about the Pym Particles and Ben just having gotten some "last week" (the events in UXM/UFF and UFF/UXM Annuals).
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mike3717 even quoted me!

At the very beginning (first 3-4 pages) of the UFF/UXM Annual (the second part of the two part story which began in UXM/UFF Annual--yeah, its confusing), Ben and some others (I can't be bother to remember) break into a SHIELD Helicarrier to steal Pym Particles. So, yes, they're just strip-mining everything 616 lately.

I did like the continuity reference. ;)

And again, I enjoyed the story. It was nothing new or thought-provoking, but it was fun and zany in its own way. And despite its short-comings, I whole-heartedly stand by my claim its still the best single issue since Millar's last run on the title. The characterization was there, it just wasn't executed correctly. I do get the sense the author has a good understanding of at least Ben, and Reed was portrayed believably (in the flashbacks). I just don't think he really knows how to portray those details as effectively as he could have. But, contrived though Ben's daddy issues might be, its something Reed and he shared in common, and their portrayal in their flashback scenes was the first time I've given a crap about any individual character in this title for almost 30 issues.

I liked it.
 
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robje said:
silver age called. It wants their comic back.

I didnt like it. Unexplained fireghoul likes standing in front of waterfalls? (hur dur! fire beats water!!). If its smart enough to chackle a man, then its smart enough not to stand in front of the one thing that can easily kill it.

Once again sue has turned into the damsel that needs to be rescued. How original! We havent seen that before! maybe she should just change her name to princess peach.

And, seriously? We are gonna see an arc where they shrink themself down and enter a human body? Wow! it like im watching saturdaymorning cartoons 15 freaking years ago! This must be the most overused plot gimmick in the history of plot gimmicks!

The art was as bad as the story. Only buy this if you are planning to place it on the bottom of your cats litterbox.
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The FF is completely Silver age, take the Silver Age out of it and its not the FF anymore. The FF are supposed to do the impossible, they are supposed to go to alien worlds and other dimensions, taking out to make it more "realistic" then you ruin the core of what the FF is.
 
The Overlord said:
The FF is completely Silver age, take the Silver Age out of it and its not the FF anymore. The FF are supposed to do the impossible, they are supposed to go to alien worlds and other dimensions, taking out to make it more "realistic" then you ruin the core of what the FF is.
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I dont dissagree with you on that. My point was that we've seen this story a million times already. Every damn super hero has been shrunk down and entered a human body at some point in the silver age. Next issue is going to be "We shrink the fantastisubmarine down and enter susans body!" and "Oh no, Susans immune system is attacking us! We cant fight back! we might do more damage to her!". And will the writers acknowledge the sexual innuendo of penetrating the hot chick's unconcious body? Im thinking no. Best to let that information sink in subconciously.

I swear to god, if there is some kind of small Susan (manifestation of her mental block, white bloodcell, whatever) in there that helps/attacks them, i'm going to print this **** myself and hand them out for free in my LCS, to make sure nobody buys this.

Next story arc is going to be either susan suffers from amnesia and thinks Doom is the good guy (how will the gang save her if she doesnt want to be saved?) or Johnny and Ben get stuck somewhere, will they be able to overcome their differences and work together? (they'll learn a valuable lesson about teamwork!)
 
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Joe Kalicki said:
Carey's Silver Searcher arc was better.
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I disagree. So far, anyway.

robje said:
I dont dissagree with you on that. My point was that we've seen this story a million times already. Every damn super hero has been shrunk down and entered a human body at some point in the silver age. Next issue is going to be "We shrink the fantastisubmarine down and enter susans body!" and "Oh no, Susans immune system is attacking us! We cant fight back! we might do more damage to her!". And will the writers acknowledge the sexual innuendo of penetrating the hot chick's unconcious body? Im thinking no. Best to let that information sink in subconciously.

I swear to god, if there is some kind of small Susan (manifestation of her mental block, white bloodcell, whatever) in there that helps/attacks them, i'm going to print this **** myself and hand them out for free in my LCS, to make sure nobody buys this.

Next story arc is going to be either susan suffers from amnesia and thinks Doom is the good guy (how will the gang save her if she doesnt want to be saved?) or Johnny and Ben get stuck somewhere, will they be able to overcome their differences and work together? (they'll learn a valuable lesson about teamwork!)
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Because USM, UXM, and Ultimates were COMPLETELY revolutionary and original. Come on, you're being WAY overly critical. It certainly wasn't Watchmen, but it wasn't Ultimates 3 either.

E said:
Well I didn't say I don't recall Pym particles having been mentioned a DIB post.
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What?

:?
 
I am pretty sure they talk about Pym Particles in Ultimates 1, during the first arc. Then we find out he made the particles from Jan's mutant blood.
 
mike3717 said:
Hmmm...I guess I did didn't I?

Well, ok, I guess that reference to Pym Particles went unnoticed. That, or I just purged it from memory, which is what happens to bad comics.
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Fair enough.

AnTwan said:
I am pretty sure they talk about Pym Particles in Ultimates 1, during the first arc. Then we find out he made the particles from Jan's mutant blood.
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There was that too.
 
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