Age of Ultron #2

Bendis uses a lot of pages in this issue to show us Black Widow and Moon Knight trying to get by on the West Coast. It is a useful exercise, because it shows the reader that Ultron’s dominance is at least nationwide, if not bigger. I also like the odd pairing of the Widow and Moon Knight. I can’t think of a ton of interactions between the two of them, but they make sense together. I also like the use of an old SHIELD HQ in a barbershop. Why mess with the classics?

The rest of the book shows us the New York faction of heroes as they try to come up with a plan to take out Ultron. Quicksilver, Monica Rambea/Photon, and a few other heroes show up this month, so the ranks are growing. Plus Cap seems to be getting his head back in the game. This mix of X-Men and Avengers could make for a very fun team.

So things are moving, but not very fast. We don’t know a lot more after this issue than we did last month. Books like this show how easy it is to make a four or six part story last ten issues!

Bryan Hitch’s widescreen style is sure stunning and dramatic, but it doesn’t make for dense reads. I think this took me just a few minutes to get through. Hitch is a master artist, make no mistake, but I don’t find myself in awe over any of the characters except for Cap. Captain America looks fantastic when he finally gets his head straight. I know the heroes are supposed to be beaten down, but that defeated body language doesn’t’ exactly equate to excitement.

Bleeding Cool has leaked that a big “guest” will be appearing in the final issue of Age of Ultron. The obvious choice is that Marvel Man is finally making his debut in the official continuity. But to be honest, how many people even know the character? I certainly don’t. My other guesses are ROM (which would make me pretty happy) or Joe Quesada’s creation Ash (I don’t know that guy at all).

The only other option I can think of is that a Disney property could be crossing over. Can anyone think of a Disney character who would make a big impact in Marvel? Buzz Lightyear? John Carter? Boba Fett?

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