Surprisingly spectacular

books:


	• Ultimate Hulk Vs Iron Man: Ultimate Human Premiere HC (Ultimate) Warren Ellis, Cary Nord Marvel Comics, 2008 - 104 pages average customer review:based on 5 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Surprisingly spectacular

The last time that the Ultimate Hulk got his own mini-series, well, it never finished (still waiting for Ultimate Hulk VS Wolverine to wrap up thank you), which is why it's funny seeing the Hulk starring in another Ultimate mini-series. Ultimate Hulk VS Iron Man: Ultimate Human is a surprisingly spectacular Ultimate universe tale brought to us by none other than the great Warren Ellis. The storyline is simple enough: Bruce Banner seeks help from none other than Tony "Iron Man" Stark to help him with his problem of "Hulk-ing" out, and before you know it, trouble is a brewin' for everyone involved. Ellis introduces the Ultimate version of his mutant creation Pete Wisdom, who soon becomes a thorn in the sides of both Banner and Stark. Ellis' scriptwork is nearly flawless, with clever dialogue and enough pseudo-scientific plot elements that he injects into the story that really make it something special. Cary Nord's artwork is an awesome sight to behold as well, all of which combine to make Ultimate Human the best title to come out of the Ultimate line since Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch's Ultimates. All in all, if you've been one of the many to give up on the Ultimate line over the past few years, Ultimate Hulk VS Iron Man: Ultimate Human just may draw you back. For fans of either character or for fans of Ellis, this is an essential pick up.

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awesome

This hardcover is definitely worth the money. The main story is about Bruce Banner and Tony Stark trying to find a way to cure Banner of the Hulk. The initial testing leads to an awesome Hulk-out and showdown between the Hulk and Iron Man. This collection also includes the Ultimate line's first appearance of the Leader, a classic Hulk villain. The story does slow down a bit when a flashback tells the lengthy story of the Leader's origin, but when the villain tries to take on both Tony Stark and Bruce Banner in a plot to create the most powerful super-being ever, the **** really hits the fan. For anyone wanting an intricate story of political intrigue, this book has it. But it's also got some awesome action with Hulk smashing stuff and Iron Man using his cool armor, and a showdown with a cool new villain.

Throw in the low price tag and the spiffy hardcover format, and you really can't go wrong.

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Not much happens

I picked this crossover book up in hopes that it would feature an exciting sequence in which Ultimate Hulk would peel Ultimate Iron Man's armor off him like an eggshell and give Ultimate Tony Stark a good thumping (I.M. has been getting a little bit big for his britches lately...) However, despite the action-packed battle depicted on the cover, Hulk and Tony get along quite well in this brief storyline, with the Hulk basically tamed by a few hasty sweet-talking words from Tony Stark. There is one battle between them, but it's settled quickly by a laser-beam zap into the jolly grey giant's cerebral cortex and that, basically, is that. From then on, the two are pals, and they fend off the clunky connivings of the Ultimate version of Hulk's great nemesis, The Leader. An entire issue is devoted to this version of the Leader's backstory, and this is pretty much the best thing about this story arc. In this version, The Leader is a British intelligence agent gone wrong, who subjects himself to a super-soldier experiment gone wrong. There's some tart dialog, but like the entire "Ultimate Human" book in general, not a lot that really sticks to your ribs once all is said and done.

This book was okay, but really it was a little boring. Warren Ellis has certainly done much, much better work before -- it just felt like his heart wasn't really in it on this one. (Joe Sixpack)

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Perfect timing!

As a major fan of Iron Man, Warren Ellis, and Marvel's Ultimate line, there was never any doubt I would enjoy the Ultimate Human limited series. I'm sure it was no coincidence that Marvel scheduled this series just as the main characters - Iron Man and the Hulk - are riding a major wave of box office driven popularity. This 4-issue series focuses on Tony Stark's efforts to cure Bruce Banner of his Hulk "problem" and also introduces the Ultimate version of the old Hulk foe The Leader. Like nearly every Ultimate character, this version is far less ridiculous than his mainstream Marvel counterpart.

Warren Ellis is a natural when it comes to writing the Tony Stark character, and his all too brief run on Iron Man Vol. 1: Extremis remains one of my all-time favorite Iron Man tales. He does a great job here as well, making Tony Stark the star of the series rather than his Iron Man persona, whose role is much more limited than Banner's alter-ego. Ellis's dialogue is, as always, priceless, and brings to mind both Robert Downey Jr.'s portrayal of Tony Stark as well as the Stark from Mark Millar's Ultimates series.

I've never paid much attention to Cary Nord's artwork in the past, but his work on this series is pretty impressive. Of course I'd rather have seen Bryan Hitch or Greg Land (or better yet, Ellis's Extremis partner Adi Granov) get this assignment, but Nord's artwork is definitely better than average. He and colorist Dave Stewart have done some truly remarkable things with the finished artwork.

My only real complaint about this series is that it felt like the story was deliberately extended to fill in all four issues. With some judicious editing, this might have been more effective as an Ultimates Annual issue. Still, it's an impressive series overall, and one that just about any Ultimate Universe fan will want to add to their bookshelf.

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It's the Ultimate war between the Hulk and Iron Man! Desperate for a cure to his dark disease, scientist Bruce Banner begs Tony Stark for a release from the curse of the Hulk! Stark agrees, but in the midst of the experimentation, something goes horribly wrong. And you know what happens next: man and monster collide! Be there as writer Warren Ellis (Ultimate Galactus) begins his next Ultimate epic - and is joined by amazing artist Cary Nord (Conan)! Collects Ultimate Human #1-4.

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