We are into the fourth issue of Age of Ultron and I’m beginning to wonder if we’re actually four milliseconds into the story. We’ve gotten three full issues but judging by how much has happened and the lack of any mood or atmosphere you’d think we’ve only been given one issue. At this point I can’t imagine how anyone would say yes to the following question, but we’ll ask it anyway: is it good?
Age of Ultron #4 (of 10) (Marvel Comics)
There are 21 pages of comic to read in this issue. Only three panels are spent on rubble, which is an improvement, but there are so many nonsensical things that occur you’ll want to bang your head against a wall. Characters do things that are either irrational or just plain unexplainable to the point where it serves as plot advancement and nothing more. Simply put, this is a terrible comic.
I can’t hear you!
Artist Bryan Hitch does a good job, but once again it’s slightly sloppy. If he hadn’t drawn the amazing Ultimates series I’d say it’s a great job and incredible, but it pales in comparison to that series. Composition is good and once again his rubble shots are nice too, but the human form goes up and down in consistency throughout. Faces also look odd here and there. I don’t know if it’s rushed or what, but it’s unnerving.
Punching them won’t bring back your honey!
One of three pointless rubble shots!
There are four irrational/inexplicable events in this 21 page issue, the first being She-Hulks death by suicide. She decides to start punching Ultron bots within their stronghold for no apparent reason. There was a plan she had concocted last issue with all the heroes, but I guess she got bored and wanted to die? It’s incredibly stupid and serves as only a way to crank up the deaths and shock-value for the reader.
It’s cute how Fury files everything by paper.
The second stupid thing in this comic occurs when the heroes decide to flee New York. They know Luke Cage and She-Hulk are currently facing Ultron and are basically leaving them to die. So heroic of you! What if they succeed? What if they need backup? You’re just going to leave them? Ugh.
Peter Pan much?
The third stupid thing in this comic is Red Hulk punching a hole through Taskmaster. Why? Just because I guess, but you know, it’s not like you’re short on teammates, Red Hulk. Oh wait…everyone is dead…whoops. Maybe he could have helped. Ugh.
When you punch a hole into someone it makes a sound that literally sounds like “smash”?
The final stupid thing is how this book ends. Even though Red Hulk was in Chicago with no knowledge he should go to the Savage Land…he just goes there. No explanation, nothing and it all reads like writer Brian Bendis just needed all the heroes in one place for issue #5. Who cares about explanation or story or plot?! Just get all the chess pieces in one place so he can make the boom-boom!
Note how Cage is flying in midair yet somehow turns his body completely around. He can’t fly so…how does he do that?
2.0
- Stuff actually happens
- Suicidal reading
I’m starting to realize this event was delayed from last summer not because AvX was needed, but because there’s no way this crappy series could be considered a good summer event. Instead Marvel Comics shoved it into the spring where nobody has any expectations for blockbuster-worthy comic books. There’s really nothing driving this story besides cliché and its overdone premise. There’s no reason to care about any of the characters and, especially in this issue, deaths are throwaway at best. It’s really a shame Hitch is leaving Marvel with this as his final story.
Is It Good?
No. Stay away. Do not pass go. Do not collect this issue.
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