The Ultimate Endgame is here. The Ultimate Incursion has happened. Ultimate Impact is here. Miles Morales has returned to the 616 Universe, and with him, a dangerous secret. Miles is the keeper of several Origin Boxes. Engineered by The Maker to alter timelines and strip people of their future as heroes, the boxes, if opened, instantly grant specific and high-level superpowers to whoever opens them. Miles plan is simple. Protect the boxes. What happens when a new player on the scene wants what Miles has?
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Creative Team
Writer: Chris Condon
Artist: Stefano Caselli
Color Artists: Marte Gracia and David Curiel
Letterer: Joe Sabino
Cover Artist: Ben Harvey
Writing
Chris Condon came out firing with this one. I genuinely can’t believe this is a first issue because there is so much packed into this first issue. It’s really great to see Miles Morales with such a pivotal role in the connection between the Ultimate universe and the upcoming Armageddon event. Condon does a really good job writing Miles in this issue.
Perhaps the best thing Condon does is make you feel the weight that Miles carries by being the keeper of the Origin Boxes. You truly feel like Miles understands the pressure and the importance of the powerful relics that he is charged with protecting. Not only does Condon write Miles well, but he does a really amazing job of giving us some background on the characters that will inevitably become important over the next issues of this series. Each new character feels unique with distinct personalities, problems, and hopes. This is an amazing way to start a key series, and I can’t wait to see what great writing Condon puts out after this.
Art
Stefano Caselli, Marte Gracia, and David Curiel really had a challenge ahead of them with this issue, and I think they nailed it. This issue functions as an almost anthology from a single writer. Caselli, Gracia, and Curiel were given a collection of characters and their stories to tell through art that are all unique and distinct in their setting, tone, and mood.
Caselli gets the story going by crafting unique designs and brands for each of these new characters. They are obviously connected by a common theme, but Caselli reinforces Condon’s writing by making sure each character has a distinct style. Gracia and Curiel follow up by ensuring that while there are some overlapping colors, the palette for each character is different from the others and unique to just their character. This helps you separate out the story and move along in the narrative. Joe Sabino helps bring it all together by making the tone and cadence of each character unique through word bubbles that help keep the narrative on track despite all the different characters’ stories we are following.
Final Thoughts
Marvel couldn’t ask for a better opening salvo in this series. Call me a fish because we are one issue in, and I am hooked. I love what this creative team is crafting. It feels like we finally may be getting some new characters that actually impact the Marvel Universe as we know it, and that is exhilarating.
Overall Grade: 10/10
Did you enjoy Ultimate Impact: Reborn? Let me know in the comments
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