Marvel have announced the New Ultimate Universe’s “Ultimates” series will begin on June 5. Written by Deniz Camp (“Children of the Vault,” “20th Century Men”) with art by Juan Frigeri (“Invincible Iron Man”), the series will continue the story of the Ultimates established in Jonathan Hickman and Bryan Hitch’s “Ultimate Invasion,” who were brought about when Tony Stark (Iron Lad) discovered the Maker had interfered with history, preventing the team from coming into existence the way they should have.
“The new Ultimates line is the most exciting super hero comics event in years, and it’s humbling to be a part of it!” says Camp. “We are reinventing these classic characters and archetypes to be as surprising and vital as when they were first introduced. Our Ultimates is an evolution not just of the Avengers, but of the whole superhero team concept; from the grand and operatic to the small and personal, ‘The Ultimates’ will feel like no Avengers or Ultimates comic ever before! That’s our ambition, anyway; tune in to find out if we succeed.”
So far, Tony’s team consists of Captain America, Doom (this universe’s Reed Richards), Thor, and Sif, with Dike Ruan’s cover indicating Ant-Man and Wasp will join the team in the first issue. The series marks 22 years since the original “Ultimates” series by Hitch and Mark Millar. Camp comments, “On a personal note, my first big break in comics was winning the Millarworld talent competition, so there is a strange, sweet symmetry to taking on the title Mark and Bryan pioneered 20+ years ago. We’re doing everything we can to live up to the Ultimates name, and the high bar set by Jonathan, Marco [Checchetto], and all the Ultimate creative teams so far.”
Thus far, the new Ultimate Universe consists of Hickman & Checchetto’s “Ultimate Spider-Man,” and Bryan Edward Hill & Stefano Caselli’s “Ultimate Black Panther,” with Peach Momoko’s “Ultimate X-Men” series set to launch on March 6. In the meantime, you can also check out Marvel’s full May 2024 solicitations, featuring ‘Blood Hunt,’ the season finale of Hickman and Valerio Schiti’s “G.O.D.S.,” a “Phantom Menace” 25th anniversary special, and more. (Stay tuned for our Soliciting Multiversity column, where we’ll be sharing our thoughts on these and more, very soon.)
