James Harren first came of prominence in comics working in the Mignolaverse, starting on an Abe Sapien title in 2011 but becoming an integral part of the second half of “B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth.” Since then, his stature has continued to grow, without sacrificing any of his signature style when working on ‘Big 2’ properties. And while he has done some creator owned work, specifically “Rumble” with John Arcudi, it seemed like only a matter of time before he took on a project like “Ultramega:” a title that was created simply for him to get to draw the coolest shit.
Keep reading for a spoiler-free review.
Written and illustrated by James HarrenCover by James Harren
Colored by Dave Stewart
Lettered by Rus WootonA cosmic plague has spread, transforming everyday people into violent, monstrous kaiju. Only the Ultramega—three individuals imbued with incredible powers—hold the line against this madness. Their battles level cities and leave untold horror in their wake. Now, the final reckoning approaches for the Ultramega…but is this a war they can even win?
Fight monsters and stand with humanity in this new Skybound original from the greatest artist of his generation, JAMES HARREN (RUMBLE, BPRD) and Eisner Award-winning colorist DAVE STEWART. Each issue is extra-sized, with a 60-page debut that can barely contain its giant heroes, creatures, and devastation!
Without disrespecting James Harren, the writer, the star of this comic is James Harren, the artist. While there is some touching stuff here, specifically the pieces that explore the father/some relationship(s) that feature our main protagonist, Jason, the issue is mostly an excuse to see Harren draw kaiju and Ultraman Ultramega battling it out in the streets. Like the best kaiju stories, “Ultramega” #1 features wanton destruction on a level that seems almost comical level. To say that the cities that host these battles get damaged is like saying that sandcastles take some damage from high tide.
This isn’t exactly breaking new ground – except the actual breaking of ground, which happens multiple times in this issue – but Harren is operating at a level that is almost unfathomable as both a draftsman and a storyteller. Harren has always been adept at drawing impossibly detailed scenes that ring out with emotion, and there are a number of passages here that are bombastic but tender. The issue features a lot of death – a lot – and yet each character to perish, from monster to innocent civilian, is felt and mourned, either by another character, or by the reader, who bears witness to the heartbreaking, and often disgusting, fall of these creatures.
There is also a lot of unexpected humor here, whether it is Jason’s head not quite deflating enough after his kaiju battle, or the fact that, unlike the Hulk, his pants don’t grow with him. Harren mixes in enough levity that the book isn’t a straight up slobberknocker for 60 pages, but manages to give those big set pieces a little time to breathe in between, whether through humor or through explorations into side characters that give this world a little more form and shape. While it would’ve been easy to set up the book as Ultramega vs these kaiju monsters that spread like a virus, Harren makes sure to remind the reader that the kaiju were once human, and their transformations are both tragic and frightening.
The structure of this issue is relatively common for first issues, in that it tells a more or less complete story, but also acts as somewhat of a red herring for what the series appears to be shaping up to be. Because there won’t be any spoilers here, it is best to avoid talking specifics about the last twenty or so pages of this oversized first issue. But suffice to say, Harren uses a twist to wring extra emotional mileage out of the issue, and while it isn’t entirely a surprise, it is executed well enough to forgive its familiarity.
Harren is joined on this title by his fellow Mignolaverse alum, Dave Stewart. Stewart, the universally regarded best colorist in comics, created a signature look years ago, and it’s never hard to determine when a comic is a Stewart project. Stewart’s blood always manages to be jarring and pop off the page, even pages that are filled with red elsewhere. Stewart limits his palette on a scene by scene basis, allowing each locale and character set to feel distinct and unique, but oftentimes uses that limited color set to his advantage by breaking free of it for emphasis, such as a purple megabeam appearing out of nowhere to fell a kaiju. There’s also a fun hint with the beam and another element of the story that may be missed on first reading (it certainly was by me) that adds another emotional tether to Jason’s story.
Continued belowThe final member of the creative team is Clayton Cowles, yet another “B.P.R.D.” veteran. Cowles is responsible for at least five totally distinct sets of letters, each evoking a different tone. This isn’t even including the onomatopoeia and sound effects that pop up throughout. It’s hard to remember another title that put this much heavy lifting on its letterer, but “Ultramega” #1 wouldn’t land as soundly as it does if each story element wasn’t as clear as Cowles’s letters allow it to be.
But even if the book was raw pencils, unadorned with dialogue and color, this would still get a high recommendation, simply because we are seeing one of the modern greats swing for the fences. Sure, there are some story elements that work better than others, but there may not be a better example of what the comic medium is capable of on stands this month – or frankly, this year – than “Ultramega” #1.
The one lingering question that is left is this: the title is a Soundgarden reference, right?
Final Verdict: 8.2 – A masterclass in sequential art
