Near perfect! Ok, absolutley perfect.
So here we are. The Ultimates #1. I've always liked the ultimate Universe. i read quite a bit of ultimate Spider-Man, as well as X-Men, but I never read the actual ultimates. They've been playing this up as a good starting point. This was one of the first few books i read, so I can't say it was the best but, it was really close to it.
What was good?
Hickman does a great job of balancing action, character development, and story in this issue. It was completley accesible to me, a new Ultimates reader. He sets up Nick Fury early on as a central figure in the issue, and i like the way he plays off the other characters in the book, such as Iron Man and Hawkeye. You get the feeling that Hickman is planning a big story this early on, and the fact that i don't know what's going makes me excited to find out what is happening. Esad Ribic's artwork is absolutley incredible. He has a unique style that blends cartooning and painting along with a slight fumetti influence.(only slight) It's certainly a very different style from many mainstream artists, and Dean White's colors help flesh out Ribic's pencils and inks. Many scenes in this book are full of text, and some are silent. Both Hickman and Ribic did a good job conveying the action and plot in the issue, and I really feel like reading some of Hickman's indie work after reading this. Fury's reaction at the end lifts him off his pedastel a bit, and was a bit of a contrast to the way he was portrayed throughout the rest of the issue. Enjoyed that as well.
What was bad?
Really nothing. I guess polybagged was a minus, cause it seems like they're polybagging everything now(again), but that doesn't really bother me that much.
I recomend everyone to go buy this book. Fun mix of action and drama filled with gorgeous art from Ribic and White.