The Good

The current Ultimate Comics line at Marvel is amazing. These new volumes raise the bar for what comic books can and should be at a larger company, and The Ultimates is a prime example of it. These new volumes break the mold. Death is a real thing. The world doesn't always go back to normal after a major event. I can get down with these concepts.

This issue of the Ultimates continues the Divided We Fall story line where America is coming apart at the seams. Sections are seceding from the Union, and Texas is planning to wage war. Of course, the Ultimates are there to stop it all, for the most part.

Issue 14 is non-stop action with a fantastic set-up. We get to see where this story will take us in the future. I'm very excited to see how this plays out and more importantly, how it will affect the future of the Ultimate Universe.

While I really enjoyed Hickman's run prior to this, his writing (which I've said a lot) can be a bit over my head. It's really good, but sometimes it can be a bit much for me. Humphries has done a phenomenal job at taking what Hickman left us all off with and turning it into a great story that doesn't betray the story prior to it. It still feels like a great Ultimates story, but with some of the high concept elements out of the picture. I find his writing incredibly strong, but a lot easier to swallow as you read the book.

The Bad

This book doesn't get as much love as it should.

My biggest gripe with this issue is that the artwork is just ok. It does the book justice, but it's not as clear and crisp as the art has been in the past for the Ultimates. My biggest complaint is that characters look a bit too stiff at times, even in action sequences.

The Verdict

The Ultimates 14 and the Divided We Fall story line are fantastic. This issue retains the awesomeness that was the Hickman run, but with a story and writing that are a lot easier to swallow. This issue has some fantastic set up for the rest of the story line, and I can't wait to see how this will affect the future of the Ultimate universe.

On the downside, I thought the art was a tad stiff and just ok.

Overall, I highly recommend this issue and this series. It's one of my favorites at Marvel.