The Ultimates by Deniz Camp vol. 2: All Power to the People

Not only did they not fix the world at the end of vol. 1, but the Ultimates wound up needing a lot of fixing themselves – Iron Lad chief among them.  So after taking some time to get their heads back on straight, they’re back in the fight in all of its myriad forms.  From meeting the Guardians of the Galaxy of the 61st Century, to helping one Luke Cage put this volume’s subtitle into practice, to taking on the Red Skulls neo-nazi movement (and how its leader is disturbingly familiar to Cap), to the retaking of Asgard, there is no battle too big or small for them to fight.  Except, are they actually making a difference?  Is what they’re doing too small to matter when the Maker is set to re-emerge on the world stage in just six months?

Even if the first volume of this series didn’t deliver what I expected or wanted, I can at least respect Deniz Camp’s vision for this series as a superhero title that tries to grapple with real-world problems.  I still don’t think it does that in a way that really engages me or offers viable solutions for what it grapples with, but I did enjoy this volume more than the first.  Maybe that’s my lowered expectations talking, or maybe the storytelling is just a bit more clever here with its dual-timeline prison story featuring Cage and the Asgard-centric issue told entirely in verse and full-page splashes.  Artist Juan Frigeri gets to show off more of what he’s capable of, particularly with his visit to the Nine Realms.

I will give Camp this:  He does end this volume on a compelling note.  The team confronts Doom about what he’s been doing and what he had to do to save them and rather than it devolving into a superhero slugfest, they actually talk it out and decide on what to do next.  They recognize that things aren’t working and that they need to be changed up if they’re going to have a shot at taking down the Maker when he emerges.  I want to think that’s the writer recognizing the flaws of the series so far, but if this was all part of the plan, well… good for him!  We’ll see if it evolves into anything worthwhile when vol. 3 arrives.

(Oh, and I’m putting this here now for future reference:  That bit at the very end is also part of the Ultimates’ plan.  At least, it feels way too obvious to be the kind of heel turn it looks to be.)