FIRST POST!

Starting off with what can be considered what of my favorite guilty pleasures, Here is a review of "Ultimate Adventures"

Ultimate Adventures: One Tin Soldier
Marvel - May 18, 2005
Reprints: Ultimate Adventures 1-6
Genre: Superhero
Written by: Ron Zimmerman
Drawn by: Duncan Fegredo

Plot:
Orphan and all-around Wise Ass, Hank Kipple, is the oldest kid in the Orphanage. No one wants to adopt a boy with such a rude mouth, even if he's insanely talented. Not until Billionaire and Former Orphan Jack Danner visits the orphanage. During a presentation Hank lets off one of his trade mark smart aleck remarks and draws the attention of Jack. Less than an hour later, he's informed that Jack has adopted him and he'll live in the lap of luxury. Hank's life at the mansion is still teneous as he has difficulty adjusting to his new family, which contains a sassy black butler, a crazy great-aunt who swears Jack's parents where murderer and their Asian Chaffeur. It isn't until he discovers the secret lair of Chicago hero Hawk-Owl on top of Jack's Mansion. This leads into a ultimatization of one of comicdom's most familar and favorite characters.

Story:
Ron Zimmerman wrote one of my favorite single issue Spider-man stories in Double Shot. He nails each of the Hawk-Owl Family characters well. Each character has funny lines and you genuninely want to know more about them. They come across as believable and fit well into the ultimatization of Batman. The story is a great read for the first 5 issues and then it decides to have a villian. This is the part of the trade where the story sours a bit. The villian and his sidekick just seem kind of blah. His motivation for his actions is also rather silly, considering how great Jack's motivation for doing the right thing is. However, the story isn't really about the villian, and he exists mostly to create a situation that cements the newly created family. It's something I'm prepared to overlook because it's a minor part of the book.


Art:
Fegerado's art was quiet good in X-Force, Enigma, and the Flowers for Rhino arc from Tangled web and in many places in this trade he hits the mark. His Hawk-Owl is drawn really well. He does a nice job on most of the Ultimates (who make a pop in half way through). His expressions help sell the emotions of the fantastic Characters Zimmerman creates. His storytelling is also top notch. There are several great one page panels in the book where the action flows fantastically. The work may not be everyones cup of tea, but in my opinion Fegerado delivers.

This book pretty much got six issues and was never heard of again. It's a shame since most of the characters in the Ultimate Universe are following pre-destined paths and relationships with other Ultimate characters. It was refreshing to see something totally new in the same sandbox.

Highly Recommended!