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Writers Deniz Camp and Cody Ziglar are creators on two entirely different levels, and this book’s script is definitely an example of that. One thing that kept popping into my head as a I was reading this issue was that it was basically a comedy of errors — the Wakandans have a misunderstanding with Miles, Wasp, and Ant-Man that leads to a fight, Miles’s sister is left with a secret agent of SHIELD who tries to bring her to the organization, and the Silver Samurai kills her, keeping Miles from finding his sister. This is all crossover 101 stuff, and while it’s certainly entertaining, it’s also kind of disappointing. The Ultimate books have found a way to transcend the formulas that have been driving Marvel — and superhero books in general — but this issue not only doesn’t do that, it doesn’t feel nearly as special as it should.
This is a huge disappointment. Miles Morales meeting with the Ultimate Universe heroes should be a blockbuster, but this book never really finds what makes the Ultimate Universe so interesting. The only time it gets close is when we get into Ant-Man’s head, and he talks about his relationship with the Wasp. We get to see that this Hank isn’t much different from the one we know so well, and it’s the kind of interesting character moment that has become a huge part of the success of the Ultimate Universe. The Ultimate books boast some great heroes, and showing the complexity of Hank Pym is a step in the right direction. However, it’s a small step in a book that really doesn’t have much going for it other than a travelogue of the Ultimate Universe. I have a feeling that this book will play into the Maker’s grand entrance back to the world he created — we’re told several times that Miles’s sister is the key to the City, the Maker’s base — but the foreshadowing is so clumsy and basic, I have a problem believing that a writer of Deniz Camp’s ability would telegraph things so obviously. Ziglar I can see doing that, but Camp? He’s proven to be better than all of that.
