Age of Ultron Premiere HC [2013] by Brian Michael Bendis

      

      

AGE OF ULTRON PREMIERE PAPERBACK

The Age of Ultron is the first Marvel event following last year’s Avengers Vs. X-Men. Writer Brian Michael Bendis teased before the series premiere that only five individuals knew the ending to Age of Ultron at Marvel Comics. To make sure the secret is safe, executive artist Joe Quesada drew the final sequence to make sure the secret stayed with the final five.

The series premiered with New York City taken over by Ultron while Hawkeye rescues Spider-Man from the Owl and Hammerhead. Hawkeye takes him back to base however they are screened by Iron Man before they are reunited with the rest of the remaining Avengers. Captain America lies with his tail between his legs and his shield shattered.

After Spider-Man explains things from his point of view, Captain America comes up with a plan. The plan is to sell one of them so they will get intel on Ultron. The She-Hulk volunteers and Luke Cage agreed to sell her to Ultron. Cage discovers it is not Ultron trading but his son the Vision because Ultron is in the future.

Meanwhile in Chicago, the Black Panther, Taskmaster, and the Red Hulk manage to grab one of the Ultrons processors. The Red Hulk later kills the Taskmaster before he deserts him. After rescuing Luke Cage, the She-Hulk falls as she is shot through the head. The Black Widow cracks one of Nick Fury’s Black Boxes and discovers they need to head to the Savage Land.

The heroes discover Nick Fury and his secret bunker where he has Dr. Doom’s time platform. Fury wants to travel into the future to stop Ultron while Wolverine wants to go to the past and stop Hank Pym from creating it. Bendis knows how to write dialogue and exploit the characters to bring out their best. Tony Stark figures out Ultron placed the Vision in the Avengers so he would figure out how to defeat them from the future. 

      

   

SERIES HIGHLIGHTS

- Wolverine and Sue Storm return to the present and face the Defenders
- Defenders: Colonel America, Cable (Cyclops), Dr. Strange, Hulk, and Thing

- Now instead of Ultron it is now Tony Stark who watches over the world
- In this alternative timeline Stark is battling Morgana Le Fey 
- Wolverine travels back in time to warn himself not to kill Hank Pym
- Hank Pym records a message to himself and erases his memory
- Susan Storm delivers message to stop Ultron
- Ultron is defeat before the Age of Ultron begins
- The space-time continuum is disrupted sending Galactus to the Ultimate Universe
- Angela arrives to the Marvel Universe and joins the Galaxy of the Guardians

AGE OF ULTRON TIE-IN HIGHLIGHTS

The tie-ins explain how the characters got into the Age of Ultron. The series was written a few years ago before Doc Ock became Superior Spider-Man and before the Fantastic Four was lost in space. Age of Utron began with Ultron already conquering the world so the tie-ins are back stories to explain how the heroes got into the situation including one with how the Black Widow lost her eye. In a special Fantastic Four tie-in, the Thing admits he was the one who created Dr. Doom. 

This trade paperback collects

Age of Ultron (2013) #1-10

RECOMMENDED – 4 OUT OF 5