Age of Ultron #6 does exactly what it needs to. Thus far, AU has been one of the better Marvel events for two simple reasons. The first, Brian Michael Bendis has been on his A-game as a writer. Number two; Marvel has kept the releases brisk and the use of tie-ins to a minimum. At the end of issue #5, Wolverine decided the best way to end the Ultron destruction was to take out the robot before he ever existed. To do that, he would have to travel into the past and kill Hank Pym. Meanwhile, Captain America, Nick Fury and a band of remaining heroes have traveled into the future to try and stop Ultron from doing further damage. Dramatic tension set. Now, go!
Bendis immediately adds a new layer of drama with the defection of Sue Richards from the heroes heading into the future. She knows Wolverine and she knows he means to kill Pym no matter what was decided by Captain America and Fury. As Wolverine makes his way towards New York City, Sue walks with him, a representation of a conscience that wants to do the right thing. When Wolverine confronts Pym, the battle rages both physically and mentally. Wolverine is committed, Sue is not, and she wrestles with the family she misses and what she knows is wrong.
As one battle rages in the past, another is setting the future ablaze. Cap, Fury and their team arrive in the future to find a huge technological stronghold built by Ultron. It’s not just a building; the construct stretches across the entire Eastern Seaboard. As the team approaches, Ultron’s defenses launch in the form of golden Ultron heads. Cap and his forces fight an honorable fight, but are soon overcome. All seems lost.
These two stories meet and Bendis switches between the death of our last hope and the emotional tug of war between Richards and Wolverine. In the end, one side wins and Bendis leaves the fallout to the next issue. AU #6 never lets up; it never stops for a breath. This is the final stretch into the end and Bendis is taking no prisoners. He’s ramping up the emotional content and the action. By the end, Age of Ultron has taken on an entire new life.
Giving the issue a dual feel are artists Brandon Peterson and Carlos Pacheco. Peterson’s work details the future battle, while Pacheco deals with the past. Peterson’s pencils are pretty standard comic book fare. Nothing is inherently wrong with the work; it’s just very straightforward. At times, Peterson goes a little crazy with the cross hatching and most of the panels simply tell the story, but overall it’s not worse than anything else out there. Paul Mounts colors are also executed well, but not in a way that’s very exciting.
The best work is Pacheco’s, because he pencils in the style of old comic books. Instead of matching the modern work, Pacheco uses the style of the day when Pym first created Ultron. There’s something very specific about the old-style drawings in comics and Pacheco nails it. Helping him is inker Roger Martinez and the wonderful colors of Jose Villarrubia. Together, the three set a mood and a time frame that elevates the issue.
Age of Ultron is exciting, emotional and best of all fun. Bendis has created a blueprint that maps the best of what an event series can offer.
(5 Story, 3.5 Art)
