With the end of Age of Ultron, the Marvel Universe became exposed to the multi-verse. It had always been around, in the form of the Ultimate Universe, but nobody had ever noticed. Now it’s coming into its own, kind of like the ugly girl in school who returns to the reunion hotter than hell. Problem is, this ugly duckling turned swan is hooked on meth, an addiction that will crash her whole vibe. In other words, the exposed Ultimates Universe, at some point, is going to die.
How that happens is up to the House of Ideas, but one interesting way is to unleash our Galactus on it. In the mixed up, screwy world of the Ultimates, Rick Jones is kind of the Silver Surfer. Jones, who was long part of the Hulk lineage in the standard Marvel Universe, is gold and flies through space in an attempt to protect the Earth from, well, nothing so far. Unlike Silver Surfer, The Watcher directs Jones’ Golden Surfer, and he’s getting tired of flying through space for no reason. In Hunger #1, The Watcher gives Jones a reason.
Seems there are Chitauri and Kree in the Ultimate Universe, and they’re at war. That’s not the only beef – we also have to worry about Gah Lak Tus. Okay, it’s not the most clever redirection of the name, but the concept is intriguing. Instead of a giant, omnipotent being with a cool ass helmet, Gah Lak Tus is a swarm of sentient, robotic bugs which consumes planets in gigantic hives. Neat, huh? Anyway, Gah Lak Tus is coming out of swarm formation to start consuming, arriving in the middle of the Chi/Kree war. Things are about to get bad. Then they get worse.
A rip in the fabric of time brings our big, helmet-sporting Galactus into the Ultimate Universe. Galactus is so badass, he even scares the Ultimate Watcher. As the age-old Devourer of Worlds checks out this new dimension, he’s attacked by Gah Lak Tus, only to find that they bond with him and turn him into something that is one step beyond his normal world eating self. The end of Hunger #1 sees some dark times ahead for the Ultimates Universe.
Writer Joshua Hale Fialkov has a laid back ease with his dialogue, which is what makes Hunger #1 work. Nothing happening in Hunger #1 is particularly earth-shattering – it’s mostly set up for what’s coming up. Fialkov uses his knack for dialogue to draw you into the set up. Rick Jones is funny, his reactions are relatable. I liked the Gah Lak Tus idea, but the rest of Hunger #1 is just simple redirection of established characters. Hopefully, Fialkov’s ability with story will match his dialog.
Leonard Kirk’s art is very uneven. Just looking through the book, you can tell Kirk is less interested in some panels than others. The entire beginning, set in a burger joint, is sloppy, even lazy – several panels where background characters have no faces, a lack of any detail work, etc. When the story shifts to outer space, Kirk comes alive. The pencils are crisp, the line work solid, and the action intense. If he’s going to draw this book from now on, Kirk needs to keep his A-game in all his panels.
(3.5 Story, 3 Art)
