The Good
The easiest way to describe this book, which is a mish-mash of two terror-filled threats from the Marvel Universe, is fun. AGE OF ULTRON VS MARVEL ZOMBIES is a solid, stand-alone, SECRET WARS-tie in read.It broadens Battleworld a little more by showing the reader The Deadlands, where the Marvel Zombies reside, and what happens when a whole bunch of Ultron shows up.
What the issue does well is that it doesn't just deliver what the title promises for all 20 pages. Writer James Robinson spends time building on these characters involved and the world more than anything else. Yes, we do get a little bit of Ultrons vs Zombies, but there's an actual story here so the book just doesn't become a gimmick series.
About halfway through the issue, you begin to wonder "where is this going?" We get an idea of what the Deadlands are like and how the Ultrons came to power, but who is the reader supposed to be rooting for? We get our answer, and it's Hank Pym. Well, a version of Hank Pym. Robinson does great with these characters, especially Pym, because he tends to pay homage to Marvel's past, without it ever feeling like it's shoehorned in. The final page of the issue, which we're not going to spoil here, is a great example of Robinson bringing the past into the present and working it into a story.
Steve Pugh and Jim Charalampidis do some great artwork on this issue as well. Pugh has proven in the past he can dish out some bizarre and great looking art, when needed, like with ANIMAL MAN, and he's done some awesome work with Robinson on ALL-NEW INVADERS. The zombies here look great, especially Sabretooth and Charalampidis really brings some horror elements into the art with his choice of color.
The Bad
Honestly, I wasn't expecting much. I thought it was going to be gimmicky, but it ended up being a blast. There are a couple slower moments, later in the issue, and it drags the book down just a tiny bit but overall, this was a solid and run issue.
The Verdict
The last page really had me pumped for the continuation of this book. While the book title leads you to believe it's just about Ultrons and Zombies going at it, the book is much more than that. James Robinson is building a pretty cool story up here and having Steve Pugh and Jim Charalampidis do art on this book gives it a pretty eerie tone, when necessary. I wasn't expecting much, but I got something I really enjoyed. I highly recommend checking this issue out.
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