The Good
The Ultimates fight it out with M.O.D.O.K. and those who have been consumed by Gah Lak Tus.
What I've enjoyed most about this mini-series, which sets it apart a bit more from the other tie-ins, is that CATACLYSM THE ULTIMATES has a story that really stands out on its own and actually features an entirely different cast of characters. This team is actually made up of Hulk, Stature, Danny Ketch, Abigail Brand, Dum Dum Dugan, The Punisher, Hercules, Nick Fury, Sam Wilson, and Emil Blonsky. It's more of a covert ops team than anything else, at least they're dressed that way. This isn't the "front and center" super-hero team though. They come off as doing more of the dirty work than anything else. Instead of taking the fight right to the giant purple space man. This is what separates this tie in from the others. While this large event is happening, this book has it's own little corner to work within that is simply a really cool story. Major kudos to writer Josh Fialkov with this mini-series and this issue. It's a great complimentary piece that stands on its own as a great story.
This book doesn't end with a huge reveal. I have nothing against giant reveals or cliffhangers, but this issue ends in a very satisfying way. We're in the middle of this huge fight and off somewhere else, Sam is doing what he can to stop M.O.D.O.K. from helping Galactus meet his final goal, which I'm guessing is eat the planet. It's an ending that just has you hooked in for the next issue, and one that will most likely seamlessly transition well in trade form.
This is yet another issue, within this giant event, where everyone seems to be getting their butt's kicked. Last issue, Hulk was taken over by Gah Lak Tus, and in this issue we see more become consumed. To top it all off, M.O.D.O.K. only worsens the problem by using his powers to build a city of destruction, which vaguely reminds me of Shuma-Gorath. However, I'm just seeing things.
I'm really enjoying the artwork on this issue by Carmine Di Giandomenico (art), Lorenzo Ruggiero (inks), and Wil Quintana (colors). What really stands out here is Ruggiero's inks. There's a ton of little lines and a decent amount of shadows, and Ruggiero's work looks clear and crisp. Not to take anything away from Giandomenico or Quitana who also nail it here, but Ruggiero's work is a huge stand out for me on this issue.
The Bad
Nothing to complain about here. I loved this issue.
The Verdict
I'm going to keep tally on overall how impressed I am with Cataclysm. So far, I've been disappointed zero times. Every single issue of this event and the tie ins has been a blast. THE ULTIMATES, however, has been my favorite of the whole lot. Fialkov has a fantastic story that's strong enough to stand on its own with an incredibly solid art team working with him. Creatively, this book is an A+. Once again, you should be reading Cataclysm which is a non-stop thrill ride, and you have to read CATACLYSM: THE ULTIMATES because it's one of the most interesting tie-ins I've ever read.