Another good issue. Of course, it gives Millar a chance to mock superhero start-ups–he recasts the Defenders as a bunch of cosplayers who decide to fight crime (it’s like Kick-Ass before Kick-Ass)–but he’s also using Hank as the protagonist.
And Millar does come up with a lot of cinematic action for Hitch to draw. No talking heads scenes, no forest fight scenes… it’s all metropolitan and it’s mean. The issue’s a rather black comedy; Millar probably should have done all of Ultimates 2 from Hank’s perspective.
However, when he gets around to teasing the leak inside the Ultimates, he seriously missteps. It’s a painfully cheap move and draws the reader back to the artificiality of the comic. As usual with Millar, he can’t tell when he’s doing good work and not just being a self-serving hack.
An unfortunate finish to an otherwise good issue.
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