Avengers: Rage of Ultron is one big climax. It’s an endless battle scene that rarely slows down for you to catch your breath. If you are looking for quiet character moments and long, drawn out conversations, look elsewhere. But, if you like big, bombastic superhero battles and fight scenes with heart and weight, then Avengers: Rage of Ultron is the book for you. Beautifully rendered and expertly paced, this is a graphic novel you want to own.
Since there is a fairly big movie coming out that has a similar name, you’d think that Avengers: Rage of Ultron would be a jumping-on point for folks who only have experience the Marvel Universe in its cinematic form. This is not the case. Rather, Avengers: Rage of Ultron is an original graphic novel serves as a capstone to the Marvel work of Rick Remender. It’s directly related to his runs on Uncanny X-Force, Secret Avengers, and Uncanny Avengers. This is not to say that you can’t enjoy this comic if you have not read those other series, because you certainly can, but coming from the movies to this book might leave you scratching your head.
The story here focuses on Ultron’s return to Earth. It happens quickly and the bulk of the pages are dedicated to various incarnations of The Avengers slugging it out with the robotic menace. Chiefly, you get the newest, most current Avengers, like the Falcon version of Captain America, the female Thor, and Sabretooth. The Descendants also play important role, as does Starfox. It’s a graphic novel that really, really plays to readers who have been following the comics for the past several years. That’s not a criticism, mind you; just something that folks should probably be aware of.
Whether you knowing anything about the current state of the Marvel Universe or not, you will be absolutely memorized by the gorgeous visuals of Avengers: Rage of Ultron. Jerome Opena is a gift from the gods, an angel come down to Earth to grace us with some of the most beautiful comic book pages ever. Opena is at his best when he is drawing big, epic action and this comic has that in spades. It’s stunning, from start to finish. Rick Remender and Jerome Opena go together like peanut butter and chocolate, like lamb and tuna fish, like the Avengers and Ultron.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the glorious coloring provide by Dean White, Rachelle Rosenberg, and Dono Sanchez Almara. White, in particular, brings a ton to this book. His painted style makes every panel feel like a work of art, something that you should be hanging on your wall. You can’t talk about how beautiful this book is without talking about the colors. They are that good.
Avengers: Rage of Ultron is worth your time and money. It’s slick and alluring graphic novel that reads like the epic ending to a hard-fought trilogy. There’s a lot to enjoy in these pages, and if you are fan of Remender’s Marvel work, there’s a lot to love. For our money, this how the Avengers should look and feel. Gigantic in scope, but overflowing with heart and unity, this is superhero action done right. Earth’s Mightiest Heroes indeed.
Rating: 5 out of 5 burritos
