Review: Ultron Unbound graphic novel collection

 

Description:

Earth's mightiest heroes face their deadliest foe once again! More powerful than ever before, the mechanical menace has declared himself...the ultimate Ultron! And he's upgraded his elimination target from merely mankind - to all life on Earth. But Ultron doesn't intend to inherit the world alone. Which of the West Coast Avengers women will he take as the basis for his metallic mate, known as War Toy? As the Whackos regroup after a blistering assault, Ultron finds that the path of true love doesn't run smooth, even for ruthless robots. Brace yourself for a lovers' tiff for the ages!

Collects: Avengers West Coast #89-91, Annual #8; Vision (1994) #1-4
Authors: Roy Thomas (Annual), Roy & Dann Thomas (Avengers West Coast), Bob Harras (Vision)
Artists: David Ross (Avengers West Coast), Manny Clark (Vision), Various (Annual)
Published By: Marvel
Published When: April 28 2015
Parental Rating: Teen

Review:

This book is an engrossing blast from the mid-1990s. It brings together a three-issue tale from Avengers West Coast, a related multi-chapter Annual, and the complete 4-issue 1994 limited series starring The Vision.

The common thread tying these stories into a coherent collection is one particular incarnation of Ultron. This time, the sentient android is bent on eliminating not only humanity but all organic life on earth. To help him in his destructive quest, he creates a female counterpart, with the chauvinistic and even misogynistic name "War Toy"

It is so gratifying, therefore, to see War Toy insist on her own name, Alkhema, and even more, to coin a pet nickname "Ulty" for her lover/partner, one which he despises. Their banter is often a humorous highlight.

Their troubles in relationship paradise are mirrored by the tensions within the Avengers West Coast. They can barely concentrate on fighting Ultron and Alkhema due to the distractions of their own marital fractures. Hawkeye and Mockingbird are on the outs. Wanda the Scarlet Witch has not only lost her Vision lover but her hex powers as well.

The three-parter from the main AWC series is lots of fun. Unfortunately the rematch in the Annual suffers from trying to stretch a thin plot over too many pages, and the introduction of The Raptor is uninspiring. Plus, the decision to change the art team for every chapter of the annual just adds to the sense that this story needed some major rework before publication.

The second half of this collection offers us the 1994 4-issue mini-series Vision, a long-overdue solo feature for our beloved android. Dreams are eating away at Vision, and it turns out they have already affected Ultron far worse. Someone or something is using dreams to infect the sentient androids and take control. Is there enough mutual trust between human. alien and android to bring the villain to light and stop them?

The series is a mixed-bag. On the one hand, who can resist seeing Ultron reduced to a drunken New Orleans bar-hopper with a southern drawl and a thirst for whiskey? Or the fascinating film noir stylings of Vision as hard-boiled private investigator? Some truly delightful and unique twists in this tale! On the other hand, it suffers from over-long exposition, a frequent ailment of comics of the 80s and early 90s; but with the larger square word balloons for our robotic actors, the talky parts come to dominate the pictures in too many panels.

Still, prior to the Wanda Vision tv show, this mini-series was a high point in the history of The Vision, and this tale is worth the effort for that reason alone.

This collection is rated Teen, which seems excessively high to me. Certainly the comic-book level of violence and peril are more PG-13 level. There are some more mature themes, in terms of grown-up relationships and marriages in trouble, but nothing that merits so high a rating as Teen.

Overall I score this 3 capes out of 5.

ISBN-10: 0785192697
ISBN-13: 978-0785192695
Language: English
Pages: 224 pages