The Ultimates, volumes 1 and 2 by Mark Millar

Marvel’s Ultimate line is an attempt to solve many of the problems casual readers have with comic books and comic book collections, sometimes called graphic novels. The Ultimate line takes the characters who exist in Marvel’s mainstream books and strips them back down to their essence, taking out most of the continuity that has creeped up over the years, and making their origins more believable to 21st century science – more genetic engineering and less radiation.

The Ultimates are Marvel’s attempt at bringing the Avengers in to the Ultimate line of comics. All in all, it’s a successful attempt, at least in the first series. (The Ultimates lasted only 13 issues, collected in to the two volumes. There have been subsequent collections, Ultimates 2 and Ultimates 3, that have been less successful) You don’t need to know anything about the comic book characters to understand what’s going on in this book, they reintroduce everyone (with one exception; the Hulk – and even with him, they give enough of an explanation so that you don’t get lost). Certainly, fans of Marvel are more likely to notice some of the similarities and differences between this and normal Marvel stories, but it is not needed.

Ultimates is, by nature, an ensemble cast, but it focuses on Captain America. This Captain America is a very patriotic, fairly conservative, but ultimately a friendly guy who has been given powers by an experiment that let him be an ultimate soldier. He’s also one of the few characters with powers that is, more or less, still balanced. Iron Man is an alcoholic, though a functioning one. Thor is a deranged medical student... or maybe a Norse God. Giant Man and Wasp are in an abusive relationship, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch are kind of ickily all over each other for a brother and sister... you need Captain America to hold on to in this story, because believe it or not, he’s the every man you feel your connection to.

In the end, the story is fairly straightforward comic book fare, but its well done, and the takes on these characters is a bit more realistic and updated than a lot of other comic book stories. If you’ve been thinking of getting in to super-hero comics, this isn’t a bad place to start. You could also consider volume 1 of Ultimate Spider-man or volume 1 of Ultimate X-men. - Reviewed by John

Watchmen by Alan Moore

Watchmen by Alan Moore is considered one of the greatest graphic novels of all time; it is the only graphic novel to have made Time magazine's list of top 100 novels of all time. Reading it, one can see why it is so highly thought of, and rereading it, one can find new details that escape notice the first time around. Moore has set us up with a story that is surprisingly detailed, interlocked, and complex but makes sure to lay out all the details of the story in such a way that, as long as one is paying attention, it is not hard to follow at all.

The story does begin to feel a bit dated because the time period it takes place in is receding further and further from our thoughts; it was published in the late 80s and took place in 1985; 20 years later 1985 might as well be 1285 for some readers. However, it is perhaps saved from being completely obscured by the passage of time because the 1985 the story takes place in is not the 1985 we all lived through; it is a 1985 where superheroes are quite real and where one, who can create matter at will, has completely changed the course of history, technology, and the like. He is also the one thing keeping the world from mutually assured destruction, and therein lies the entire problem.

The story plays out like a mystery, and while there are superheroes and some superheroics, the costumed crime-fighters are presented in a very realistic way – far more realistic than in your average comic book – as is their impact on the world. The mystery unfolds and gets deeper and more complex, and in the end, it is solid detective work and investigation, not super powers, that gets the job done. There is no 4-color comic book ending where good is right and evil wrong, but instead the motivations and actions of multiple individuals are both called in to question and supported by the results, if not the means.

This is a thinking person’s graphic novel, and it well deserves the accolades it has accumulated over the years. - Reviewed by John