I read the first vol. of Ultimates as it came out in floppies (not recommended, BTW). I’ve also read most of the second volume, though not very carefully. Despite my dislike of Millar, I have to admit it’s a good comic. It is sort of the perfect fit for Millar. It’s a mainstream book, so he can’t go too far overboard, but it’s outside of ordinary contintuity, so he can make his characters kind of broad and cynical. I still think it would have been better if Millar had passed the basic storyline over to a writer who was a little more interested in dialogue and characterization, but Millar doesn’t do too bad.

The art is fantastic. With the exception of his Iron Man, I think Hitch’s character designs ought to be adopted by the regular contintuity. The big screen stuff is phenomenal. The pacing was annoying if you read it in the floppies, but I’m betting that pretty much disappears when you read it collected.

What did you take Millar’s point to be? It seems clear that he intends to be making one, but I couldn’t get clear on what it was. Maybe I just need to read the second part more carefully. One option would be that it is intended as a critique of American arrogance, but I’m not sure it works as that. I may be trying too hard to read the politics as American left-wing or American right-wing. You can point to various things in Ultimates as advocating both sides. It may be that Millar’s coming from someplace different politically, and that’s throwing.

I have read Empire, and I did like it. But my expectations were higher and were not met. I thought it was a great concept and I liked both creators involved. The end result was not mind-blowing, but it was fun.

What about The Ultimates? Did you read that? It might be my favorite Millar of the last few years. I thought it had some point to it.

I agree with you that the basic concept is sound and that the art is very good (although “casting” the main character as Eminem makes the book seem a little too much like a movie proposal). That’s pretty much my take on almost all Millar stuff, though. He has good ideas and works with good artists, but falls down in the execution.

Have you read Mark Waid’s Empire? It you like the overall concept of Wanted you might like it.