DVD Review: Ultimate Avengers 2 - Rise of the Panther

While the Ultimate Avengers DVD was an adaptation of Marvel Comics’ The Ultimates, this sequel is an original story. The tiny, secluded nation of Wakanda comes under attack from Herr Kleiser and the Chutri, shape-shifting aliens who bring to mind the Skrulls. After the Wakandan king is killed fighting Kleiser, T’Challa, his son, assumes the throne and is given the mantle of the Black Panther. Realizing his people are doomed to defeat, he breaks with tradition and seeks help from the outside world, namely The Avengers. Award yourself a No-Prize if you can guess who prevails.

The group works through S.H.I.E.L.D. under the guidance of Nick Fury. The team is comprised of Captain America, who acts as their leader; Iron Man; Thor; Giant Man; Wasp; and Black Widow. Dr. Bruce Banner also appears in the movie, but he is kept in a controlled environment, so the Hulk is not unleashed.

While growing up as a Marvel Comics collector in the late 70’s/early ‘80s, I was very familiar with the characters, but this was my first encounter with the Ultimate Avengers.  They are completely recognizable, yet slightly different, due in large part to a marketing decision to introduce characters whose histories are over 40 years old to a new, young audience. There are small changes like Betty Ross being a scientist, Jarvis the butler wearing an earring, and The Wasp appearing, though it is not dealt with, to be of Asian ancestry, but the most obvious example of a difference in this universe is Nick Fury, an African-American with a strong resemblance to Samuel L. Jackson.

In the featurette about The Ultimates, the comic creators, writer Mark Millar and artist Brian Hitch, act like this is an impressive achievement, but it is no different than every other cop show that has black lieutenant. What would have been more interesting is an African-American in a non-traditional role, such as scientist Giant Man, or as millionaire inventor Iron Man. And if they had really given it some thought, they could have opened up a number of dramatic possibilities and really challenged the way people think by changing the race of Captain America.

While the movie does make some bad creative decisions like Black Widow’s accent, the aliens walking around in machines from War of the World (2005), and the clichéd scene of the Wakandan tribe nearly defeating the Avengers, making you wonder if they could have beaten the aliens on their own, the worst is the way the women are drawn. They all have unnaturally large breasts as if they had augmentation work done. I am aware this has long been a standard in the industry, and but it always comes off as cheap and a pathetic way to garner attention. The comic creators talk about redesigning the costumes with practicality in mind, yet don’t explain the practically of the cleavage revealed. I am not prude and in fact have been a fan of breasts for a long time, but if more individuals in the comic book industry got to have sex with women rather than whiling away the hours masturbating to Heavy Metal magazine, we wouldn’t have to constantly be subjected to their juvenile and insulting views of women.

Article Author: Gordon S. Miller

Gordon S. Miller is the artist formerly known as El Bicho, the nom de plume he used when he first began reviewing movies online for The Masked Movie Snobs in 2003. Before that year was out, he became that site's publisher. …

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