The Maker’s Council has a lot of very dangerous members. Loki, The Lord of Lies is high on that list. Your Major Spoilers review of The Ultimates #11 from Marvel Comics awaits!
THE ULTIMATES #11
Writer: Deniz Camp
Artist: Juan Frigeri
Colorist: Federico Blee
Letterer: VC’s Travis Lanham
Editor: Wil Moss
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: April 9, 2025
Previously in The Ultimates: The evil counterpart of Reed Richards called The Maker used time travel to create his ideal Earth by systematically preventing anyone from ever becoming a superhero and establishing a council of supervillains that rules Earth-6160 from the shadows. Now, The Maker is locked away (at least for the next eight months), and Iron Lad is recruiting a network of heroes to fight back against The Maker’s Council in preparation for his return. This includes Thor, whose brother Loki has taken over the Nine Realms and exiled Thor… until now.
KING LOKI
In the depths of Neddavillir, home of the dwarves, all of whom have been enslaved, their artistic urges blunted, we find Thor and Sif. The few free dwarven craftsmen agree to join in their proposed revolution, joining an army to overthrow the now fat-and-dull-witted Loki. The duo isn’t as successful with the denizens of Vanaheim, leaving the gods time to canoodle under the world tree. Of course, that also leaves Thor to make a side-trip of his own before they attack the Frost Giants, allowing them to free Idunn (and her stash of golden apples of immortality) and empower more allies, including the Warriors Three. By the time the Vanir and others see what’s happening, it’s too late, and Loki’s allies have brought down (you should excuse the expression) the hammer, fighting rebellion with an even stronger fist of oppression.
Of course, they didn’t count on Thor making a deal with the devil.
Every issue of The Ultimates so far has been a very abstract affair, covering a month or more of time, but this one expands that window by an unexplained degree. The entire issue is presented as a series of full-page images, with accompanying poetic narration, and while Camp doesn’t quite pull off the classical references, it is still a compelling read. The state of Asgard is explained effectively, and through the art, we see how Loki pulled it all off as well as how his own arrogance brings it all down. There are even what feel like pointed references to modern politics in the handling of “autocrats and their oppressions,” which are a little uncomfortable, but make the whole thing feel more immediate, even though it’s an alternate reality of a fictional world full of superheroes. As much as I complain about the work involved in keeping straight Marvel’s various alternate realities, this is the kind of book that makes it all worth the time and energy.
BOTTOM LINE: 7 MONTHS REMAINING
As the book builds to the 18 month mark and the return of The Maker, The Ultimates #11 raises the stakes narratively, and while it doesn’t quite stick the proverbial landing, some smooth and attractive art helps any awkward bits pass without discomfort, earning 4 out of 5 stars overall. If you’ve never read this one, I wouldn’t start here, but I would recommend that you read all eleven issues. It’s the kind of experiment that justifies itself in the reading experience.
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THE ULTIMATES #11
A series of epic images, with a matching poetic edda, make for an energetic and ambitious read.
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Writing8
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Art8
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Coloring8
