The Avengers are still searching for allies in their fight against The Maker and his council, and they might have found one straight out of legend.  Your Major Spoilers review of The Ultimates #15 awaits!

THE ULTIMATES #15

Writer: Deniz Camp
Artist: Von Randal
Colorist: Erick Arciniega
Letterer: VC’S Travis Lanham
Editor: Wil Moss
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: August 13th, 2025

Previously in The Ultimate: The Maker’s return is drawing near, so Iron Lad and his team of Ultimates have begun chasing down a story of mysterious happenings that signal the return of a legendary warrior from long ago.

THE STORY OF SHEN QI

The Ultimates #15 starts off with a retelling of the legend of Shen-Qi.  He was a legendary Immortal Weapon who fought many battles in the Cities of Heaven.  After one particularly long and bloody battle, he decided to give up fighting and instead began meditating.  He meditated for decades, and when he came out of his trance, he found himself surrounded by followers.  He and his followers spread the message of enlightenment across the land until he was struck down in battle.  In the present, Iron Lad, Ant-Man, She-Hulk, and Danny Rand are following up on rumors of a possible return of this legendary fighter.  They discover a boy being attacked by Uranium Brother 235.  The Ultimates spring into action to save the boy, while She-Hulk takes the fight to Uranium Brother, hell-bent on sending a message to his master, Banner.

A WELL-PACED AND PLOTTED ISSUE

Ultimates #15 is mainly told through flashback and narration, but the way its integrated into the current events of the issue makes this storytelling technique fit well here.  The way the narration goes from voiceless storyteller to Iron Lad is well done in a way that could have easily come off as cheesy.  There’s also some stellar lines of dialogue here.  Some standouts are She-Hulk’s proclamation at the end of the issue, and Hank also gets some good lines here as he’s utilized in a comedic relief role.  Not everything works here, though.  In particular, Danny Rand’s inclusion, while understandable considering what readers know about his 616 counterpart, isn’t explained here in a satisfactory way.  Also, this issue resolves itself fairly quickly, which creates awkwardness where certain moments don’t have consequences that need to be overcome to bring about the resolution; it’s more like by the next panel, those moments just didn’t happen at all.

NOT NICE TO LOOK AT

While the whole issue isn’t bad visually, there’s not a whole lot to enjoy here.  The first thing that sticks out is the decision to cast all the characters’ faces in a half shadow.  Rather than giving this book a more dramatic or somber look, this excessive use of the technique makes things look messy and unfinished.  Also, there’s a problem when it comes to the sequencing of things.  On a few occasions, the dialogue will essentially state what is happening, but the visuals don’t depict that at all.  In spots, it feels like there are just missing panels that should’ve fleshed out some of the action, but without them, the whole book has a disjointed quality, which makes it difficult to figure out what’s happening blow by blow.

BOTTOM LINE: AN OKAY COMIC BROUGHT DOWN BY POOR VISUAL CHOICES

The blending of The Legend of Shen Qi into the present-day events of Ultimates #15 is handled well and gives the plot a richer impact.  This, combined with some fun back-and-forths between characters, gives this issue a good voice to carry the plot along on.  The visuals are what pull this book down though.  The whole issue has a messy and unrefined look that can’t be completely attributed to stylistic choices.  Also, at times, the art just doesn’t match the dialogue effectively, which creates awkward moments that are hard to follow.   2.5 out of 5 stars.

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