Whitechapel - The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

warrenellis — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:14:47 -0700

Out today in the USA. SPOILERS ETC BEYOND THIS POINT. Thoughts on this and the serial in general?

-- W

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

TechnocratJT — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:34:50 -0700

"Normal Size Head"

Ah. That was fun, quick and just sharp enough for a bit of a mad grin.

From a more thoughtful perspective the contrast between types of intelligence (loner scientist, industrialist, military) crossed up with types of post-humanity (external, physical bio-mod, mental bio-mod) was a nice structure. Should be a nice treat for anyone who digs the films and wanders into a book store trade section wanting something just like what was on the screen. I can't see anything here that would confuse from the narratives they are about to present in the movies, and I recall that was the goal here.

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

orwellseyes — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:51:41 -0700

I have not read it (sorry) but I did hear the guy at my shop crowing about how awesome it was and how "They need to get Warren Ellis to write the Avengers movie"

So, that's a win. Right?

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

Cyman — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:16:24 -0700

I don't know why they gave Loeb Ultimates. I talked to strangers in the shop today about how much remarkably better Ultimate Human was than that Red Hulk thing.
I liked this miniseries, but there are a few things I would have liked to see happen. It just seemed too short, which I guess is a good thing. It would have been fun to see that bad guy really fuck some shit up and die a little more horrifically.
And the end is wild! Hulk just... IS Hulk forever now? And he's adapting?!
Madness. Warren style.

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

kyu915 — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 22:40:56 -0700

I picked up this series, and I thought it was really cool, really smart, and really fun, just like how I imagine a good summer blockbuster should be.

If you're a fan of the Ultimates then this is a nice alternative to Jeph Loeb's lead-in to Ultimatum. Mr. Ellis, you nailed the characterizations of these guys with everything from Bruce Banner's instant understanding of Tony Stark's experiment process in the first issue to Stark's sad realization of having to use the term "Big Head Guy" in the last. Every time I've seen you write for the Ultimate line, and most anything else of your work-for-hire stuff, it's like you find the exact voice that the characters should have(i.e. Ultimate Fantastic Four). It's a nice guarantee that I will rarely be disappointed, and I thank you for that.

I'm sure it will do well in trade with the Iron Man and Hulk movies coming out this summer (which I heard was a big part of why this series was done), but not just because of them, and that's fine. I'm sure it will cause Mr. Ellis to pick up more fans who are of the "Who the hell is this guy and what else has he written" variety too. It never ceases to amaze me how much better his work-for-hire stuff is than some other writers' works of passion.

It was a nice little 4 issue slice of awesometivity! :D

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

LokiZero — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 23:15:25 -0700

Man, that was a lot of fun.

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

Egon — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 23:54:43 -0700

Diggin' the 3 panels per page. Made everything fly by. Thanks Warren.

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

thom_wong — Thu, 01 May 2008 09:00:01 -0700

By now I think we can use "very Ellis" and understand it as a compliment. This, indeed, is very Ellis. (I had some strange idea that WE was involved in Iron Man (movie). At the very least, based on the trailer, it FEELS like he's involved.)

Noticed one thing - a lot of these villains (big head guy, Tyrannosaurus, the superhero who was found with midgets) are starting to read the same for me. Granted, in the world of "what makes someone decide to be a super-villain" there are probably not many categories. But with the Tyrannosaurus especially it started to feel like the Ben Stiller with Genghis Khan therapy chat in Night at the Museum, a thoroughly squirm-inducing piece of pyschobabble where it turns out Genghis just needed a hug.

I guess Hulk hugged big head.

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

Egon — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:16:14 -0700

If you don't mind me asking, Warren, how long did it take you to write this issue?

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

warrenellis — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:18:53 -0700

If you don't mind me asking, Warren, how long did it take you to write this issue?

I have no idea -- I wrote 3 and 4 in the same session, back to back.

Why, does it read like it took ten minutes to do? Heh.

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

Egon — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:31:28 -0700

The issue itself felt like it took place inside of ten minutes, but I don't feel ripped off by it at all. Didn't even notice the 3 panels per page effect until I went back over it.

Give Cary Nord a pat on the head for me next time you see him.

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

warrenellis — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:47:12 -0700

Give Cary Nord a pat on the head for me next time you see him.

Never met or even spoken to the bloke. The weirdness of commercial comics.

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

houseofmystery — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:36:33 -0700

So, Mr Ellis, were you happy how his art came out? I need to pick this up, but there seemed to be such a synergy in #1 that you just don't get regularly nowadays...

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

warrenellis — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:41:00 -0700

So, Mr Ellis, were you happy how his art came out?

I haven't seen any of the art, or any of the printed issues, yet.

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

kyu915 — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:28:30 -0700

What, if any, directives were you given when you got this assignment?

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

warrenellis — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:30:14 -0700

What, if any, directives were you given when you got this assignment?

When I was offered this job. We don't stand in line for our assignments.

It had to have Iron Man and Hulk in it, and Hulk wasn't to eat anyone.

That was pretty much it.

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

kyu915 — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:37:17 -0700

Sorry, about my poor word choice.

I apologize.

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

LokiZero — Thu, 01 May 2008 18:42:16 -0700

I've noticed that in the Ultimate line a lot of characters that would normally (Classic Marvel) be arrested or whatever just get killed off.

I love it.

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

madmatt213 — Fri, 02 May 2008 06:41:04 -0700

@Warren

Even though in my mind it makes sense, for a book like this, that you've never spoken with Cary Nord or have seen the art for the book, it still feels odd to me.

I wonder if next time Marvel will stipulate, on an assignment like this, to exclude SIS jargon (not to bash it, because I loved issue three)?

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

warrenellis — Fri, 02 May 2008 06:43:38 -0700

I wonder if next time Marvel will stipulate, on an assignment like this, to exclude SIS jargon (not to bash it, because I loved issue three)?

I don't really understand this comment.

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

TechnocratJT — Fri, 02 May 2008 06:45:42 -0700

Stupid American question - SIS is British Intelligence, another name for MI6 - right?

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

warrenellis — Fri, 02 May 2008 07:20:41 -0700

Correct. SIS is actually the official designation for MI6, which, as a name, was more a "flag of convenience."

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

madmatt213 — Fri, 02 May 2008 07:32:22 -0700

I was only asking (as an admittedly stupid American), and really I was only asking it as a lame joke, if Marvel may have preferred not to have the Leader origin in their Iron Man/Hulk collected trade for the Summer Movie masses to buy, except that Marvel will already get their money when the book is bought so they shouldn't care anyway. I'll I'm getting at is I can see a regular American reading issue three and being completely lost by the dialogue and angry that he/she was getting a very British spy book, and not getting to see HULK SMASH.

So, I was jokingly asking, since you stated that Marvel only asked that Hulk/Iron Man be in the book and to have Hulk not be in the book, that from now on Marvel will also ask that you not use "SIS jargon" (poorly written term by myself, I agree) next time. That's all. You may go about your day and ignore me, if you have not done so already.

EDIT TO ABOVE PARAGRAPH AFTER TAKING MY MORNING MEDS: Should read "since you stated that Marvel only asked that Hulk/Iron Man be in the book and to have Hulk not eat anyone."

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

warrenellis — Fri, 02 May 2008 07:49:42 -0700

stated that Marvel only asked that Hulk/Iron Man be in the book and to have Hulk not be in the book

Look at this sentence again, and then please resume your medication. Thank you.

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

madmatt213 — Fri, 02 May 2008 08:00:01 -0700

Well played, sir. Well played indeed.

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

Rob Diston — Fri, 02 May 2008 13:36:56 -0700

Is that a normal way for comics at somewhere like Marvel? Just curious as I remember you saying about Avatar work & Desolation Jones that you tailored your writing to fit with the artist.

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

warrenellis — Fri, 02 May 2008 14:26:40 -0700
Is that a normal way for comics at somewhere like Marvel?

Yes, particularly on a time-intensive job like this one.

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

CodyMelartin — Fri, 02 May 2008 23:43:09 -0700
I liked it. Kinda breezy, but that's alright.

What made you decide to make Pete Wisdom the Leader?

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

warrenellis — Sat, 03 May 2008 06:12:21 -0700
So I could get to him and kill him before anyone else used him. Heh.

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

howyadoin — Sat, 03 May 2008 23:55:00 -0700
I really dug the series. The ending seemed kind of underwhelming to me, though. Definitely not as captivating as the previous issue.

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

LokiZero — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:27:58 -0700
See, that's what I loved about it. All this talky talky science and talky talky politics built up to
HULK FUCKING SMASH.

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

Andre — Tue, 06 May 2008 10:44:27 -0700
A great issue, a nice fast fun read. I made a blurb in the "Tell Ellis of your new comics", thread about it. How the Hulk being stuck permanantly with no hope of a cure and the ability to evolve past anything that could possibly hurt him makes him nigh Immortal. Which was quite sad in the long run, a monster till the end of time. The last scene of him bounding away with stark apologizing reminded me of the end of every episode of the original Hulk series. I was playing "The lonely man theme", in my head will reading it.....ding...ding, ding...dong

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

glenn ross — Wed, 07 May 2008 12:19:50 -0700
My thought through out the series was, " Warren must of loved THE SANDBAGGERS." I watch season one. Hardly a budget, but the writing and acting Was/is great.

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

warrenellis — Wed, 07 May 2008 13:40:46 -0700
My thought through out the series was, " Warren must of loved THE SANDBAGGERS."

Oh, yes. I grew up with all that. To reiterate -- I wrote the introduction to the first QUEEN AND COUNTRY collection, too.

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

chris g — Wed, 07 May 2008 13:58:57 -0700
This final issue didn't have enough Iron Man, but I don't care; it was fun. and it was a different kind of climax then the ones I'm used to. Kind of open ended. And I hope you team up with Nord more often. He's quite a catch, don't let him out of your reach!

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

LokiZero — Wed, 07 May 2008 14:07:50 -0700
Yeah, Nord is seriously under appreciated in comics.

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

chris g — Wed, 07 May 2008 14:25:48 -0700
@Warren

So you get the job to write it, and they forward your script to the artist they have in mind? Interesting peek behind-the-scenes. Do you still get comps/interested in seing the final product?
anyway, Marvel should hire you to write either Stark or Banner more often. You nail their voices. Dare I say almost method-writing for Tony!

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

warrenellis — Wed, 07 May 2008 14:35:25 -0700
So you get the job to write it, and they forward your script to the artist they have in mind?

Not quite: I think Cary Nord may already have been attached when they offered me the writing gig. Usually I'll have some level of contact with the artist, but this was a rush job, so I just wrote 'em and fired 'em in... (where, yes, Marvel sent them out to the artist)

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

LokiZero — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:25:58 -0700
Well he did a bang up job. I scanned the scene where the Hulk bursts out of his chair after being head butted by Stark and am using it as my desktop wallpaper.

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

m1k3y — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:27:08 -0700
i liked it a lot. definitely trailed off a little in issue#4, but still think it'll be better then the upcoming Hulk movie (cameo or no cameo)

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

glenn ross — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:59:00 -0700
hhhhmmmmm......Will have to check out QUEEN AND COUNTRY. Thanks. ; )

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

warrenellis — Wed, 07 May 2008 17:02:22 -0700
i liked it a lot. definitely trailed off a little in issue#4

Well, it kind of has to. These things have to obey the rules of their genre.

The ULTIMATE HUMAN #4 Talk Thread

howyadoin — Thu, 08 May 2008 00:09:42 -0700
Yeah, the artwork was definitely killer.