It seems to me that the days of self-contained, single issues or two to four part storylines are becoming a thing of the past. Okay, they really aren’t but bear with me. The more comics I read these days, the more obvious it appears major events are almost always a result of a major story arc that features crossovers and tie-ins throughout the universe. Sometimes the writers hit a home run with these crossovers and sometimes their results fall below expectations. With the final issue of Ultimatum, we are treated with a truly stunning conclusion to a series that completely blew me away.

The Ultimate Universe is one that I follow religiously. The writing is excellent at times but slips into downbeat and dreary territory often. Such writing can be a REAL turnoff and I don’t feel I am alone in such sentiments. People read comics to be enlightened and entertained. They don’t want to be depressed. That said, the final issue of Ultimatum is hardly one that is bright eyed and cheery. In fact, you could call it somewhat nihilistic as many characters face the ultimate price for committing crimes that are just not forgivable. Sadly, a number of heroes also meet their end trying to end the carnage these villains have brought upon the world.