So we got aliens trying to stop humans from leaving the Earth. Weve just learned in Ultimate Nightmare that a hideous creature is coming to kill the planet. Our space opera has officially gone to the next level. Ellis is building something big, and every brick looks good. Read Full Review

I know about Carol Danverss early life, how shed risen in the military only to be disgraced by Captain Marvels conflicts on her watch. But I wasnt old enough to read those issues, and shes become Warbird (forever changed by her exposure to Kree culture) and her Captain Mar-Vell is long dead. Now I get to relive that seminal first contact in the Ultimate Universe, with updated sci-tech and all-fresh versions of characters freed from the history of our world. The cover promises many more players (most of the Ultimates weve met save for the X-men and Spidey apparently), but at least in this installment, Ellis has achieved something unexpected: a fresh update on some timeworn ideas. Read Full Review

If I had any criticism of the book, its that the lack of established personalities or any real depth for the character of Dr. Philip Lawson/Captain Marvel this issue leaves us with little attachment to any of the characters as of yet, and as such theres no-one to really root for. Im also eager to see the Galactus (or should I say Gah-Lak-Tus) storyline from Ultimate Nightmare expanded upon, and there was no direct continuation of that here. Its also fair to say that the artwork could be a little clearer at times, notably when trying to sell the relationship between Mahr-Vell and the Kree, or the nature of that alien warriors power and the effect of his attacks. However, Im confident that the outer-space sci-fi elements at play here should tie in to a suitably satisfying continuation of the Ultimate Galactus trilogy, and that Warren Ellis is a safe pair of hands to translate these classic cosmic Marvel characters into the more grounded setting of Marvels Ultimate Universe Read Full Review

Steve McNiven is my personal favourite among the group of artists that Marvel has labelled the "Young Guns," thanks largely to the fact that he actually has a proven track record that one can point to as proof that he can provide his high quality art on a monthly basis. Plus the sheer level of detail on the page is ever so impressive, as there's some lovely big impact images in this issue, from the fantastic establishing shot of the space shuttle, to the wonderfully moody sequence where Doctor Lawson transforms into Captain Marvel. There's also some nice work on the scene where the base comes under attack, and the visual design to the Kree Sentry was really quite nicely done. I loved the tentacle arms. The Ultimate redesign of Captain Marvel was also quite solid, with our first look at the character being especially notable thanks to the seething energy that surrounds him. We also get a lovely looking final page cliff-hanger explosion. Read Full Review