Age of Ultron #10AI (Marvel)

Rating: 4/5 – A fantastic origin story that sets the stage for a brighter and more enjoyable Ant-Man

Although the Age of Ultron event may not have provided a fulfilling conclusion (https://comicspectrum.wordpress.com/2013/07/05/age-of-ultron-10-marvel/), this prologue story that tells the origin of Ant-Man should not be missed.  Writer Mark Waid tells a fun, engaging and complete story that makes Ant-Man/Hank Pym not only extremely likeable, but also sets him up for future stories going forward.

This issue opens with a depressed Hank Pym post Age of Ultron reminiscing on how he got to where he is now.  Although Hank Pym is one of Marvels oldest characters, he hasn’t had the same type of following or popularity that other Marvel characters have had.  In the past 30 years, Hank Pym has been a complicated character with quite a few different alter egos and personalities.  And in this same time frame, writers have usually focused on the character’s not so endearing qualities.  Mark Waid addresses these issues head on, explaining a lot of the why, while taking the character in a new direction that shows promise for a brighter and more cheerful Ant-Man.  In a story that hasn’t been told before, Waid takes us back to Pym’s childhood where we’re able to see the foundations of what makes him think and why he feels the way that he does.  It’s a story that’s very reminiscent of silver-age origin stories that have come before.

When looking at the cover for this issue, you’d get the idea this issue will be similar in tone to the Age of Ultron story that just wrapped up.  Fortunately, that couldn’t be further from the truth.  Artist Andre Lima Araujo’s art is a perfect fit for this story.  His art has a softer and more cartoony feel, that combined with the colorful palette chosen by Frank D’Armata, you get the feeling of that brighter and cheerful Ant-Man mentioned above.  There are also multiple instances where Ant-Man’s transformation from small to big, and vice versa are rendered brilliantly.  Showing Ant-Man’s transformation while in the middle of action is no easy feat, but Araujo draws it fluidly. And seeing Ant-Man in his original costume is not only refreshing, but reminds us why this character’s original iteration is such a simple and great design.  Also, in this issue’s epilogue we get a hint of what’s to come in the upcoming series Avengers A.I..  Although this new series will not be written by Mark Waid, artist Araujo will be handling the art duties, hopefully bringing his same fun style.

If you lost interest in or gave up on the Age of Ultron series, I would strongly recommend giving this issue a try.  Unfortunately like the cover, the numbering of this issue is confusing and misleading and may keep readers away.  This issue is all about Hank Pym and Ant-Man and only briefly touches on the storyline that the title is based on.  Do yourself a favor and don’t judge this book by it’s cover.  This is a fantastic origin story that provides a new and refreshing direction for this long-standing Marvel character.

Reviewed by: Shawn Hoklas – shawn@comicspectrum.com
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