Monday, June 23, 2014

Bin Fodder - Ultra Comic Review






Welcome to another edition of Bin Fodder!  This week I spotlight another Image Comics book, Ultra: Seven Days, written and created by the Luna Brothers.  The Luna Brothers are possibly the best (if only) Asian brother duo in comics.  Other books they’ve created are Girls and Sword, which are both Image books. 

The book is probably best described as a cross between Superman and Sex and the City.  You have the hero everybody loves, Ultra, and her two best friends Aphrodite (the slutty one) and Cowgirl (the innocent girl, daughter of the mayor).  But don’t lose hope, men, there’s plenty of eye candy to keep you into the story if you somehow fail to realize that you’re actually reading an excellent piece of writing.  Each issue ends on a cliffhanger of one kind or another.  It compels you to turn the page or buy the next issue.



Ultra is set in a world where superheroes are commonplace, so much so that they have representation (agents) and do ads for things like “Cool Cola” or “Levy’s Jeans”.  The story of Seven Days centers on the main character Ultra. (insert picture of Ultra)






She’s reached a crossroads in her life as a person and as a superhero.  A random encounter with a fortune teller, forced upon her by best friend Aphrodite, sets Ultra on reluctant search for true love.  Don’t worry though, there’s still plenty of action and sexy undertones throughout.


Ultra, whose real name is Pearl Penalosa, has a chance encounter with a guy whom after an awkward, cut-short-by-superhero-y-things conversation, she agrees on a date with.  The situation ends badly for Pearl in a thankfully unpredictable way.  The man, who seems genuine and even likable in his awkward and self-doubting way, ends up taking pictures of himself in bed with the sleeping super heroine all covered in bruises and sells the pictures and his tale to a sleazy tabloid.  This ruins Ultra’s previously untainted persona as the squeaky-clean heroine. 



As Pearl tries to recover from the public outrage against her she turns to friend Cowgirl, Jen, for a relaxing lunch and talk about life at the top of an under-construction skyscraper (ya know, a normal place to have a nice quiet lunch).  It’s here that Jen decides to express her concern for Pearl’s well being and express her love for her with a kiss.  


The admission that her best friend is in love with her does nothing to help Pearl’s situation, but as a super heroine the job never really stops. The next day she is forced to deal with a new ultra powerful super villain, a pyrokinetic.  During this fight Ultra is nearly killed and when she wakes up the hospital she starts to realize how short and fleeting life really can be.

In the end Pearl realizes that being Ultra isn’t the end-all, be-all of her existence and she decides to leave the business. 

I’d definitely consider this a book for everyone.  It’s got pieces for men and women alike.   



Until next time,

This is Bin Fodder Guru Tim Blacksmith signing off!

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