The Ultimates #2: White House (Taken) Down

Revolutionary thought experiments and discussion have permeated recent pop culture, especially in high-quality blockbuster fare like Andor. The series, which takes on and then passes the revolutionary themes present during Rogue One, outlines how the common person can find a place in fighting against the tides of fascism. As time passes and the dangers of authoritarianism become more evident in modern society, that piece of art festers in the mind more, scratching at the need to observe connections and patterns. Another piece of art that operates on a similar wavelength is the current The Ultimates title, one of the most recent comics from the Big 2. 

The Ultimates #2 – written by Deniz Camp with art by Juan Frigeri, colors from Federico Blee, and lettering by VC’s Travis Lanham – offers the next story of recruitment for the titular superhero team. Viewed as terrorists by the public, the Ultimates, led by Captain America, storm the White House in search of another superpowered person and information about the distortions in reality. The issue splits its focus between past and present, showcasing Cap’s first-day post-unfreezing and the attack on the White House. In the past storyline, Cap learns about the history of the Ultimate Universe post-World War II, giving fragments of the alt-history.

In the present day, the superteam fights their way into the historic building. It comes face to face with Midas, a capitalist in the original Iron Man armor who presides over the America territory. As he battles Captain America and Iron Lad, Midas monologues about the all-mighty force of capitalism and the new world order. The fight drops them straight into the bowels of the White House where Midas is keeping a superpowered hostage from the future trapped, using their cosmic energy to power swaths of America and harvesting information about the future from her clothes and blood. The team is ultimately able to free her, possibly resulting in widespread societal costs while gaining a new ally in their fight against the Maker. 

Camp’s scripting continues to sharpen its edge throughout the issue, pulling images and ideas from recent history into a new lens through the commentary of this issue. The idea of a group storming a major US landmark is a striking visual and is one that sits at the forefront of the mind. However, in the framing of the issue, this is done as a heroic act as the group forces their way into both rescuing the captive and learning more about the world’s alt-history. The unsubtle reframing of these familiar sights speaks to the approach Camp is taking for the title, echoing the similar precedence established in the first Ultimates run. That title dealt with the looming shadow of events like the war on terror and 9/11. 

In taking that approach, Camp solidifies the reflective nature of the Ultimate Universe while making it much more contemporary. The Ultimates are a dissenting group fighting against the powers that be, rather than an arm of a colonial power. Captain America is a symbol and soldier of a country that no longer exists, as Camp shows the audience over and over again in the issue. What’s made clear, however, is while a border and political system have disappeared a spirit and belief in an ideal still exists. It’s clear that America as a concept, like the notion of a Dream that is always fighting for, is still alive and present in this reality. To restore it, an active and more strategic process will be needed. 

The issue thrives in the juxtapositions that Camp creates by focusing on the dual timelines, continuing a trend from the first. As a framework, showcasing what each character has been doing in the time between this series and Ultimate Universe #1 is a thrilling decision, as it allows for exposition while still moving the clock closer to the Maker’s return. Camp strikes just the right balance of exposition and stakes raising while also elevating it with a tense battle of both the physical and ideological. To then tie all of these threads up into a cohesive, thematically rich conclusion sprinkled with a fun bit of wordplay is an insane task that Camp clears with grace. 

Going hand-in-hand with Camp’s writing is Frigeri’s artwork, striking a visual tone that aligns with the strong thematic choices. The visual of Steve Rogers stumbling through projections of history is a stunning choice that creates the sensation of feeling lost in history’s progression. Frigeri’s blocking for the sequences places the reader in Steve’s shoes, revealing information without overwhelming textual exposition that relies on the artwork. Flashes of Howard Stark fighting Omega Red, the Punisher gunning down people, and the Maker meeting Galactus immediately sell the history that spans the decades in a small collection of panels. Frigeri laser focuses on the images that convey the most info or emotion possible at all points, packing the pages with detail to pour over. 

In the present-day scenes, Frigeri also continues stretching the action muscles for the artwork. Delivering concise fight choreography and blocking allows for a sustained sequence that feels modular as one beat flows into the next. The punches traded between Cap and Midas carry not only the weight of physics in a real-world-adjacent setting but also channel the weight of their clashing ideologies. Moments like Midas throwing Cap into the rubble or Wasp sparking machinery are key to selling these pages, and reinforce the level of care placed on making the book operate on a clear thematic level. 

Blee’s coloring harmonizes with those themes, trading in muted tones during the flashback pages and then exploding in intense hues for the present action. Steve watches projections of footage covering the history of the universe and Blee gives a faded, yet illuminated sheen to the artwork with flecks of light casting shadows over Cap. That decision sets the section apart visually, making clear the flashbacks while also speaking to the spectral nature of Steve Rogers, who haunts his way through history. Pivoting from that are the more striking blues of cosmic energy and warm tones of light filling the action scenes in the White House. Both approaches create distinct looks that draw in the eye and underline the thematic approach of the issue.