Jonathan Hickman & Bryan Hitch are back this week with the next chapter, ULTIMATE INVASION #2, in their new Ultimate Universe storyline after a strong start with the debut issue last month.

We pick up after the events of that last issue, in a brand-new “utopian” society, Earth-6160, that has been crafted by the hand of the Maker. We go through several pages of flashbacks to see how he’s played god in this new world by pruning or neutralizing superheroes he deemed as a threat as means of ensuring his vision for a perfect society can come to fruition. A data page reveals just how far his actions have gone with a list of Earth-6160’s superheroes have been impacted by the Maker.

He has left some on the table, or “controlled” as the data page indicates, as they have either capitulated to his views or are such an alternate version of their Earth-616 counterparts that they do not pose a threat to his plans. Several of them descend upon the Maker’s City as dignitaries for a political gathering of nation-states, including Howard Stark who operates as Iron Man in this universe. The festivities are interrupted when an army of time-traveling Marvel heroes from various universes unleash an attack to defeat the Maker.

We flash-forward to after the attack and learn that the Maker survived. In addition, he rescued a badly injured Howard, who he attempts to convert to his cause via an act of universal time-travel genocide. The issue ends with the Maker revealing to Howard that he needs his help fixing an Immortus Engine because it turns out — Howard built it!

It’s abundantly clear how much Hickman enjoys writing the Maker. Throughout both issues released so far, the character is given meaty dialogue/monologue scenes to share his twisted worldview. While I can’t say I agree with any of it, I love the way Hickman continues to show readers just how dangerous a brilliant mind can become when it’s corrupted by power.

The art in this book is Hitchian through-and-through. His classic wide-angle shots are present throughout the book and are especially noticeable during the action scenes as they provide a cinematographic quality that is hard to match in comics. Hitch outdoes himself with a full panel showing the Maker revealing his political prisoners to Howard Stark.

Hitch’s work is complemented by Alex Sinclair’s colors and Joe Caramagna’s lettering. A pale yellow tone soaks the Maker’s society, evoking a sense of gilded light shining down that isn’t everything it seems. One of the more impressive feats is by Caramagna, who manages to do a lot with a little. He resists the urge to fill panels with unnecessary text or sound effects in order to give Hickman’s dialogue and Hitch’s drawings the opportunity to shine.

Since the end of this issue does mark the halfway point for this limited series, I do hope Hickman starts to transition into revealing more about the Maker’s plans and goals. With Marvel’s plans for this series to lay the groundwork for the return of the Ultimate universe, we’re getting dangerously close to that happening without an understanding as to why. However, as a standalone story, Ultimate Invasion appears on it’s way to being another Hickman classic.

Rating: 8/10