After a mediocre third issue, Bendis and Hitch kick things up several gears and the story gets a much-needed jump. Luke Cage and She-Hulk are in the heart of Ultron City, built over the remains of Manhattan, to barter with Ultron only to find someone unexpected in his place with yet another unexpected twist to the tale. Things get more complicated with this Ultron fella but I wont spoil it for those who havent read the issue yet. Meanwhile Red Hulk and Taskmaster have a "disagreement" in Chicago, and Moon Knight and Black Widow in San Francisco come up with an unused plan put together by Nick Fury for just such a doomed occasion as the Ultron occupation. The heroes underneath Central Park finally make a move and head off to the Savage Land to recuperate and form a plan of attack. The fourth issue brings the event back on the tracks with a lot of things happening. What Cage learns changes the story's direction while the various plot threads converge, meaning what Red Hulk knows, coupled with Furys mysterious plan, and what Cage found out are now all on the table and a counter-attack seems possible. The issues features strong, fast-paced storytelling from Bendis and great art from Hitch but as expected in this event, more superheroes bite the dust with at least one unexpected death. Theres this eerie panel featuring the numerous Ultron drones just floating in the sky above San Francisco thats really great but Im still not 100% sure of Ultron's motives for policing humanity instead of destroying it. I know Bendis already kind-of addressed this but I didnt buy it and Im hoping a more satisfying explanation will appear in later issues. Issue #4 is an excellent read that sets up a tantalising second act where I expect to see an exciting fight back from the heroes against the ridiculously powerful Ultron army (and undoubtedly more superhero deaths!). Great stuff from Bendis and Hitch - no wonder this is the top selling comic at the moment.
Age of Ultron #4 by Brian Michael Bendis and Bryan Hitch is out now at your local comics shop and online at Comixology and Marvel Unlimited