The heroes have gathered in the untouched Savage Land and Nick Fury has come up with a plan - use Doctor Dooms time platform to head into the future where Ultron is and take him on. As a small group of heroes go off to do just that, Wolverine has a better idea for the time platform - go back in time and kill Hank Pym before he invents Ultron. Sacrifice one to save a billion. But will it work - or make things worse? Unlike the last issues cover, this issue does deliver on its promise of heroes on Ultron action as the future team of Fury, Cap, Red Hulk, Storm and a few others do battle with wave after wave of Ultron heads (apparently in the future Ultron drones are just mega-powerful heads rather than the full body ones sent into the past/our present). But after I put down this issue I wondered - what was Furys plan? Travel to the future and...what? Because, just like in the past, theyre immediately overwhelmed by the numerous drones Ultron has made of himself and we know the heroes cant defeat them by themselves, so what was the plan? Did they have some kind of special device to activate? Did Fury not think Ultron would surround himself with an army of super-effective protectors? It just seems dumb of Fury and co. to just walk into the lions den without so much as an inkling for what they were going to do besides kill a robot. At least with Wolverine there was a very clear plan - in the past there are no Ultron drones so just go into Hank Pyms lab and slit his throat. Simple, but an effective plan nonetheless. The great tacticians Nick Fury and Steve Rogers went headfirst into a wall of death - no plan, no clue. It makes no sense! If they cant take on the Ultron drones in a full frontal assault in the past, why would they be able to do so in the future - with even fewer heroes on their side?! This is the first issue without artist Bryan Hitch on board who drew his last issue with #5. Replacing him are two artists, Brandon Peterson who draws the future segments and Carlos Pacheco who draws the past segments. I like Pachecos art more but both artists do a fine job with this issue, Age of Ultron continues to be a great looking comic.
Complaints aside, the plot is moving forward rapidly after a couple of issues of rather leisurely-paced storytelling and the ending will leave you hungry for more. It changes everything and the series continues to be as unpredictable as it has been so far. And yes, more heroes die. Ultron is quite the cad, isnt he? Quick, Marty, back to the present!
Age of Ultron #6 by Brian Michael Bendis, Brandon Peterson and Carlos Pacheco is out now at your local comics shop and online at Comixology