- Written by: Deniz Camp
- Art by: Juan Frigeri
- Colors by: Federico Blee
- Letters by: VC’s Joe Caramagna
- Cover art by: Dike Ruan, Neeraj Menon (cover A)
- Cover price: $4.99
- Release date: September 17, 2025
The Ultimates #16, by Marvel on 9/17/25, follows Wren, an idealistic teenager who chose to join a resistance cell to support the Ultimates in their quest to end oppression.
First Impressions
This issue feels like the creative team left their foot off the gas at the worst possible time. The focus on a barely established character, while the actual plot idles in neutral, is baffling and frustrating. It’s a narrative snooze for a climax setup, and even all the angst can’t disguise how little actually happens.
Recap
In issue #15, the Ultimates’ campaign spun in place as the supposed resurrection of the Iron Fist took top billing, sidelining the series leads and main arc in favor of a backstory-heavy detour about Shen Qi, his celestial tournaments, and a pacifist philosophy. While world-building earned points, fans of the main storyline found little progress—just rough art, shallow backgrounds, and barely any movement toward the Maker’s looming threat.
Plot Analysis
Meet Wren Montgomery, a moody teenager whose absentee school record prompts a parental confrontation. Her mind stays on bigger questions than homework, thanks to the influence of her sixth-grade teacher, Ms. Walters, who is loved by students but brutally dragged away for teaching about democracy and universal rights. Wren’s best friend Mia exhibits powers, dies suspiciously, and leaves Wren petrified and silent, haunted by the oppressive regime’s reach.
Wren stumbles onto the shadowy resistance movement inspired by the Ultimates, joining secret meetings where paranoia reigns and action is rare, until Iron Lad and the Ultimates spark a wave of energetic new recruits. The issue charts her growing involvement, complete with sabotage, wheatpasting, and possibly hiding Captain America in her basement for a tense night while authorities hunt him.
Eventually, the crackdown comes. Wren faces accusations of terrorism, is forced into flight, and endures brutal pursuit by faceless enforcers. Handless and terrified, she’s spirited away by underground allies who promise safety and new purpose but warn her that her old life is truly over. The closing note is bleak but determined, with Wren’s place in the larger struggle left in limbo and the Maker’s return clock still ticking.
Writing
Writer Deniz Camp delivers a script that’s introspective, but not in service of the main event. The dialogue is sharp enough, and Wren’s voice resonates as a scared but stubborn rebel. Unfortunately, the issue’s obsession with civilian misery and resistance trivia comes at the cost of main-arc momentum. The one truly urgent subplot, preparing against the Maker, is ignored for long stretches in favor of flashbacks, parental drama, and repetitive resistance meetings. The one-liners and internal narration try for wit, but rarely land, weighed down by clinical recaps and overly earnest self-pity.
Art
Juan Frigeri’s line work is solid, conveying action and character emotion with clarity, especially in chase and fight scenes. Federico Blee’s color choices lean moody and somber. While the panels avoid outright stiffness, few pages offer standout splendor, and several conversational sequences feel visually static. There’s a cinematic effort in the big moments – explosions, escapes, dramatic lighting – but most character scenes read as flat setups instead of compelling drama, robbing the stakes of true weight.
Characters
Wren Montgomery claims the spotlight, but lacks the depth to justify such singular focus so near the series’ climax. Her arc is heavy on trauma and secrecy, light on growth or importance to the overarching battle. Returning Ultimates (Iron Lad, Captain America, Hawkeye, etc.) drop in as legends, not real participants. All the familiar faces are mere background, and the Maker’s threat is kept offstage.
Positives
There is, at minimum, a sense of lived-in worldbuilding. The issue paints a vivid picture of everyday oppression under the Maker’s regime. Some sequences of desperate escape pulse with real tension, especially Wren’s frantic flight and the rescue operation. The rare action scenes are brisk, with kinetic art that ramps up the energy.
Negatives
This is textbook filler, right when the story demands a critical acceleration. The comic devotes pages to flashbacks, school drama, resistance meetings, and a protagonist whose story doesn’t move the main quest forward. Iconic characters vanish into the background, suspense for the Maker’s return is replaced by suburban angst, and despite a high body count, there’s little spectacle or consequence for the rest of the team. Worst of all, for fans who’ve followed the series for two years, next to nothing here feels essential.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Final Thoughts
Ultimates #16 tries to turn a supporting character’s bad week into a gripping saga, but ends up as wasted space right when the story should charge ahead. Anyone hoping to see the Ultimates gear up for the Maker’s return will find only side quests, skipped beats, and squandered suspense. If comics had a “please skip” button, this issue would earn a slap. Don’t spend two years climbing the mountain only to take a nap before the summit.
4/10
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