All-New Ultimates (2014) #3

Previously in All-New Ultimates #2

Like the issue before it, Summer of Scourge picks up mid-action: Black Widow is being treated for the poison she received while battling the Serpent Skulls. Thanks to her advanced molecular makeup, which served as an antitoxin, she’s going to pull through. And speaking of Scourge, he’s a little butthurt that his murdering spree is being attributed to ‘gang-related’ activities.

Some of Bombshell’s erratic behavior is explained as we learn she’s been going undercover as the girlfriend to Poey, a low-level drug dealer with ties to The Skulls. She convinces him to let her tag along on a re-up. Spider-Man follows and watches as back-up. Meanwhile, Scourge is going to make sure people know his name: He spray paints it on the wall of the alleyway where he’s killed his latest victim. Black Widow and Kitty Pryde interrupt him and when Black Widow is blasted, she decides it’s time to call in reinforcements. Unfortunately, Spidey forgot to put his phone on mute and the S.O.S. call alerts the Skulls to his presence. This forces Bombshell to join the fray, but she does so without blowing her cover. Even with the help of Cloak and Dagger, Scourge gets away.

This has been my favorite issue in the series so far. For the first time, I felt like I had a grasp on the story after my first read-through. I like that these new heroes are still stumbling while trying to do the right thing. Before this issue, I wasn’t sure how I felt about Miles Morales as Spider-Man, but his wisecracking while whooping the bad guys felt like the Spidey I’d grown up with, and that’s a good thing.

My only complaint is that, so far, Scourge has failed to impress me. The whining about not getting his props wasn’t what I expected after his ominous introduction last issue, but his escape here was pretty cool.

I’m looking forward to diving into issue #4 and hope that it sheds some light on what’s going on with Detective Schreck. Remember, before the police killed Styx, Styx hit the detective with his powers and left him disfigured and dying. In this issue, Brigid is meeting with an informant when she gets a call from the morgue. Looks like Detective Schreck is missing.