"Who in their right mind is going to climb into it sober?"

Oh, dear. Ultimates. I've read the first series and two issue of the 2004 series and I am enjoying it so much. The cohesiveness of the storytelling is something that I've not gotten from Marvel so far except in Marvel 1602. It's nice. The characters are very different from their counterparts in other continuities, and they're very difficult to love given that most of them lack any redeeming qualities, but I can appreciate these grittier, nastier versions because I kind of enjoy fuckfests of terribleness. And I tend to count characters' flaws as merits anyway.

( Thoughts on the characters; spoilers )

YESSSSS. Has anybody else around here read Ults? I want to read Ultimate X-Men, as well. What else in this universe should I read?

edit: OKAY WOW I FINISHED VOLUME 2 LAST NIGHT AND UGH ALL MY FEELS. This series is seriously contending against Marvel Adventures as my favorite. I HURT.

edit2: Ugh, I hate the writer/penciller change after Ultimates 2. The art in Ultimates 3 was pretty sexist, and the story didn't go anywhere. Ultimatum is even more sexist and is just depressing. This series has turned into one misery after another, and I feel like Loeb is more concerned with racking up a body count than with actual storytelling. Why are these characters even dying. How does this serve the story. And can Finch stop drawing women in ridiculous poses. Come back to me, Millar+Hitch. Uggghhhh.