Ultra (comics)

Infobox comic book title
title = Ultra


imagesize =
caption =
schedule = Monthly
limited = y
Superhero = y
publisher = Image Comics
date = August 2004 - March 2005
issues = 8
main_char_team =
writers = Joshua Luna
artists = Jonathan Luna
pencillers =
inkers =
letterers =
colorists =
editors =
creative_team_month =
creative_team_year =
creators = Luna Brothers
TPB = Seven Days
ISBN = 1582404836
subcat = Image Comics
sort = PAGENAME

"Ultra" is an eight-issue comic book limited series created by the Luna Brothers, Jonathan (art and plot) and Joshua (script), and published by Image Comics in 2004 and 2005.

The series' central character is Pearl Penalosa, who is also a superheroine called Ultra. The story deals only peripherally with traditional superhero comics themes, like fighting supervillains, but concentrates mainly on how being a superhero affects Pearl's personal life. One reviewer described the series as "Sex and the City" with female heroes".Fact|date=October 2007 The trade paper back (TPB) is peppered with magazine articles from the world of the comic. These help flesh out the back stories of the three main heroines, and are reminiscent of the “documents” in Alan Moore’s Watchmen. The fake articles along with faux ads, covers, and magazine tables of contents help provide an extra element of realism to the comic.

Plot summary

Ultra follows three heroines who all work for the same superhero management company, "Heroine, Inc.":
*"Ultra" (down-to-earth Latina Pearl Penalosa)
*"Aphrodite" (model-turned-superhero Olivia Arancina)
*"Cowgirl" (trust-fund baby Jennifer Janus)

On Thursday night the three heroines are driving around when they see a poster for a fortune teller whom they decide to visit for fun. The fortune teller claims Pearl Penalosa will find her true love within seven days, Olivia Arancina will suffer a loss within seven days, and Jennifer Janus will receive what she has given within seven days. Later that night a truck driver hits Olivia's car, causing her to suffer a loss: the first of the fortunes has come true.

On Friday morning "Ultra" stops a bank robbery and fights another super-human. All the news people have one question: "Why are you still single?" Afterwards she meets Aphrodite and Cowgirl for a bit; she also meets Jason, whom she really likes, but she is called away, so he gives her his cell phone number. Aphrodite and Cowgirl ask one question: "True...Love?" Later that night Ultra calls him.

Collected editions

The series has been collected as a single volume:

*"Ultra: Seven Days" (232 pages, May 2005, softcover ISBN 1582404836, hardcover, ISBN 1582404844)

Television

In 2006, a pilot episode was made for a proposed Ultra television series. [imdb title|id=0757354|title=Ultra] The pilot was produced by Barbara Hall. It featured Lena Headey as Ultra (renamed Penny Penalosa) and was directed by Helen Shaver. While CBS and the CW expressed an interest in the series, neither decided to carry it.

Notes

References

*gcdb series|id=13323|title="Ultra"
*comicbookdb|type=title|id=1064|title="Ultra"

External links

* [http://www.lunabrothers.com/bib_ultra.php "Ultra" section of the Luna Brothers site]
* [http://www.sequart.com/columns/index.php?col=21&column=1026 Article about Ultra] on Sequart.com.
* [http://comics.ign.com/articles/607/607317p1.html Article about Ultra] on IGN.