World Famous Comics: Ultimate X-Men: Ultimate Collection, Vol. 1
Ultimate X-Men: Ultimate Collection, Vol. 1
By: Mark Millar, Geoff Johns Publisher: Marvel Comics Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Marvel Comics Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 336 Publication Date: April 12, 2006 Reading Level: Young Adult
Amazon.com: The economical paperback Ultimate X-Men Ultimate Collection Vol. 1 represents the first year of the mutant team, issues 1-12 plus issue 1/2 that took place between issues 6 and 7. Ultimate X-Men was created as part of Marvel's Ultimate line, which starting with Ultimate Spider-Man "rebooted" popular series from the beginning so newer readers could dive into them without having to learn 40 years of character backstories. (They also use a more dynamic, cinematic style.) In the case of the X-Men, that meant reconfiguring Professor Xavier's opening roster to include Cyclops, a punk Jean Grey, Beast, Ice Man, Colossus, Storm, and a psychopathic secret weapon named Wolverine. In the first of the two six-issue story arcs, The Tomorrow People, we meet the team and their mission to protect the human race against Magneto and his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, whose desire to establish homo superior's proper place above normal humanity leads the U.S. President to deploy the mutant killing machines, the Sentinels. The second arc, Return to Weapon X sags a little by deemphasizing the team in favor of the government agents behind the Weapon X project. Written by Mark Millar, with pencils mostly by Adam Kubert and Andy Kubert, with assists from Tom Raney and Thomas Derenick. --David Horiuchi
Product Description: Collecting the first year of Mark Millar's groundbreaking ULTIMATE X-MEN - issues #1-12 - in one colossal trade paperback! Featuring an all-new cover by ULTIMATE HULK VS. WOLVERINE artist Leinil Francis Yu! The world stands on the brink of genetic war. Mankind has made the first move, launching an army of giant, cybernetic executioners called Sentinels - programmed to target and eliminate the mutant DNA strand. Now, Magneto and his mutant terrorist cell are preparing to follow through on their threats of Homo sapien genocide. The only force that can prevent total annihilation: five awkward teenagers and their crippled mentor! Plus: The inexperienced X-Men must rely on the enigmatic and unproven Wolverine when they become pawns of the mysterious Weapon X program. Can Logan go it alone against the shadow-ops organization that transformed him into one of the world's most lethal killing machines? Also featuring the rare ULTIMATE X-MEN #1/2!
Incredible. Great Stories here, and for a price that you can't beat. I hadn't read any of the Ultimate stuff from Marvel, except for Daredevil and Elektra, but the X-Men have always been my favorite, and I was intrigued by the way that they were "reborn" here. I would have to say that my favorite highlight would be what the Weapon-X program did to Beast. Peace and Love, Jake
A Fresh Start I must say I'm surprised at the harsh criticism that is directed at the Ultimate X-Men series and this volume in particular. I was a skeptic when the whole "Ultimate" non-continuity line was announced a few years ago, but at this point Ultimate X-Men is the only X-title I bother with aside from Joss Whedon's excellent Astonishing X-Men series.
Ultimate X-Men is about more than just jettisoning 40 years of continuity and starting over. It's about a fresh start for our favorite characters. The X-Men always worked best as troubled teenagers and hated outcasts, and that part of the characters has been lost in the "real" titles in favor of complicated crossovers and constantly killing (and reviving) classic characters. I'd challenge anyone to drag your reprints off the shelf and re-read X-Men #1 and Giant Sized X-Men #1. The spirit of those two monumental X-Men issues flows through the pages of Ultimate X-Men. Criticizing Millar's writing style or Kubert's art is one thing, but I can't see how any objective reader can challenge this title's spirit or heart.
On to the actual stories collected in this volume:
The Tomorrow People starts much like Giant Sized X-Men #1 did, with the individual X-Men being identified and drafted to Professor X's cause. The team is redefined as a group of teenagers, just as Lee and Kirby's originally intended. This lends the characters some wild energy and emotional volatility that keep even the most mundane situations interesting. The other interesting revamp is casting Magneto and his Brotherhood as terrorists rather than just super-villains. Sure, Magneto has always been a terrorist, but more on a "steal some nukes" scale rather than "bomb government buildings and kill civilians". In a post 9-11 world, this type of character is all the more frightening. Magneto's cause is no longer the grand Evil of super-villainy, but rather the more insidious evil of racism and exclusion that can so easily ensnare even the most well-intentioned.
Return to Weapon X is even more fun than The Tomorrow People. Right off the bat, Xavier and company are kidnapped by SHIELD agents whose goal is to exploit mutants for military purposes. Among their past victims - Wolverine. The way these kids are treated - not just the X-Men, but the other Weapon X captives as well - makes for some incredibly compelling reading, as does the introduction of the Ultimate version of Nick Fury, one of the best characters in the Ultimate Universe. This storyline is high on action as well as character development, and is quite simply one of the best X-Men stories I've read in a long time.
I can see that Mark Millar's story and writing style have taken a lot of criticism here, but I found it completely enjoyable and completely refreshing. The X-Men all show strong personalities, as do Magneto and some (though not all) of his Brotherhood. The plot is solid and the dialogue is smart and edgy and so much more interesting than what has been recycled in Uncanny X-Men over the past two decades. Millar has successfully reinvented the X-Men with both a modern look and feel, and a true appreciation for the original X-Men stories that made these characters shine in the first place.
The artwork for this series is as solid as you'd expect from the Kuberts. I've never really been a fan of either Kubert brother's style, but they have come a long way and their art absolutely enhances the overall storytelling.
I highly recommend Ultimate X-Men, not only to new X-fans who might be bewildered by the continuity of the older series, but to old school X-Men fans like me. If you keep an open mind, you should find this book quite enjoyable.
The X-Men, 60% More Ultimatey! This soft cover collects Mark Millar's Ultimate X-Men 1-12, plus the 1/2 issue by Geoff Johns. I've enjoyed a lot of Millar's previous work, especially The Ultimates. He has a knack for action and politics, and for crafting very enjoyable reads.
This volume... not my favorite Millar. A re-imagining of the X-Men for Marvel's new Ultimate Universe, instead of Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast, Angel, and Iceman, we're absent Angel but with the additions of fan-favorite Wolverine, and Colossus. This being the Ultimate World, their origins and drives are very different from, and sometimes sensationalistic-ally opposite to, the originals. The purest in me found some of them (especially the Wolverine angles) hard to digest, and while they did set the book apart, it seemed at times to be at the expense of creating vibrant characters in their own right.
The story deals with the formation of the team (recruited on Prof. X's behalf by a newer, sexier, Jean Grey), and their battle with Ultimate Magneto and his Ultimate Brotherhood of Evil Mutants (his children, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch, as well as Toad, Mastermind, and others).
Like much of the Ultimate Universe, real-world touches like George Bush being President of the United States are thrown in. Also, the stakes are immediately much higher; as the story begins, on presidential order, Sentinels are hunting down and executing mutants without benefit of warrant or trial. Great setup. However, the elaboration didn't flow as well as other Millar work I've enjoyed, something which was aided not at all by the artwork, from the usually excellent Kubert bros. Top-notch figures, dynamic action... but panel-to-panel story-telling was difficult to follow and, at times, downright confusing.
Overall, a mixed bag. Enough to challenge my preconceptions but not shatter them.
As an added bonus, the soft cover provides the original Ultimate X-Men script by Brian Bendis, which is a VERY different take from Millar's version as well.
X-men Awsomeness! This is a great little book marvel put out. it has the first year of ultimate x-men, its great for any one who is just getting in on the ultimate universe. pick it up and enjoy.
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