Brian Wilkinson
Mar 25, 2002, 10:24 pm
<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/covers/ultxmen16.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/covers/ultxmen16t.jpg" align=left alt="Ultimate X-Men #16"></a>Reviewer: Brian E. Wilkinson, bewilkinson@yahoo.ca
Quick Rating: Great!
Story Title: X-Men: World Tour (Part 1)
They may not be in school, but class is still in session as the Ultimate X-Men begin their World Tour! Plus: The debut of the newest threat to the X-Men... Ultimate Proteus!
Written by: Mark Millar
Pencilled by: Adam Kubert
Inked by: Danny Miki
Lettered by: Chris Eliopoulos
Colored by: Dave Stewart
Associate Editor: Brian Smith
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Editor-in-Chief: Joe Quesada
President: Bill Jemas
How is it possible for a series to get better and better with each issue? Mark Millar and Adam Kubert have put Ultimate X-Men in the leagues of some of the heaviest hitters in the comics industry and with good reason: this series is incredible.
In its short history, Ultimate X-Men has become indispensable for the average comic collector. Whether or not you have been a fan of the X-Men in the past or not doesn't make a difference as thirty-five year old continuity that has bogged down the main Marvel series for years doesn't apply here. For the first time in years, the X-Men are almost immediately accessible characters that don't leave the casual reader scratching their heads in confusion. The structure of Mark Millar’s story arcs makes it possible for the uninitiated to hop on easily and each tale works well enough on its own that you don’t really need every issue to see the big picture.
Issue #16 sees the beginning of the ‘World Tour’ arc in which the X-Men take off to several countries to promote not only Xavier’s new book but also their status as mutants and the dream of peaceful existence among normal humans. Though travelling to other countries may not seem like something out of the ordinary for the X-Men to do (as in the regular Marvel Universe they’ve been all over the globe and even outer space), it is in how Millar approaches life outside the school that is interesting.
Though it has existed for years in multiple formats such as the Xavier School For Gifted Youngsters, The Xavier Institute, and The Massachusetts Academy, there was always one thing blatantly missing from the Marvel Universe X-Men books: the fact that it was a school. Aside from seeing The X-Men, New Mutants, X-Force, and Generation X being put through countless Danger Room sessions and fighting the good fight, you almost NEVER saw them in a classroom, much less concerned about marks or being top of the class. I never really understood where and how the characters received their degrees (such as Iceman who holds an Accounting degree in the Marvel Universe) as they rarely even showed them sitting in a classroom. While I do acknowledge the fact that Grant Morrison has begun using the Xavier Institute in the pages of New X-Men as a school, Mark Millar is the first writer I can think of to really embrace the idea of learning and apply it to his characters in such a memorable way.
Each member of the team belongs to a group of two or three with the goal of finding ways to both improve human/mutant relations but to simply do a good deed for others living in the world around them. Colossus, Wolverine, and Iceman bust up a drug smuggling operation, Marvel Girl and Storm stop a terrorist cell from bombing a mall, while Cyclops and Beast take down some muggers and then get them into a rehab facility with the promise of regular jobs once they do their time. I have to give Millar a lot of credit for his writing here, as the friendly competition for the top grade makes the team seem more and more like the kids they are. The only question I have is as to why Wolverine (despite the fact that he doesn’t care about his grade) is even ‘participating’ in these school lessons as he is quite a bit older than the rest of them.
I have to express my continuing unease about Charles Xavier. Though I applaud his efforts to have his students give something back to those less fortunate (see the brilliant extracurricular activities that the team volunteers for in issue #15 as an example of what I mean), I must admit that I’m surprised he feels comfortable exposing his students to the level of danger they are facing. Fighting Magneto is one thing, fighting for their lives as prisoners of Weapon X is another, but willingly sending a fifteen-year-old novice into a nightclub to bust up a drug ring is another. Noble intentions or not, this is NOT your father’s Xavier. He is SO close to his Marvel Universe counterpart as they share the same wonderful beliefs, the same hopeful dream, but this one is willing to do whatever it takes, no matter the cost. This makes me afraid for the world, to be honest, not to mention the X-Men. Would Xavier willingly sacrifice one of his own students for the cause? At this point in the series, I think he might.
The only frustrating part of dealing with the Ultimate universe is in what you think you know will happen because it ‘happened’ in the Marvel Universe. Case in point is the introduction of the Ultimate Proteus in this issue. A dangerous being made of energy in the Marvel Universe, Proteus could hop from body to body until he used up the life essence of the host body. Also able to distort reality, the son of Moira MacTaggert was a force to be reckoned with. So, when I heard that Proteus was going to be the main source of conflict for this arc, I assumed that he would largely be the same. I really should stop assuming, especially when it comes to Mark Millar.
No, this Proteus is the same and yet not the same. He seems to be more of a combination of David Haller (otherwise known as Legion and the son of Xavier in the Marvel Universe) and Proteus. Xavier and Moira are his parents, and unlike either Legion or Proteus from the main continuity, this one is quite a bit more dangerous. We don’t get to see much of him, but from what we DO see, the X-Men are going to have quite a hard time containing him. I am really looking forward to seeing this confrontation (not to mention the Ultimate version of Psylocke who is slated to appear soon… but I didn’t tell you that)!
Favorite moment of the book: Before Wolverine, Colossus, and Iceman can bust up the drug ring, Iceman has a phone conversation with his parents where they are basically yelling at him for taking off without telling them where he was going. Wolverine attempts to smooth things over by talking to Bobby’s mother, but winds up making things worse as she points out that her little boy is in the company of a killer and an ex-Russian mafia enforcer. After she angrily hangs up and Wolverine hands the phone back to Bobby who has a stunned expression on his face I couldn't stop laughing for at least five minutes!
Now on to a small complaint (I always seem to have one, don’t I?): Colossus disappearing at the end of this issue. It’s not explained very well, nor was there really an indication that he was just going to take off like that. While it has been revealed that next issue largely focuses on Colossus and his family in Russia (with guest artist Chris Bachalo on board to boot!), the average reader won’t get this. Though Cyclops mentions that Peter has been very quiet the past couple of weeks, it doesn’t really justify his taking off on the team without another word. As far as I know, the Rasputin clan isn’t in any trouble at the moment and Peter’s old bosses in the mafia have been dealt with, so I can’t see as to why he would just take off. Considering it was mentioned that Colossus was in the company of an unknown male and female, I’m sure all will be explained next issue. I’m just a whiner who doesn’t like it when he doesn’t know what’s going on.
I have to give Adam Kubert a huge amount of credit for the success of both this issue and the series. His art in this issue was nothing short of fantastic. The level of detail he applies not only to his characters, who all look as brilliant as usual, but to the buildings, streets, and locations lovingly drawn to represent England show an incredible amount of respect for his art form and his level of dedication to being a true artist. Though it may have gone unnoticed by some of you, he even shows Big Ben with scaffolding to show that repairs are underway as it was damaged by the Brotherhood in issue #5 of the series. Great stuff as usual from Kubert!
There are really a lot of other things I could discuss with this issue that are both important and minor. What’s important for me to get across, however, is that this is a series that you really can’t afford to miss. Go out and buy it today!
{I may be nitpicking, but that's because my nose just won't do anymore.}
Art:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg
Story:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg
Overall:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg
Buy this issue online now from X-World Comics (http://www.x-worldcomics.com/x/bstore/newbooksmain.html) and save!
Quick Rating: Great!
Story Title: X-Men: World Tour (Part 1)
They may not be in school, but class is still in session as the Ultimate X-Men begin their World Tour! Plus: The debut of the newest threat to the X-Men... Ultimate Proteus!
Written by: Mark Millar
Pencilled by: Adam Kubert
Inked by: Danny Miki
Lettered by: Chris Eliopoulos
Colored by: Dave Stewart
Associate Editor: Brian Smith
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Editor-in-Chief: Joe Quesada
President: Bill Jemas
How is it possible for a series to get better and better with each issue? Mark Millar and Adam Kubert have put Ultimate X-Men in the leagues of some of the heaviest hitters in the comics industry and with good reason: this series is incredible.
In its short history, Ultimate X-Men has become indispensable for the average comic collector. Whether or not you have been a fan of the X-Men in the past or not doesn't make a difference as thirty-five year old continuity that has bogged down the main Marvel series for years doesn't apply here. For the first time in years, the X-Men are almost immediately accessible characters that don't leave the casual reader scratching their heads in confusion. The structure of Mark Millar’s story arcs makes it possible for the uninitiated to hop on easily and each tale works well enough on its own that you don’t really need every issue to see the big picture.
Issue #16 sees the beginning of the ‘World Tour’ arc in which the X-Men take off to several countries to promote not only Xavier’s new book but also their status as mutants and the dream of peaceful existence among normal humans. Though travelling to other countries may not seem like something out of the ordinary for the X-Men to do (as in the regular Marvel Universe they’ve been all over the globe and even outer space), it is in how Millar approaches life outside the school that is interesting.
Though it has existed for years in multiple formats such as the Xavier School For Gifted Youngsters, The Xavier Institute, and The Massachusetts Academy, there was always one thing blatantly missing from the Marvel Universe X-Men books: the fact that it was a school. Aside from seeing The X-Men, New Mutants, X-Force, and Generation X being put through countless Danger Room sessions and fighting the good fight, you almost NEVER saw them in a classroom, much less concerned about marks or being top of the class. I never really understood where and how the characters received their degrees (such as Iceman who holds an Accounting degree in the Marvel Universe) as they rarely even showed them sitting in a classroom. While I do acknowledge the fact that Grant Morrison has begun using the Xavier Institute in the pages of New X-Men as a school, Mark Millar is the first writer I can think of to really embrace the idea of learning and apply it to his characters in such a memorable way.
Each member of the team belongs to a group of two or three with the goal of finding ways to both improve human/mutant relations but to simply do a good deed for others living in the world around them. Colossus, Wolverine, and Iceman bust up a drug smuggling operation, Marvel Girl and Storm stop a terrorist cell from bombing a mall, while Cyclops and Beast take down some muggers and then get them into a rehab facility with the promise of regular jobs once they do their time. I have to give Millar a lot of credit for his writing here, as the friendly competition for the top grade makes the team seem more and more like the kids they are. The only question I have is as to why Wolverine (despite the fact that he doesn’t care about his grade) is even ‘participating’ in these school lessons as he is quite a bit older than the rest of them.
I have to express my continuing unease about Charles Xavier. Though I applaud his efforts to have his students give something back to those less fortunate (see the brilliant extracurricular activities that the team volunteers for in issue #15 as an example of what I mean), I must admit that I’m surprised he feels comfortable exposing his students to the level of danger they are facing. Fighting Magneto is one thing, fighting for their lives as prisoners of Weapon X is another, but willingly sending a fifteen-year-old novice into a nightclub to bust up a drug ring is another. Noble intentions or not, this is NOT your father’s Xavier. He is SO close to his Marvel Universe counterpart as they share the same wonderful beliefs, the same hopeful dream, but this one is willing to do whatever it takes, no matter the cost. This makes me afraid for the world, to be honest, not to mention the X-Men. Would Xavier willingly sacrifice one of his own students for the cause? At this point in the series, I think he might.
The only frustrating part of dealing with the Ultimate universe is in what you think you know will happen because it ‘happened’ in the Marvel Universe. Case in point is the introduction of the Ultimate Proteus in this issue. A dangerous being made of energy in the Marvel Universe, Proteus could hop from body to body until he used up the life essence of the host body. Also able to distort reality, the son of Moira MacTaggert was a force to be reckoned with. So, when I heard that Proteus was going to be the main source of conflict for this arc, I assumed that he would largely be the same. I really should stop assuming, especially when it comes to Mark Millar.
No, this Proteus is the same and yet not the same. He seems to be more of a combination of David Haller (otherwise known as Legion and the son of Xavier in the Marvel Universe) and Proteus. Xavier and Moira are his parents, and unlike either Legion or Proteus from the main continuity, this one is quite a bit more dangerous. We don’t get to see much of him, but from what we DO see, the X-Men are going to have quite a hard time containing him. I am really looking forward to seeing this confrontation (not to mention the Ultimate version of Psylocke who is slated to appear soon… but I didn’t tell you that)!
Favorite moment of the book: Before Wolverine, Colossus, and Iceman can bust up the drug ring, Iceman has a phone conversation with his parents where they are basically yelling at him for taking off without telling them where he was going. Wolverine attempts to smooth things over by talking to Bobby’s mother, but winds up making things worse as she points out that her little boy is in the company of a killer and an ex-Russian mafia enforcer. After she angrily hangs up and Wolverine hands the phone back to Bobby who has a stunned expression on his face I couldn't stop laughing for at least five minutes!
Now on to a small complaint (I always seem to have one, don’t I?): Colossus disappearing at the end of this issue. It’s not explained very well, nor was there really an indication that he was just going to take off like that. While it has been revealed that next issue largely focuses on Colossus and his family in Russia (with guest artist Chris Bachalo on board to boot!), the average reader won’t get this. Though Cyclops mentions that Peter has been very quiet the past couple of weeks, it doesn’t really justify his taking off on the team without another word. As far as I know, the Rasputin clan isn’t in any trouble at the moment and Peter’s old bosses in the mafia have been dealt with, so I can’t see as to why he would just take off. Considering it was mentioned that Colossus was in the company of an unknown male and female, I’m sure all will be explained next issue. I’m just a whiner who doesn’t like it when he doesn’t know what’s going on.
I have to give Adam Kubert a huge amount of credit for the success of both this issue and the series. His art in this issue was nothing short of fantastic. The level of detail he applies not only to his characters, who all look as brilliant as usual, but to the buildings, streets, and locations lovingly drawn to represent England show an incredible amount of respect for his art form and his level of dedication to being a true artist. Though it may have gone unnoticed by some of you, he even shows Big Ben with scaffolding to show that repairs are underway as it was damaged by the Brotherhood in issue #5 of the series. Great stuff as usual from Kubert!
There are really a lot of other things I could discuss with this issue that are both important and minor. What’s important for me to get across, however, is that this is a series that you really can’t afford to miss. Go out and buy it today!
{I may be nitpicking, but that's because my nose just won't do anymore.}
Art:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg
Story:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg
Overall:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg
Buy this issue online now from X-World Comics (http://www.x-worldcomics.com/x/bstore/newbooksmain.html) and save!