Mania Grade: B-

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Info:

• Title: Ultimate X #1
• Writer: Jeph Loeb
• Pencils: Arthur Adams
• Colorist: Aspen MLT’s Peter Steigerwald
• Digital Inks: Aspen MLT’s Mark Roslan
• Letters: Richard Starkings & Comicraft’s Albert Deschesne
• Publisher: Marvel Comics
• Publication Date: February 3, 2010
• Price: $3.99
• Series:

ULTIMATE X #1 Review

ULTIMATE X #1 Review
© Marvel Entertainment

Well, well, well… turns out a baby was dropped off on the doorstep of one James Hudson a few years back by an old Army buddy by the name of James Howlett who most folks knew as Logan, or maybe Wolverine. Never mind who the mother was – that kid is definitely his father’s son, right down to his fingernails… or claws.

And that, in a nutshell is how Ultimate X opens up. We’ve got a few familiar names and a teenager who is something of a rebel without a cause. After a drag racing accident leaves him in a position that most folks don’t walk away from, Jimmy Hudson discovers that he heals a lot quicker than most folks. When Kitty Pryde shows up at his doorstep with a box of Wolverine’s possessions and a holographic projector, he finds out the reasons why. He also gets a pep talk from his old man (both of ‘em, actually) and by the end of the issue, it looks like this rebel might just have found himself something worth fightin’ for.

I’ve always felt that the Ultimate Universe had limitless potential that was just being wasted. They started a brand spankin’ new Marvel U from scratch, unhindered by years of continuity and what did they do? They introduced Ultimatized versions of everyone from Longshot to Ronin to Willie Lumpkin. It wasn’t interesting, it just felt like “Hey, let’s take this clean slate and bog it down with a bunch of crap from the regular Marvel U!” And then along came Ultimatum, which saw countless heroes die including some pretty heavy hitters. Well, that got me interested. And now Ultimate X is here and we’ve got a new generation of X-Men in the works. It’s cool to see an alternate universe in which anything can happen and now it finally does.

But honestly… they had me at Arthur Adams.

There’s not much in the way of action here; the whole thing is something of a quiet character study with a few super powers mixed in. We get an exploration of who Wolverine was as seen through the eyes of one of his best friends, and a look at how the world views mutantkind post-Ultimatum. We get to know this universes’ version of the Hudson’s and the type of folks they are as well as the type of kid they raised: and apparently Jeph Loeb feels that nature often wins out over nurture. The kid might’ve been raised by two decent, hardworking parents, but he just has too much of his father in him. Hell, he’s even got that stupid haircut.

Cover art to ULTIMATE X #1 by Arthur Adams

I enjoyed it. It was all pretty set-uppy but it kept me entertained for 22 pages. I really enjoyed the slow pace of Loeb’s (James Hudson’s) narration and it’s always a treat to see the work of Mr. Arthur Adams, though I don’t feel this is his best work. Some of the younger characters alternate between looking too soft and deformed, like gingerbread men who weren’t left in the oven long enough, to being too skinny and sinewy, like fleshy skeletons. It isn’t Art Adams of the ‘80s, but it’s always cool to see him, and especially on an X-book.

I also got a real kick out of seeing the Ultimate Universe start to take some risks. You’re not tied down to 70 years of continuity… live it up! Kill Wolverine, split up the Fantastic Four, make the Red Skull Captain America’s son! You don’t have to sell pillowcases or t-shirts, so just cut loose and have a blast! While this book wasn’t exactly Loeb and Adams cutting loose, there was a great deal of groundwork being laid. Frankly, the team depicted on the cover does nothing for me, but the issue was solid enough that I’ll probably check out the next issue or two just to see what it’s all about. I’m giving it a B-. It might’ve gotten a B, but the $3.99 price tag knocks it down a peg. Sorry, it was a good book, but it was not four dollars good. So B- it is.