Tuesday 5 July 2011

Books: Ultimate X-Men

_______________________________________________________________________________

Ultimate X-Men
Vol 1: The Tomorrow People
Written by Mark Millar
Art by Adam Kubert and Andy Kubert

2001



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Ultimate X-Men
Vol 2: Return To Weapon X
Written by Mark Millar
Art by Adam Kubert

2003



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Ultimate X-Men
Vol 3: World Tour
Written by Mark Millar and Chuck Austen
Art by Chris Bachalo, Adam Kubert and Essad Ribic

2003



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Ultimate X-Men
Vol 4: Hellfire & Brimstone
Written by Mark Millar
Art by Kaare Andrews and Adam Kubert

2003



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Ultimate X-Men
Vol 5: Ultimate War
Written by Mark Millar
Art by Chris Bachalo

2003



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Ultimate X-Men
Vol 6: Return of the King
Written by Mark Millar
Art by Adam Kubert and David Finch

2003



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Ultimate X-Men
Vol 7: Blockbuster
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by David Finch

2003



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Ultimate X-Men
Vol 8: New Mutants
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by David Finch

2003



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Ultimate X-Men
Vol 9: The Tempest
Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Art by Brandon Peterson

2004



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Ultimate X-Men
Vol 10: Cry Wolf
Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Art by Andy Kubert

2004



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Ultimate X-Men
Vol 11: The Most Dangerous Game
Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Art by Stuart Immonen

2005



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Ultimate X-Men
Vol 12: Hard Lessons
Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Art by Steve Dillon and Stuart Immonen

2005



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Ultimate X-Men
Vol 13: Magnetic North
Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Art by Stuart Immonen

2006



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Ultimate X-Men
Vol 14: Phoenix?
Written by Robert Kirkman
Art by Tom Raney and Ben Oliver

2006



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Ultimate X-Men
Vol 15: Magical
Written by Robert Kirkman
Art by Tom Raney

2007



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Ultimate X-Men
Vol 16: Cable
Written by Robert Kirkman
Art by Ben Oliver and Yannick Paquette

2007



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Ultimate X-Men
Vol 17: Sentinels
Written by Robert Kirkman
Art by Yannick Paquette

2007



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Ultimate X-Men
Vol 18: Apocalypse
Written by Robert Kirkman
Art by Salvador Larroca

2008



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Ultimate X-Men
Vol 19: Absolute Power
Written by Aron Coleite
Art by Mark Brooks

2008



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Marvel's Ultimate series is just what the modern comic fan needs: a reboot of their most famous titles - all interlinked and all stripped of their boring, unnecessary back-stories: so you can start with Vol 1 and everything is fresh from the get-go and all the big epic storylines get a chance to be retold - as if for the first-time - with plenty of new spins and revolutionary twists. Ultimate X-Men takes Professor Charles Xavier's class of mutants superheroes - not forgetting that guy with the adamantium claws (there's a reason he's on pretty much every cover) - and launches them into the dangers of 21st century living including: celebrity book tours, high-profile lawsuits and internet dating (oh my). Don't worry: it doesn't skim on the evil military secret organizations, telepathic battles and the human versus mutant issues but it's takes enough time to make sure you know who it is who's throwing the punches (well... mostly). With plenty of cheeky nods (captured mutants get set to a place called Camp X-Factor) and extravagant re-imaginings (Magneto as a genuinely dangerous bad-ass as opposed some guy in a silly helmet? ok then) it's chewy and sugary-sweet in all the right places. The artwork is super-stylized and does sometimes venture a little too far into the cartoony: but it suits the playful and boisterous mood. And with top-tier writing talents of Mark Millar, Brian Michael Bendis, Brian K. Vaughan and Robert Kirkman (oh - and on the last volumme: someone called Aron Coleite)- you know you're going to be in safe hands. Moments to watch out for in the Millar run (which will be the main attraction for most people) : a particularly nasty Scottish mutant, the devastating power of Phoenix force and The X-Men going up against The Ultimates. The two Bendis volumes after that - which start with his Ultimate Spider-Man teaming up with Wolverine is - for me - the highlight of the entire series. The dialogue is fantastic and there's a four page section where someone gets hit by a missile that wow-tastic. After that - Brian K. Vaughan's spin is something of a let-down and feels a lot like empty wheel-spinning and business-as-usual mutant adventures. And all the early promise gets squandered.

............................................................................................................................................
Links: GraphiContent Review of Mark Millar's Ultimate X-Men, Comics Should Be Good Review of Mark Millar's Run, The M0vie Blog Review of Mark Millar's Run, The M0vie Blog Review on Brian Michael Bendis' Run, The M0vie Blog Review on Brian K. Vaughan's Run, The M0vie Blog Review on Robert Kirkman's Run, Pop Matters Review, Whatever Comics Review.

Further reading: The Ultimates, Ultimate Fantastic Four, Ultimate Spider-Man, X-Men: Astonishing X-Men, B.P.R.D., X-Men: New X-Men.

Profiles: Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Millar.

All comments welcome

No comments: