Writer: Mark Millar
Artists: Adam Kubert (p), Danny Miki (i)
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Plot:
The book opens with the Brotherhood of Mutants taking out the nuclear arsenals that the nations of Pakistan & India had built up, and we see that this action was to show the world how vulnerable they are to attack, while at the same time keeping the Brotherhood in the good graces of America, as their acts are in line with American interests. However, we see Quicksilver's leadership of the Brotherhood hasn't exactly been welcomed with open arms, as the new recruits that the Brotherhood has taken in are looking for a leader who has a more aggressive stance when it comes to presenting their message of mutant dominance. We then look in on Cyclops, as we see he's busy dealing with Kitty, who is looking to become an active member of the X-Men, while Scott reminds her that her mother only placed her in the school to gain a better grasp of her mutant ability. We then see Logan arrives in the room, and we see him actively torment Scott about his relationship with Jean, until a furious Scott lashes out. However, the fight between the two quickly escalates to the stage where Logan goes psycho & comes at Scott with his claws out. However, Xavier arrives in time to save Scott, and we see the Professor is deeply disappointed in Scott.
Comments:
This issue continues the rather odd construction of this latest arc, as Mark Millar is offering up a collection of ideas, while the main plot involving Jean's seeming transformation in the Dark Phoenix acting as the last page cliffhangers. Now since the previous arcs on this book haven't exactly provided a wealth of characterization, I should be thankful for Mark Millar's sudden switch, as the main action of this current story is taking a back seat to the character moments. From Kitty Pryde's introduction into this book, to the rising tension that exists between Scott & Logan, this issue is all about establishing relationships and/or rivalries among its cast. This issue also hands over almost half the issue to the Brotherhood of Mutants, and while the new animal based members of the group sound like a silly idea that could easily undermined any attempt by Mark Millar to make this group look like a genuine threat. Still, I will concede that so far these animal-human hybrids haven't been too goofy, and we've yet to see them in combat, so it's a little early to write them off as anything more than a bad idea waiting to happen. The tension within this group does look like it could be a potentially interesting plot.
The love triangle between Logan, Scott & Jean has been a staple plot of the X-Men for decades over in the regular Marvel Universe, but Mark Millar certainly put a fresh spin on this well worn idea by turning what had always been a heated rivalry into a full blown battle to the death. Oh sure Wolverine & Scott have gone after each other in the regular Marvel Universe, and there's been a time or two when the claws have come out & Logan's murderous fury had to be held back. However, this issue contains a scene where we see that the battle between these two men has escalated far beyond what we've seen in the past, and since this situation is left unresolved, one has to wonder how Xavier plans to deal with this situation, as I imagine that when Logan wakes up he'll still be itching for a fight, and the Ultimate version of Scott doesn't seem to have the same self-control, and even temperament that's acted to keep his Marvel counterpart's problems with Logan from taking such a violent turn. Then again this book has suggested that Xavier's not above a little mental manipulation, so when we next see Logan he could very well have no memory of this little encounter.
Adam Kubert turns in another fine issue, with the opening double-page spread being a particularly impressive piece of art to open the issue on. The following pages are also a nice visual showcase of the abilities of the various Brotherhood of Mutants members, with Quicksilver's dash trough the maze of lasers being a particularly effective sequence. As for the pages dealing with the X-Men, the art does some nice work with Kitty's phasing ability, as one does have to enjoy the scene where she's busy pestering Scott in the map room. There's also the raw intensity of the scene where Logan is egging on Scott, and we see the situation explodes when Scott finally loses his temper. The page where Wolverine lays a beating down on Scott is also quite impressive, as is the panel where Scott brings his optic blasts into play. However the highlight of the issue would have to be the page where the claws come out, as I'm sure every Wolverine fan who reads this sequence is going to recognize how well this page captured the "oh crap" factor that one should feel when you realize you've push Wolverine over the edge. The last page of this issue also has a nice creepy element to it.
Final Word:
The first two chapters of this "Hellfire & Brimstone" arc have been a bit unusual, as it's basically a collection of little stories, as we see Kitty settle into the team, we get a look at the current status quo of the Brotherhood of Mutants, and in an encounter that is sure to get fans talking, we see Wolverine & Cyclops have it out over Jean. Now separately all of these stories have held my attention, but given the big buzz going into this arc was that it would be introduce the Phoenix force into the Ultimate Universe, I'm sure there will be fans who will wonder why Mark Millar seems to be focused on the side plots, while seemingly neglecting the idea that most readers came in expecting to see. This is an enjoyable issue, though the focus on the Brotherhood overstayed it's welcome. However, I must say that the Ultimate Wolverine is becoming a bit hard to stomach as one of the good guys, as his unredeeming qualities are becoming far more noticeable.
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