Comic Vine Review
0 CommentsUltimate Comics X-Men #21 - Reservation X; Part 3 Review
5by Mat 'Inferiorego' Elfring on
Kitty releases the mutant seed to the world, with Tony Stark's help, and a mutiny is still brewing.
The Good
ULTIMATE COMICS X-MEN is unbelievably good, and it keeps getting better, every month. In this issue, Kitty Pryde, with the help of Tony Stark, reveals to the world that they have created a seed that can adapt to any environment it's planted in, and she's giving it to the world as an act of goodwill. This doesn't sit well with some of the other mutants, as they plan to overthrow Kitty as leader.
This book moves incredibly smoothly. I love the jumping between Kitty's speech and the mutants reactions, in the opening scene. And while, at first, I wasn't too keen on the jump to Tian, it was nice to see another perspective on Utopia from other mutants outside of the camp.
There's a ton of dialogue in this issue, and it's another aspect that makes the book flow well. There's a lot at stake with Kitty's decision, and everyone has an opinion on the situation, and for once, all these opinions matter. Writers Brian Wood and Nathan Edmundson do a fantastic job with not just the dialogue, but the story as a whole.
While we're on dialogue, there are two lines I enjoyed above all others, one involves Jimmy Hudson as he jumps into the fight, and the other one involves Tony Stark after someone shoots at his private jet. I may have giggled after reading both of those lines. It's little moments like those that really make me love this series a bit more.
While great writing can make a book pretty darn good, you need great art to really grab a reader in and never let go, and that's what ULTIMATE X-MEN has. Carlo Barberi with David Baldeon (pencils), Juan Vlasco with Jordi Tarragona (inks), and Jesus Aburtov with Javier Tartaglia (colors) all come together to create a brilliant looking book. Sure, that's a lot of people to work on the same issue, Aside from the fact Kitty's hair is a bit darker in the opening of the issue, compared to the end, I couldn't see any differences in the art. I really like the overall style of the issue.
The Bad
Another floating Jimmy Hudson head. I don't know why, but it really bugs me.
I felt like I kept seeing the same pose with different characters throughout the issue: standing straight up with their arms folded.
The Verdict
ULTIMATE COMICS X-MEN has gone through some ridiculous changes, since the start of the series. This book takes big risks with every story line, and they've all worked thus far. I love seeing a comic take these kind of risks to change everything about the book, something you won't see in a 616 book, without it going back to "normal" eventually. The idea of Utopia is very cool, and I like seeing Kitty in a leadership role as she tries to unite her people with the rest of the country.
While this is not a good place for new readers to jump on, I highly recommend checking out this series and getting caught up. It's the most interesting of all the Ultimate Comics books on the shelves, which says a lot because ULTIMATES and ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN are fantastic books on their own.
