ULTIMATE X-MEN #17
"World Tour, Part 2"
Recommended (8/10)
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Marvel Comics
Writer: Mark Millar
Pencils: Adam Kubert
Inks: Danny Miki
Colors: J.D. Smith
Letters: Chris Eliopoulos
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Price: $2.25 US/$3.75 CAN |
Millar continues to achieve a surprising and entertaining balance between action-packed storylines and down-to-earth emotional reactions and relationships among the characters. His inventive take on super-hero plot elements breathes new life into the genre, just as he's done for these longtime icons of Marvel Comics. Along with Kubert's sketchy and kinetic artwork, it makes for a solid read month after month.
The X-Men arrive on Muir Island and learn that Professor X (zoned out while he psychically searches for his out-of-control mutant son, David, AKA Proteus) hasn't been completely honest with them about his past and how he funds the operations of the mutant team. After hooking up with two British S.T.R.I.K.E. agents, the young heroes, led by the professor, track down David, and they quickly discover that he's more than they were prepared for. Meanwhile, Cyclops and Marvel Girl travel to Russia to track down their missing teammate, Colossus.
Kubert maintains a nice visual balance between the powerful and dynamic nature of these characters and a vulnerable humanity in each of them as well. Iceman, for example, has a sharp, dynamic look, but he still comes off as a scared little kid who's in over his head. Miki's heavy inks and the deep, dark colors reinforce the cold tone of the plot. My only problem with the art in this book stems from the final two pages. The artwork suddenly shifts in tone, boasting a more ordinary, less intense look, almost as though an uncredited fill-in penciller handled those pages.
I love how Millar dresses up what could have a simple storyline -- the X-Men versus Proteus -- with a number of new elements. The introduction of Betsy Braddock and Dai Thomas into the Ultimate continuity was nicely understated, and the subplots concerning Colossus and a missing submarine add a greater complexity and diversity to the story arc.
Proteus's characterization is more than a little over the top, but the personal sides of among the other characters are sharp and interesting. The friction between Xavier and Moira was intense and particularly genuine in tone, while the fears and insecurities among the X-Men that Proteus exploits makes it easy to see them as people as opposed to super-powered paragons.
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