Review by Karl Verhoven

This fifth bulky repackaging of Ultimate X-Men presents the first half of Brian K. Vaughan’s view of the mutant team, separately available in paperback as The Tempest, Cry Wolf and The Most Dangerous Game.

It’s a stop/start selection. The finer sequences and interpretations of the personalities in combination with artwork push the collection above average, but not without moments of considerable frustration. A persistent problem over three stories is Vaughan introducing the Ultimate versions of recurring X-Men enemies in unsatisfactory and easily defeated versions, although his simplified alternate Mojo is far less irritating. Balancing that is his deft understanding of the X-Men themselves. Dazzler is a relatively recent addition, but Vaughan’s entirely at home with her provocative personality, which is more interesting than her use as a reticent superhero, but Colossus, Rogue and a newly introduced Longshot also resonate, a good surprise awaiting about the latter. Downsides are an ill-advised attraction of Storm to Wolverine, and an unfortunate reliance on the word of Professor X being absolute and his not having the respect to explain decisions to the team.

After a couple of Ultimate Collections almost entirely drawn by the same artist, this switches back to a different artist for each story arc, each of them a solid storyteller with an eye for dynamism. Brandon Peterson (sample art left) works in the style of departing artist David Finch, perhaps almost a pastiche with the number of extraneous lines, but comes up with a good redesign for Storm. Andy Kubert (sample art right) brings the solidity seen in previous volumes, so only Stuart Immonen disappoints slightly, using a jagged, angular style and sparse backgrounds rather than one of his more attractive naturalistic approaches.

Where a bulkier collection serves Vaughan well is showing him unafraid of change. Three long-running X-Men depart, although the feeling is perhaps not permanently, and there’s also an adjustment to the team’s relationship with Nick Fury. His line of “You’ll be in my thoughts Charles. Though not literally I hope” is one Vaughan was surely pleased with. He drops in several ethical issues. Does killing a lethal enemy make someone as bad as that enemy? Should Americans interfere in the pernicious anti-mutant policies of another nation? And as an extension, is the X-Men’s primary loyalty to other mutants or to their homeland? Such matters lack easy answers, and in the case of the first question Vaughan ensures Wolverine’s not contributing to the debate.

While not hitting the heights of the best Ultimate X-Men, Vaughan provides what’s necessary along with the feeling he could be better. Perhaps next time. Oh, there’s not a next time as the Ultimate Collections end here, but the series continues in paperback with Hard Lessons.