Post by Meriades Rai on Jun 12, 2016 8:37:12 GMT -5
ULTIMATE X-MEN #18 by Kenn Beck
The finale of the Morlock Massacre storyline is a dramatic, full-on affair, as demonstrated by the fact that there are none of Kenn's trademark flashbacks to break up the urgency of the present-day action. As ever, we're treated to a number of key flashpoint moments and reveals, from the arrival of a familiar X-adversary to take charge of poor Peter, to this issue's most critical talking point - the true nature and moral alignment of Erik Lehnsherr. Kenn has teased us with plenty of conflicting character flashes for Xavier in previous issues but this is the first time that we've seen Magneto's true colours - and, yeah, he's as much of a loony tune as we might have anticipated.
Wolverine has never been as prominent in Ultimate X-Men as you'd think but he enjoys his moment in the spotlight this issue, up against Sabretooth. Ororo steals the show, however, as we see flashes of her vulnerability when entombed in what's left of the Morlock tunnels and then again when she confronts Magneto. I really liked the fact that it's her who pieces together the fragments of truth about how Erik recruited her and the others, rather than Piotr, who hadn't expected this turn of events.
In the previous couple of issues there have been some ultra-cool scenes, such as Colossus taking down Blockbuster (and taking his hand) and Storm splintering Prism with lightning - the Marauderers overall were pretty damn superb villains - and my favourite moment this time around was Callisto shattering Prism's spine like 'the breaking of glass at a Jewish wedding'. Go Kenn, always the way with words!
Mikhail is as menacingly batshit as ever, and Jean's predicament carries some real emotional weight when you think about what is inevitably coming. Great issue, great series.