It's an Ultimate superhero extravaganza!

It's not just the fact that Wolverine gets the crap kicked out of him by a rogue group of government operatives in a seedy old greasy spoon. No, this book gets truly interesting when the gruff mutant hero takes shelter from his attackers in the quiet suburban Queens home of Peter "Spider-Man" Parker. Remember, folks, that the hero of Ultimate Spider-Man -- which, like this volume of Ultimate X-Men, is written by the talented Brian Michael Bendis -- is a flighty, nervous young man who rarely deals well with the strange events life has tossed at him with increasing regularity ever since he had that fateful date with a spider. So the sudden appearance of a hairy, bloody guy in Peter's basement means Wolverine is in for the broom-whuppin' of his life.

It's a given that Peter won't be able to keep this a secret from his girlfriend-next-door Mary Jane. But can he hide Wolverine from good ol' Aunt May? Can he explain the sudden fleet of mysterious diaper vans that are parked outside his door? Damn, it's a good thing Wolverine heals quickly, and that rogue government operatives aren't all that bright as a rule.

If that's not enough, Wolverine and his new Spider-Sidekick run afoul of another hero, Daredevil, while trying to track down the goons, and Daredevil is none to pleased with anyone who brings mayhem to his neighborhood. Of course, the X-Men eventually get involved (it is their book, after all) and Nick Fury brings the resources of S.H.I.E.L.D. to bear on the government misfits who aren't answering to his leadership.

If I didn't already love Bendis's writing, this book would have sold me. It's fast-paced action from the first hail of bullets to the final gunshot, and Bendis definitely has the varied voices and character traits of these heroes down cold. This book is a pleasure for anyone who enjoys the superhero genre.

Oh, and look for longterm ramifications for Phoenix after the little incident when an attack helicopter comes calling at the X-Men's home base.

by Tom Knapp
Rambles.NET
14 April 2007