Rating: 
Summary: Spare us all
Review: A tall, goateed, American Wolverine? ... More seriously, the X-MEN has enough teens, they don't all need to be one, and who wants to read a slower retelling of original stories that had better quality?
Rating: 
Summary: Ultimate Rebirth!
Review: After countless attempts at creating a new universe, or continuum, the folks at Marvel finally hit on the right approach: recast their franchise characters as younger and more in tune with the issues of the day. Add top-notch writers and artists and voila! we have a hit. Though the story arcs are so far quite familiar to those with any sense of Marvel's history, the fresh approach to characters and the nifty art contribute to an overall great reading experience.I would recommend this compilation to anyone who can't get enough of the Marvel universe or those who would like to start their trip into said universe. In short, recommended for any Marvel fan!
Rating:
Summary: The worst X-Men story I have read since Bishop showed up
Review: Boring, derivative, Uninspired, stupid and worst of all childish. Go buy the Essential X-Men with the Paul Smith and John Romita Jr. art work with Claremont writing. If Claremont was dead he would be turning over in his grave. Extremely disproportional art. What has happenedd to the Kuberts, they draw like Liefeld now. Whats even sadde is that the Kuberts teach at the Joe Kubert school now.
Rating: 
Summary: Solid, but doesn't deliver
Review: First let me admitt that I am no fan of the X-Men; I liked the movie, but the comic just didn't do anything for me. However, when several of Marvel's recent offerings such as the New X-Men and the Ultimates line earning high acclaim from both people who buy comics and those who usually don't, I decided to give several of them a try, and chose the first Ultimate X-Men TPB as my starting point. I was expecting one of the best tales told in comic form ever. I guess my expectations where to high. I do have to admitt that the story presented here is solid, and a little interesting. But once again, I found that I just could not get into the X-Men. The scatological humor and violence also do not help any. The odd thing is, I am usually not bothered by violence in movies, TV, and other comics... I think that when one is dealing with villians in entertainment, you have to show that they are a real threat in order to be taken seriously by the audience; they can't just walk around and say 'boo!' and cackle. I guess why I'm so bothered about the violence in Ultimate X-Men is because it's deemed by Marvel to be kid- and teen-friendly. You can argue that most teens have allready seen stuff worse than this, but that doesn't really make it right, does it? Also, the art of both Adam Kubert and Andy Kubert leave a lot to be desired. Here's hoping that Ultimate Spider-Man, The Ultimates, and New X-Men are much better.
Rating: 
Summary: It's so good it made me X-Men again!
Review: First, let me preface this review by saying there are almost definitely better reviews for this book already available. The only reason I'm writing this is because the book is so good I couldn't let it go without adding in my own "Tell 'em, Steve-Dave!" Or whatever. Forgive me.
I started reading all Marvel books at my public library when I was 6, in now out of print Marvel Masterpieces, so I had a pretty good feel for the characters. Then I got really hooked on Jim Lee's run on the book around 10 years ago. But for some reason one of the story lines really ticked me off when they seemed to just drop it in the middle and start a new one without ending the first. What a rip-off, right? I swore to never read an X-title again.
Then this dang comic comes out. I'm still a hardcore Marvel fan that won't touch X-books. Wolverine and Gambit are too popular in circles that don't know comics anyway, and it took 'em 10 years to quit whining about the Legacy virus and find a cure. Good call, right? Wrong.
Mark Millar has written one of the smartest and freshest stories I think any X-book has ever seen. Stan Lee created 'em, John Byrne and Chris Claremont gave them more character, but Mark Millar is the first writer I think I've read that stayed true to characters we know and love but still made them original, like we're meeting them for the first time. The characters actually seem to ooze with their own personality and humanity. They seem believeable! Having one of the Kubert brothers doing the pencils doesn't hurt either. I seem to remember it's Andy Kubert (I get them mixed up), but I know it looks fantastic. I've been hooked on Andy (?) Kubert's work since a run of Captain America he did with Mark Waid.
If you're looking for a great story, great art, and no confusion over 30+ years worth of muddled continuity, this is the best X-book I think money can buy.
Rating:
Summary: The X-Men grow up and it's a nice ride!
Review: For anyone who grew up with the new X-Men in the 80's and 90's I don't have to tell you how dear these characters are to us. For those who don't know the X-Men, this is a great place to start. Here you get an all new take on our favorite mutants, modernized for the new Millenium. Ever wonder why they wear costumes? You get an explanation! Ever wonder how Wolverine would end up with a button-down group like the X-Men? Here's a reason! Wanna know who would win in the fight for Jean Grey's love: Logan or Scott? The answer is as complicated as it is satisfyingly realistic. And this was one book that built the suspense up to a crescendo that left me breathless. But on top of the great writing is the lush artwork of Kubert, which is at times minimalistic and other times a canvas but always fresh and bold. If you love the X-Men BUY THIS BOOK. If you want to know who the X-Men are, this is a great place to start! I will cherish the Ultimate X-Men books.
Rating:
Summary: The X-Men versus Magneto: one fight for all the marbles
Review: I can appreciate the impulse to push the reset button on long time superhero comic books like "X-Men" and "Spider-Man." After all, we are talking about almost four decades worth of stories, repeated encounters with Magneto and the Green Goblin, each one diluting the potency of the character. Plus, if you go back and read the first dozen episodes of either the original comic book "The Uncanny X-Men" of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby or the new and improved "X-Men" concocted by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum (and then John Byrne), it takes a while for both of those series to hit stride. Writer Mark Millar was given a free reign with this project, but clearly "Ultimate X-Men: The Tomorrow People" was constructed to work whether you came in with issue #1 of Volume 1, Giant-Size X-Men, or Volume 2. I was here for all three, so part of my appreciation for this six-issue story arc from Millar, pencillers Adam & Andy Kubert, and inker Art Thibert (w/Danny Miki) is how they have reconstituted elements from both of the origins. So I remember Quicksilver and the Silver Witch being part of the original Brotherhood of Evil Mutants as well as Storm and Colossus being recruited for the international version of the X-Men. Anyhow, here is a list of things I liked about "The Tomorrow People" without spoiling the actual story: I liked the idea that in the beginning the X-Men were just Professor Xavier, Cyclops and Marvel Girl. This reconstitutes the idea that there were always the core of the group. Actually, they would be the heart (Jean Grey), mind (Professor X), and soul (Scott Summers) of the X-Men. Having the Beast and Iceman be part of the second wave is fine with me, as is jettisoning Angel (and Banshee from wave two). You have to have limitations on how many merry mutants are running around in the group. On the other side of the equation Wolverine is now the world's best assassin and is working for Magneto. That is obviously a nice little twist on the tale. The mutant hysteria is in full swing, so that the necessity of all the world's mutants having to pick which side of the coming war they want to be on makes a whole lot of sense. This just underscores the idea that "X-Men" was never just a standard superhero battles supervillain type of comic book. I really appreciate the way the ante has been upped both in terms of the Sentinnels and Magneto. This time around the big purple robots are going around and not just picking up mutants, they are executing them on the spot. But the chief attraction of this sotry arc is Magneto. The original X-Men was one of the few times in the history of Marvel Comics that the first issue of a comic book actually came up with the greatest villain in the history of the entire series. What I liked most about what Millar et al. came up with is the idea that given the powers Magneto has, there can only be one big battle between him and humanity. I mean, with his powers, taking over the world should be relatively easy. Even in the end, he can only be defeated because of an Achilles heel sort of situation. But what really matters here is that this fight is for all the marbles, win or lose, live or die. This is such a big story that I can understand why as long as we are talking rewriting history fans are wishing that this had been the script for the original "X-Men" movie. At the root of these changes and elucidations is, I believe, a commitment to taking the original ideas of the "X-Men" comic books to their logical extremes. That is the principle that leads to encouraging throughts about future issues of "Ultimate X-Men." After all, Wolverine was just a bit player this time around and I can easily see each of the X-Men and various super-villains defining future story arcs. So far I have really enjoyed the various Ultimate trade paperback collections that I have read, mainly because I find them to be both innovative and traditional at the same time.
Rating:
Summary: The X-Men versus Magneto: one fight for all the marbles
Review: I can appreciate the impulse to push the reset button on long time superhero comic books like "X-Men" and "Spider-Man." After all, we are talking about almost four decades worth of stories, repeated encounters with Magneto and the Green Goblin, each one diluting the potency of the character. Plus, if you go back and read the first dozen episodes of either the original comic book "The Uncanny X-Men" of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby or the new and improved "X-Men" concocted by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum (and then John Byrne), it takes a while for both of those series to hit stride. Writer Mark Millar was given a free reign with this project, but clearly "Ultimate X-Men: The Tomorrow People" was constructed to work whether you came in with issue #1 of Volume 1, Giant-Size X-Men, or Volume 2. I was here for all three, so part of my appreciation for this six-issue story arc from Millar, pencillers Adam & Andy Kubert, and inker Art Thibert (w/Danny Miki) is how they have reconstituted elements from both of the origins. So I remember Quicksilver and the Silver Witch being part of the original Brotherhood of Evil Mutants as well as Storm and Colossus being recruited for the international version of the X-Men. Anyhow, here is a list of things I liked about "The Tomorrow People" without spoiling the actual story: I liked the idea that in the beginning the X-Men were just Professor Xavier, Cyclops and Marvel Girl. This reconstitutes the idea that there were always the core of the group. Actually, they would be the heart (Jean Grey), mind (Professor X), and soul (Scott Summers) of the X-Men. Having the Beast and Iceman be part of the second wave is fine with me, as is jettisoning Angel (and Banshee from wave two). You have to have limitations on how many merry mutants are running around in the group. On the other side of the equation Wolverine is now the world's best assassin and is working for Magneto. That is obviously a nice little twist on the tale. The mutant hysteria is in full swing, so that the necessity of all the world's mutants having to pick which side of the coming war they want to be on makes a whole lot of sense. This just underscores the idea that "X-Men" was never just a standard superhero battles supervillain type of comic book. I really appreciate the way the ante has been upped both in terms of the Sentinnels and Magneto. This time around the big purple robots are going around and not just picking up mutants, they are executing them on the spot. But the chief attraction of this sotry arc is Magneto. The original X-Men was one of the few times in the history of Marvel Comics that the first issue of a comic book actually came up with the greatest villain in the history of the entire series. What I liked most about what Millar et al. came up with is the idea that given the powers Magneto has, there can only be one big battle between him and humanity. I mean, with his powers, taking over the world should be relatively easy. Even in the end, he can only be defeated because of an Achilles heel sort of situation. But what really matters here is that this fight is for all the marbles, win or lose, live or die. This is such a big story that I can understand why as long as we are talking rewriting history fans are wishing that this had been the script for the original "X-Men" movie. At the root of these changes and elucidations is, I believe, a commitment to taking the original ideas of the "X-Men" comic books to their logical extremes. That is the principle that leads to encouraging throughts about future issues of "Ultimate X-Men." After all, Wolverine was just a bit player this time around and I can easily see each of the X-Men and various super-villains defining future story arcs. So far I have really enjoyed the various Ultimate trade paperback collections that I have read, mainly because I find them to be both innovative and traditional at the same time.
Rating:
Summary: The best X-Series ON THE MARKET!
Review: I picked up this book, and it truly is the best X-Book currently. I t is your fave X-men suchn as Storm, Beast, Wolverine, Magneto, etc. I really like the way the stories are presented to a younger audience. I would tell any X-Fan to read this!
Rating:
Summary: A great series for X-Men fans and long time comic collectors
Review: I'm currently reading the Ultimate X-Men trade paperbacks. I used to collect X-Men during the Jim Lee,Marc Silverstri and Whilce Portacio run but stopped after they left for Image. Comic books as a whole are stagnant but there are a few titles still worth collecting and the whole Ultimate line is worth it.
This series has a more updated harder edge to it plus there isn't all the convoluted X-Men history to wade through.
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