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Ultimate X-Men (2001) (Collected Editions)
Ultimate X-Men, Vol. 12: Hard Lessons
Ultimate Wolverine makes his explosive return Storm travels to the Great White North to find her missing friend, but there's no time for celebration for the impetuous and troubled duo They're about to take on an all-new threat to the Ultimate Universe... Lady Deathstrike Plus: When a dangerous young mutant immune to psychic control takes Charles Xavier and the rest of a Manhattan bank hostage, the Professor must lead a diverse group of humans in a risky bid to end the siege And finally, witness the return of Ultimate Juggernaut Juggie makes a play for the Gem of Cyttorak, the jewel that will make him truly unstoppable. Only two small things stand in his way: Rogue of the X-Men and Ultimate Gambit, the new prince of thieves This story will change the X-Men's status quo forever.
Collecting: Ultimate X-Men 58-60, Annual 1
Collecting: Ultimate X-Men 58-60, Annual 1
112 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2005
4 people are currently reading
258 people want to read
About the author
Brian K. Vaughan
1,062 books14.2k followersBrian K. Vaughan is the writer and co-creator of comic-book series including SAGA, PAPER GIRLS, Y THE LAST MAN, RUNAWAYS, and most recently, BARRIER, a digital comic with artist Marcos Martin about immigration, available from their pay-what-you-want site www.PanelSyndicate.com
BKV's work has been recognized at the Eisner, Harvey, Hugo, Shuster, Eagle, and British Fantasy Awards. He sometimes writes for film and television in Los Angeles, where he lives with his family and their dogs Hamburger and Milkshake.
BKV's work has been recognized at the Eisner, Harvey, Hugo, Shuster, Eagle, and British Fantasy Awards. He sometimes writes for film and television in Los Angeles, where he lives with his family and their dogs Hamburger and Milkshake.
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
November 20, 2017
Not quite as good as the preceding stories, but I still enjoyed it, especially the focus on individual characters.
April 27, 2020
The weird part is I KNOW Brian can write good Big Two stuff. Runaways is an amazing series. But his Ultimate X-Men, while not bad, has just been decent.
This volume is a few different stories that vary with quality. One about Xavier getting held up at a bank by a mutant. Another is the story of wolverine and storm origin. And then last but not least is Gambit, rogue, and Juggernaut story.
Honestly the first story is pretty great. It's nice to see Xavier on the scene doing his thing. But the rest? They're okay. Reminds me of Saturday morning X-Men episode. Something you watch but never really remember all the details. It's just decent entertainment.
Overall a 3 out of 5 cause it's still well written and fun at times, but I want more.
This volume is a few different stories that vary with quality. One about Xavier getting held up at a bank by a mutant. Another is the story of wolverine and storm origin. And then last but not least is Gambit, rogue, and Juggernaut story.
Honestly the first story is pretty great. It's nice to see Xavier on the scene doing his thing. But the rest? They're okay. Reminds me of Saturday morning X-Men episode. Something you watch but never really remember all the details. It's just decent entertainment.
Overall a 3 out of 5 cause it's still well written and fun at times, but I want more.
July 14, 2016
Really actually not very good. It isn't bad, but it is dull. The whole book is a yawn, but probably the worst part is painting Juggernaut as a lovelorn moron. It simply isn't very interesting. At least Gambit gets written out of the book, so I guess I wasn't the only one who was bored senseless by him. There are a few good moments in here, but they get crushed under the weight of several issues of dull.
January 27, 2024
My Ultimate Year #11
Read for some side quests for Storm and rogue with their respective too-old-for-them boyfriends
Read for some side quests for Storm and rogue with their respective too-old-for-them boyfriends
March 11, 2024
A Hard Lesson (58). A nice spotlight on Xavier (and that's one of the things that's been missing since Millar left) and a nice bottle storyline [4/5].
Shock and Awe (59-60). Finally! Some continuity from Vaughan! Yes, it's just Weapon X attacking yet again, but it nicely ties into the histories of both Ororo and Logan and is a good, tight story [4/5].
Ultimate Sacrifice (A1). Good to get back to Rogue's story, and Vaughan offers a shocking twist here, but this Annual is too long by half for the amount of story within [3+/5]
Shock and Awe (59-60). Finally! Some continuity from Vaughan! Yes, it's just Weapon X attacking yet again, but it nicely ties into the histories of both Ororo and Logan and is a good, tight story [4/5].
Ultimate Sacrifice (A1). Good to get back to Rogue's story, and Vaughan offers a shocking twist here, but this Annual is too long by half for the amount of story within [3+/5]
April 29, 2021
Dua episode dan satu annual. Episode pertama Hard Lesson menceritakan aksi solo Xavier dalam mencegah perampokan sebuah bank oleh mutan. Episode kedua berkisah tentang Wolverine dan Storm yang harus menghadapi masa lalu masing-masing secara berbarengan. Sementara komik Ultimate X-Men annual #1 berkisah tentang Rogue, Gambit, dan Juggernaut. Dalam jagat Ultimate X-Men, edisi koleksi ini merupakan salah satu titik penting dalam cerita X-Men.
August 5, 2023
This is one of those volumes between big arcs that just collect a few stand alone issues. There's a story about Xavier getting caught in a bank robbery, Storm and Wolvie fighting Lady Deathstrike, who, in a twist is emotionally connected to Storm instead of Wolverine. And an annual collecting Rogue and Gambit fighting Juggernaut, which, despite being an annual, felt very rushed. Like all of Vaughan's run thus far, it's good but nothing special.
January 26, 2024
This volume of Ultimate X-Men is 112 pages and contains issues 58-60, plus Annual #1. Overall it’s 3 short stories. One involving the Professor, one involving Storm and Wolverine, and the Annual involving Rogue and Gambit. I won’t spoil anything, but there’s a lot going on in these shorter arcs that will have lasting ramifications for the X-Men. Definitely a must read!
August 11, 2019
The whole Storm/Wolverine storyline just doesn't work for me and the villians they throw in there just get defeated way too quickly to ever get interesting... the Gambit/Rogue part was a bit better, but also quite short. Overall just pretty mediocre.
June 20, 2020
This wasn't bad... a random collection of shorter stories, some good action in most of it, a bit more backstory for several of the characters too. The art quality wasn't as high as previously, but still not bad. Overall, a decent read for anyone who enjoys X-men.
June 20, 2022
The Charles section was a little staley written, although they did have his character down pat. However, what really makes this a five-star, are the Logan/Ororo and Gambit/Rogue sections!! Well worth the read if you enjoy either pairing!
January 26, 2023
Pretty entertaining read, smooth, fun and interesting. But the main part for me were the bits drawn by Steve Dillon. I did not know he did Ultimate universe also and I just adore his art. Sorely missed.
April 17, 2023
Full review / all my reviews available on my blog
Quick one. Bit of backstory for Storm and Wolverine. Weird pairing that.
Decent, but like I said. Quick.
Quick one. Bit of backstory for Storm and Wolverine. Weird pairing that.
Decent, but like I said. Quick.
March 26, 2025
This is a short album, actually a collection of one shots.
Storm goes in search of Wolverine and when she succeeds they are attacked by an artificial mutant from Storm's past.
In another, Professor X saves stops a bank heist and enrolls the mutant robbers for a secret task
Storm goes in search of Wolverine and when she succeeds they are attacked by an artificial mutant from Storm's past.
In another, Professor X saves stops a bank heist and enrolls the mutant robbers for a secret task
October 16, 2017
You are in good hands with Brian K. Vaughn. He has a strong handle on these characters and is as comfortable as anyone telling smaller stories that still have emotional stakes.
November 24, 2018
I never thought I'd really think this, but not digging Brian K. Vaughan's work on this. I much prefer his creator-owned series.
January 1, 2019
I will miss BKV's run on this series. His penultimate volume is fun, ties up loose ends and starts to set the stage for a finale.
April 1, 2019
Need to find more and perhaps start at the beginning...
March 4, 2020
Cuando digo que a Vaughan solo le interesan Lobezno y Tormenta es por algo
October 27, 2020
nothing to exciting in this volume, but more interesting characters make their ultimate universe debut
January 18, 2022
Highs and lows here. The issue with Syndicate was awful, but the run up to the Annual was pretty good. The illustration was a bit lacking, but there were some good moments.
April 21, 2024
2.5. The heist was fine, the relationship stuff was okay. Next volume!
February 7, 2026
I enjoyed each of these slightly smaller stories. Really excited for the next volume
August 21, 2012
Stuff I Read – Ultimate X-Men #58-60 Review
So when going through my reviews some time ago I realized that when I read through Ultimate X-Men I failed to include three issues in my reviews. I’m not sure exactly why I made this oversight, but it has been standing in the way of my finishing my reviews of the series, and so I figure I have to bring everything to a close here. So I have now finally gone back and read the issues in question, and am left much as I was when I finished the series, which is fairly disappointed. I mean, these are not terrible issues, as the last issues in the series were, but neither are they particularly good issues, and they fall victim to the failing that much of the series fell victim to, which is that they didn’t really justify themselves as Ultimate stories. I mean, they failed to really show us anything new or interesting when it came to the character or the universe and the didn’t really show why this series deserved to be separate from the normal 616 universe.
The first of the issues is a one-shot called A Hard Lesson, and shows Professor X dealing with a bank robbery as I guess only Professor X can. It really isn’t a poorly done issue, but it casts Professor X very firmly in his traditional role, a role that some writers have tried to get him out of in the Ultimate Universe. It is easy to see Millar’s influence here, because this deals with a Professor X who is a bit more free with his powers, a bit more willing to manipulate people directly in order to get what he wants. And yet he is shown as the teacher, as not really doing anything that constitutes a true violation. So while yes, he uses his powers without permission, that act is moralized by the situation, by his saving lives. It isn’t really a question that when it comes down to it Professor X is doing the right thing because he’s not using his powers to their fullest. If he had hijacked the minds of the people in the bank and taken care of things himself this might have been more powerful, but as it is it’s just same old Professor X, which only a little bit of moral grayness.
The next two issues, entitled Shock and Awe, are a bit more of an honest attempt to do something new with the characters, as we get more of Storm’s origin while Wolverine looks for clues concerning his past. It is an interesting choice, because Storm and Wolverine in the normal universe seem like they have something going on between them, and the Storm in this reality does seem more reckless and wild, and we see some of that in the flashbacks and all that. So at the very least what we get is something we haven’t seen before. At the same time, though, this is mining the same shaft as much of Ultimate X-Men, as Weapon X seems to still be around, setting it up as apparently the most popular villain to bring up, as both MIllar and Bendis used Weapon X and now Vaughan has followed suit. And really he doesn’t add anything to that equation besides killing off Dr. Cornelius and giving us a slightly different Lady Deathstrike. So all in all it’s rather disappointing, and there really is never any fell that Wolverine and Storm are in danger. Everything is wrapped up nicely and quickly and while it is nice to have a more limited focus to flesh out characters, this all seems rather meh.
That said, there are at least some completely ridiculous moments that Vaughan injects into the stories that make me cringe. I mean, the fastball special compliments of a small tornado was cool and corny in a sort of fun way, but Wolverine punching Storm back to consciousness seems a bit…dumb. Same with how Professor X deals with the situation, tapping into people’s minds to unlock their potential. It all seems way to convenient, and a bit too out there for me. Not that comics have to be realistic, but it becomes too difficult to believe some of the things that happen, and it reeks of a writer just having a coincidental answer to everything instead of seeding resolutions with what’s already there. It just makes it feel like the only reason these characters are succeeding is because the writer wants them to, and when I can pick up on that it cuts back my enjoyment. So while these issues aren’t bad, they really show what I don’t like about Vaughan. And as such they reach only a 5.5/10.
So when going through my reviews some time ago I realized that when I read through Ultimate X-Men I failed to include three issues in my reviews. I’m not sure exactly why I made this oversight, but it has been standing in the way of my finishing my reviews of the series, and so I figure I have to bring everything to a close here. So I have now finally gone back and read the issues in question, and am left much as I was when I finished the series, which is fairly disappointed. I mean, these are not terrible issues, as the last issues in the series were, but neither are they particularly good issues, and they fall victim to the failing that much of the series fell victim to, which is that they didn’t really justify themselves as Ultimate stories. I mean, they failed to really show us anything new or interesting when it came to the character or the universe and the didn’t really show why this series deserved to be separate from the normal 616 universe.
The first of the issues is a one-shot called A Hard Lesson, and shows Professor X dealing with a bank robbery as I guess only Professor X can. It really isn’t a poorly done issue, but it casts Professor X very firmly in his traditional role, a role that some writers have tried to get him out of in the Ultimate Universe. It is easy to see Millar’s influence here, because this deals with a Professor X who is a bit more free with his powers, a bit more willing to manipulate people directly in order to get what he wants. And yet he is shown as the teacher, as not really doing anything that constitutes a true violation. So while yes, he uses his powers without permission, that act is moralized by the situation, by his saving lives. It isn’t really a question that when it comes down to it Professor X is doing the right thing because he’s not using his powers to their fullest. If he had hijacked the minds of the people in the bank and taken care of things himself this might have been more powerful, but as it is it’s just same old Professor X, which only a little bit of moral grayness.
The next two issues, entitled Shock and Awe, are a bit more of an honest attempt to do something new with the characters, as we get more of Storm’s origin while Wolverine looks for clues concerning his past. It is an interesting choice, because Storm and Wolverine in the normal universe seem like they have something going on between them, and the Storm in this reality does seem more reckless and wild, and we see some of that in the flashbacks and all that. So at the very least what we get is something we haven’t seen before. At the same time, though, this is mining the same shaft as much of Ultimate X-Men, as Weapon X seems to still be around, setting it up as apparently the most popular villain to bring up, as both MIllar and Bendis used Weapon X and now Vaughan has followed suit. And really he doesn’t add anything to that equation besides killing off Dr. Cornelius and giving us a slightly different Lady Deathstrike. So all in all it’s rather disappointing, and there really is never any fell that Wolverine and Storm are in danger. Everything is wrapped up nicely and quickly and while it is nice to have a more limited focus to flesh out characters, this all seems rather meh.
That said, there are at least some completely ridiculous moments that Vaughan injects into the stories that make me cringe. I mean, the fastball special compliments of a small tornado was cool and corny in a sort of fun way, but Wolverine punching Storm back to consciousness seems a bit…dumb. Same with how Professor X deals with the situation, tapping into people’s minds to unlock their potential. It all seems way to convenient, and a bit too out there for me. Not that comics have to be realistic, but it becomes too difficult to believe some of the things that happen, and it reeks of a writer just having a coincidental answer to everything instead of seeding resolutions with what’s already there. It just makes it feel like the only reason these characters are succeeding is because the writer wants them to, and when I can pick up on that it cuts back my enjoyment. So while these issues aren’t bad, they really show what I don’t like about Vaughan. And as such they reach only a 5.5/10.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2016
This collects together Ultimate X-Men #58-60 and Annual #1
We have three separate stories.
The first has Xavier at the bank trying to get his money which has been frozen by the Hellfire club. Mutant Syndicate comes to rob the bank, but the Professor foils his plans and blackmails him into working for him.
Art is by Steve Dillon, now maybe I'm too familiar with him from Preacher, but this didn't feel like an X-man story either in terms of art or character particularly.
The second story has Wolverine & Storm face off against Lady Deathstrike - the twist being that she's a car thief from Storm's past rather than being after Wolverine. Its ok. Lady Deathstrike is pretty awesome but I hated the artwork particularly on Wolverine and I've never been too convinced by Wolverine/Storm as a romantic pair, where now that Beast is dead, this series seems to be heading.
The last story has Rogue and Gambit, now split from the X-Men, steal the magic gem of Cytorrak and come face to face with the Juggernaut. Best artwork of the book here, in particular Gambit. Other highlights are the Marvelverse cameos - Nick Fury and the X-Men facing holograms of Spiderman's foes: the green goblin, Dr. Octopus and the silver surfer.
Over all this volume is as disjointed as the art styles. The stories don't have anything in common and frankly, aren't that interesting. I know Ultimate X-Men wanted to turn inward and look at character, but I feel that its too much character and not enough story with this one.
Oh and it ends on a cliff hanger so have the next volume on hand.
We have three separate stories.
The first has Xavier at the bank trying to get his money which has been frozen by the Hellfire club. Mutant Syndicate comes to rob the bank, but the Professor foils his plans and blackmails him into working for him.
Art is by Steve Dillon, now maybe I'm too familiar with him from Preacher, but this didn't feel like an X-man story either in terms of art or character particularly.
The second story has Wolverine & Storm face off against Lady Deathstrike - the twist being that she's a car thief from Storm's past rather than being after Wolverine. Its ok. Lady Deathstrike is pretty awesome but I hated the artwork particularly on Wolverine and I've never been too convinced by Wolverine/Storm as a romantic pair, where now that Beast is dead, this series seems to be heading.
The last story has Rogue and Gambit, now split from the X-Men, steal the magic gem of Cytorrak and come face to face with the Juggernaut. Best artwork of the book here, in particular Gambit. Other highlights are the Marvelverse cameos - Nick Fury and the X-Men facing holograms of Spiderman's foes: the green goblin, Dr. Octopus and the silver surfer.
Over all this volume is as disjointed as the art styles. The stories don't have anything in common and frankly, aren't that interesting. I know Ultimate X-Men wanted to turn inward and look at character, but I feel that its too much character and not enough story with this one.
Oh and it ends on a cliff hanger so have the next volume on hand.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews