Colourist: Bryan Valenza, Letterer: Cory Pettit
One of the things that I like more about this new Ultimate Universe over the first one is that whilst there's a pretty varied style across the board, and most of the books are doing their own thing, none of them have been bad, and certainly so far none of them have been incredibly objectionable. There have been some big changes, the world is so unlike the one we know that entirely different nations exist, and some well known characters have died already, but it's not as bad as a racist Captain America, incest twins, or heroes being eaten alive. But if there's one title that feels like it could possibly come close to entering that territory it's Ultimate Wolverine; but unlike those examples, the book has so far managed not to feel nasty or meanspirited.
The first issue of Ultimate Wolverine introduced us to this world's version of Logan, who had been through the same adamantium infusing experiments as the 616 version, but had also been programmed into this worlds Winter Soldier. This is a Logan who has yet to escape being a weapon, and is being used to hunt and kill anyone who opposes the rule of the Rasputins and Omega Red. We saw this in the first issue where he was sent to kill an Opposition cell, including two of their mutant leaders, Mystique and Nightcrawler. This is what I mean by this book has the potential to be like the worst parts of the old Ultimate Universe, because right from the start Ultimate Wolverine has shown it's not afraid to kill characters in horrible ways. But whilst things such as the Blob eating the Wasp felt like they were done for shock sake, here at least it feels like it fits.
We see that even more this issue, a world in which killing, cruelty, and darkness feel right at home. From the opening pages where we see the Maker creating the world he wants, to the Rasputin's torturing Logan, and the throwing away of loyal subject's lives in order to perform a test; the cruelty feels baked in, and as such it means that the brutality this series delivers doesn't feel as jarring, even though it's more extreme than what we'd see in the main 616 universe. The first issue of Ultimate Wolverine felt like it was creating the tone, but this issue shows us how that tone works, how the Eurasian Republic operates from the top and gives us insight into the twisted machinations that take place in the background.
As with the first issue, the art on the series is impeccable, and suits the tone wonderfully. Cappuccio and Valenza create some absolutely beautiful moments in this book that most pages had at least one panel that had me stopping for a moment just to pour over how good it looked. The scenes in the forest were beautifully crafted, and captured the desolate, cold atmosphere in ways that almost had you feeling the chill. The art works well in moments of violence too, where you see just enough that you can feel the visceral, animalistic nature that Logan brings to his killing, yet it never feels overly gory or gratuitous. It manages to walk that line between dark and disturbing incredibly well.
Ultimate Wolverine, like much of this new universe, feels like a slow burn story, one that's not just carefully crafting these characters but the world they inhabit, allowing the reader to get a little more each issue rather than presenting everything up front. It's an approach that's working incredibly well for this title so far, and has quickly elevated this book to my most anticipated Ultimate book each month.
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