Review:
It's Utopia vs Tian in the so-called World War X. Tian, led by Jean Grey and her approach of militaristic, forced unity of Mutants on one side, Utopia and its hippie-commune life in the desert, led by Kitty Pryde's pacifism approach on the other. The oddly-numbered "volume 3" collects issues #29-33 that concluded this second ongoing series of Ultimate Comics X-Men.
Artist Alvaro Martinez includes lots of visual clues that help to set the atmosphere of both Tian and Utopia, as well as the tonal shifts in the narrative. Jean Grey's clothes and hair style evoker her heavy-handed, fascist approach, apparently from the same style experts as Kim Jong-Il in North Korea. Rogue's minimal clothing and acres of bare skin tell us something different about the philosophy and lifestyle in Utopia.
"World War" is an overstatement for this narrative. Its scope is limited to the 5 chapters collected here, no tie-ins or cross-overs to round it out. It leaves us with a handful of battles, attacks on each side's home base stronghold. Sure, they are located half a world apart, but with so few combatants and very limited areas of conflict, it is hardy a "world war"
Still, the final confrontation between Jean and Kitty leads to a decisive final victory for Utopia and the destruction of Tian. It is a reasonably satisfying conclusion for this Western reader, although the imagery and symbolism of the battle between Western Freedom and Eastern dictatorships is far from subtle. Much in the spirit and tradition of early days of comics where heroes waged overt battles against Nazi fascists.
Description:
"World War X" begins! It's Tian vs. Utopia when Jean Grey takes on Kitty Pryde! Will the planet be torn apart when the two mutant nations go to war? Alliances are broken, sides are chosen and betrayals abound - but after a sneak attack on Utopia, and Jean's strict warning that the rest of the world should stay out of the war, will the global mutant-on-mutant conflict finally unite...or divide mutants forever? As World War X claims its first casualties, Kitty Pryde becomes a revolutionary redux, Mach Two displays startling new powers, and James Hudson proves he's more than just his father's son!
Collects: ULTIMATE COMICS X-MEN 29-33
Authors: Brian Wood
Artists: Alvaro Martinez
Published By: Marvel
Published When: March 4 2014
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN: 978-0785167211
Pages: 112 pages
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