The first part of "Hellfire and Brimstone" seemed to be setting up for Ultimate X-Men's version of the Dark Phoenix Saga, what with introducing both Kitty Pryde and the Phoenix imagery in the same story.  Well, there's plenty of Kitty but very little Phoenix in part two, which suggests that Millar is going somewhere a little off the beaten track.

Half of the book is given over to the Brotherhood of Mutants, now led by Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch.  The Brotherhood has now picked up a disaffected group of animal-based mutants, who aren't too impressed with the admittedly shaky quality of their new leaders.  What's interesting about this bunch is that they represent the first sighting in a Mark Millar Ultimate book of original characters.  Yes, I know the X-Men fought the Ani-Men in 1976, but that was different.  The Ani-Men included a grown man dressed as a headphones-wearing parrot.  There's a good reason you don't see them much.

Millar's new characters are either humans with animal-based powers or, based on the "broken out of a research lab" comments, possibly actual animals.  Despite the whole concept being a bit on the silly side, Millar gives these guys some proper characterisation, and their general disaffection with the irritating Quicksilver is believable.  As the solicitaitons make clear, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch are both being shifted over to the cast of Ultimates shortly, so Millar is presumably laying the groundwork for an overhaul of the Brotherhood concept.

The other half of the book is mainly Cyclops and Wolverine fighting back at the mansion.  Never one to be understated if it can possibly be avoided, Millar clearly feels that the simmering dislike has been going quite long enough, and brings out the actual violence.  Neither character comes out of this scene looking very good, which is presumably the intention - though if you ask me, Cyclops comes off better.

Oh, and there's a bit more of Jean's hallucinations dropped in there as well.

This arc is a bit lacking in direction so far, but Millar's spent two issues putting the plot elements in place, and they're certainly interesting ones.  One of the better issues. 

Rating: B+

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