Over in Ultimate X-Men, it's the fifth part of "Blockbuster".  (Not the fourth.  No matter what the front cover says.)

Unfortunately, this issue features the awkward grinding of gears.  After four straight issues of guest stars and running around New York, Bendis yanks us back to the Mansion, clears away the guest stars, and gets back to the core issue of Wolverine's relationship to the X-Men.

On the one hand, it does make for a nice change of pace after an extended action sequence that had been going on for at least one issue too many.  But on the other hand, thus far the storyline has effectively been a lightweight action romp - this issue takes us suddenly into straightforward characterisation.  It feels very jarring.

That said, even if it doesn't quite fit with what came before, this is precisely the sort of writing where Bendis excels.  He's a fantastic scripter, with great ability to bring out subtleties in his scripting.  As Mark Millar characters, the Ultimate X-Men cast have not hitherto been known for their subtlety.  Bendis sticks with what he's been given for Xavier and Jean Grey, but adds in a bit more light and shade.  Perhaps inevitably, there's some sense that he's dragging them in the direction of the "real" X-Men, but it does make them more believable characters.

Judged purely as an issue in its own right, this is really quite good - and it's pleasing to see how well David Finch is doing with these talking heads stories, considering that it's usually a weakness of artists with his influences.  But if you're reading this in the trade paperback, it's surely going to be an awkward shift of tone.

Still, personally I'd say the good outweighs the bad; if it's an awkward shift, it's one that moves the book further towards Bendis' considerable strengths.

Rating: B

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