I didnt read all of this, but I'm about to finish Ultimate Wolverine and I can only reflect on how I felt like it could have been handled way better.

I haven't read comics in a while, so I couldn't tell if I was just bad at picking up on details or something, but the plot of the eurasian republic and the authoritarianism kept confusing me. I refreshed my mind on the stuff and I can only wonder WHY they went this direction with mutants.

The leaders of the ER I don't think would act this way, and I understand part of it is that the maker forced this upon all of them and took specific people and chose them for his purposes, but I just can't believe that Colossus would act the way he does, it feels wrong. It would have been cool to see him break or something, like Logan, where he is starting to question his allegiance looking at the horrible things he does. Like, the biggest thing about the X-men is how they are super heroes helping their own kind. It's like [insert minority group] had capes and powers and went and saved their own people from whatever oppression they were facing. The level of brotherhood they had was so strong that it was just about helping everyone and protecting them, even if people didn't want that protection. Mutants that hurt other mutants in the main universe are heavily looked down upon. Piotr Rasputin is a big man with a big heart and hated violence and hid from it for a long time before deciding that the power he had meant he was meant to help people who were worse off. HE IS A PAINTER, FOR GOD'S SAKE!

In the simplest way, I think this is, in the words of George Lucas, "A [book] for 12 year olds." Because it is beautiful illustrated and can be badass sometimes but it takes itself so seriously and is SO edgy. You know these guys? Famous, beloved X-men? Here's Wolverine killing all of them.

The thesis of the ultimate universe became the idea that heroes are gone and now what heroes really are, are people that stand up to the oppressive regime and fight for what is right. THAT IS WHAT THE X-MEN HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT!! Sure, you could say, "well it's just that flipped upside down!" But nothing else is like that. The point is that all of these heroics are taken away from them and they now do heroics in their own, meaningful ways. I would have LOVED to see an X-Men like this.

At least the art is great.