Like its fellow Ultimate Universe titles, Ultimate Wolverine has been putting a unique spin on the world of the X-Men. But in Ultimate Wolverine #5, writer Chris Condon takes it to another level by introducing the Earth-1610 version of Victor Creed, aka Sabretooth. In a twist, this version of Sabretooth is a bartender who shelters mutant kids, telling them stories of the world before the Maker’s rule and giving them free soda. And when the Winter Soldier comes hunting, Creed is willing to lay down his life if necessary.
It’s a complete 180 from the bloodthirsty psychopath that most people expect Sabretooth to be, but it shows how Condon is flipping some of the dynamics that fans know and love. Logan being the feral, bloodthirsty murder machine while Creed is the man trying to be a better person is a genuinely fresh take that shows the possibility of the Ultimate Universe. Nothing may be what it seems, but that doesn’t mean that the stories we’re getting are any less interesting.
Condon also continues to explore the fallout from previous issues, as Logan is still reeling from Kitty Pryde’s invasion into his mind and the attempts to re-control him by Directorate X. Fighting to reclaim his memories is another staple of a Wolverine story, but here it’s given a fresh twist, especially when a flashback reveals a promise that Logan and Creed made to each other. Condon hasn’t shied away from the idea that this comic is about Logan reclaiming his identity, and each issue is a major step forward in that regard.
Marvel
Ultimate Wolverine #5 also features a guest artist in Alex Lins, who some comic fans might realize from Plastic Man No More!. In the same vein as that book, Lins plays around with superpowers to a disturbing degree. Logan and Creed’s fight is just as bloody as you’d expect: when Logan chops one of Creed’s arms off, it starts growing back almost instantly, but the tendrils of bloody flesh result in an extremely disturbing visual. So does the sight of Logan, muzzleless, sinking his teeth into Creed’s neck.
Bryan Valenza’s use of color also adds to the brutality. Valenza shrouds most of the scenes in shadow, occasionally delivering splashes of blood as Logan and Creed tear into each other. It’s an immense contrast to the scenes in the opening, where Creed is talking to young mutants Artie and Leech. The bright purple and green hues of their skin, combined with the warm lighting in Creed’s bar, offers a moment of peace before the chaos truly begins.
Ultimate Wolverine #5 continues to prove itself as one of the best additions to the new Ultimate Universe, flipping the script on a classic X-Men rivalry. If I wasn’t hooked by the previous issues, I definitely am now – and given how this one ends, I’m intrigued to see if Condon will bring back the Logan fans know and love, or continue to have him struggle to reclaim his identity. Either way, he’s got my attention.
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