While Ultimate Wolverine launched, it immediately set up a battle between Logan and the trio of mutants who enslaved him, and ruled over Russia with an iron fist: Colossus, Magik and Omega Red. Ultimate Wolverine #10 finally makes good on this promise, pitting Logan against Omega Red. It also features a different kind of battle, as the Opposition’s leader Mikhail Rasputin finally reveals his presence to his siblings.
Chris Condon excels at writing these conflicts, as the back half of Ultimate Wolverine #10 is essentially one big fight scene. But his best strength lies in character dynamics, and his ability to turn some of the X-Men’s biggest rivalries on their heads. Take the conflict between the Rasputin siblings; usually, Mikhail is the master manipulator while Colossus is on the side of the angels. But on Earth-616, we get to see a Mikhail who inspired others to fight for what’s right, while Colossus literally tears apart anyone in his way. Hopefully, we get to see the Rasputin family reunion before Logan and the Opposition are swept up in Ultimate Endgame.
The best part of Ultimate Wolverine #10 is in the conversation between Wolverine and Sabretooth. Yes, X-Men fans: this is a world where these two can have an actual conversation rather than trying to rip each others into shreds. Sabretooth is attempting to carve out a peaceful life for himself while also living up to his promise to give Wolverine a way to kill himself if he ever falls back under the Rasputins’ control. Condon clearly loves approaching this age-old rivalry from a new angle, and he does so in a way that lets Logan and Creed actually make peace with each other.
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Ultimate Wolverine #10 sees the return of Alex Lins to interiors; Lins’ work flows like water, especially his transitions. A Predator-style handshake between Wolverine and Sabretooth transitions into Colossus slamming his metal fist into a desk. Missiles streaking through the air resemble the slashes of Wolverine’s claws, and the violence the Rasputins are willing to inflict upon each other.
This eventually leads to the battle between Wolverine and Omega Red, and it’s just as brutal as you’d expect. Logan slashes and cuts his way throughout Red’s tentacles, while Red uses his infamous “death factor” to leech the life from his victims, resulting in some utterly disturbing images where their skin dries out, and their faces freeze in a painful scream. A massive two-page spread also features the members of the Opposition, and Lins is quick to pepper the pages with a few familiar faces from X-Men history.
Topping off things is Bryan Valenza on colors. Valenza, in contrast to his work on other books, has used a far more muted palette for Ultimate Wolverine; the sole exception are the costumes the Opposition wears. They mix the black combat leather seen in the first X-Men film, but also gives each member their own unique color scheme; Logan’s red and black suit marks a sharp contrast to Sabretooth’s black and gold.
Ultimate Wolverine #10 delivers on its bloody showdown, while also giving readers some great character moments. Now that Directorate X is one member down, the question remains: who’s next on Wolverine’s hit list?
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