With so many mutants having been killed, it's great to see the return of some familiar faces. Be prepared for a mysterious figure that will offer an interesting twist to the issue.
The Good
You can see from the cover that Havok is back. Honestly I can't say I actually remember what happened with him the last time we saw him. It turns out, he hasn't been doing too well since that last time. His condition is questionable but what is a bigger mystery is the identity of a certain individual that comes to visit him. It wont be the most pleasant visit and you'll be wondering who he is throughout the issue. It's evident that he doesn't have the best of intentions.
There are some trippy moments here. As the story progresses, it's possible you might figure out the identity of the deadly stranger before the big reveal. This is another person we haven't seen in a while. Now we're getting pieces of a bigger puzzle. We're left wondering what this means, especially as it comes during the Sentinel attack against mutants. How are these two stories related?
I'm still enjoying Paco Medina's art. I dig seeing how he draws the Ultimate versions of these mutants (there are a couple others to be seen). Marte Gracia's colors enhance the art, giving it a vibrant feel that accentuates each character, making them the focal point of each panel.
The Bad
It felt a little weird that we have this little segue way from where the last issue left off. I believe this is Nick Spencer's last issue as well. It's an interesting read, seeing what he's setting up but I'm left wondering if these threads will be picked up in the next issues of if we're left stuck wondering why everything happened the way it did and when this mysterious character will pop up again. We'll soon be seeing the return of Kitty, Jimmy and the others. Having arcs with separate characters in the spotlight has its advantages but also causes some confusion.
The Verdict
It's always great to see the return of interesting characters. The Ultimate X-Men stories have been fascinating but they almost feel as if they've been all over the place. We've seen the death of many characters so having Havok return was a pleasant outcome. Because of the different storylines/characters that are featured, this issue doesn't pick up where last issue left off. You can easily jump in here without having read the last few. There could be some confusion as what the full intentions are for Havok but this is something that might not be picked up right away. This issue got me both excited and a little confused but I can't wait to see what the future holds for the X-Men in the Ultimate Universe.