Holy cow, we’re almost at issue #100!  I wonder if it’s gonna be related to the current Banshee storyline or if it’s something more historical “X-men”, like the return of Magneto or Dark Phoenix. The continuity between the Ultimate Spider-Man and Ultimate Origins books is nice to see, and we get a nice moment between Logan and Kitty Pryde, who has been absent for a while.

I still don’t know what to make of the fact that Colossus – as revealed two issues ago – has no super strength without the use of the Banshee drug. I love how Marvel explores the concept of powers that don’t automatically make a person “super”, as explored in the Avengers The Initiative story about Boulder. That said, I find myself wondering what they are going to do with this character, who has been a staple of the book since issue #1. I hope that, after the Banshee drug situation is resolved, they don’t take a cheap way of giving him drug-free super strength just as a matter of convenience. That would be, in Kitty’s words, “lameness”.

The portrayal of legendary X-men characters having drastic behavioral and attitude shifts due to the influence of the Banshee drug is simply astonishing. I give Marvel a lot of credit for making such bold moves here, showing such dark sides of people who are supposed to be heroes. Something pretty severe happens to a character in this issue, too, so it’s definitely a must-read. The artwork is also much improved over previous issues, and seems to be getting back to the quality of the Mark Millar era (that was David Finch, right?).

“Absolute Power” 3 of 4

Story: Aron E. Coleite – 4 (Exceptional)
Art: Clay Mann, Brandon Peterson – 3 (Very Good) Who does the art for pages 1-3 ???