Editorial Reviews:
This revised edition of DK's comprehensive guide includes the best of the X-Men films and animated series, as well as exciting new characters and plotlines from the comics.
Gorgeous, oversize, and well designed, Ultimate X-Men is also perfectly titled. It's a comprehensive overview of four decades of Marvel Comics's monstrously popular mutant superheroes--from their debut, in Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's X-Men #1 (1963), to the terrific X-Men movie (2000). Ultimate X-Men includes the many major mutants who have appeared in The Uncanny X-Men and its spinoffs (Alpha Flight, New Generation, Wolverine, X-Factor, and numerous other series and miniseries). Two-page spreads detail the most important characters' origins, powers, costumes, and relationships. In addition, every superhero and supervillain appearing in the movie receives a sidebar, with stills, that describes the onscreen incarnation. Also receiving detailed coverage are nonmutants important to the X-Men, including Ka-Zar, Longshot, and Dr. Moira MacTaggert; major alien groups and races, like the Starjammers and the Shi'ar; and important locations and technology, such as the Danger Room, Dr. Xavier's estate, and the Blackbird jets. The book also covers the best Uncanny X-Men story lines, the Dark Phoenix Saga, and Days of Future Past. A Summers family tree lays out clearly a tangle of relationships (between clonal and alternate-timeline versions of Cyclops/Scott Summers and Marvel Girl/Phoenix/Jean Grey) that could drive even an experienced genealogist crazy. Ultimate X-Men opens with an entertaining foreword by X-Men creator-editor Stan Lee and concludes with a two-page overview of the X-Men animated series (1992-1997); a four-page "Making the X-Men Movie" section with many great shots; and an insightful afterword by the series' best writer, Chris Claremont. Ultimate X-Men is a book every X-Men fan will want. It's practically a necessity for the newcomer drawn to the comics by the movie, because Marvel's mutants multiplied like superpowered rabbits in the 1990s. Art-oriented fans, however, may be disappointed by Ultimate X-Men. While it contains a hefty amount of art, the original artwork (the preliminary character sketches, a lovely Dave Cockrum sketch of Nightcrawler and Ororo, etc.) is outnumbered by panel and cover reproductions. And if you're less than enamored with the nature of endless comic-book series, Ultimate X-Men will prove that the more things change, the more they stay the same. --Cynthia Ward
Customer Reviews:
Displaying 1 to 5 of 39 total reviews (Page 1 of 8):
 Comic Book
I liked reading about the evalution of the X-Men. I got interested in them after watching the three movies.  X-men fans get this!
First off I'm a HUGE X-men fan, so this book is great for newbies or someone whom has read the comics since they came out. The info in this book is very well explained. Such as the Ultimates and the original story lines are kept separate so there's no confusion. It's well written when explaining, characters backgrounds and history, the X-mansion layout, the layout of the jet (which I can't think of the name right now), and to name four things, the history of the comics themselves. As for the illustrations, BEAUTIFUL, showing many pics from the first comics with some of the new Ultimates and others. Also in this amazingly awesome guide, all THREE movies, and the animated show from the nineties (which I LOVED!!!!!!!). And you're going to have to buy it to see how truly wonderful this guide is.
As always, hope this helps you in, hopefully, purchasing this book. :P  Better than some, but not quite "Ultimate".
Less a critical analysis of the various works of fiction depicting the X-Men, this book serves as more of an introduction to the most significant characters and their storylines. While far from exhaustive, Peter Sanderson's book still gives the X-Men better treatment than they receive in DK's error-strewn "Marvel Encyclopedia" (also, it's worth noting there's a great deal of repetition of illustrations between the two).
Unlike some in this series of "Ultimate Guides" (Scott Beatty's book on Batman, for example), this book gives some credit to the various artists and writers who have made significant contributions to the X-Men canon over the years. Space is also given to adaptations, especially the three recent movies and- where possible- treatment of characters on screen and in print are contrasted. However there are no judgements made; as far as Sanderson is concerned, all the X-Men characters are equally entertaining and all storylines equally valid.
The quality of illustrations is generally high, the text is clear and the book is largely free of the weird annotations that blight other DK books (their Star Wars Visual Guides especially). However the definitive X-Men reference book has yet to be written. Great Item
This book is awesome. It was recommended to me by a friend and I am glad I bought it. A wonderful reference about the xmen. Then and now. Great illustrations. Not Free SF Reader
Looks like Amazon has incorrectly combined this with an encylopedia for some reason, as the cover photo, the publisher details, page count are all from the Berkley anthology and have nothing to do with a coffee table type graphic book.
An anthology of stories taking a look at a wide selection of the X-Men course, and as usual, managing to slip Wolverine in more than once. For this sort of book, the quality of the stories is actually pretty good, so certainly worth a look for X-fans.
Ultimate X-Men : 01 It's a Wonderful Life - Eluki Bes Shahar
Ultimate X-Men : 02 Gift of the Silver Fox - Ashley McConnell
Ultimate X-Men : 03 Stillborn in the Mist - Dean Wesley Smith
Ultimate X-Men : 04 X-Presso - Ken Grobe
Ultimate X-Men : 05 Four Angry Mutants - Andy Lane and Rebecca Levene
Ultimate X-Men : 06 On the Air - Glenn Hauman
Ultimate X-Men : 07 Summer Breeze - Jenn Saint-John and Tammy Lynne Dunn
Ultimate X-Men : 08 Life Is But a Dream - Stan Timmons
Ultimate X-Men : 09 Order from Chaos - Evan Skolnick
Ultimate X-Men : 10 Hostages - J. Steven York
Ultimate X-Men : 11 Out of Place - Dave Smeds
A man with Amberesque reality shifting powers goes on the run after an attempt to help someone goes horribly wrong. A black ops government team with a new anti-psionic weapon is after him, and he just about makes it to Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters.
3.5 out of 5
Wolverine, out hunting by himself helps out a pregnant silver fox, and comes across a woman trapping.
3.5 out of 5
Gambit goes back to his hometown and finds a zombie project.
2 out of 5
Cannonball, having a bad day, heads into New York City. Here he stumlbes across Zelda's beatnik coffee joint after catching a pickpocket, and finds Cyclops.
3.5 out of 5
Bobby Drake has been called for jury duty in a trial involving a mutant and a human supremacist group, and Logan and Xavier go along to observe, and soon unconver something bad.
3.5 out of 5
Warren Worthington is interviewed on radio, post-wing trauma and corporate recovery.
4 out of 5
Warren Worthington is interviewed on radio, post-wing trauma and corporate recovery.
3 out of 5
Rogue runs a Danger Room simulation of what might have been.
3 out of 5
Storm goes to Egypt to help out on old friend, taking Jubilee, and getting involved in fractal magic.
3.5 out of 5
Logan and Jean, out separately for air, come across a bizarre murderer with a mutant symbiont and split personality.
4 out of 5
An illness causes Psylocke to unconsciously start altering the memories of her teammates.
3.5 out of 5
3.5 out of 5 More Customer Reviews:
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