Ultimate X-Men #71
	Story Title: 'Phoenix' (Part 3 of 3) Writer: Robert Kirkman Penciller: Ben Oliver Inker: Jonathan Glapion Colorist: Jason Keith Letterer: VC's Joe Caramagna Editor: Nicole Boose Published by: Marvel Comics
	Reviewed by: Bruce Logan

For an arc that began as ‘bad’ and slid down to ‘worse’ with the last issue, this final part of the Ultimate ‘Phoenix’ story, ended with an ‘almost acceptable’ rating. However, there is one very big qualifier for this. The new character, Elliot Boggs, I don’t even bother to read any of his dialogues, and instead of taking away anything or leaving me feeling lost/confused, it helps to clear up the story…even managing to make it somehow interesting.

Beginning with the fight between the Brotherhood and the X-Men with the students from Emma Frost’s school (Academy of Tomorrow. I think) serving as pretty much panel fillers. At the same time, elsewhere, Liliandra is near about to wetting herself, scared witless by coming face to face with the Phoenix. And here I’d to make my first and only comment about the artwork (Ben Oliver, Jonathan Glapion, Jason Keith). It is just as it was in the last issue. Meaning? It still SUCKS.

Well, that is what the whole issue is about. The X-Men, and the Tomorrows (don’t know what else to call them), take down the Brotherhood. The speed at which both the media and the police shows up gives a bit of mystery, but seeing that their attention was focused almost solely on Elliot, I didn’t look too much into it. BTW, he also gets labeled ‘The Magician’ by the news people. Now what is this? Lois and Clark 2.0? (Ref. On his first appearance, Lois was the one who used ‘Superman’ when writing about the stranger i.e. Clark)

There is also more of the Hellfire Club, but even that didn’t strike me very much. After all, just like Magneto, we all knew that sooner or later the ‘Club would also show up. And with the story/arc being named ‘Phoenix’, this one was it.

For what was supposed to be the Phoenix ‘saga’, this arc pretty much frizzled out. Don’t know whether Kirkman is deliberately boring us or whether the TPTB are making him stretch out, shoving in fillers until that much touted and elusive Singer run happens. I for one am not so sure about it anymore, and am a bit apprehensive that when it finally happens, the actual product will be severely disappointing, not because of its quality, but because of the expectations being built up for it.

Conclusion: ‘I love you.’ WTH? What is going on between Xavier and Jean? Poor Scott. It wasn’t enough that he got seconds, being trumped by Logan, now he has a Professor Pervy to contend with.

RATING: 6/10