Spidey, his friends and his Amazing Friends are banned from super-heroics, so they have to use some less flashy ways to help Kitty Pryde out as she's on the run.
The Good
A familiar Spidey villain finally gets the "ultimate treatment" in this episode and I really enjoyed the suspenseful way he was introduced, as well as the new electric hand gimmick he gets (because he definitely needed it.) Similarly, I was glad to see this title finally get the Daily Bugle with the times and make it a website (and MJ's chiding Peter for being nostalgic about it was a good little moment.) It also speaks to how well-done the interplay of these characters was that the "no heroics" ban actually made this more interesting. Hard to believe, but I was enjoying a Spider-Man that's just about him and Iceman getting fastfood jobs, as well as him and MJ talking with Urich about what to do their evidence - - I was enjoying very much. Lafuente's art being so consistently appealing has a lot to do with that. Bendis has actually been doing a good job of having these characters tackle some heavier moral conundrums (like the "test" Urich puts MJ through) in a way that's really down-to-Earth and never preachy.
The Bad
You put this many gags in one issue and there are going to be some that don't work. Lines like... "Oh yeah, puberty. How'd that work out for you?" and the bits about Iceman "still workshopping" his paranoid act stuck out.
The Verdict - 4.5/5
This is reminding me of the best of the first run of Ultimate Spider-Man. Getting back to the spirit of Spidey while shedding all the restrictions that have only been kept around out of tradition. This is how Spidey should be - - a well-meaning kid who's frequently put in situations where he's trying to figure out what the responsible thing to do is, even if he obviously doesn't have the experience to properly put things in perspective. I hope the new movie's going to be like this.
Silly think about that cover. Have you ever tried to pick up a office chair with one hand? It's doable, but awkward as well. It also looks damn tiny in his hands. What would you grab first in an office fight? A sharp pen, letter opener, a paper weight, or your chair??
I like the Ultimate Spider-man series. When I gave up on the regular series after OMD/BND. I still had this.
Would it count for Spidey to use his web shooters since they are technology?
Im really excited to read this. Ultimate Comics Spider-man, for some odd reason, has been my favorite read for a while now. I dont think any issue deserves lower than a 4.
I respect an artist if he can make me feel for the characters in a story, and I didn't respect Lafuente's art until the last issue when I saw the panels of the tear going down Kitty's cheek in the classroom... but when I turned the page I totally lost the respect when I realized he used the same panel 3 times, difference between the three was that there was a zoom into Aunt May... so I don't read this book for the art at all!
6 Comments