Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #24 – Review

By: Brian Michael Bendis (Writer), Dave Marquez (Art), Justin Ponsor (Colors), VC’s Cory Petit (Lettering)

Review: Miles Morales fans beware: there ain’t much of him to be seen this month. As you can tell from the cover (and last month’s last-page reveal), this issue is more an introduction to the Ultimate universe’s Cloak and Dagger, a fan-favourite team whose appearance has been loosely teased in the 1610 for years.

I have to admit, I’ve no great reverence for the characters personally. The last time I remember seeing them star in any comic of note was Civil War and that was in…whoa, 2006!? Color me old. Still, if there’s one thing the Ultimate universe could do with right now it’s new blood, and what better place to introduce it than the line’s flagship title.

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #23 – Review

By: Brian Michael Bendis (Writer), Dave Marquez (Art), Justin Ponsor (Colors), VC’s Cory Petit (Lettering)

Review: Ultimate Comics Spider-Man is enjoying some well-deserved attention at the moment. And about time. It’s surely been one of Marvel’s best ongoing titles since…well, since #1 pretty much…and yet it’s hardly been given the same levels of praise and publicity as the company’s other top tier books – your Hawkeye’s and Daredevil’s. This is probably down to a combination of two things: 1) it has ‘Ultimate’ in the title, and 2) this Spider-Man ain’t Peter Parker. A shame, as it’s a consistently beautiful-looking book that draws the best from Bendis each and every month. With the last issue seeing an end to the Venom War storyline and, with it, the death of Miles’ mother, there’s been a surge of interest in the series that’s seen it hesitantly take centre stage. But it’s what it does under the spotlight that matters…and luckily this issue puts on a pretty good show.

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #22 – Review

By: Brian Michael Bendis (Writer), Sara Pichelli (Art), Justin Ponsor (Colors), VC’s Cory Petit (Letterer)

The Review: You may not have noticed but Bendis is putting out another event book at the moment, a small indie title called Age of Ultron about a robot looking for love in all the wrong places. It’s pretty cool, and I recommend you check it out if you’ve not already done so. But away from that side-project, Venom War rages on in the pages of Ultimate Comics Spider-Man; and it’s awesome. While it remains to be seen just how much of an impact AoU will have on its universe, Venom War marches confidently ahead, creating several key moments which are sure to echo down the halls of Ultimate Spider-Man continuity for an eternity. Or maybe not. After all, this issue does end with Miles’ tearing his costume to pieces and shouting “No more!”

Is that a spoiler? Not really. This aspect of future issues has been relatively well publicized by the cover to next month’s issue, a homage to the classic Romita ‘costume in a trashcan’ image from Amazing Spider-Man #50. And as interesting as that destination is, the more interesting thing is the action-packed, heart-wrenching journey that gets us there.

Ultimate Comics Wolverine #1 – Review

By: Cullen Bunn (Writer), David Messina (Penciler), Gary Erskine (Inker), Javier Tartaglia (Colorist), VC’s Joe Caramagna (Letterer)

Review: Poor old Jimmy Hudson. As character’s go he’s often gotten the short end of the stick. He was first introduced in Jeph Loeb’s facepalm-worthy Ultimate Comics: X, a series intended to be an ongoing before production delays saw it wound up as an extended mini. Then he shifted over as a regular cast member of Ultimate Comics X-Men though his growth remained stunted, imagined as half romantic foil for Kitty Pryde, half perpetually snarling anger-ball. Now, even when he gets the chance to star in his own mini-series proper, he has to share page count with dear old departed Dad.

Still, Jimmy does kinda suck, so whatcha gonna do? Other than his Daddy Issues I’ve never found him to be that interesting. I mean, compare him to Daken in the 616; that guy had it all. Cool tattoos, an edgy Mohawk, a third claw on the inside of his wrist…and he was into the guys as well as the gals. Plus, he totally hated his Dad and cut the Punisher up into tiny l’il bits. Meanwhile J-Huds is just this angry white kid – he reminds me of Ryan from The O.C. Not that I watched The O.C., you understand, it’s just that I’m hip and culturally aware and have my finger on the pulse of popular entertainment *remembers that The O.C. finished 5 years ago, hides away DVD box set*. Ahem.

Ultimate Comics X-Men #24 – Review

By: Brian Wood (Writer), Mahmud Asra (Penciler), Juan Vlasco (Inker), Jordie Bellaire (Colorist), VC’s Joe Sabino (Lettering & Production)

Review: Great Odin’s Raven…I did not see this coming. This issue of Brian Wood’s Ultimate Comics X-Men is nearly everything I was hoping the series would be. Like the planets, every plot point has swung nebulously in its slow, laborious orbit, finally correlating in a revelatory alignment. The effect is invigorating. The terraforming, the missing post-cure mutants, Karen Grant in Tian, Kitty’s leadership and the opposition to it – it’s all culminated in one of most important changes the Ultimate Universe has made in a while. Utopia finally feels like a real thing, one worth caring about. I never thought I’d be writing those words.

After last month’s issue (a brilliant ‘done-in-one’ focusing on Storm’s recent history) I was expecting Wood to embark on a couple more self-contained detours before getting back to the barren landscapes and sullen soliloquies. What a difference a month makes. All that talk’s finally translated into action with Blackheath’s Sentient Seed having born startling results. A massive stretch of overgrown jungle wilderness has sprung up in the midst of Utopia with Kitty’s pioneers building houses in the tress. Mutants from all over the country, once forced into hiding, now make their way to Utopia’s borders seeking refuge and a home free from persecution.

Ultimate Comics Ultimates #22 – Review

By: Sam Humphries (Writer), Joe Bennett (Penciler), Ruy José (Inker), Matt Milla (Colorist), VC’s Clayton Cowles (Letterer)

Review: I have trouble sleeping some nights. It’s this recurring dream I have: every comic writer I’ve ever trashed in print lines up and takes turns kicking me right in the nuts. On and on it goes. Brian Wood’s been getting a few jabs in there lately. Joe Keatinge nearly took ‘em clean off the other week. But even in the grip of deep sleep my body physically convulses when Ultimates writer Sam Humphries steps up to the plate; by Christ, that man must be able to power a Pedalo at an impressive rate of knots with those well-developed calves. And that’s not even the half of it. I always know that at the back of the queue stands Jeph Loeb, a &$@!-eating grin on his face and steel-toed,  rocket-powered boots on his feet. Bring it on Loeb, I’ve had worse; I read Ultimatum…twice.

Ultimate Comics X-Men #23 – Review

By: Brian Wood (Writer), Carlo Barberi (Penciller), Don Ho (Inker), Jesus Aburtov (Colorist), VC’s Joe Sabino (Letterer)

The Review: This issue really took me by surprise. Much like Brian Wood  often did with great success during his Vertigo series DMZ, this is a stand-alone tale that breaks  away from the title’s continuing narrative to address an otherwise undocumented   chapter in one character’s life. In this case it deals chiefly with Storm and starts directly after she and Colossus participated in the breakout from Camp Angel (around issues #10 and #11) leading all the way up to just about the present day (around about #19). Just as with DMZ, this change in gear offers its readership the chance to catch a breath from the dense plotting of the ongoing title and for Wood to explore one of his individual cast member’s histories in rich detail and with a tighter focus. It is – for me – easily the best issue of Ultimate Comics X-Men in months.

Ultimate Comics X-Men #22 -Review

By: Brian Wood & Nathan Edmondson (Writers), Carlo Barberi (Penciler), Juan Vlasco (Inker), Jesus Aburtov (Colorist), Joe Sabino (Lettering)

Review: I dig that whole line of thought that when you’re tasked with reviewing something you should do so in a kind of bubble. You can only really give your personal honest opinion – otherwise you’re just acting as an aggregate for the communal hum of the internets. As such, I make it a rule to only read other reviewers’ critiques on a comic until I’ve submitted my own for publication. This serves me well. Occasionally though, I have to stick my head above the parapets and make sure that I’m not veering wildly off target, blinded by a cantankerous mood swing or unnerved by a total misreading of the material on my own part.

Ultimate Comics X-Men prompts this second-guessing behaviour more than most. I scratch my head and wonder why most other reviewers seem to be almost floored by Wood’s handling of the material, proclaiming the book to be one of, if not the, best X-titles on the stands (Ultimate or otherwise). Either I’ve been missing something entirely these last few months or these guys are all smoking the same blend of off-brand crack.

Ultimate Comics Ultimates #20 – Review

By: Sam Humphries (Writer), Scot Eaton (Artist), Rick Magyar w/Andrew Hennessey & Dave Meikis (Inkers), Matt Milla w/Andy Troy (Colorist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer)

The Review: If Jeph Loeb hadn’t irrevocably depleted my levels of Ultimate-based rage with the debacle that was Ultimates 3/Ultimatum, I’m pretty sure I’d be tearing this comic to bits with my teeth right now. As it stands, I’ve grown used to the Ultimates occasionally being neglected by Marvel’s quality control department like it was a red-headed stepchild and, as such, Sam Humphries’ run has elicited little more than a ‘meh’ from me most months. This month however, something in me snapped; we Ultimate fans deserve better than this.

Okay, so let’s start with possibly the biggest problem: the art. Since the wonderful Esad Ribic hit the ‘Eject’ button, departing Ultimate Comics Ultimates alongside Jonathan Hickman, the title has largely taken on an uneasy Boy’s Own look which felt totally at odds with the mature themes it was seeking to explore. It’s been difficult to take the Civil War-vibe and political posturing seriously with everything looking so bright, puffy and rounded, and that sense of disparity lingers here like a bad smell. For me, this is one of those Marvel titles which requires its art style to have one foot firmly rooted in the grimy, gritty ‘real’ to be truly effective. Bryan Hitch, Carlos Pacheco, Leinil Yu – who I feel have produced some of most definitive treatments of the Ultimates – all had a knack of conveying that sense of widescreen action that is so key to Mark Millar’s original blueprint. Scott Eaton’s work, much like Luke Ross’ before it, just feels too squeaky clean and fails to imbue enough drama into the scenes of volatile Hydra rebellion which lie at the heart of Humphries’ story.

As for Humphries, he’s certainly trying his best to make things interesting. There’s a double-agent plot, Hydra member melodrama, a shadowy organisation bent on unleashing a team of anti-Ultimates and Thor and Susan Storm investigating the secrets and whereabouts of the Infinity Gems/Gauntlet. That’s a hell of a lot of ground to cover in 20 pages and inevitably some of the spinning plates were destined to take a tumble. Frustratingly, what I found the most interesting element of all was the Thor and Susan Storm vignette, but with space at such a premium 2 pages is all Humphries could afford that story this month – the same is true of the “shadowy organisation” bit.

Ultimate Comics X-​Men #20 – Review

By: Brian Wood (Writer), Carlo Barberi (Penciler), Juan Vlasco (Inker), Jesus Aburto (Colorist), Joe Sabino (Letterer)

The Review: In contrast to a lot of other readers and critics of Brian Wood’s time on Ultimate Comics X-Men, I seem to have had a hard time really vibing with the story he’s chosen to tell. I think it’s the slow-burn nature of the telling; Kitty Pryde’s evolved into the leader of the Mutant race, born out of revolution and war, and is now in the process of building her people a new nation. But since the Reservation X storyline has been in place she seems to be more of a pragmatic administrator than charismatic figurehead. It makes perfect sense for things to be this way of course but for me it lacks some pizazz. However, the way some people evidently feel about the title, they think this is the best thing to happen to the Ultimate X-Men in years… what am I missing? Is there something more going on here?

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #16.1 Review

By: Brian Michael Bendis (Writer), David Marquez (Artist), Justin Ponsor (Colorist), Cory Petit (Letterer)

The Review: At first glance this is kind of a strange move from Ultimate Comics Spider-Man. The book’s technically still in the midst of the Divided We Fall/United We Stand storylinebut has taken the decision to drop a Point.One issue just before the crossover draws to a close. This is most likely down to editorial requirements so that Spider-Man and the Ultimates ship their conclusions to the event in the same month, but no matter; even when this creative team are dealt a logistical curveball they still manage to smash it out of the park.

Essentially this issue follows The Daily Bugle’s Betty Brant, hot on the trail of Spider-Man’s secret identity for an article which she hopes will propel her to stardom. She starts with a close inspection of the footage of Miles’ climactic fight with his Uncle Aaron when she stumbles across five important little words: “You are…just…like me.” Betty recognizes this as one of the most decisive moments in this new Spidey’s mythology and sets out to discover the truth behind the character’s origin. Betty first digs into Uncle Aaron’s history as costumed thief The Prowler, and then uncovers a major find while scouring his abandoned apartment for clues – this in turn leads to some minor revelations regarding Oscorp’s role in how our hero received his powers. Some final snooping on Miles and his family seems to fill in the remaining blanks. At its heart this story is a procedural drama about one journalist’s quest to land the biggest scoop of her career, and even with Spider-Man himself barely making an appearance it’s still a thoroughly engrossing read.

I’m not quite sure how Bendis does it. He’s been writing this title for well over 10 years but still seems to approach each issue like it’s his first, always brimming with energy and enthusiasm. While he’s been known to make a habit of composing his scripts a little on the talk-heavy side, Ultimate Comics Spider-Man benefits the most from this practice with a series of convincing back-and-forth exchanges between Brant and her often-reticent cast of contacts. With the Police she’s sweet and charming while with her source at Roxxon she’s a hard-nosed manipulator who’s quick to resort to blackmail to get the information she needs. The book’s best moments see her butt heads with J Jonah Jameson over the veracity and/or need for this story. Here’s where that decade-plus history on the book really comes into play. Bendis has crafted the Bugle’s Editor-in-Chief into a character whose history with Spider-Man is deep and rich, a man who’s learned the hard way what it means to put the story before the person it affects. In my mind he almost steals the show from Brant, but both are wonderfully handled here.

Ultimate Spider-Man #124 Review

By Brian Michael Bendis (Writer), Stuart Immonen (Penciler), Wade von Grawbadger (Inker), and Justin Posner (Colorist)

What can I say? For as long as my oldest daughter has been alive, Brian Michael Bendis has been writing Ultimate Spider-Man. And while he may never have written a truly great issue (after all, it’s in the nature of the Ultimate universe to be derivative), he’s never written a bad one either.

This issue is actually a bit confusing, as it bounces around through time. It starts “Several weeks ago” (with Spider-Man fighting Venom at the ESU Museum of Art), then jumps to “Months ago” (with Spider-Man fighting the Rhino, while Eddie Brock watches), then “The next day” (with a little Mary Jane banter that simultaneously amuses and sets up the idea that Peter’s spider-metabolism might have unanticipated side-effects), then “Later that night” (with Spidey trying to stop the new Beetle from stealing a Venom sample from a vault at Roxxon), then “The next day” (a Nick Fury cameo, just ‘cuz Nick Fury’s cool), and finally back to “Several weeks ago” (with Silver Sable showing up to cart the unconscious Eddie Brock away for some as-yet-unknown purpose).

There’s a reason I’m going into this in such detail about the way the story is constructed. I have a point to make. Once upon a time, these scenes would have been presented in “real” time as the issues of the comic came out. Spidey would have fought the Rhino in one issue. Then several issues later, he’d have fought the Beetle. Then, after some more filler issues, he’d fight Venom. The writer would be trusting us to pick up every issue and remember the elements of the storyline through the year or two it took to tell it. Now, with the ascendancy of the trade paperback, the writer is forced to work harder on structure. Every story arc needs to have a clear beginning, and four-to-eight issues later, a satisfying ending. You can still have bigger, multi-book story arcs (Ultimate Galactus being the best example), but those annoying little teasers where some villain appears for a single page in the middle of a book and doesn’t show up again for months are a thing of the past. Frankly, I think it’s an improvement.

Anyway, Ultimate Spider-Man #124 is another well-written, beautifully drawn book of the sort we’ve come to expect from this title. Spidey is funny, the sub-text is engagingly mysterious, and the new Beetle is waaaaaaaaaaay cooler than the original. I could go on, but really, if you love comics you should be reading this book yourself anyway. (Grade: A-)

– Andrew C. Murphy