Rating:  -
For those who long to return to the days when superheroes were all about the kicking and the saving and the simplicity, give "Ultimate Spider-Man" a shot. Volume 2 collects "Ultimate Spider-Man" #8-13, originally published in 2001, and focuses on the public reaction to Spidey -- which at this point is very slight and very negative. Young Peter Parker has a knack for being caught by reporters and cops under circumstances where Spider-Man appears to be socializing with the bad guys. Meaning that New York views Spider-Man as some kind of crazy criminal.
What's really happening is Peter Parker is trying to confront Wilson Fisk, a hulking beast of a crime lord known as the "Kingpin." Using his new part-time job as a computer technician at the Daily Planet, Parker has learned that the Kingpin was connected to the man who murdered Parker's uncle. Unfortunately, getting close to the Kingpin isn't his biggest problem: Pete also is trying to maintain -- and improve -- his relationship with Mary Jane Watson. This time, Spidey might be tangled up in his own web.
Having run through the obligatory origins bit in Volume 1, writer Brian Michael Bendis is a little more free to have some fun time. And it is a fun time, full of explosive (literally) action, pulse-pounding teen romantic drama (blow off the criminals! Go to the damn movies with Mary Jane, Pete, or you're gonna lose her before you even have her!), and some truly funny Spidey-cracks (his second confrontation with the Kingpin is hilarious). Also, Aunt May lectures Peter on sex. That's worth the price of the comic alone.
If that's all you're after, pick this baby up. If you're looking for something with depth or true historical relevance, this isn't it. Bendis' writing is fun and funny, but rarely overly creative, surprising, or impressive. Which, hey, is not a problem -- what's wrong with a little fun and funny? Mark Bagley's artwork continues to be sufficient, and, at times, very pleasant, but it never even reaches the ranks of pretty.
So, in the end, Volume 2 is much like Volume 1. Like the classic comics, it's simple, straightforward, predictible, and full of colorful artwork. On top of that, it's funny and has a nice kind of 21st century spin to it. Those looking for depth or relevance might want to keep looking. But Spidey fans or those looking for a nice, quiet read for a lonely Thursday night: pick it up.
Rating:  -
Spider-Man learns that he can get paid for taking photos of himself, and decides that the Kingpin is not a nice man. Perhaps confusing himself with Daredevil he decides it is more damaging if he can get information on him doing some crime, rather than just beating him up.
Also decides to come out to his would-be girlfriend.
Rating: -
1. i don't like the ultimate universe idea at all. i dislike the infinite earths dc junk also. when you have iconic characters i don't think it's good to confuse the average non-comics fan (or even the average comics fan) with earth-2 superman, superboy prime, ultimates nick fury, etc. they water down the legacy and the impact of the great classic storylines and characters.
2. despite the above, this is a pretty nice comics collection. it's a good read, but just don't confuse the alternative ultimate universe with the real 616 universe.
ultimate spidey 1 was just like the first spider-man movie for the most part. this one is the rise of spider-man as a super-hero, getting acquainted with his powers and whatnot, and he faces off against the kingpin.
Rating: -
In the wake of the radioactive spider bite that turned a geeky High School student named Peter Parker into a would-be superhero, the murder of his Uncle Ben, and Spider-Man's previous battle with evil businessman Norman Osborne (the "Green Goblin"), Peter now finds himself supporting his widowed Aunt May by taking up a job selling photographs to the Daily Bugle's grouchy chief editor, J. Jonah Jameson, with Uncle Ben dead. Having barley survived the attack by the Goblin, Spider-Man explores the more urban side of evil by infiltrating New York City's underworld, and it's large, muscle-bound boss Wilson Fisk, the ruthless Kingpin, whom the man who shot Uncle Ben had ties to.
As Frank Miller captured the essence of an amateur, inexperienced would-be hero in "Batman: Year One," BMB does the same to Spider-Man as the "Ultimate Spider-Man" saga continues. Here, Peter is still getting used to properly using his powers to do good and learns there is more to crime fighting than just swinging fists. In addition to getting his butt kicked by new bad guys, Spidey also has deal with cranky J. J. Jameson slandering his already bad name with false headlines. The unique thing about Spider-Man is he was always considered a criminal by the same general public he protects than a hero--unlike Superman or, to smaller extent, Batman. If you ever doubted superhero comics would ever pass the test of time, "Ultimate Spider-Man" is enough to convince newcomers to the genre. Keep working your way up the line, true-believers and newcomers alike, because in the next volume, Spidey locks horns with Doctor Octopus and Kraven the Hunter!
Rating:  -
I'm not Bendis-bashing. I like most of the guy's work. But this series is flat, campy (not in a fun way), and just all around poorly-written. I still can't figure out why everyone's going crazy over this book. The artwork is nice, if you like your Peter Parker looking like an anime character with a butt-cut.
I simply felt saturated with placated coolness while reading this. It's MTV and Disney Channel after-school sitcoms. It's those stores in the mall that play their music way too loud and only sell offensive t-shirts and stickers.
No, I'm not a geezer, but I'm getting this crap crammed down my throat in all other arenas of life. I'm not looking for it in my Spider-man. Like it or not, Peter Parker IS a dork. He doesn't dress like the other kids, he doesn't talk like the other kids. He doesn't get Mary Jane on his first try.
I haven't read the newer volumes in this line, but if it tells you anything, Bendis is writing like 4,000 books simulatneously. And as good as his other works are, that could only mean that he's writing this line in the ten minutes at night before he goes to bed.
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