Ultimate Spider-Man: Cats and Kings

[cyberghostface]

This arc (which is in effect two smaller interconnected arcs) marked the return of the Kingpin. In my opinion the Kingpin is one of Bendis's best-written characters in both universes (see my Daredevil posts for more of him.) Bendis has said a couple of times that he's one of his favorite characters to write so hopefully he will include him in a future title.

#47...

The Kingpin is back in town...











#48...

Peter goes to get his things. Jonah tells him it's not what he said, but how he said it.

Peter later gets into a fight with his teacher over Fisk and he gets suspended. Aunt May calls Jonah and chews him out for firing Peter.

Ben Urich has an interview with Bullit.









It turns out Ben kept a second tape recorder in his shirt. Jonah has no choice but to publish the story and revoke the Bugle's support for Bullit.

#49...

The Enforcers arrive to threaten Jonah and order him to retract his article on Fisk. Spider-Man (who had arrived to trade words with Jonah) ends up coming to his rescue. Jonah manages to distract them with a tape recorder long enough for Spidey to gain the upper hand.









I love classic Jonah but this is one of those moments that could never happen with him (or if it did it would be reverted to the status quo) and it's a testament to what the 'Ultimate' universe was capable of when it was in the right hands.






#50... (which was double-sized)





















#51...







The tablet's original owner is tasked by Fisk's assistant in delivering money to someone who will retrieve it.









One of Elektra'a sais just misses them.



#52...









Elektra kicks Spider-Man off the building. When he comes back up, the two are missing.





#53...

Peter discovers that Mary Jane has run away from home. He manages to find her at the warehouse they know about. She tells him that her father is a miserable person and is trying to make his family as miserable as he is.





Later Peter does some research at the Bugle and is able to discover that the Black Cat is Felicia Hardy and that her father was a cat burglar that was affiliated with the Kingpin and was later arrested and died in prison.













This is one of the saddest moments in the title for me and example of why in my opinion Fisk is one of the best villains in comics. 

Comments

[scorntx]

Ah, no matter the time, no matter the place, Old Man Watson remains a terrible human being. With poor taste in facial hair, too, might I add.
Poor MJ...

And, uh, wow. JJJ showing emotional depth. Almost offsets the fact that his much nicer, pleasant son is apparently dead in the Ultimate Universe.
(Well, that does seem to be the sort of line setting up a "actually alive and in a government warehouse somewhere, but that never happened. Much sad.)
Actually think Ultimate JJJ is one Bendis' better character beats, when he starts not slandering Spidey every five minutes. Okay, him learning Pete's identity was... ehhh, but still. Good concept which, of course, never got explored.
And then he died in Miles' run anyway.

Oh, and Robbie Robertson, managing to become one of the best members of Ult. Spidey's supporting cast.
Also, criminally underused.

"I'll never cheat on you".
Hmm. But you two will stop dating one another for no readily apparent reason, and he'll start dating Gwen for no readily apparent reason, all within the span of a few weeks.
Somehow.
(The whole thing with Peter and Gwen never made any sense.)

And we begin to see some of Bendis' Bendisisms beginning to seep in a bit here...

Felicia running around in an outfit which for some reason exposes her bewbs and lower chest. Does she just like the feeling? That lovely New York wind down the front of her chest?
Although running around in something like that probably does make a person real sweaty...
(also, the little claws on her boots are a cute detail.)

Also, the stunningly beautiful woman taking off her goggles to reveal... OH MY GOD, she's a stunningly beautiful woman!

And tossing the stone into the river...
What's preventing Fisk from just hiring some people to look for it?
I mean, he just saw where she threw it, and it can't have gone that far, right?
Or will it be forever lost beneath the condoms and beer cans?

[cyberghostface]

Hmm. But you two will stop dating one another for no readily apparent reason, and he'll start dating Gwen for no readily apparent reason, all within the span of a few weeks.
Somehow.

Six months to be specific.

[scorntx]

Really?
Huh.
Can never make heads nor tails of the Mysterio arc's timeline...

[cyberghostface]

[balbanes]

I don't think you can blame Bendis for Felicia's outfit. 616 Black Cat had the same ridiculous cleavage.