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

[mrstatham]

Yeah.. Aside from some great characterisation, the stories following 'Venom' where the book entered a dull period for me up until they did the Clone Saga. It was never a bad book, and probably better than the 616 equivalent at the time, but that sense of.. Innovation from the Venom story was just not there. I think the quality took an upswing again when Immonen took over on art, and despite the ugliness of the event, post-Ultimatum was another high-point.

But yeah, 616 could have taken a few notes for JJJ here, rather than descending into the mess that was Jonah's ultimately inconsequential run as mayor.