Ultimate Comics Spider-Man: The New World According to Peter Parker

[cyberghostface]

I've decided to cover the first volume of 'Ultimate Comics Spider-Man' as it's only 26 issues. In my opinion this series was not as good as its predecessor although it did have its moments (namely Aunt May's House for Wayward Superheroes).

The first issue takes place six months after the events of 'Ultimatum'. New York has been rebuilt and things have changed.

There's a new vigilante in town known as 'The Shroud'.









The Kingpin is back in New York...







So... yeah. To me Bendis's killing of Kingpin is the second-worst thing he's done in USM after the original death of Gwen Stacy. A half-assed end to one of his best-written characters to boost up the credibility of Mysterio of all people. A huge wasted opportunity as Fisk could have been a good antagonist for Miles down the road.

Speaking of Mysterio... since I won't be posting 'Spider-Men' I'll just tell you right now... that's 616 Mysterio hopping in between dimensions. Keep that in mind as you read on because it's clear Bendis didn't have that on his mind when he was writing this.

#2...



Kitty is at lunch and Flash and his friends are lobbing food at her (which causes it to phase through her).















#3...

He says he hasn't called them. May asks him to so they know where he is.





Mysterio uses some sort of fear gas to make people think New York is being invaded by giant spiders. He uses the distraction to rob a bank.







#4...

MJ is almost abducted by some creeps but is rescued by the Shroud.









What appears to be the Hulk is attacking...





#5...















#6...





Mysterio is able to track Spider-Man to Midtown and sends his robots to detect Spidey's DNA sequence. The Shroud arrives and is able to help dismantle them.











Mysterio is forced to blow up his hideout, destroying the evidence he had on Spider-Man.

Comments

[scorntx]

Oh jeez, the Peter-Gwen relationship...
Setting aside Peter-MJ -(OPT! OTP!!! ALL OTHER WAYS ARE BLASPHEMY! ... sorry.) - the relationship as it is just...
There's no build up. Peter was in a relationship with MJ before Ultimatum, they talk about how they really want to have sex someday without ever saying "sex" to... Peter thinking the attractive, gorgeous, intelligent, supportive redhead had broken up with him and just immediately dating the moody, grouchy, misanthropic girl. Because..?
(Also, this storyline seems to screw up the Mysterio timeline. Apparently Annual No.3 takes place during it, but it can't have because Peter was still with MJ and it was before Ultimatum an- *HEAD EXPLOSION*)

Side note: Kitty frizzing MJ's camera... really reads like she's just lashing out at MJ. Okay, yeah, her life legitimately sucks at that point, but... seriously, girl, antagonising someone trying to help you...
Additional side note: I'm amazed Bendis actually stayed with that idiotic "being a mutant at all is illegal" garbage Loeb wrote.

Ultimate Mysterio... is pretty bland. What is his goal? What is his aim? What was his original backstory? All we've got here is a crazy rant and "I want stuff".
And somehow he has the money and tech to build robots and holograms.
Plus, he doesn't even have a fishbowl. I just... what is the point of a Mysterio without the fishbowl? What is the point?
And boy, killing Fisk sure did open up all kinds of story options, didn't it? Like, one story of Black Cat and Not!Mysterio and the Zodiac Key, and then some stuff with Scorpion during Miles' run.
A whole two storylines. And all that stuff Bendis had about characters claiming Fisk's death would just mean someone else would replace him turned out to be bull.
Yay?
(While we're here, Mysterio having some of Peter's blood sure went nowhere, too.)

But on a less... complain-y note, Kitty's new moves are actually a neat idea. And it's a surprisingly obvious one, all things considered.
Thirty years or so she's been around, and only now someone thinks "well, if she can make her density go one way, why can't she make it go the other?"
It's nice when a writer tinkers with an idea like that.
(Now if only people remembered Kitty could walk on air. ... actually, if only people could remember Excalibur in general.)

[cyberghostface]

Peter thinking the attractive, gorgeous, intelligent, supportive redhead had broken up with him and just immediately dating the moody, grouchy, misanthropic girl. Because..?

Gwen had stopped being moody, grouchy and misanthropic for years publication-wise. Ever since she moved in with Aunt May at least.. She was still a bit on edge due to the death of her father but finding out Peter was Spider-Man helped her come to terms. She was probably the closest thing to Pete's best friend after MJ.

(Also, this storyline seems to screw up the Mysterio timeline. Apparently Annual No.3 takes place during it, but it can't have because Peter was still with MJ and it was before Ultimatum an- *HEAD EXPLOSION*)

It doesn't. The annual was when Spidey first encountered Mysterio, Spidey stopped him, Mysterio said he would return. Then he returned here. Peter even says "Hey I remember you."

(While we're here, Mysterio having some of Peter's blood sure went nowhere, too.)

Because he had to destroy his hideout with everything in it.

And all that stuff Bendis had about characters claiming Fisk's death would just mean someone else would replace him turned out to be bull.

It opened up a vacuum with various villains trying to control organized crime in the city. And people would probably still be trying to take over the Kingpin's spot had the 616 world not collided with theirs.

[scorntx]

So it was some other, nigh-identical Gwen who spends a whole page in issue 1 saying how much she hates people?
'Cuz that sounds pretty misanthropic from over here.

[cyberghostface]

She's being a sarcastic teenager. That she still wants to be friends with her boyfriend's ex and is acting chummy with the two new guys living in their house as opposed to making everyone miserable indicates that she's not really a a moody misanthrope.

[thehood]

Speaking of, i really love the relationship Gwen and May have. I really liked how close they became.

[long_silence]

I always loved that Shadowcat costume, it's a shame she only had it for a little while.

[thehood]

My favorite thing about this arc was the introduction of the Bombshells. Well, mostly Lana since she gets more development than her mom. Also, i notice that Lana was Lori at this point.

[raspberryrain]

This is cute. Nuts, and cute.

Flash and Kong look like adults more than like teenagers to me.

Is that Jessica Jones with the tripod in #4?

[cyberghostface]

Yeah that's her.

[lbd_nytetrayn]

Loving May in this. I know she wasn't quite operating the same sort of thing in 616, but it makes me hate that her knowing Peter's secret there and this is all gone now. =(

[coldfury]

Hey, I think we finally hit the part of Ultimate Spider-Man where I fell behind in buying the graphic novels. Now I where to start to fill in my collection! Thanks! :D

[tigerkaya]

Dammit Mysterio you gotta be more hammy, your just not Mysterio without the ham acting.