Customer Reviews

Ultimate Spider-Man, Vol. 1

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

1962 saw the advent of a new superhero, the Spider-Man! In 2002, Marvel began to update Spider-Man for the twenty-first century, and the results are in this book. Leaving the basic story of Spider-Man unchanged (thank God!), this book retells the story with excellent writing, and wonderful illustration work. Everybody's here: Peter Parker, Mary Jane, Flash Thompson, the Green Goblin (new and improved!), and Kingpin! As an added bonus, the final section of the book is a reprinting of the original, 1962 introduction of the Spider-Man, which is really cool. (It originally cost ¢12, by the way!)

This is a great graphic novel. It is well produced, with a great story and marvelous illustrations. My ten-year-old son and I highly recommend it to all Spider-Man fans, and everyone who like comic books!

I was skeptical of the Ultimate series at first, especially after John Byrne's horrific "Chapter One" retelling, but I picked up Ultimate Spidey #1 all the same.

Boy, was I ever wrong. Bendis spectacularly takes what Stan Lee wrote oh-so-long-ago and combines it with what we've come to expect from the comic industry today: pacing, character development, and real-world dialouge. For instance, spoilers I guess, but not really if you've had any foray into the Spidey books before: In the original story, Peter gets bitten by the spider, becomes a big-shot egoist, and has tragedy befall him. In one issue. Bendis stretches it over 5, mixing in a few other plot threads. Aside from the origin story, Bedis introduces the Green Goblin in issues 6 and 7, J. Jonah Jameson is there, exactly as he is in the original and movie, albeit younger. The remaining issues deal with Spidey taking on someone whom he cannot possibly defeat physically nor legally, as no one ever has: Wilson Fisk, or the mob boss the Kingpin and his thugs the Enforcers.

The characters have changed slightly with the updating into the new millenium, but 90% is for the better. Peter is a little more sure of himself and less terminally shy. MJ is entirely too cute for words, sweet and caring, but she does act like a real teen would, getting upset with Peter from time to time. Norman Osborne is a conniving businessman, as he should be. The one character I was wary about was Norman's counterpart, the Green Goblin. Bagely made it a more literal transformation, but it works, especially in the laters issues not collected here.

Bagely is, and always has been, one of my favorite artists, but he's made it difficult for himself to be forgotten after this. His take on Spidey is much like Ditko's original: lanky and gangly. He's taken Peter's inital "geek" look and add muscles to it that make him still look like an awkward teen, but also like an upshot superhero.

The extras in this are probably better than the one's that they'll put on the "Spider-Man" DVD. Bagely's original character designs and notes are here, along with the correspondance between writer Bendis and Marvel publishing president Bill Jemas. And the biggest treat of all, "Amazing Adult Fantasy #15" in its whole, reproduced better than ever, so you have the best of the old with the best of the new.

This is a deifinite must have for any comic fan, old or new, and anyone who remotely enjoyed the movie and DEFINATELY for those who were disappointed.

The idea with "Ultimate Spider-Man" was to update the charaacter for the 21st century, specifically by going back and starting over from the beginning, albeit with Peter Parker a bit younger, and doing so fully cognizant of where Stan Lee and Steve Ditko started off the comic book and where the character would end up in terms of super villains and future bride. There is certainly a sense in which this version is compatible with the blockbuster "Spider-Man" movie, but that is more in terms of having Mary Jane Watson there from the start than anything else. Ultimately, the point here is tighten the original Spider-Man story and give the characters some twists. The stories here are by Bill Jemas and Brian Michael Bendis (who does the script), with pencils by Mark Bagley and inks by Art Theibert and Dan Panosian.

"Power and Responsibility" (issues #1-7) takes its time in developing the origin of Spider-Man. The original story by Lee and Ditko in "Amazing Fantasy" #15 was eleven pages long. Here it takes six issues to get to the same point in the character's history. Of course, since we know where things are going, we can take time to appreciate the journey. At the same time, there is a concerted effort to bring various elements more into the mix. That infamous radioactive spider is the creation of Osborn Industries, the pet project of Norman Osborn and one of his chief scientists, Dr. Otto Octavius. Osborn is extremely interested in why young Peter Parker does not die after the bite and the creation of the Green Goblin becomes a direct consequence of the fateful spider bite. In time I am sure we will see the birth of Doctor Octopus will come from this as well.

"Learning Curve" (#8-13) has to do with Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. the Kingpin, who catches Peter Parker's attention. Then Spider-Man tries to bring down the secretive crime lord. The key point here is that Spider-Man, who is in point of fact almost sixteen years old, is in way over his head as a superhero. The Kingpin proves this by taking about a half dozen pages to defeat Spider-Man and toss his unconscious body out the window. Spider-Man's early attempts at crime fighter are so inept that he actually contributes to the idea that Spider-Man is a criminal, making it easy for J. Jonah Jameson to trash the hero in "The Daily Bugle." In the end it is as much Peter Parker as his alter-ego that scores an initial, tentative victory over the Kingpin; plus Spider-Man's verbal battle with the Kingpin is a minor comic (as in comedic not as in book) gem.

But Bendis is interested in doing more than creating a more streamlined version of the story of Spider-Man. In the final issue of this collection he unveils a radical change in the whole secret identity part of the character's dynamic. It will be interesting to see how this plays out (especially since it kills one of the my all-time favorite scenes from the original "Amazing Spider-Man"), but I have to admit I appreciate the character's motivation for doing so. The Spider-Man story is enough of a soap opera without resorting to the more inane traditional elements of the genre. All in all, this is a first rate retelling of the tale, enjoyable both by those who are well versed in the character and those who come to this series in the wake of the blockbuster film.

This is a unique artistic interpretation of Spider-Man (think Titian inked by Todd McFarlane) and Peter Parker (whose can match Mary Jane strand for strand for hair in the face). In many ways I am reminded of when John Byrne had the responsibility of restarting Superman; there is a sense to be a bit more realistic. It is not that Peter Parker is an absolute scientific genius; it was his father who did most of the preliminary work on what would become the formula for Spider-Man's web. Once he gains his spider powers, Peter Parker does what just about any persecuted high school nerd would do; he goes out and becomes a super jock. When he starts web slinging he makes a lot of initial mistakes. I even like the way Peter snaps back at Uncle Ben and Aunt May as things start to get to him, both before and after the spider-bite. This just increases the pathos of the tragedy that unfolds.

I like the fact that "Ultimate Spider-Man" is divorced from the two "real" Spider-Man comic books (now three with the rebirth of "The Spectacular Spider-Man"). Going back to the original stories by Lee and Ditko (later John Romita, Sr.) in either "The Essential Spider-Man" or "Marvel Masterworks" series are not going to be really helpful to younger readers of the character. It was well worthwhile for those of us who started reading "The Amazing Spider-Man" in the Sixties to go through Betty Brant and the death of Gwen Stacy to eventually get to the day when Mary Jane confronted Peter with the fact she knew he was Spider-Man, but those are hundreds of issues to go through. Starting over again with full knowledge of where the characters are going to end up is a worthwhile approach, especially given how good of a start we see in this first collection (the next four are already out for those who want to continue the journey). I have checked out a few of the other Ultimate titles, but this so far this one is the best.

This is a wonderful collection of the first two Ultimate Spider-Man story arcs (collected separately as Power and Responibility and Learning Curve).

This is the Spider-Man legend updated for the 21st century. If you like the movie, you'll probably really like this approach to Spider-Man. I think fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer would also find a lot to enjoy here.

Peter Parker is a wonderfully human character. His reactions to gaining super powers aren't "perfect". He makes a lot of mistakes, but he learns and grows. This is why Spider-Man is so popular. Peter is undoubtably a hero, but he's a very human one. His heart is in the right place, but he still does mess up.

And his supporting cast is equally wonderful. Aunt May used to be a one-joke annoyance, but not here. And "Ultimate" Uncle Ben ... wow!

Brian Bendis's writing is sharp with fresh, real dialogue. And Mark Bagley's art is clean, crisp and tells the story well. I like this gawky-kid Spider-Man.

And this collection has been billed as a "DVD-style" special edition. It includes the original proposal for the series, notes, design sketches. And just so fans won't forget the classic and original Spider-Man, the hardcover volume reprints "Amazing Fantasy #15" -- the first appearance and origin of the true Spider-Man.

I'll admit it-I'm not ashamed. I just hopped on the Spider-Man bandwagon after seeing the film. But that's OK.

I'm not getting off.

The story of Peter Parker got me hooked instantly, and I wanted to dive into the comic realm, the birthplace of Spidey. But where to start? Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man series re-spins the tale of Peter Parker, but revamped for today's life and times. The artwork is excellent, and this hardcover edition is top-notch. But let's face it, without a good writer, what does it matter?

Fear not. Bendis' management of the plot and dialogue are masterful. I found myself grinning several times while reading this collection. Spidey's witty banter is captured well, and it's very easy to identify with Parker. I honestly can't think of anything bad to say about this series, although not having read the old school Spidey stories doesn't give me much perspective in that regard.

At any rate, I recommend this to anyone who is thinking about checking into the world of Spider-Man. Mark my words, it's definitely worth it.

An earlier review says that this (and the rest of the Ultimate series) is a copout from Marvel that alienates readers who have been fans for years. The other series are still going, and Ultimate may not be for those older fans, but the Ultimate series is a necessary change for Marvel. These comics have been around for forty years----and once you get that far, it gets to be necessary to go back to the roots of things, to take the same ideas and give them new twists, to tell familiar stories but rework them in a different way. (And sometimes, a BETTER way.) It isn't blasphemous----please, how many different versions of any comic "canon" are there? We're a different culture, a different society, and it doesn't matter how old or young you are----these comics are very well-written, and updated for the 21st century rather than the 1960s to reach new readers, not just "younger" readers.

This new version presents Spider-man as younger and more awkward, with writing that encapsulates our current need to see a Spider-man who is a person as well as a superhero. There is more depth in the Ultimate series right off the bat, because there are forty years of previous canons to back it up, and characters we're already familiar with, even if they're in a different setting.

The Ultimate series is great for anyone just getting into Spider-man, or any comics in general, or even for those older, die-hard fans... who are willing to open their minds and see that just because something's different, and updated, doesn't mean it's bad. In fact, it's quite good.

Being a 12-year-old Spidey fan, I know quite a bit about him. Not as much as those around when Peter Parker emerged from the brilliant mind of Stan Lee, mind you, but a fan nonetheless. I even had a Spiderman action figure and was an avid reader of Spiderman and the Fantastic Four/Spiderman team up. I was also a dedicated watcher of the remade version of the animated Spiderman (my parents still sing the older theme song). But, with the starting of elementary school, Spiderman kind of sank into the back of my mind.Then came 8th grade, and I rediscovered Spiderman in the local library. Of course, it was this book. And Behold! Spiderman lives 4-ever!!!! This has got to be THE BEST book about Spidey. And after all, it IS geared towards my generation. Now, thanks to this book, I am HOOKED on Ultimate Spidey!

I loved this update of Spider-Man. I haven't read a Spidey comic in years - and when I picked this up I wasn't expecting a lot. But Bendis takes the old "origin" story and expands upon it. He slows it down a bit and lets the characters evolve more. The new Green Goblin isn't just a crackpot - he's a scary, menacing creature who also happens to know Spider-Man's identity. This is just great story-telling. And the second volume of this series was great, too. Issue 13 - which takes place entirely in Peter Parker's bedroom - is a classic. It's good to see Marvel experimenting with their characters and leaving a good writer/artist team free to create.

With the "Ultimate" universe, Marvel gave license to some of today's top comic writers to create modern versions of many of the classic Marvel superheroes. With the Ultimate Spider-man series, writer Brian Michael Bendis was tasked with re-telling the story of one of the most popular and be-loved fictional characters ever created. Talk about a daunting assignment.

The Ultimate Spider-man Volume 1 hardcover actually includes the first two trade paper backs, Volume 1: Power and Responsibility and Volume 2: Learning Curve. If you're thinking in terms of individual comics, that's issues #1-13 of the series.

As for the content of this book, I will try and speak to the quality of it without giving away any spoilers (though if you read Amazon reviews, you probably already know everything about this book). Ultimate Spider-man is set in a post-911 New York City. Otherwise, it follows the same basic events of high school nerd Peter Parker's transformation into the super-hero known as Spider-man as the original series.

There is a greater emphasis on Peter Parker as a high school kid in this story than in the original, and quite frankly it adds a great deal more depth to this tale. It's also refreshing to see more focus on the impact of Parker's dual identity on those he cares about.

While the story is clearly written for all ages, and has a heavy focus on the angst of its teenage characters, mature readers have much to enjoy as well. This isn't your standard golden or silver age good vs. evil comic book. There are many shades of grey in the Ultimate universe, and Spider-man is no exception.

In conclusion, I highly recommend this first installment in the Ultimate Spider-man series as a great introduction to a new, yet familiar story. The art is top-notch, the story telling is compelling, and it continues to get better in the next few chapters.

Personally, I was sick of grown-up Peter. Married to MJ, screwing his whole life up.
Let's rewrite the whole history and see what happens, hm?
Bendis and Bagley have created a gem in Ultimate Spider-Man. This volume starts things off with a bang. The series remains true to some of the key elements that made Spidey such a hit in the beginning, but adds some much needed "oomph" to the story and appeals to a much wider audience.

If you're a librarian, get this book for your middle and/or high school now. It's a wonderful way to get kids to read, and comic-fan parents, this is a great way to get your 11-and-up year-olds into comics.

The only problem is, beware of Bendis. As volumes get further along, there is more sexual innuendo involved and Bendis tends to cop out on some key plot points (probably whenever he had too many titles to write that month). It's a great ride, but be aware that some volumes simply won't measure up.