Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 12: Superstars [Paperback]

Brian Michael Bendis (Author), Mark Bagley (Illustrator)

Book Description

Grade Level: P and up | Series: Ultimate Spider-Man

A bizarre occurrence brings Spider-Man and Wolverine together for the weirdest team-up in super-hero history! As the two struggle to get to the bottom of this mystery, their lives literally unravel. Why are both heroes too concerned with their own lives to work together? Strap yourself in, True Believer; it's all part of the ride you get when you buy a ticket for the team-up for people who hate team-ups! Plus: Johnny Storm realizes that despite his new flame powers and fame on the horizon, he still doesn't have a high-school diploma. And where does the young New Yorker enroll? Why, none other than a certain Queens high school that also counts one Peter Parker - Spider-Man - as a student. And what's up between Johnny and sweet Liz Allen? Watch the sparks fly!

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Marvel; Graphic novel edition (March 14, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078511629X
• ISBN-13: 978-0785116295
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 0.2 x 10.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #418,493 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Brian Michael Bendis is an award winning comics creator and one of the most successful writers working in mainstream comics. For the last eleven years, Brian's books have consistently sat on the top of the nationwide comic and graphic novel sales charts.
Brian is currently helming a renaissance for Marvel's popular AVENGERS franchise by writing every issue of the NEW AVENGERS plus debuting the hit books MIGHTY AVENGERS and DARK AVENGERS along with the wildly successful 'event' projects HOUSE OF M, SECRET WAR, SECRET INVASION, and SIEGE.
This summer will see the blockbuster new line-ups for AVENGERS and NEW AVENGERS.
Other recent projects include the groundbreaking SPIDER-WOMAN MOTION COMIC, that debuted number one on iTunes TV sales chart and the New York Times best selling HALO graphic novel.
Brian is one of the premiere architects of Marvel comic's Ultimate line of comics. A line of comics specifically created for the new generation of comics reader. He has written every issue of ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN since it's best selling launch in 1999, and has also written ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR, X-MEN, MARVEL TEAM UP, ORIGIN, SIX and the ENEMY trilogy.
He is creator of the JINX line of crime comics published by image comics. This line has spawned the graphic novels GOLDFISH, FIRE, JINX, TORSO (w/ Marc Andreyko) and TOTAL SELL OUT.
Brian's other projects include the Eisner award winning "POWERS" (w/Mike Oeming) from Marvel's creator owned imprint ICON, and the Hollywood tell all "FORTUNE AND GLORY'. Entertainment Weekly gave both projects an "A." SONY and FX networks are currently developing POWERS for series with Brian as exec producer.
Brian is currently adapting his spy graphic novel FIRE for Universal Pictures as a starring vehicle for Zac Efron.
Brian is a member of Marvel studios creative committee, which consults on their numerous ongoing film projects. He has consulted on IRON-MAN and IRON MAN 2 and is currently consulting on THE FIRST AVENGERS: CAPTAIN AMERICA, THOR and THE AVENGERS
Brian has won five prestigious EISNER awards, including 'Best Writer of the year' two years in a row. He has also won over two dozen Wizard comic awards. Brian is the recipient of the Cleveland Press 'Excellence in Journalism' Award and was named "Best Writer of the Year." by Wizard Magazine and Comic Buyer's Guide for three consecutive years.
He lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife Alisa, his gorgeous daughters Olivia and Sabrina and his dogs Lucky, Max and Buster.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ultimate Spider-Man and Wolverine, the Torch, & Dr. Strange, April 23, 2005

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 12: Superstars (Paperback)

"Ultimate Spider-Man, Volume 12: Superstars" reprints issues #66-71 of the Marvel comic book, which is unusual from the previous volumes because these six issues do not represent one major story arc against a particular villain such as the Green Goblin or Doctor Octopus. Instead you have a trio of two part stories pairing up Spider-Man with other Marvel superheroes in the Ultimate universe. The cover (from issue #66) gives away one of the three and puts together two of the most popular Marvel superheroes together to help promote sales.

Kicking off the adventures is what is proudly and unashamedly the weirdest Ultimate Spider-Man story to date. When you see that the two issues are entitled "Even We Don't Believe This" (#66) and "Jump the Shark" (#67) those are your first clues that this story is, to put it mildly, out there. Brian Bendis the writer of the comic book even shows up, so to speak, to warn the reader that this is not a classic superhero story. The hook will either sell you or repel you: Peter Parker and Logan wake up and discover they have switched bodies. That means Wolverine's alter-ego is dealing with Aunt May, Mary Jane, and high school while Spider-man is trying not to freak out because there are claws popping out of his hands. The intent here is to be funny and I think Bendis along with penciler Mark Bagley and inker Scott Hanna pull it off, mainly because the humor is character driven. Of course there is the question as to why this is going on and while the revelation merely ends the episode rather than provide a great punch line, Mary Jane takes care of that. There is nothing wrong with a little silliness like this, especially after Peter was rocked by the death of Gwen Stacy.

"Popular" (#68) and "Meet Me" (#69) has the other members of the Fantastic Four (who have yet to appear in public in the Ultimate universe) convincing Johnny Storm that he has to go back to high school and get his diploma while keeping his flame power a secret. It would be interesting to see which would be harder to Johnny when he enrolls at Midtown High, where Peter Parker goes to school. At a beach party at Coney Island, Johnny accidentally flames on and the payoff is that Spider-Man shows up to have a talk with the Human Torch. Having been dictated to by Nick Fury about what his life as a super-powered character will be like, this is a chance for Spider-Man to have a talk with somebody in a similar situation. Unlike a previous conversation with the X-Men, this one gets a bit more personal. After the insanity of the previous storyline, this is a much quieter little story.

The two-part story "Strange" (#70-71) starts to set up the next major "Ultimate Spider-Man" story arc. Peter and Mary Jane's relationship is going so well they decided to treat themselves to dinner at an exclusive Manhattan restaurant. But because he goes along with "Daily Bugle" reporter Ben Urich on an assignment to interview Dr. Stephen Strange, Peter suddenly finds himself trapped in a nightmare that distorts reality. The Master of the Mystic Arts, who is no longer a stuffed shirt in the Ultimate universe, has to do most of the work in this one while Spider-Man deals with the nightmares, but there is an important development here that will be significant in the next storyline since Peter is now convinced that because she knows his secret, Mary Jane is going to end up dead.

These are three totally different types of stories and make for a nice buffer between Spider-Man having to deal with Venom killing Gwen in Volume 11 and facing Harry Osborn as the Hobgoblin in the next tradepaperback collection. Obviously this is not an epic storyline, but then that is not what "Ultimate Spider-Man" is about. This comic book restarted Spider-Man from the beginning for the 21st century and the objective is to make everything old new again. Coming up with a true epic comporable to what we had with the "Amazing Spider-Man" in issues #31-33 with Doctor Octopus or #39-40 with the Green Goblin is not possible. These are solid stories in a tale that is well-told, in part because it is taking its time.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Weakest in the series, November 17, 2005

By 

K. W. Schreiter (Conshohocken, PA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 12: Superstars (Paperback)

While I am a fan of the Ultimate Spiderman series, this is the weakest trade paperback I've read yet. The story with Wolverine is an interesting premise but sloppily resolved. The stories with the Human Torch and Doctor Strange are a little better but not up to the high level of this series. I applaud the creators for diverting from the standard Spiderman vs. supervillian plot but ultimately did not enjoy reading this as much as the others. Recommended for completists only.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Change of Pace, September 21, 2008

By 

dasn0wman "dasn0wman" (Brooklyn, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 12: Superstars (Paperback)

First book since death of Gwen, and there is a serious change of pace here. Spidey and Wolverine does a Freaky Friday? Wow, really dumb. Human torch comes to Peter's school, not bad. Last story is best as Peter and MJ go on a hot date until something happens with him and Dr Strange...