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3.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing Friends? Not really., November 2, 2009
This review is from: Ultimate Spider-Man, Vol. 20: Ultimate Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (Paperback)
When I was little, I used to watch the 80's cartoon "Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends." So when I saw the title to TPB #20, I was so hoping that Bendis was going to create some kind of throwback, one-off substory that would give us a quick shot of the 80's cartoon in Ultimate form. No such luck. As you've probably read from other reviewers, #20 focuses mainly on Pete's angst-filled, teenage superhero life and the "sudden" birth of the girl who is probably Firestar. She's never ID'd as Firestar, but the title of this TPB implies that she is Firestar. Anyway, we watch her freak out as she manifests her powers. There's a who's-your-daddy subplot that felt a little forced. And then there's an interesting (if under developed) Magneto/X-Men sub-sub-storyline that connects to the who's-your-daddy storyline. But, oh well. Some reviewers have said that this is the weakest story arc that Bendis and Co. have put out so far. They may be right, but with one caveat; Ultimate Spider-Man is better at its worst than other books are at their best.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Really Good Character Development, August 24, 2010
This review is from: Ultimate Spider-Man, Vol. 20: Ultimate Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (Paperback)
My main reason for love of this book, is that Bendis finds something amazing to do with all the sidecharacters. This was more of a developmental arc than anything, but that's why its my favorite. If you like comics where authors expand on characters and lay off the fights, then this is the trade for you. Heres why volume 20 makes my favorites list: *Kong turns out to be a really smart guy with a strong moral compass. I always hated him, but now I've sucessfully turned a 180 due to Bendis's ability to revisit this character without making it feel forced. *Liz Allen gets the center stage this time around. Sweet irony is thrust upon her, and her mystery is the strong highlight of this arc. I was really happy with what Bendis did with her. She is an interesting character that desperately needed something to do. *Kitty Pryde and Mary Jane actually formulate some kind of benign friendship. I didn't see it coming, but it really isn't fake here. Under the circumstances, their effort at being cordial is inspiring to those of us who hold strong grudges. Is there a message here? Maybe. So you might be saying, where's Spider-man? I did notice that this trade focuses strongly on other characters and leaves Spidey on the sidelines. You may see it as a ripoff, but I see it as effective. The side characters are just as important to Peter's story as are his villains. While "Spider-man and His Amazing Friends" isn't the most exciting Ultimate Spider-man book, it's one of my favorites due to its unique differences from the other books. I was happy to see Bendis switch it up and make us care about these other characters much more for a change.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Another Great story in the series, May 12, 2010
This review is from: Ultimate Spider-Man, Vol. 20: Ultimate Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (Paperback)
Ultimate Spiderman continues to grasps what Spiderman should really be about. A teenager having to deal with his normal life, his powers, and as the saying goes all the responsibility that comes with them. Having a nice call back to the old cartoon series, this book really shows the awesome conntection between the young hot shots of the marvel ultimate world and how they interact with eachother. Funny enough, these three will all be living in the same house hold once ultimatum is over.
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