Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Spider-Man takes on Doctor Octopus and Kraven the Hunter, April 4, 2003
Just when I thought the game plan of the "Ultimate Spider-Man" with regards to the love life of his alter-ego Peter Parker was to go directly to Mary Jane Watson, passing Betty Bryant and Gwen Stacy, when scribe Brian Michael Bendis drops the later into the action. This version of Gwen is big on the mascara and perfectly willing to pull a switchblade on a bully, both of which are completely valid reasons for Peter to have his eyes pop out of his head when he looks at her. Not even her police Captain father can reign in this blonde tornado.At this point in the comic book the stage is merely being set for the impending love triangle, but I have to tell you that what is happening here is clearly a take off on "Dawson's Creek." Seriously. Peter is Dawson, Mary Jane is Joey, and Gwen is Jen (No, Flash is not Pacey; Kong is closer to being Pacey than Flash, but Peter Parker does not have a friend, which means Harry is not Pacey either). This should prove to be interesting, especially given that Mary Jane already know's Peter's big secret. But at this point the main problem is that Aunt May has an over inflated opinion about her nephew's love life. Yes, things might actually be worse for our hero this time around. The title of "Double Trouble" has to do with the fact that in this collection of "Ultimate Spider-Man" #14-21, Spider-Man has not one but two villains after him (I was going to say two super villains, but that would not be the case). The new and improved bad guys this time around are Doctor Octopus, who has come out of his coma to discover his tentacles are fused to his skin, and Kraven the Hunter, who is now a reality television star from Down Under. Clearly, the more you know about the original Spider-Man comics and his various foes the more you will enjoy Bendis's refinements and provocative changes. At the end of this collection Spider-Man enjoys his biggest moment in the sun since the spider bit him, which quickly follows with a particularly low moment for Peter. Even when we think we know the rules of the game, Bendis continues to surprise us. "Double Trouble" is the third trade paperback collection of "Ultimate Spider-Man" comics, which re-imagines the webhead as a younger Peter Parker trying to learn the ropes of being a superhero. But for those who read the first couple hundred issues of the original "Amazing Spider-Man" this is a hyper retelling of the tale. Forget all the ... superheroes Spidey had to fight with; this time around the focus is on the best and the baddest. The biggest difference between these first 21 issues of "Ultimate Spider-Man" and the original comic is that a single issue is no longer a complete story; it takes eight issues for the conflict between Spidey and Doc Ock to develop and be resolved. Consequently, we have the rather paradoxical fact that things are happening much faster for Spider-Man in this retelling of the tale while taking longer to develop. I continue to be impressed by this brilliant "re-imagining," which is drawn by Mark Bagley with inks by Art Thibert and Erik Benson.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Breathing new life into Spiderman, February 14, 2003
I just can't believe how much I'm enjoying Ultimate Spiderman, and this collection is the best story arc yet. Brian Michael Bendis flawlessly introduces two major villains from Spiderman's rogue gallery, Doc Octopus and Kraven the Hunter. There is such a quality to this work, such an attention to detail. Bendis is really building this series from the ground up, really breathing new life and fleshing out Peter Parker. And while Bendis respects the history of Spiderman, he by no means is hampered by it, and has no problem discarding details that make no sense. Mark Bagley is definitely improving as this series progresses. I have been really quite impressed, it seems his storytelling is improving, and the action is very easy to follow. To me, Bagley has become a part of the book, an integral part of the experience. This is a very intelligent Spider-title, and it only stands that it will get better and better, as has been the case so far.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Doc Ock + Kraven= Brilliant!, July 13, 2005
This review is for Ultimate Spider-Man vol. 3 paperback edition: Double Trouble
Doctor Octopus has long been one of Spider-Man's greatest villains, and this volume sees his entrance into the Ultimates world. Horribly disfigured after his accident in Osborn lab's in volume one, Otto Octavius insane and out for blood. Add into the mix, Kraven, who fancies himself the world's ultimate hunter, and his new prey is Spider-Man.
Once again, Bendis bring his best game when scripting this book. The writing is wonderful, the characters very real and very human. His take on Gwen Stacy is very unlike mainstream Gwen Stacy but the result is a very likable character. His approach to Mary Jane and Peter's relationship is also very teenage and appealing.
Bagley and Thibert's pencils are nice, and appropriate to the book, though the character's are a little wide eyed at times, and their take on Doc Ock's body didn't mesh with my personal image of the character.
This is the perfect Ultimate Spider-Man graphic to buy for someone who has seen Spider-Man 2 and wants to read a comic with Doc Ock in it. This book is also appropriate for all ages and for comic collectors and newcomers alike.
This volume reprints Ultimate Spider-Man #14-21. Highest recommendations!
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