Ultimate Spider-Man: Irresponsible (Ultimate Spider-Man)

Rating:
Summary: Actually, this one is more about conversations than action
Review: "Ultimate Spider-Man: Irresponsible," reprints issues #40-45 of "Ultimate Spider-Man." This seventh volume in the reprint series shows one of the strengths of this series, which goes back and retells the story of Spider-Man, starting Peter Parker off a bit younger, having Mary Jane around from the beginning, and taking several issues to tell each story. For the most part these stories have played off what happened the first time around, but that is not the case with "Irresponsible."

This story arc by writer Brian Michael Bendis, penciler Mark Bagley, and inker Art Thibert, finds Peter Parker with two problems. First, he and Mary Jane have broken off their relationship, which has effectively ended their friendship as well. Second, after his battle with Venon, his costume has been ruined (at least he did not lose it this time). He has jury-rigged a mask, but the eye lens keeps falling out. Then while hanging out with all the kids one night, he sees Geldoff, a foreign exchange student who makes cars explode (by looking at them). Things start going better for Peter (he makes up with MJ and she makes half a costume for him), and then he confronts Geldoff.

What I like about this story arc is that Spider-Man and Geldoff have a big argument over whether or not Geldoff is a mutant. Spider-Man thinks it is obvious but Geldoff rejects the idea. Then the X-Men show up. Actually, it would be the female members of the X-Men. Eventually they get around to action, but the most fun in this story arc are the conversations Spidey has with Geldoff and the X-Women. Given that it is interesting that issue #45, "Guilt," consists mainly of Aunt May having a session with a psychiatrist over her feelings about Peter disappearing all the time and that horrible Spider-Man person, running around in his pajamas and doing whatever he wants.

"Irresponsible" does not really make sense to me as a title for this collection of stories. For most of these issues the key factor are the conversations that Peter, Spider-Man and Aunt May have with others. Bendis gets a large portion of the credit that normal this time around, especially because he provides a nice mix of heavy conversations and comic dialogue (Kitty Pryde has a crush on Spider-Man, the first non-mutant superhero she has ever met). Even without a big name Spider-Man villain (the Kingpin shows up for the next story arc), "Irresponsible" flesh out the "Ultimate Spider-Man" characters in some interesting and fun ways.

Rating:
Summary: Actually, this one is more about conversations than action
Review: "Ultimate Spider-Man: Irresponsible," reprints issues #40-45 of "Ultimate Spider-Man." This seventh volume in the reprint series shows one of the strengths of this series, which goes back and retells the story of Spider-Man, starting Peter Parker off a bit younger, having Mary Jane around from the beginning, and taking several issues to tell each story. For the most part these stories have played off what happened the first time around, but that is not the case with "Irresponsible."

This story arc by writer Brian Michael Bendis, penciler Mark Bagley, and inker Art Thibert, finds Peter Parker with two problems. First, he and Mary Jane have broken off their relationship, which has effectively ended their friendship as well. Second, after his battle with Venon, his costume has been ruined (at least he did not lose it this time). He has jury-rigged a mask, but the eye lens keeps falling out. Then while hanging out with all the kids one night, he sees Geldoff, a foreign exchange student who makes cars explode (by looking at them). Things start going better for Peter (he makes up with MJ and she makes half a costume for him), and then he confronts Geldoff.

What I like about this story arc is that Spider-Man and Geldoff have a big argument over whether or not Geldoff is a mutant. Spider-Man thinks it is obvious but Geldoff rejects the idea. Then the X-Men show up. Actually, it would be the female members of the X-Men. Eventually they get around to action, but the most fun in this story arc are the conversations Spidey has with Geldoff and the X-Women. Given that it is interesting that issue #45, "Guilt," consists mainly of Aunt May having a session with a psychiatrist over her feelings about Peter disappearing all the time and that horrible Spider-Man person, running around in his pajamas and doing whatever he wants.

"Irresponsible" does not really make sense to me as a title for this collection of stories. For most of these issues the key factor are the conversations that Peter, Spider-Man and Aunt May have with others. Bendis gets a large portion of the credit that normal this time around, especially because he provides a nice mix of heavy conversations and comic dialogue (Kitty Pryde has a crush on Spider-Man, the first non-mutant superhero she has ever met). Even without a big name Spider-Man villain (the Kingpin shows up for the next story arc), "Irresponsible" flesh out the "Ultimate Spider-Man" characters in some interesting and fun ways.

Rating:
Summary: NOT GREAT, BUT BETTER THAN 99% OF TPB'S
Review: IRRESPONSIBLE is another solid outing for Brian Michael Bendis writing duties on ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN. Mark Bagley again handles the art chores and this tag team can pretty much create the best Spidey stories on the market with little effort.

Volume 7 reprints six issues of the title and weeves its way through stories involving Peter and Mary Jane's relationship, Spidey's search for a new costume, mutants and the Ultimate X-Men, and an indepth view of Aunt May's character. The action and pacing for the stories is fine but the final chapter that really gives Bendis' Aunt May a turn in the spotlight borders on what a great story-teller he can be.

Any new fans to Spider-Man comics can do a lot worse than starting with Ultimate Spider-Man: Irresponsible. And if it lacks the superhero action that you require then I strongly recommend Ultimate Spider-Man Volumes 2 and 4.

Rating:
Summary: Pretty colorful
Review: This book was more focused on the characters themselves then the fights. Of course there was some action, but this one explains to you some things. Like way May Parker is always high strung and "pushes" Peter away. Spiderman meets the X-men, and there's some funny things that happen as result. The reason I like this comic somewhat more then Venom (the issue before this one) is because this one has INTERESTING dialogue, more tasteful then Venom. One of the things that makes Ultimate Spider-man such a good comic is the back and forth talking. Like real conversations, not one-person yalking off about how powerful they are. The relationships are complex, unlike most comics.

Another reason I liked this comic is things actually go relatively smoothly for Peter. His relationship with aunt May improves (wow!). He and M.J. are back together, and stuff. It's not all sunny-sunny, (thank you, Bendis!). I just wish there was more pow-smash stuff.