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Ultimate Spider-man: Power and Responsibility

Ultimate Spider-man: Power and Responsibility

List Price: $14.95
Your Price: $14.95
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Genesis
Review: This started it all. Bendis was responsible to make Marvel's Flagship character appeal to younger fans. And it has set a buzz amongst the comic community. He brings his unique story telling into the world of Peter Parker. If you know the orgin of Spider-Man already, then this is not a must buy. It's interesting to see the approach the Ultimate line is taking, but it is not as risky as the other Ultimate book (Ultimate X-Men) in terms of changing the story up. It's not bad, but it's not great either. Then again, with a story like Spider-Man, you don't need to changeit up much to make it appealing and enjoyable.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Bagley good, Hulk Goblin bad
Review: This starts off pretty well. It does it's job of doing a great retelling and modernization of Spider-man's origin, and tying Norman Osborne into it. [...] Chapter One. I loved seeing how Peter's powers were effecting is life without him automatically becoming a superhero. We got a chance to know and like Uncle Ben a little bit this time which gave his inevitable death some impact. Unfortunely this is where the story stops being as interesting. This is where Peter automatically becomes a super-hero. And just to make things really stupid the turn Norman, who was a great supporting character and villian, into Ultimate Green Goblin. Now this isn't a Goblin were familar with or an ultra-cool, hip, modern, 21st-Century, ultimate Green Goblin. No, sadly this is just a flying, fireball throwing, in the process of turning green Hulk. This maybe just a development stage, but it's still stupid, messed up a great character, and [...]. Anyway, my part Ultimate Spider-man is that it's drawn by the Ultimate Spider-Artist Mark Bagley. He could draw Spider-man forever as far as I'm concerned and I have yet to see someone draw him better. As long as he's the artist on this book I'll be buying it. But he still doesn't make Hulk Goblin work.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: more...MORE!!!!
Review: This was an excellent reworking of the history of webhead - complete with astounding artwork and writing to measure up to the new generation while keeping the older folk in suspense. When is part two gonna come out ,what with the conclusion of spidey vs green goblin??? The only fault here is that the ending is open and it leaves us impatient for more!!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Spider-man: Power and Responsibility
Review: Ultimate Spider-man is a wonderful series written by Brian Michael Bendis and with drawings by Mark Bagley. The Ultimate Spider-man has new takes on old villans, such as the Green Goblin in this book. For the drawings of Spider-man in this book I'd give a 10. The drawings of the Green Goblin I'd give an 8 and a half. All in all, it's a great book that teaches a lesson.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: If it's the same story, why is it so different?
Review: Ultimate Spiderman's first story arc is a predictable one, Spiderman's origin. The movie, released almost two years after this comic, follows its plot twist very closely.

This restart is great for Spiderman, as his regular monthly titles have become bogged down by continuity. It's refreshing to see Peter Parker back in high school, living with Aunt May.

Brian Michael Bendis is a master storyteller and has no problem making this overdone origin story interesting to read. It does seem like the title picks up after the death of Uncle Ben, and I suspect that Bendis was just happy to get it over with. One of Bendis' greatest talents is his ear for dialogue. At first, it seems as though the teenagers are talking funny, but it wears off and sounds completely natural.

Mark Bagley has always drawn a great Spiderman, and this title is no exception. However, Bagley struggles quite a bit with Peter and his friends, leading to confusion and a little guessing.

This is truly a great read, and a great place to start if you're new to Spiderman. But be sure to compare it with the Stan Lee/Steve Ditko original when you get a chance.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: With more pages comes greater plotting
Review: What is the point with super heroes comics? More: what is the point with Stan Lee's super heroes? Take, for instance, Spider Man. Created 40 years ago the caracter still remains as fresh today as at the ocasion of his debut. Want some proof? Take the new retelling of the webslinger launched at the middle of the last year. Despite his great talent for dialogue and plotting, Mr. Brian Michael Bendis, the new writer of the now called "Ultimate" Spider Man , doesn't need to change nothing on young Peter Parker and his secret identity. The only changes refer to updating 1960's to a new millenium, i.e., welcome computers and celular phones, bye remingtons and walkie talkies.

But don't fool yourselves. Mr. Bendis is a real gifted writer, and although he has a perfect and established caracter to play with, he ads new nuances to old friends and foes of Spiderman/Peter Parker. Take for instance Norman Osborn, a.k.a. Green Goblin, and his son, Harry. The classic ones were archetypes of the distant father and the troubled son. Now, in our more complex times, we had a father that doesn't seem even to recognize the existence of his son, and a son that, although had problems with that, seems to be satisfied only with the dad's money.

Another goal here is the lenght of this retelling. Where Lee has only 20 pages to tell the origin and establish his character, Brian has more than 170. So we have more details, more pacing, more suspense and deep characterization.

It is an Spider Man with more space to remember the old fans of what is a real super hero character, and to show the new ones of which stuff legends are made.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Spiderman as he's supposed to be nowadays
Review: What we have here is the 'Peter Parker/Spiderman' story retold from the very beginning (the origin) only now crossed with 'Gen 13' and 'DC's Elseworlds Tales'. It's the story from the origin because you get to see all over again how Peter is in highschool, being 'tortured' because of his nerdity by people like Flash Thompson and eventually is bitten by the famous spider which turns him into Spiderman. Secondly it's crossed with 'Gen 13' in the fact that Peter and all his "friends" and relatives are updated to this day and age. They wear modern clothing and they talk 'modern-kid-slang' as they do in highschools in the 21st century. Finally it's also crossed with 'DC Elseworlds Tales' because it ISN'T the story as you know it exactly. Vital AND subtile points in the story have been altered in such a degree that you never get that deja-vu feeling and which turns this story in a very enjoyable experience on it's own. Not just a re-telling. You don't grow bored easily with it and you find yourself keeping on reading, having fun noticing the more subtle differences there are with the original thing. What also is very nice about this book is that there's no knowledge REQUIRED of the original Spiderman storyline, since it's an alternative time-line, so that newcomers to Spidey-comics can just as easily enjoy it as well. It stands very well on it's own. The only point of criticism I DO feel I have to mention is that the character Green Goblin really isn't handled well to my liking. Both in intelligence level as in outer appereance it doesn't seem right to me. Apart from that it's all good and not many people will dislike it.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Spider-Man Revisited
Review: Writer Brian Michael Bendis set out to reinvent and reinvigorate Marvel's hallowed Spider-Man franchise in this landmark series. Judging from the critical acclaim and market success it's had, I'd say he met his goal.

Spider-Man was originally created in 1963 and while his origin story is a comic book classic, let's just say some of the elements within the story have become somewhat dated. Bendis' rehash of Spidey's origin sets him in modern times, with the look of a modern 15-year-old, and the characters speaking in...you guessed it...modern dialogue.

Bendis has done a fine job of updating the character and doesn't give in to the temptation to pace the story too quickly. He takes his time, building up the characters and the story of how Peter Parker is bitten by a radioactive spider and subsequently given super powers.

Mark Bagley competently, though not spectacularly, illustrates the story. Bagley's artistic storytelling skills are excellent, but I think Marvel might have been better served had they gone with a less traditional artistic style on this book.

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN: POWER AND RESPONSIBILITY is a great new beginning for Spider-Man and appeals to fans of all ages.


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