Review - Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 10: Hollywood

A big budget blockbuster about Spider-Man is being made with Doctor Octopus’ ex-wife as its consultant and the villainous scientist couldn’t be angrier. He escapes from prison intent on wreaking havoc on the film’s set and abducts Spider-Man in the process. Tired of having his life dictated and defined by others, Doctor Octopus is desperate and eager to eliminate those who hold him back.

Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 10: Hollywood collects Ultimate Spider-Man #54-59, written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Mark Bagley.

Hollywood is a tongue-and-cheek meta storyline that sees real life events being tied into the world of the fictional Spider-Man. Film producer Avi Arad announces the production of a Spider-Man movie directed by Sam Raimi and starring Tobey Maguire, which is set to film in New York City. It’s a comical to see this transpire within the Ultimate Universe and comes so close to breaking down the fourth wall. Instead of being overjoyed at being the subject of a blockbuster, Peter is annoyed. He’s miffed that people are profiting off of him and that he has no control over his narrative. The producers offer him an opportunity to get involved, but the one caveat they have for him is that he must reveal his identity to them first. Peter refuses and broods for the rest of the production. Amidst this somewhat lighthearted narrative there’s the story of Doc Ock breaking out of prison and leaving a path of destruction in his wake. He crashes the set and kidnaps Peter, taking him on a plane and torturing him. It’s a rather grim turn of events and it’s rather unexpected. This storyline makes it quite clear that Doc Ock isn’t a goofy villain or some kind of a henchman to a bigger boss. He’s quite scary all on his own.

Despite some memorable action sequences (particularly the final showdown between Spider-Man and Doc Ock) and some engaging humour, I found myself once again most interesting in Gwen Stacy’s side of the story. We see that she’s still processing the loss of her father and that she still blames Spider-Man for it. She becomes more and more unhinged as the arc goes on, which contrasts her usually cool demeanour. With all the hoopla of Spider-Man facing off against bad guys in intense grudge matches, it’s fascinating to me that what I find most compelling and memorable are what Bendis and Bagley do with the supporting characters. To me, that’s what elevates an otherwise disposable storyline.

Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 10: Hollywood is an entertaining read that checks all the boxes of what you’d expect from a Spider-Man storyline. It’s got the classic hero versus iconic villain showdown, reminders of how powerless Spider-Man is in controlling his own narrative, humour, and plenty of interpersonal drama. With that said, it is somewhat predictable and isn’t as exciting as it could have been. We’ve already seen Spidey and Doc Ock throw down more than once, so there wasn’t anything new there. The movie plot point was interesting enough, but there wasn’t adequate commentary done on the subject (as Gail Simone had done in her two-parter where Hollywood attempts to make a movie about Wonder Woman). Hollywood is fun, but it won’t leave the reader remembering more than an extracted tooth and a rather intense Gwen Stacy.

RATING: B-

Review - Ultimate Fantastic Four Volume 1: The Fantastic

For years, science prodigy Reed Richards has tried to unlock the secrets of the alternate dimension known as the N-Zone. Now with his best friend Ben Grimm and his colleagues at the Baxter Building by his side, he’s ready to make his first large scale attempt to break into the N-Zone. The experiment goes predictably awry, granting the team with strange abilities and leaving its most vulnerable member at the mercy of a disgruntled former employee of the Baxter Building.

Ultimate Fantastic Four Volume 1: The Fantastic collects Ultimate Fantastic Four #1-6, written by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Millar and illustrated by Adam Kubert.

The Fantastic is a six issue expansion and re-imagining of the Fantastic Four’s iconic origins. The cosmic rays and space elements are out, with our intrepid quartet instead acquiring their abilities as a result of a teleportation experiment connecting them to the N-Zone. It leaves them scattered across the globe, alone in trying to figure out what has just happened to them. Susan Storm awakes to find herself in the clutches of Dr. Molevic (AKA Mole Man) deep beneath New York City in the sewer system. She must bide her time while the others search for her. For the most part, this revision of their origins still stays true to the essence and narrative aspects of the original. They even fight a giant monster in their first major battle. Much like with Ultimate Spider-Man, this story takes what was originally a one-and-done and teases it out over six issues. This offers writers Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Millar the opportunity to develop the characters. Reed in particular gets a rather in-depth backstory. However, this prolongs the assembly of the Fantastic Four and it results in several lacklustre issues that have virtually no action.

I’m fairly split on how I feel about this arc. There are pieces of it that I enjoy – namely the revamping of the Baxter Building as the HQ to the government-funded think tank for young geniuses and the decision to portray Sue as a scientist. Tonally, Ultimate Fantastic Four gets off to the right start by maintaining a nice balance between humour and drama. With that said, Bendis and Millar linger too long on Reed. The other three characters get virtually no development in comparison and seem pretty disposable until they get their powers. The problem here is that it takes roughly three issues for them to get those powers and even then they don’t get thrown into action right away. We have to spend time watching Johnny how to control his abilities and seeing Ben agonize over his physical transformation. This wouldn’t be such a big deal had they acquired their powers earlier and become a team mid-way through. Instead, what we get is a total slog. (As an aside, I’m also not a fan of Sue being sidelined and effectively filling the role of Damsel in Distress until nearly the very end of the bloody arc)

The art that Adam Kubert provides seems rushed and barely recognizable. When it comes to Kubert’s style, I’ve long felt the faces he draws have a distinctive quality to them. They are part of what makes his work unique. However, the pencils present here lack that quality. Everything appears pretty generic and it brings down the overall aesthetic appeal. Still, there are some impressive artistic moments scattered throughout. There are a lot of splash pages and double-page spreads, particularly as the arc goes on. These help to provide a larger scale to the action and give the book a more cinematic appearance.

Ultimate Fantastic Four Volume 1: The Fantastic is a perfect example of how tricky origin stories can be. As important as they are, these types of narratives are often less exciting than those that flow out of them. Too much time is spent setting up these characters and giving us background information. The Fantastic could have been a great three issue arc. As it is, it leaves a lot to be desired. Regardless, the foundation is pretty solid for this book and is at least given a pretty fresh start to what could be a very modern take on Marvel’s iconic quartet.

RATING: C+

Review - Ultimate X-Men Volume 7: Blockbuster

Feeling unwanted and feared amongst his fellow X-Men, Wolverine leaves the team to gather his thoughts. In doing so, he becomes an easy target for a group of individuals claiming to be FBI agents and whose singular mission is to eliminate him. Rather than return to the X-Men for help, Wolverine allows Spider-Man to join him in investigating these mysterious foes.

Ultimate X-Men Volume 7: Blockbuster collects Ultimate X-Men #34-39, written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by David Finch.

As someone who isn’t overly fond of Wolverine and who prefers the character in a supporting role, this arc was somewhat of a slog. Blockbuster places Wolverine front and center as he deals with the continued pursuit of a shadowy team of gun-toting military types who are hellbent on putting him six feet under. When he is injured during their first attempt on his life, he hides in Spider-Man’s basement to heal and is later helped by the wallcrawler after his recovery. At one point they’re even joined by Daredevil, who is perturbed by the violence that has spilled over into Hell’s Kitchen as a result of these continued assassination attempts. This three-way team-up is somewhat interesting, but would have been better suited to a mini-series or even a giant-size annual. It’s a diversionary narrative that pulls away from the events that preceded it and places the focus on one of the least interesting characters from Ultimate X-Men.

With that said, there’s a noticeable tonal shift with Brian Michael Bendis taking over the writing duties from previous Ultimate X-Men scribe Mark Millar. His has a firmer grasp on these characters and how they should be portrayed. Wolverine was entirely unlikeable and impenetrable previously, but Bendis manages to add some layers to him and makes him more sympathetic (which is a feat considering how big of a jerk he was prior to this). There’s also a bit of lightheartedness that was absent in Millar’s writing, largely due to Bendis’ inclusion of Spider-Man. Even though the X-Men are barely in it, there’s still a sense that this book feels more like an X-Men book should. There’s a strong pivot towards depicting them as a family, which I appreciate.

David Finch’s art is sadly very inconsistent in this collection. It seems rushed in many places, especially as we see a lack of details and some really awkward proportions (especially on faces). I like some of the imagery he creates, particularly a scene in which Jean Grey confronts a helicopter full of agents while in full Phoenix mode. It’s really evocative. However, most of Finch’s typical problems show up throughout. Notably, the women all have the same baby face and the art at times gets a bit muddy.

I wish that Ultimate X-Men Volume 7: Blockbuster had been a stronger start for Brian Michael Bendis’ brief run on the title. The use of Spider-Man as a guest star makes sense and works to lighten the tone of a generally grim title, but it pulls the focus away from the true stars of the book. I appreciate certain elements of Bendis’ work here and especially like the shift in the overall tenor. He writes the characters better than Millar did. That much is true. Finch’s art is passable, but still too uneven. For Wolverine fans (and some Spider-Man ones), this collection is likely to be fairly enjoyable. For those looking for a great X-Men story, this isn’t one of them.

RATING: B-

Review - Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 9: Ultimate Six

Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Electro, Kraven the Hunter, and Sandman – five of Spider-Man’s greatest foes have been apprehended and detained by S.H.I.E.L.D. as illegal genetic experiments. Bound by their mutual desire to exact revenge against Nick Fury, the villainous quintet break out of their prison with the intention of kidnapping Spider-Man and immobilizing S.H.I.E.L.D.

Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 9: Ultimate Six collects Ultimate Spider-Man #46 and the seven issue limited series Ultimate Six, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Mark Bagley and Trevor Hairsine.

Collected under the banner of Ultimate Spider-Man, Ultimate Six is a deceptively titled trade that places five of Spider-Man’s most iconic villains at the forefront of its narrative. Spider-Man is but a footnote in a story arc that pits the likes of Green Goblin and Doc Ock against Nick Fury and the entirety of S.H.I.E.L.D. It begins with Fury and the Ultimates arresting the five Spider foes on the charge of being illegal genetic experiments, but their imprisonment proves ineffective when Doc Ock manipulates S.H.I.E.L.D. into granting him access to his metallic arms. He breaks his fellow inmates out and the quintet proceeds to wreak havoc. They kill several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, kidnap Spider-Man, and eventually attack the White House. It’s a rather straightforward story with very little in the way of plot twists or underlying themes. It’s a standard supervillain jailbreak, team-up story that ends in an unfortunately all-too-short fight between the series’ villains and the Ultimates. It’s so short that Thor and Electro’s conflict happens entirely off-panel, while Wasp’s fight with Doc Ock lasts all of two pages. The usage of Iron Man as a deus ex machina against Sandman and Green Goblin was also incredibly unimpressive. The focus on the villains and on Nick Fury throughout was also a misstep, since it really didn’t offer much in terms of an emotional component to the storyline. Spider-Man is used so sparingly that he feels like an afterthought.

Trevor Hairsine’s art fits right in with the world of the Ultimates as previously established through Bryan Hitch’s work. There’s a roughness to it and an attempt to render the characters in a more realistic manner. This was an interesting choice as it seems to visually place the reader closer to Millar’s Ultimates than Bendis’ Spider-Man, but it seems to match the narrative focus in that respect. That said, Hairsine’s pencils didn’t quite live up to Hitch’s in that he often falls short in distinguishing characters from one another. A couple of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents look identical to Tony Stark, while there was a sense of sameness to how the de-powered Norman Osborn, Kraven, and Sandman appeared in certain panels.

Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 9: Ultimate Six is a bit of a disappointment. The idea of Spider-Man and the Ultimates teaming up to stop this universe’s take on the Sinister Six (minus one member obviously) is really fascinating. The problem was all in how that storyline took shape. Bendis and Hairsine placed the focus on the wrong characters. These five villains aren’t that engaging and the usage of Fury as the focus of their hatred felt lopsided. Additionally, the action didn’t live up to the expectations and was too rushed. There are some glimmers of interest here and there. For instance, I thought that the reveal of Wasp’s previous admiration for Doc Ock was a nice touch and added some layers to their fight at the climax of the series. Bendis also proves himself a much more capable writer than Mark Millar when it comes to Captain America. Cap is actually quite likable here. Ultimate Six is really a missed opportunity for something really great and epic. It feels disposable and is propped up only by occasional moments of character development.

RATING: C

Review - Ultimate X-Men Volume 6: Return of the King

Magneto’s war against humanity reaches its climax as he commences his plan to destroy the Earth. Through the use of an amplification device, he intends to set off a series of explosions that will leave the Earth barren, eliminating the human race in the process. With the Doomsday Clock ticking down, the X-Men search desperately for Magneto’s base. Without Professor Xavier or their field leader Cyclops, they may not be able to succeed in stopping their deadliest foe.

Ultimate X-Men Volume 6: Return of the King collects Ultimate X-Men #26-33, written by Mark Millar and illustrated by David Finch and Adam Kubert.

Clocking in at eight issues, this arc is a slow-burn. It directly follows the events of the mini-series Ultimate War, which dealt with the conflict between the X-Men and the Ultimates over the return of Magneto. The Ultimates are absent here, so instead we get the X-Men lamenting about being in hiding and Magneto bloviating for several issues to whoever will listen. There’s very little in the way of action, so instead we get pages upon pages of Magneto’s planning. Arguably, he’s the main character of this arc. His perspective and voice is quite clear – he hates humans and wants to eradicate them all by destroying the Earth. He also clearly sees himself as a kind of messianic figure and treats his man-made asteroid as if he were Noah and his arc. There’s a lot to unpack regarding Magneto and Xavier’s opposing views, but Millar doesn’t have the range to adequately deal with the perspectives of oppressed groups. His portrayal of Magneto as a megalomaniacal villain who would likely twirl his moustache if he had one is illustrative of this problem. He’s sadistic and cruel with few layers. Seeing as this arc focuses so heavily on Magneto, it’s a drag to read.

There are some moments in Return of the King that are tolerable or are pretty enjoyable. Though it has been fairly subtle, the dynamic between Wolverine and Colossus has been one of the more fascinating interpersonal aspects to this series. In retrospect, we know Colossus is gay and has a crush on Wolverine, but it’s still subtext at this point. Colossus nearly confesses his feelings for Wolverine prior to their final battle against Magneto, which was kind of cute. During the big showdown, Colossus overcomes Magneto’s control in order to protect Wolverine. It not only emphasizes how much willpower he has, but also how intense his feelings are for his teammate. There are neat little interactions in the epilogue issue following Magneto’s defeat. There’s an exchange between Jean Grey and Thor that hints at the Phoenix Force being something bigger than Professor Xavier believes it to be, which seems to both surprise and provide Jean with a bit of vindication. Wolverine and Cyclops also manage to patch things up, which speaks to the latter’s ability to forgive and see the bigger picture. The maturity shown by both characters in that moment is admittedly quite surprising and a bit jarring, but not wholly unwelcome.

The art in this collection is handled by David Finch and Adam Kubert. The quality that Finch and Kubert share with their work is its roughness. The art throughout lacks polish and is inconsistent. A common criticism for Finch’s pencils is the sameness that all the characters take on. This means that he puts little effort into ensuring that facial features, body types, and expressions are different for each character. Kubert fares better and does in fact have quite a few memorable panels. There are a couple of really neat instances where we see Storm using her powers and it’s totally badass. Actually, the entire final battle against Magneto is really well done and really springs off the page.

Ultimate X-Men Volume 6: Return of the King concludes Mark Millar’s run on the series. There’s symmetry to this arc as he finishes his tenure the way he started it – by focusing on the philosophical and physical conflict between the X-Men and Magneto. Like the rest of his run, there are a lot of great ideas and concepts put forth in this collection. There are even some brilliant scenes. Unfortunately, Millar’s dialogue and grave misunderstanding of how the X-Men should be portrayed hinder the overall quality of the narrative. There’s simply too much flippant humour and gritty-for-the-sake-of-being-gritty going on. He also makes questionable choices with certain characters that make them vastly inferior to how they’re portrayed in the main universe. With that said, Return of the King does end with a bit of a bang and a smidgeon of optimism.

RATING: C

Review - Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 8: Cats & Kings

After being exposed in the press as a murderer, Wilson Fisk has returned to New York City to rehabilitate his image. Though he’s managed to manipulate the public into believing his innocence, Spider-Man knows the truth and is infuriated by how thoroughly Fisk has managed to manipulate the situation. Meanwhile, a mysterious thief known as the Black Cat has stolen an artifact that Fisk is eager to acquire. A determined Fisk sends the assassin Elektra after her to get it back. Naturally, Spider-Man gets caught in the crosshairs of this conflict.

Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 8: Cats & Kings collects Ultimate Spider-Man #47-53, written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Mark Bagley.

As a fan of both Black Cat and Elektra, this arc was incredibly enjoyable for me. It begins with the return of Wilson Fisk, which slowly results in an unravelling of Peter Parker’s life. Peter is fired for questioning J. Jonah Jameson’s editorial decisions, suspended for acting up in class due to his frustration over Wilson Fisk’s public image rehabilitation, and is torn away from Mary Jane after her father insists the pair stop seeing one another. Amidst this drama, Black Cat enters Peter’s life and briefly provides him with a refuge away from reality via flirtation that leads to a rooftop “date.” Black Cat is a frenetic character who drastically changes the pace and dynamic of the series. The action sequences and choreography of the character are brilliant. Elektra, despite appearing later on in the arc, provides a similar kind of energy. Both women are action-oriented and aren’t the usual type of foes Spider-Man typically comes across in this series. They’re not megalomaniacal supervillains or bumbling henchmen, they’re well-trained and highly-skilled combatants. It’s very refreshing. Their motivations are also kept quite simple as well. Black Cat seeks to mess with Wilson Fisk’s plans as revenge for his past misdeeds against her father, while Elektra is purely a sai-for-hire. Though neither is given as much character development as I’d like, there’s just enough to leave me satisfied with their portrayals. (Although, Elektra is drastically different than she was in Ultimate Daredevil &Elektra – so what changed for her?)

One of the things that I found absolutely riveting about Cats & Kings was the underlining theme of how wealth and influence can allow someone to get away with murder – even when the proof is practically irrefutable. In Wilson Fisk’s case, he’d been caught on tape killing someone. Through the use of his lawyers and money, he’s managed to manipulate things so that people believe the events on the tape are doctored. This sends Peter into a tailspin as he cannot understand how this could possibly be a reality. He knows Fisk is a murderer and is deeply troubled by how the adults around him don’t want to engage in discourse about the grave injustice that has happened. Seeing Peter pushed to the edge over something with some weight to it is really fascinating. Thus far, Peter has been prone to fits of melodrama and is often most concerned with his personal life. Peter’s questioning of everything brings a lot of dramatic tension to the narrative, especially since it results in pretty heavy consequences for him (i.e. losing his job, being suspended from school). It sets up a very clear contrast – Fisk, a murderer, walks free while Peter, an innocent, is punished for simply asking uncomfortable questions.

Bagley’s work in this particular arc is especially impressive. There are a lot of wordless sequences, particularly those involving Black Cat. Her introductory scene features her breaking into a building and stealing an artifact. It’s largely devoid of dialogue and it allows Bagley to truly tell the story. It’s really creative and well-drawn. Something similar happens later on when Black Cat and Elektra duke it out. Generally speaking, action sequences in this series are given a lot of dialogue via banter and one-liners. Here, we get the two women fighting one another without saying a word. It’s more intense and leaves the reader with the impression that they’re both incredibly skilled fighters. Beyond these sequences, it is worth mentioning once more that Bagley continues to excel with reaction shots. We get a lot of high emotions and tension in this arc, so Bagley really stretches his muscles here. Since this arc introduces Black Cat into the Ultimate Universe, this means that she gets a redesign to go along with it. I quite like her mask and the accessories she’s given, such as the belt and the white-trimmed gloves, but the suit itself is problematic. The sheer amount of cleavage she’s got going on is wildly unrealistic and takes away from what would otherwise be a really chic, functional look.

Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 8: Cats & Kings is a great return to form for Bendis and Bagley. After a handful of lacklustre issues, this arc has the perfect mix of action and drama that will leave readers hooked. The introduction of Black Cat was handled well and the usage of Elektra was a nice twist. We get a lot of great character moments – including tense exchanges between the Parkers and Mary Jane’s father, a heated argument between J. Jonah Jameson and Peter, and a hilarious phone conversation where Aunt May dresses down J. Jonah Jameson for firing her nephew. With its electric conflicts, memorable action sequences, and exploration of economical privilege, Cats & Kings is one of the better collections from this series.

RATING: A-

Review - Ultimate Daredevil & Elektra

During the first few months of her freshman year at college, life seems to be idyllic for Elektra Natchios. She makes new friends and falls in love with law student Matt Murdock. Everything begins to unravel for Elektra when one of her best friends is assaulted on campus. After the police fail to press charges against her friend’s attacker, Elektra decides to seek out justice on her own.

Ultimate Daredevil & Elektra is a four issue mini-series, written by Greg Rucka and illustrated by Salvador Larroca.

Ultimate Daredevil & Elektra reimagines the college years of the titular characters, plotting their romance from its beginnings to its end. While the series gives Daredevil top billing, it is Elektra who is undeniably the main character. It is through her perspective that the events are filtered through. It’s a nice reversal of her original introduction, where she was a supporting character in Daredevil’s narrative. Rucka and Larroca present Elektra as the daughter of a middle class businessman who owns a dry cleaning company in Queens. She enters college uncertain of what she’d like to study and spends much of her time building friendships with her roommate Phoebe and fellow student Melissa. During this time, she meets Matt Murdock and starts dating him shortly thereafter. Their relationship strains as Elektra’s focus shifts to exacting justice (with a slice of vengeance) for the sexual assault of one of her friends at the hands of a privileged rich boy named Trey Langstrom.

This mini-series reads like an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (there’s even a detective who resembles Mariska Hargitay’s Olivia Benson that shows up). Its remains focused on the central theme of how privilege and wealth are used as tools to evade justice, as well as weapons against those without or with less privilege. I struggled with the use of sexual assault as a plot point in this mini-series especially since it was used as motivation for Elektra, which taints the story with the whiff of fridging. I think that the creative team could have come up with a different reason for Elektra to go after Trey Langstrom, but I also understand that it could also be of importance to acknowledge the very real problem of sexual assault on campus colleges and how perpetrators often get away with their crimes. Rucka and Larocca do ensure that the story never strays too far from Elektra and her friends. The decision to have her supporting cast as two women and to portray them as layered individuals was smart. It was neat that Stick was reimagined as a woman as well, which helped to further populate Elektra’s world with a female presence. This is especially noteworthy as this character has largely been devoid of such friendships in the main Marvel Universe. It’s refreshing. It’s also nice to have an origin story for Elektra where she isn’t fridged at the end.

Larocca’s art pairs well with Rucka’s writing. He’s able to accurately present the necessary range of emotions that occur throughout this trauma-filled mini-series. While there aren’t many action scenes, the final fight sequence between (spoiler?) Elektra and Daredevil. One of the things that interest me most about Larocca’s work on Ultimate Daredevil & Elektra is his redesign of Elektra. She’s given a mane of curly hair, which recalls Mike Deodato Jr’s version of the character from the ‘90s. She’s also given a black leather costume that looks suspiciously similar to the one Jennifer Garner wore in Daredevil (which came out the year this mini-series was published). The costume is totally impractical as she’s bearing her stomach and it only has one strap, but it’s kind of cool. As a side note, we never actually see Daredevil in costume aside from on the covers, which is a bit odd and mildly anti-climactic.

Ultimate Daredevil & Elektra is an admirable attempt at updating Elektra’s origin story. It re-centers the narrative to be about Elektra and gives women the most prominent roles in the story. I like Rucka’s take on Elektra since she isn’t presented as an emotionless assassin without any interiority. As I said earlier, I’d have preferred if the narrative eschewed the use of sexual assault as a plot device and motivation for Elektra. That’s the one major issue I had with this otherwise topical and layered mini-series.

RATING: B

Review - Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 7: Irresponsible

When Peter and Gwen sneak out to attend a house party, they encounter a student named Geldoff from another school who possesses the ability of combustion. After an incident where Geldoff was causing cars to explode, Peter intervenes as Spider-Man in an attempt to get Geldoff to recognize the severity of his actions. Before he can sway him one way or the other, they are confronted by the X-Men, who are determined to bring Geldoff back with them to Professor Xavier.

Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 7: Irresponsible collects Ultimate Spider-Man #40-45, written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Mark Bagley.

One of the most notable aspects of Irresponsible is the total lack of supervillains within its narrative. Instead, Bendis and Bagley take a more human approach to storytelling as they present Peter with a dilemma instead of a full-blown superheroic conflict. This results in a rather slow and somewhat torturous read. The premise is basically “what happens when the awkward foreign student gets powers and becomes popular?” There’s no real stakes since Geldoff doesn’t come across as a real threat. He blows up some cars, but that’s about it. The majority of the issues that make up this arc are essentially characters standing around talking to each other. Aside from the fact that Peter and Mary Jane reconcile after breaking up for a while and Peter meeting the X-Men, it feels like nothing of import actually happens. That’s not to say there aren’t some memorable moments. The X-Men’s inclusion in this arc really adds some much needed energy to the otherwise limp narrative. From Kitty’s fangirling over Spider-Man to an impressive action sequence involving Jean and Storm saving Spider-Man, Kitty and Geldoff during an impending plane crash, the X-Men create a sense of urgency and dynamism that really intensifies the world that Spider-Man occupies.

Given my issues with this dialogue heavy arc, it’s a surprise that my favourite issue in this collection is one that features almost no action and that’s essentially start to finish dialogue. Set in a therapist’s office, issue 45 sees Aunt May reflecting on the current state of her life and making several revelations about her feelings towards Peter, Gwen, and Spider-Man. It’s a truly intimate issue that gives readers a rare glimpse into Aunt May’s world and shows us the remarkable interiority of this character. It’s shockingly quite riveting as a read as it offers us different perspectives on supporting characters that are otherwise only ever seen through Peter’s lens. Getting to see how Aunt May is dealing with the grief of the loss of her family members, of Captain Stacy, and how she’s “using” Gwen as a coping mechanism is absolutely fascinating.

In these issues, artist Mark Bagley had to ensure the characters were as expressive as possible. Since much of this arc relied upon the feelings and thoughts of the characters involved, he had to narrow his focus and illustrate a lot of close-up reaction shots. This is especially evident in the aforementioned therapy issue. He carefully crafts each of Aunt May’s facial mannerisms to accompany the dialogue, which helps plot how she’s feeling at any given moment. There’s also a scene where Peter and Mary Jane are passing notes in class. Each panel is kept tight on their faces as they react to what’s being written. It’s really engaging since we’re seeing how they feel without being told. Beyond that, we’re seeing Bagley allowing the characters to grow through the visuals. Mary Jane is adopting a shorter hairstyle that is more refined, while Peter’s odd wispy bangs aren’t quite as jagged as usual. It’s also worth mentioning that we get to see the Ultimate versions of the X-Men in Bagley’s style. For the most part, he does a great job. I quite like how he captures Kitty’s youth and he really makes Jean pop on the page, but he struggles to make Storm’s hair a consistent style since he gives her weird bangs and the colorist doesn’t make her skin dark enough.

Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 7: Irresponsible is a bit of a chore. It has a lot of pacing problems and it struggles to maintain the momentum that the previous arcs built upon. Since it’s very heavy in dialogue, it may be a deterrent to some readers who are looking for something that’s less introspective and has more in the way of action. The issues with the X-Men are the most entertaining, but the Aunt May-centric issue 45 is also worth reading. Otherwise, it’d be quite easy to skip over this collection.

RATING: C