Ultimate Spider-Man #118
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Wade Von Grawbadger & Stuart Immonen
Published by Marvel Comics
So….someone I happen to love really digs Ultimate Spider-Man. I knew that at some point I’d choose this comic to read beause of how much I’ve enjoyed “my friend’s” characterization of Peter Parker, when said "friend" would tell me about the comic. So, cute. So genuine and correctly (seemingly) filled with teenage angst. Thus, Ultimate Spider-Man was a shoe-in this week.
I don’t have a lot to say about the plot because, well, I’m reading right in the middle of some long, long, many issued story. But I have to say that it was totally enjoyable and really easy to read. Very cinematic. I mean, it’s like a story-board in book form. Although I only have the slimmest knowledge of some of these characters, I felt very at home reading it. It was like watching 90210, only with superheroes and X-men.
Its really cleverly done, and accessible to any reader. I mean, yes this is about Spider-Man and Mutants at school. But you don’t have to really know what that means to grasp what’s going on emotionally. For instance, having a mutant (that ice surfing guy) show up at school to talk to ________, is written as if a teenage girl’s 11 year old, pimply brother showed up at High School, call her by her family’s nick name for her and handed her her meds. You know she’s embarrassed by him. You know she doesn’t want where she comes from and what she’s about to be discussed. Message gotten.
I loved the way the comic started. There’s 3 or 4 “scenes” in a row that introduce this issue’s main characters, and each scene begins with the character going “Aargh!” I chuckle when I think about the girl in pink--The whole issue she’s not feeling well. And since the entire series is based around high school, and around high school-ish issues, I automatically kept thinking “uh-oh…..I bet she’s pregnant….!” Just when you think you know what’s going on, you’re reminded that this isn’t your average, daily Soap Opera, this is Superhero Soaps. She’s not pregnant. She’s turned into Fire Girl or some such thing. Of course! Pregnant?! Pee-shaw! What was I thinking?!
Also, thoroughly enjoyable, was the little dig on celebrity life. Not only were _______ and _______mauled by the paparazzi on their first (and lame) datae; but the celebutante had CALLED THEM when she realized their absence. Too funny.
I happen to be Netflixing Buffy The Vampire Slayer right now. I totally missed out on the Buffy Wave while it was happening. Recently, I’ve come across many references to it in things I’m reading or just in conversation that I finally decided to buckle down and begin a steady diet of Buffy episodes. So being mid-first season with that, then reading an issue of Ultimate Spider-Man, well, I felt perfectly at home. Buffy is sort of the perfect appetizer. Gets you in the vibe of High School and superheroes. So, I feel like I just watched an episode of Ultimate Spider-Man, and I’m ready for more. I wanna know what happens next. And I just wanna get more of a look at the High School life and times of Spider-Man. It’s just totally cute.
-Nina Miller, 2008
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