<font color=33FFFF> have you read this week's Ultimate Spidey yet? I thought it was the best issue in a long time and a welcome break from the non-stop villian action</font>

The end of the "Carnage" arc was too sweet. fuckin twisted. I always had a feeling that "Lil' Ben" was going to turn into pretty much a full on clone of Peter Parker, but to just make it his *dad* as a murderous insane monster killer was just pure fucked up . That's a level of fucked-up'd ness that I don't think USM has seen and is on par with some of the fucked-up'd ness Bendis did on POWERS. I liked that arc alot, even though you could say he killed off Gwen too early. But I like how this time, as opposed to the original universe, Peter is more directly responsible for her death. Its even more tragic than Gobby throwing her off the bridge. (I always had a feeling MJ was going to buy it and Gwen was going end up with Pete but I guess I was wrong)

Although USM is out today? Hot damn! I'm biking my ass over to the comic store and pick up the "Breakfast Club" issue. They need to decompress and I can't wait to find out what Flash has been trying tell Peter for, like, a freakin year.

It should be good, even if its on the talky side, but thats sometimes where Bendis shines the best in characterization. And, judging from the cover, it revolves totally around Gwen. And this issue will have Kong. Woooo! Kong!

Next arc is Wolverine. I've never been a Wolverine fan, well, ever. (even when I was a kid). But I read the 1st issue of Ult. Team Up and it should be nice to play into that considering how the last issue I read Peter hung up the webs.

And then after that its Hobgoblin. If Hobby doesn't turn out to be Harry Osborn I'll eat my hat.

Out to the comic store now. Horray!

I liked it. But it went by too quickly. And I don't want Wolverine to come. He sucks.

Originally posted by Dead
And I don't want Wolverine to come. He sucks.
<font color=33FFFF> you think that's bad, BOTH Wolverine and Spidey have joined the Avengers starting in November. very sad state of affairs</font>

I read the issue and liked it.

in fact, I liked it so much I think I'll go read it again.

BRB.

Yep, I still like it alot. In fact, I'd say this is my favourite "all talk, No Spidey" issue since #13 - the one where Pete revealed himself to MJ as Spider-Man.

I'll get a minor quibble out of the way - Flash's "big secret" was kinda lame. When I saw him with the earring and the spiffy new haircut I could have SWORN that he was now a 100% queer. Maybe Bendis was trying for a "fake out" like that. Still woulda been crazy if Flash turned out to be gay.

Anyway, that aside, I love every page & pannel of this issue. Instead of being slaved to a 2 times monthly schedule of USM, Bagley only had to draw 1 for September and that is very nice. He really gets to show lots of subtlety's in emotions and uses some very nice shading, esp. the scene on the roof. (that was a great sequence in of itself)

I dug it when the teacher got an elbow in the face from Peter. Considering how he has radioactive (uh, I mean, genentically altered) blood she's lucky he didn't break her jaw. Nice reaction shot on the fighting crew just frozen solid in horror.

Bendis had some good lines "I guess all you need in this world is a nice haircut" being my favourite. And, I don't know if he intended this or not. When Peter bounces away from MJ on the roof, MJ says "C'mon Peter, snap out of this." -- that is the EXACT same thing Uncle Ben said when Peter ran away from him in issue 4 or 5. You know, right before he got shot.

For a moment there I thought Bendis had watched "Spider-Man 2" way too much - the "Spider-Man no more" storyline but when that person was being mugged I thought Peter was going to walk away (like in Spidey 2) and that would have really ticked me off. Instead we get a really cathartic nice page of angry rage-filled ass kicking that showed just how frustrated Peter is with everyone. To me, that is 100% more true to the character instead of him walking AWAY from a mugger as he did in Spidey 2.

Anyway, yeah, great issue. I really dug the twisted monster / horror story of the "CARNAGE" arc but this really made it hit home.

And then... came Wolverine. Ugh.

(though I DO confess the idea of Spidey being in the Avengers in the Marvel 616 U. could be kinda cool.)

Oh and another complaint (but not about the book itself) - I noticed more 2 page Advertisement spreads in this issue than I had seen in other issues of USM.

I hate them. While its nice to see alot more 2-page spreads, I'd much rather get 1 page with the story instead of opening up and seeing a fucking 2 page spread. That just 100% kills the flow of the book, even more so than just 1 page comic and 1 page ad.

BUT - alot more 2 page spreads, which I liked alot.

Sigh. This reminds me why I liked to buy trades of USM in the first place. But I can't help it now, I'm too hooked on the monthlies to go back.