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ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #18"The Cycle"
Recommended (8/10)
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Marvel Comics
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils: Mark Bagley
Inks: Art Thibert & Erik Benson
Colors: Transparency Digital
Letters: Sharpefont
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Price: $2.25 US/$3.65 CAN |
This book is always at its strongest when it focuses on the people behind the masks and powers of the super-hero genre. While this issue opens on one of those more traditional action scenes, Bendis soon brings the book back to its strengths, and it makes for an entertaining and believable read. Bagley's kinetic art flourishes in the fight scenes, but then again, he also captures the youth, frustration and happiness of the characters adeptly as well.
At the Hammer nuclear facility a short distance from the New York City shoreline, Spider-Man finds himself in the many hands of Otto Octavius, as well as in front of the multiple gun barrels of a New York SWAT team. After barely slipping out of the situation, a battered Peter Parker ends up venting to Mary Jane, who manages to make him feel a lot better about the weirdness in his life.
Though I like Bagley's simple design for the new Doc Ock, it occurs to me this month that I preferred the character with a dumpy physique. This buff look robs the character of some of his plausibility. Mind you, the morphing metal of his arms in this version makes for a creepier effect. Bagley captures the title character's and Mary Jane's innocence and teenage insecurities wonderfully, though, in a tender scene in the latter half of the book.
That tenderness and vulnerability are reflected in the script as well. Scenes with Peter and Mary Jane on their own always stand out as the most powerful in the series, and this is no exception. The reason for the impact is clear: Bendis is tapping into universal experiences. We all know of that awkward moment when just about everything one can say has been said, and a deeper, emotional connection with another human being takes over. It's terrifying and thrilling, and it brings crediblity to a character with incredible powers.
Mind you, Bendis's take on traditional super-heroics, while not the greatest strength of the book, nevertheless makes for good reading. There's a greater complexity in Dr. Octopus's story under Bendis's guidance, and the fact that I have no idea where he's going with it is a plus. The writer has made old ideas new with his fresh take and more modern sensibilities.
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