ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #20
"Live"
Recommended (8/10)
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Marvel Comics
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils: Mark Bagley
Inks: Art Thibert
Colors: Transparency Digital
Letters: Sharpefont
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Price: $2.25 US/$3.65 CAN |
This title is always at its strongest when exploring the characters as opposed to focusing on traditional super-hero-versus-villain conflicts. Still, while this issue consists mostly of a lengthy fight scene between Spidey and Dr. Octopus, Bendis manages to reinforce a sense of plausibility through the reactions of those watching the battle. A fun, accessible issue all around.
Dr. Octopus has lured Justin Hammer -- the industrialist he blames for his condition -- to his New Jersey experimental facility in order to expose him to the media... and to kill him, of course. Unfortunately for him, Spider-Man has tagged along for the ride, and the two costumed superhumans duke it out on live television. Meanwhile, the broadcast makes it pretty easy for Kraven the Hunter to track down his prey.
Bagley's art is perfectly suited for the kinetic action and the title's character's agility. He captures the dichotomously chaotic and almost graceful of the fight scene wonderfully. He conveys the creepy yet powerful nature of Doc Ock's arms nicely as well. The colors are bright, as is oftent he case with super-hero stories, but there's also an inky darkness at play that grants the story a greater sense of gravity as well.
I really dug on how the reporters react to the intensity of the action that explodes before them. Bendis conveys how dangerous the situation is, but these television broadcasters are focused on ratings and their careers. Furthermore, Mary Jane's exposure to the danger her boyfriend is facing should make for some great character interaction in future issues. The reactions of those outside the super-scrap make it interesting, not the action itself.
From the start, Bendis breathed new life into this iconic character by having him freak out about how his life has been transformed into the weird entity it has become. Peter's disbelief became the reader's own, and by sharing in that disbelief, it was easy to, well, believe. Here, though, Bendis delves into the character's irreverent nature. Peter's taunts are charming and entertaining, but the dialogue also makes room for the notion of how the title character is really in over his head.
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