ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #13 (Best of the Week!)
"Confessions"
Highly Recommended (10/10)
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Marvel Comics
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils: Mark Bagley
Inks: Art Thibert
Colors: JC
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Price: $2.25 US/$3.50 CAN |
Adolescence. We've all been there, but it would seem Brian Michael Bendis is far more in touch with his teen years than some. This "talking-heads" issue of Ultimate Spidey stands out as the very best of the series... and considering how good this book has been from the start, that's saying something.
How's this for a plot synopsis: Peter and Mary Jane talk up in his bedroom, but Aunt May thinks they're getting all sweaty.
There's no action to be found in this issue, and that might turn some readers off. Those folks should stick with the script, though, as Bendis delivers not only a touching exchange between two friends, but some great laughs as well... especially in the book's closing scene, in which Peter faces the daunting prospect of the concepts of sex and his elderly aunt colliding.
Bagley keeps the dialogue-driven story visually engaging, as the "camera" jumps back and forth almost frantically between the two main characters. There are quite a few copied panels, but the artistic shortcut is used to great effect here. It reinforces emotions like coyness, shock and confusion.
Bendis captures a genuine feel with this script. I wasn't reading a story, absorbing dialogue. I can almost believe this exchange actually took place. Peter and Mary Jane talk like actual people, not like the pseudo-hip, Bob Haney-written comic-book teens of yesteryear. The strength of the dialogue and characterization in this issue makes it a perfect jumping-on point for new readers, and a sure-fire way to introduce someone to the possibilities of the comic-book medium as a whole.
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