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ULTIMATE MARVEL TEAM UP #9
Recommended (7/10)
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Marvel Comics
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils: Jim Mahfood
Colors: Transparency Digital
Letters: Sharpefont
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Price: $2.25 US/$3.50 CAN |
The tone of this series shifts with every new story arc and character introduction, so another such shift, associated with the spotlight on the Fantastic Four in this issue, should come as no surprise. However, this time, Bendis and his artistic collaborator break through the Fourth Wall to hilarious effect. I was taken aback by the unusual approach at first, but in the end, it made for a light, unpredictable and fun read.
As part of a school mentoring program, Peter Parker has won the chance to visit with the world-famous adventurers known as the Fantastic Four in their Baxter Building headquarters. The FF's misunderstanding of the situation and quick dismissal of Peter leads the teen to end up in the wrong part of the building, where he inadvertently unleashes a deadly -- and goofy -- alien invasion.
I was surprised at how chaotic Mahfood's art is for this issue. I had thought that he might reign his carefree style for a mainstream comics assignment such as this, but his underground tone is maintained. It makes for a sharp contrast with the clean-cut image of the FF. I'm pleased Mahfood stuck with his usual approach; hopefully, it might open the eyes of some readers to a different kind of comic art, to something new.
Bendis tidies up the original Fantastic Four concept nicely in this issue, just as he's done for other classic characters to which he's given the Ultimate treatment. Susan Storm is more than Reed Richards's girlfriend; she's a talent scientist in her own right, for example. Bendis has also severed the FF's origins' ties to space exploration. A lot of the team's key details and adventures are linked to an earlier discovery of the Negative Zone. Makes these unbelievable circumstances a tad more plausible.
The point of this issue isn't to update the FF concept, unlike other issues. It isn't even to tell a rollicking good story. No, the point here is parody. This is super-hero satire, and Bendis and Mahfood really cut loose. When examined in the context of the Ultimate line, the story is jarring, but on its own, it's silly and fun and even clever at times.
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