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ULTIMATE MARVEL TEAM UP #10
Recommended (8/10)
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Marvel Comics
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: John Totleben
Art assist: Ron Randall
Colors: Transparency Digital
Letters: Sharpefont
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Price: $2.25 US/$3.50 CAN |
Once again, Bendis lends a greatrer degree of credibility to the fantastic figures that populate the Marvel Universe through his tweaking of their origins, and, more importantly, their dialogue. It was also a real treat to see legendary Swamp Thing artist John Totleben return to render an appropriately creepy story.
The media has drawn a connection between a missing scientist -- Dr. Curt Conners, who was researching reptilian DNA for the improvement of human life -- and a deadly and mysterious sewer creature. Peter Parker decides to investigate, feeling a kinship with Conners after hearing his story. As Spider-Man, he discovers not one, but two weird things running around the underside of New York City.
Totleben's organic and haunting style has yielded a disturbing new design for the Lizard. Instead of an alligator-like appearance, he seems more like an iguana. The pale color adds to his bizarre and frightening appearance. Before, the Lizard looked more like a typical super-villain, but here, he definitely comes off as more of an animal, more of a monster. Randall's style comes through, but his "art assist" doesn't overwhelm Totleben's style.
I was also pleased to see that the distracting gaudiness of Transparency Digital's coloring work on recent issues of Ultimate Spider-Man has not followed them over to this book. As for Sharpefont, I remain dissatisfied with the dialogue font, but the script for Conners's letter to his wife made the message more believable.
I was pleased to find that Bendis took Florida out of the equation for the Lizard's origin, as getting Spider-Man down there would have stretched credibility. Though the tone of the character suits the dark and chilling atmosphere of this story, the Man-Thing's role in the plot is another matter. His sudden appearance was somewhat jarring; there are no real hints in the script itself that he existed at all. Bendis tries to tie the coincidence with the conspiracy theory that was put forth in the third issue. Though I'd like to read more about that notion, it comes off here as something of an excuse rather than a good explanation for the Man-Thing's appearance.
The greatest strength of this issue is Bendis's script, which should come as no surprise to those who have been following his work. The two narrative voices -- Curt's and Peter's -- form a nice parallel, as both are writing to the women they most care about. The Conners letter struck me as particularly powerful. Bendis convinces me of the couple's deep connection without ever showing them together, and that genuine quality distracts the reader from the sci-fi trappings of the plot itself.
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