One of my favorite Ultimate Spider-Man stories so far, and it centers around a guy with the unlikely super-villain name of "Geldoff." Go figure. Actually, it's not quite so hard to figure out, because Bendis brings the same approach to creating a new character as he does to fleshing out the relationships of Peter, Mary Jane, Gwen and the rest. We finally meet Geldoff in full this issue, and he's a fascinating character, maybe not super-villain material yet but certainly in that ballpark, and more interesting than a guy who is simply crazy or evil like the super-villains who have populated much of Spidey's rogues' gallery so far. Seeing him interact with Peter is as interesting as seeing further development on the relationship between Peter and Mary Jane, and that's high praise indeed.
Much has been made of Bendis's focus on characterization and dialogue over action, and some have accused him of not putting enough action into his work. Me, I don't mind so much, because even his dialogue has energy and tension that keeps the reader pulling right on through to the end, and for the most part, I can get my super-hero action elsewhere. Your average writer probably would have had the first meeting between Spider-Man and Geldoff turn into a fight, complete with powers flying, but Bendis instead turns it into a chance to have Peter try to play the mentor, and the arguments between Peter and Geldoff are for more interesting than a battle of webs and explosions would have been.
Geldoff is a dorky name for a super-villain. I'm sorry, but it's true. However, I think that might be part of the point, because Geldoff really isn't so much a super-villain as someone who's a little selfish and more than a little stupid. His inability to see beyond himself highlights Peter's heroic sense of responsibility, and it's kind of fun that even when Geldoff is trying to hear what Peter is saying, he can't quite get it. It's even more fun that he comes across more as a lovable goofball most of the time than a dangerous psychotic. The vaudevillian style gag "Vhat accent?" had me rolling on the floor, and his general plan for getting his friends "unsuspended" is so laughable you can't help but feel bad for the guy. Then he has a reaction, such as the one when Spidey says the word "mutant" or when he nearly gets someone killed, and you get a sense of danger lurking beneath the surface.
As always, it's easy to forget when Bendis is the big name on the marquee how much this book owes to its artist, but a quick flip-through will remind you why they call it a creative team. Bagley and Thibert have a design for Spidey that is lithe and skinny, and when he moves, he moves with speed and agility that makes him seem inhuman. The sequence of his web-slinging escape (and near drop) is a flawless little bit of action, and the robbery sequence has both nice comic timing and strong action as well. Then there's the expressive nature of Geldoff's face, which can portray him either as a listless goof or a dangerous kid, or the way Bagley uses just the eyes on Spidey's costume to give him a little bit of expression.
This issue isn't quite as strong as the previous one (for one thing, Geldoff's ability with slang and clear method of speech sometimes seems at odd with his accent and inability to express himself), but it's still a damn good read. Bendis has clearly put as much thought into this new villain (?) as he did into the re-envisioned Peter, Mary, Gwen and the rest of the cast, and the result is one of the more intriguing antagonists we've seen so far, as well as a plot that once again could go anywhere. Bendis's capacity to entertain and surprise remains fully intact on Ultimate Spider-Man, even after all this time.
