Product Description: The ULTIMATE titles are well-known for adding a unique twist to classic Marvel characters...and you better believe they're about to get a whole lot more twisted! One of the most ruthless villains in the history of the Marvel Universe, the fan-favorite Carnage, gets the Ultimate treatment! And though young Peter Parker has proven himself time and time again on the field of battle, can even he hope to defeat this heartless killing machine? Collecting ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #60-65.
Bendis stops trying. (Minor Spoilers) I'm a long time Spider-Man fan. My first comic book was a Marvel Tales reprint of an older Spider-Man issue. I've read all the Essential Spider-Man volumes in print thus far. While I'm not a fan of Spider-Man joining the Avengers or any of that nonsense, I love the character and what he represents.
I liked Bendis run on Daredevil. I felt it was the closest to Miller's in tone, and Maleev's art was some of my favorite in any comic, superhero or otherwise.
I give that introduction to make it clear I'm not bashing Bendis. This volume was the reason I've quit reading Ultimate Spider-Man. The "Hollywood" story was a stretch, but most of the stories that preceded that were very solid. They 'felt' like a good Spider-Man yarn: a young teenager, part-time worker at the Daily Buge newspaper and bookworm at school, and a masked vigilante by night, constantly forced to maintain a balance between his seperate worlds. His supporting cast consisted of his Aunt May, girlfriend Mary Jane Watson, and orphaned housemate Gwen Stacy. Each has a counterpart in the 'real' Marvel universe, and each has a history associated with that character.
Ultimate Gwen Stacy was a smart aleck, not unlike Peter in his costume. She's fiercly independent, though that brashness same hides a vulnerable side. She was by far the most interesting cast member outside of Peter himself, since Mary had been reduced to a part-time damsel in distress and full-time worrier. Without a thought, the science experiment gone awry named Carnage killed Gwen as if Bendis had to match the fate of one univese's counterpart to the other.
Ignoring the fact that Ultimate Carnage was an experiment born from the "Venom" arc and has no real human identity like the serial killer Cletus Cassidy, and ignoring that the climactic battle between Carnage and Spider-Man lasts only a few pages and doesn't give the rage Peter must be feeling due justice, Gwen's death feels placed; it's not natural, and it ignores the multitude of stories that could have been told with Gwen alive. And in subsequent volumes, her death goes almost unaddressed until very recently.
The reason I consider this volume such a misfire - the main reason - is what I stated earlier: Gwen had potential, and for all of that potential to be squandered in such a mediocre Frankenstienesque story... it's unfortunate. It's sad that Gwen had to be the victim for nothing other than cheap shock value, when she could've been so much more, when there (apparently) wasn't a publisher mandate to keep Peter unmarried or unattached.
r.i.p. gwen stacy ultimate spider-man by bendis and bagley is one of the best series out there. not as much action and non-stop bad guy fighting, but a good mix of that and a lot of peter parker being a teenager with problems (girls, bullies, being grounded, etc.) along with his spidey life. the series is great great great. only a few minor things that could be better: 1. i don't like how nick fury comes in and tells spider-man he's going to work his whole life for him and shield. the idea of peter being...trapped in a web? haha...well it isn't too cool. superheroes need to fight the good fight because they want to, not because shield will go and take away their superpowers (as fury has threatened) if they don't comply. plus the issues where the ultimates come in aren't that great, the whole series gets hijacked by them and not a lot of spidey. imo, the ultimates are easily the worst part of the ultimate universe. beyond ultimate spider-man and the ultimate fantastic four the ultimate universe isn't too great. 2. bendis needs to cut down on the tuchas talk. seriously if parker grew up in nyc today he'd more likely speak spanglish than yanglish. 3. geldoff.
"get this book" i have a felling that the guy who took peters DNA is the one responsible for the clone in the clone saga, Also i think since kitty got mad at peter for talking to marry jane that she is the new ultimate spiderwomen and maybe a clone kidnapped MJ or maybe kitty did it and for all of you who dont have this book get it because Carnage is coming back in the clone saga.
Make Mine...something else Didnt really like this one too much. Sure, we all knew Gwen was going to die, it was Just a matter of when. Carnage, Much like Venom, was reduced to a much weaker version of his mainstream counterpart. Very Bad move. I do not care for whats implied with this "Ben Riely" charecter.. Come on Marvel , just say no to clones.
Finally, Cletus Kasady is in the book--Wait! Okay, I am a big fan of the Ultimate Marvel Universe and have every Ultimate Spider-man book. When I heard about the appearance of Ultimate Carnage, I was excited. Carnage had been my fav. villain of the main marvel universe. This one is different though.The original Carnage was an alien symbiote that bonded with a mass murderer, Cletus. The symbiote had been a spawn of Venom, so Carnage often called Venom Dad. This version completely changed the character. He is another being created by Doc Conners, made from Peter's DNA, Connor's DNA, and Petey's dad's DNA! The creature goes on a murder rampage and Spider-man must stop it. I did not like the change in the character. There were no symbiotes, there was no Venom, there was no Cletus. The story was very interesting, but for those who love the original Carnage, this book is not for you.
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