Ultimate Spider-Man #113-114 Review
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Immonen (don't even want to spell his full
name)
Cover: I wish Bagley did it
I honestly don't know what to think about this book anymore. It isn't Ultimate Spider-Man in my eyes. In fact, yesterday when I bought issue 114 I only read it once and immediately bagged and boarded it and put it away. I've never, ever done that to an issue of this series. I usually read each issue at least three times before bagging it, but I just couldn't stomach the art and feel of the book. I know you Immonen fans hate me, but I don't care. I HATE HIS ARTWORK! I hate it with a passion. It makes my skin crawl, it makes me get bored and often look away at something else. I don't love this book anymore, there I said it! In fact, I will probably stop reviewing it after this arc is done until another artist comes along. The only reason I continue to buy it is for Bendis and even that isn't saving the book for me. OK, here is what happened. It will be short and sweet because I couldn't read these issues multiple times like I used to do.
OK, issue 113 took place from Norman's point of view. He is crazy and pissed and mad at Nick Fury. Along the way he meets Iceman (what's that? That's supposed to be Electro? Good job Immonen, you draw Iceman and Electro just the same. A little reference wouldn't hurt you know!) and goes on to claim how he created Spider-Man and all that. Peter isn't in the issue until the end and Norman goes on TV to try and tell how Nick Fury planned all this against him from the get-go. This would have worked well if Bagley drew this, but this was just a cluter-fuck of awful artwork.
Issue 114 has Peter and MJ and Spider-Man in it but they look awful. MJ used to be hot but her face looks like dog shit in this issue. Peter tells May to go stay at some hotel and he will handle Norman. Spidey and Iceman, I mean Electro, fight and Icelectro runs away. Norman is still pissed and supposedly Harry will show up later in the arc. That's about it, I just zoomed right through this cause it felt so wrong. It almost felt like this artwork was trying to violate me in some sick sense.
Thoughts/Comments:
Wow, how the mighty have fallen. This book used to be special. This book used me make me laugh, cry and cheer. This book got me through some good time and some bad times. This used to be my favorite comic book. Not anymore. This isn't Ultimate Spider-Man. This is some mockery of a beautiful thing that used to bring joy to the world. Now this book is just wrong. Seriously folks, I enjoyed Justice League of America #13 a million times more than this, and I'm a Marvel fanatic. So you know I really hate a book when a DC book blows Ultimate Spidey out of the water. I just want you Immonen fans to know I love comics and I respect you all, but I can't stand this art. If you all hate me for this and never want me to review another book I'll understand but I have to be honest and let you know how I feel. Just remember how I feel.
This book used to be my all time favorite comic and it has just basically gotten up and kicked me in the face with this change. I can't love this book anymore. I will keep buying it for Bendis, but until a new artist comes along I won't enjoy this book. That being said, this one gets a D-. That's not a typo, this is almost F material.
Don't let Ben's review fool you, this issue was actually pretty good.
Ben, stop reviewing the book if you're just going to bash it every issue, no one wants to read that. In fact, I skimmed half of your review, because I already knew what you had typed out.
poooor poor spider-ben, it pains me to see your acorn of spidey-gold so abruptly snatched away from you. i still think it's fine, i'm enjoying it and all, but man, i feel for you. hey man. there's always boobs, right? go motorboat someone and you'll feel better.
wow. just wow. If you claim to be a Bendis fan than you really should rate the book higher or just stop reviewing the book that most people enjoyed. It was not bad at all.
Son't listen to them Ben, I'm all for you saying whatever the hell you want even if I don't agree, if someone else wants to do a review they can post it in the reviews section of the forums and I can take it and put it under yours, rock on!
I agree with Bats 100% go and read JSA and DC books. You know I love Marvel, but Ultimate Spider-man is the only Marvel book I get now. From the 35 I got last summer down to just one book. I have always liked your reviews Spider-ben, but you are just better off letting someone else review it. Stop buying the book and I really hope you aren't getting the dreadful One More Day and go buy some great DC books. Thanks to the podcast I have been introduced to great titles like JSA, Booster Gold, Green Lantern, and now the JLA under Mcduffie. Comics are still fun to read, but you have to open your mind and leave that Crisis stuff behind man, DC is not all about the Crisis. If you don't look beyond that you are going to be just reading garbage for the rest of your life
Hear, hear, Chris! I agree totally. Everyone is of course entitled to their own opinion and Ben is just as much as part of that as anyone else here. No one is going to agree on everything...that's what makes life interesting.
Ben, you keep doing what we all do best: being a fan. As I said once before, it takes dedication to be a fan of anything...but it takes MORE dedication to turn it away when you feel it's less than what it could be.
Hi Guys,
I knew some of you would hate me for writing this. But I felt a lot better getting my anger out by typing the review. Remember, I still love comics and I still love Spidey, I just am having trouble with this book right now. And I totally, totally, totally still love Bendis. The low grade had little to do with him. It's the art I hate. Not the B man himself.
Chris, thanks for the support. I like to rant from time to time and I appreciate you standing up for my rants.
As for DC, it's getting better. Sure, I'm going to igrnore Final Crisis and all but I am getting these DC books monthly as of right now:
All Star Batman
All Star Superman
Batman
Detective Comics
JLA
I'm also going to pick up All Star Wonder Woman whenever it comes out.
Maybe I should start reviewing a Batman comic. I love Batman, he is totally my favorite DC hero.
Thanks for reading everyone. If you still hate me, I understand. But I just will never like Immonen and I feel better ranting to my fellow comic fans.
I thought the issue was great. If the reviewer has a problem with Spider-man comics don't read them. Read something you will enjoy.
I hope this doesn't offend anyone...
My point was that Ben should maybe stop reviewing the book because 3 issues in to the new arc and art, he's just bashing it for the sake of bashing it all in the name of the art, and at that point it stops being a review and turns into a fanboy forum-post which brings the site down. I review the books I want to review, but I find something new to say about them every month. I liked the last two issues of Batman, but not this weeks, so I reviewed it because I had something to say about it. I review Blue Beetle a lot because I like the book and want to push it. If I absolutely hate a book month in month out, then it's not worth my time reviewing it once a month if I'm going to say the same thing over and over again month in month out.
Brent, you make great points...
however...
"In fact, I will probably stop reviewing it after this arc is done until another artist comes along."
"In fact, I will probably stop reviewing it after this arc is done until another artist comes along."
means we have 3 more months left of fan-boy bitch posts.
No one said you can't review it too.
I would review it, but nothing I can say about it would do anything. Bendis has written that book for over 100 issues. There is a quality level there (obviously) that is inarguable, regardless of who the artist is. And C'mon, Immonen is not a bad-reputation artist. He's not a Liefield or an Eric Battle bad. So there isn't anything I could say about it that would raise or lower the value of the book for most people. On the last couple of Ben's reviews, there haven't been a lot of negativity in the comments. Now, that's only the vocal minority, but it's still a lack of vocal agreement on Ben's distaste in the art. So, other than taking up space, what would my review do, other than just exist to counterpoint Ben's.
*Palpatine voice*
Yes...yes...let the anger flow through you...
First, let Ben say whatever the fuck he wants to say alright. If I can gripe about how I hate fill-in artists for Teen Titans, he can gripe about whatever he wants
Second, Ben give some examples man. It's easy to say somebody sucks, or that their artwork is dogshit, what specifically don't you like man. Do the lines look too sharp, out of place, not sharp enough, what? Saying MJs face looks like dogshit, doesn't help me out.
It'd be like if I said something like Bendis can't write Spider-Man worth a shit and didn't say anything more, ain't no way you'd let me get away with saying that unless I backed it up with some examples or some type of shit.
(Note: It's an example...I am not saying Bendis can't write Spider-Man, he can)