Thursday, July 5, 2012

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #12 Review




Whether on purpose or not, Ultimate Comics Spider-Man celebrates Independence Day with an explosive issue that shows the tension between Miles Morales and his Uncle Aaron finally come to a head. Brian Michael Bendis has been brewing this conflict ever since Aaron figured out his nephew was the new Spider-Man and saw it as an opportunity to escalate his criminal career. Like the best fights, this one carries great personal weight that makes each blow as impactful as the dialog spoken throughout. Miles has been unsure of a lot of things since becoming Spider-Man, but here he fully understands what what kind of man his uncle is and what it will take to stand up to him.


David Marquez continues to deliver more superb imagery for this series. Many panels highlight subtle moments in lieu of dialog: Aaron’s lip curling in anger and Miles’s eyes expressing inner turmoil while embracing his mother, not to mention the phenomenal closing page that brings the entire issue home in a big way. Marquez not only makes this the best looking Ultimate Comics title, but one of the best looking titles being put out at Marvel.


With such excellent character moments throughout this issue, it is a shame Bendis again does not come through with action that matches their high quality. Like Miles’s encounter with Scorpion, this battle suffers from repetition and lack of creativity. Aaron has proven to be a Jack of All Trades with his plethora of stolen super villain gear, so when he uses such straightforward tactics to combat Miles it makes him lose all the cred he built up. That said, the emotional beats in the issue were so strong that it doesn’t hurt the issue too much. If anything, it puts the stakes of the fight above the fisticuffs, and isn’t that what we’re always asking for in comics these days?







Joshua is a writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter or IGN, where he is hell-bent on making sure you know his opinion about comic books.



Source : ign[dot]com

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