What the F#%k, Civil War II #5?!?!

** YES, there are spoilers for Civil War II #5 and previous issues ahead **

I tried to be optimistic; truly, I did. Because more often than not, I find myself forgiving egregious mistakes in my head if it means telling a better story. How can Batman have a nuanced, tactical conversation with his undead brother in on the wing of an airborne passenger plane next to an ear-splitting engine turbine? Because comic books, that’s how. Why did Wolverine show up in every freaking Marvel title every month until they had to kill him in The Death of Wolverine? I figured his healing factor might mean he doesn’t need to sleep, thus he gets bored and says why not?

But Brian Michael Bendis’ Civil War II #5 is just plain bad. I can’t sugar-coat it or find any silver lining – it’s simply a disjointed, unconvincing, deeply unaware issue of an already-conflicted series presented as a keystone issue yet failing to even come across as necessary. And while David Marquez has been carrying the series more than I wanted to admit, his artwork in this issue is similarly underwhelming to the point of frustration.

And as much as I try to separate the content of what I read from press and other outside aspects (e.g. – love me some Watchmen, but Moore is a crazy nutjob), knowing Civil War II was expanded to eight issues on top of further delays for the previously-scheduled issues is downright infuriating. The one concrete excuse is the birth of Marquez’s child which slowed down the art process. Life happens and I wish Marquez and his family the best, but beyond this one aspect, Bendis added another issue and Marvel expanded the publication timeframe so Civil War II will end after new #1 issues for ‘Marvel NOW!’ 2.0 have already started shipping. This whole situation is basically Secret Wars all over again except this time no one cares. An ‘extra’ issue with “The Final Vision”? Really? Get the eff outta here.

Which brings me back to Civil War II #5, an issue that simultaneously acts as the turning point of the series and the absolute worst chapter so far. Anticipation for this issue was high after the staring contest at the end of the Civil War II #4, and seeing all the various heroes siding with their Captain or Shell Head respectively was beautiful because it meant the actually fighting would start!

Marquez spent a lot of time on the initial fight splash at the beginning of this issue, and while that’s super cool, it belies the fact that Bendis decided to throw a ton of characters into the fray without giving them proper context. Why does Flash Thompson, a.k.a. Agent Venom side with Captain Marvel just because they’re friends? I’m not saying it’s not possible for Flash to agree with Carol, but to just pigeonhole him in the “Change the Future” camp without asking why becomes distracting. Similarly, the older X-Men seem to have just given up and decided the Inhumans will be their salvation. How this makes sense, I do not know – the T-mist clouds and the arrogance of the Inhumans when it comes to mutants cannot bode well for that inter-species relationship (see the upcoming Death of X which leads into Inhumans vs. X-Men then Inhumans/X-Men: ResurrXion…not even kidding about that last one), yet Storm and Magick are out there rearing to let Ulysses solve all their problems.

There are a ton of vignettes in Civil War II #5, a string of ‘moments’ that don’t really add up to anything of substance of consequence. This was one of the most poignant criticisms of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, that Zack Snyder cared more about epic, explosive, awe-inspiring snippets than he did plot or character development. Here, Bendis throws in a handful of hero-fighting-hero moments to drive home the fact that these are friends fighting one another…this time, it’s PERSONAL! Except it isn’t because again, there’s no context for why any of these heroes agree with Carol Danvers at all.

And yes, I’m ‘choosing a side’ because there’s only one that makes sense. Carol’s manipulation of Ulysses’ ability is astoundingly stupid, especially given the knowledge that the boy’s power is just a hyper-advanced form of biological algorithms based on ambient environmental awareness – how does Carol not see that her mission affects Ulysses’ visions? How can she be so obtuse as to not recognize that she is in his immediate environment and affects his powers quite literally every day!

Even with only basic knowledge of the heroes on Tony Stark’s team, it’s rather easy to understand why they fight against profiling and pre-crime jurisdiction. I mean seriously – Tony has both Captain Americas, heroes displaced from the past and the future (they’re not likely to want to mess with time, I assume), Luke-freaking-Cage, and even a sorcerer that interprets and understands the fabric of reality on a larger scale than anyone else there. Carol’s team is full of massive egos (Black Panther, Gamora, Angela, Star Lord, Magick) and people who work for her (Puck, Sasquatch, Aurora, Blue Marvel, Spectrum).

Let’s not forget how Bendis needed to seed his upcoming final Guardians of the Galaxy run by having Vision destroy the team’s ship and spend half a page doing so, or that he effectively turns Carol Danvers into a child when she screams “MINE” and attacks Tony Stark when he’s already down. This sequence shows how immature Carol is under Bendis’ hand, that she would rather beat Tony herself than see him taken in by Black Panther and the fighting de-escalated. She cares more about beating Tony than ethics or compassion, and that is a huge, giant, massive problem not only for the series as a whole, but also for Carol Danvers going forward.

Before Civil War II began and I still had some semblance of hope it could be interesting and provocative (in a good way), I actually defended Carol’s stance in this debate. Carol was military and has years of experience both good and bad to inform her decisions. It actually makes sense that she would use her power as a member of the Ultimates and the leader of Alpha Flight to protect humanity to the best of her ability with whatever tools she can. What doesn’t make sense is how dogmatic she’s become, how she gets completely defensive when the evidence shows how Ulysses’ power is flawed. Carol Danvers isn’t so petty as to ignite a full-on crisis between superheroes simply to win an argument she knows she can’t. Yet that seems to be exactly how Bendis positions her in Civil War II #5.

There’s truly no excuse for a filler issue this terrible in Marvel’s flagship event. It took a series called Civil WAR II nearly seven issues (counting #0 and the Free Comic Book Day 2016 issue that is so integral to the story it makes me furious when I think about it being a limited release that isn’t part of the main series) to get to the actual fighting, and when it did only felt dull and bloated. Yes, it’s fun to have an entire issue of heroes fighting heroes, but when the reason is stupid and the characters feel forced or out of place, the whole concept crumbles. And then there’s the final twist at the end.

*** MAJOR SPOILER AHEAD ***

*** SERIOUSLY -- READ THE ISSUE FIRST IF YOU CARE ***

*** LAST WARNING ***

HOLY F#&KING SHIT SOMEONE ELSE IS GOING TO DIE! DOOM! GLOOM! EVERYONE BE SHOCKED BECAUSE IT IS SHOCKING! OH AND LOOK! IT IS IMAGERY I HAVE USED BEFORE ONLY NOW IT’S REAL EXCEPT NOT! EVERYONE WILL LOVE THIS BECAUSE I LOVE THIS!

I assume this is how Bendis reacted to the idea when he first had it. When Ulysses’ weird snake fingers start grabbing everyone for a new vision like a parasitic drumroll, it just so happens to be a character Brian Michael Bendis created standing triumphantly over a dead Steve Rogers. Oh how could it be?!?!? Perhaps because Bendis has been pushing for Miles Morales to have a larger profile for years and now he gets his chance. Or maybe because this is all inconsequential in the long run based on ‘Marvel NOW!’ solicitations. Because the vision will not come to pass, and when it doesn’t, this whole sequence will be devoid of narrative purpose; it’s retroactively made itself meaningless, which is a horribly astounding feat for chronological storytelling.

During Civil War, it was quite obvious Mark Millar wanted audiences to sympathize with Captain America and his rogue Secret Avengers fighting against the federal tyranny of Iron Man and the Superhero Registration Act (SRA). Sure, the conceit was “Choose Your Side”, and there were compelling arguments for Tony’s system of accountability in an increasingly paranoid world often informed by emotion over logic, but the fact remained that Cap represented freedom over Tony’s ‘big brother’ approach.

Civil War II demonstrates none of the socio-political nuance the original did, however flawed Millar and Steve McNiven’s narrative may have been. At least the Superhero Registration Act represented a concrete focal point – Ulysses is a character being treated like a prop brought in when Bendis feels things are lagging. Why did the Inhumans bring Ulysses to the Triskelion in the middle of a huge battle right after Medusa said he would stay in New Attilan? Because the story demanded it. Why does Venom give two craps about someone else wearing a spider-themed costume when there are at least three others running around doing the same thing? Because Bendis wanted to see Venom fight Miles Morales. Why does any of this fighting matter? It doesn’t because this isn’t a fight that can be fought with fists or steel or bullets or lasers.

Let’s say Carol does beat Tony into the ground at the end and ‘wins’ the war: so what? Is that going to change Tony’s mind about the ethics of arresting people for crimes they haven’t committed? Is one team beating up another going to make the losers rethink their values or amend their personal morality to fall in line with Carol’s own? Readers often forget that in the Marvel universe, the Superhero Registration Act was wildly popular and sped through the House and Senate to become law. From the reader's perspective, Steve Rogers and his Avengers are ‘rebels’, but in the eyes of ordinary American citizens on Earth-616, they’re domestic terrorists actively fighting against something the majority of people wanted.

Civil War II is about ideology, which helps drive a story but can’t necessarily be the focus. The Superhero Registration Act represented accountability for the superhero community, but it also carried with it lasting consequences when heroes became criminals for doing their jobs. In the Ulysses situation, Iron Man is no more a criminal or any less accountable because he disagrees with Carol Danvers’ security-first approach. Conversely, Captain Marvel has routinely and unabashedly arrested and imprisoned dozens of individuals based on one factor that flies in the face of “innocent until proven guilty.” There’s no way to cheat justice, yet Carol seems to believe her opinion matters more than anyone else because she can decide how to change the future because she knows the best path to take because she has the experience that she deems necessary.

Civil War II #5 is the worst issue of the series so far, one that reinforces every reason why this event is so frustrating. Brian Michael Bendis is completely out of sorts relying on a subjective narrative tool to drive an entire superhero conflict that routinely uses shock value as a crutch to actual story progression.

Spotlight: Age of Ultron #2 of 10

(w) Brian Michael Bendis     (a) Bryan Hitch

Perhaps I just don't know Black Widow as well as I thought. Age of Ultron #2 brings the focus squarely onto Natasha Romanova in the first act featuring the ex-KGB Avenger facing off against a nameless civilian in the streets of a devastated San Francisco. The thing is, Natasha isn't her usual collected self -- beyond the physical trauma we see that's still a mystery at issue's end, she comes across as a far more violent and angry person than ever before. Of course, it's no small thing to have one's entire planet conquered and one's entire species annihilated. It could push anyone over the edge. With that in mind, Black Widow's overly rash attitude still seems as off-putting and uncharacteristic.

Beyond this minor mishandling of Black Widow, Brian Michael Bendis does an excellent job with AoU #2. When reading the first issue, Spider-Man's captors -- The Owl and Hammerhead -- discussed their plans for turning everyone's favorite wall-crawler over to Ultron in exchange for mercy in the robot's quest to rid Earth of humans. It seemed somewhat inconsequential at first, like the awkward flailing of a fish out of water with no other option than to desperately attempt to flop back into the water. Especially when some Ultron patrol units arrive to lay the smack down on their entire operation. Now, it's very obvious that Ultron's apparent superhuman black market is more important than this reader originally anticipated.

Another important aspect of this issue is Peter Parker's flashbacks. Since Age of Ultron began in the middle of the storm, so to speak, Bendis needed to give readers more context from which to understand how things got so bad so quickly. Though he was unconscious for most of Ultron's razing of the planet, he witnessed the initial strike, and it was a doozy. Bryan Hitch's artwork again makes the issue with his sweeping spreads and skewed perspective. Peter's flashback sequences radiate with terror as Spidey swings into an onslaught he has no hope of fighting. The only place where Hitch falters is the final page; Captain America's appendages and extremities all seem deformed and the angle of his entire body looks strained and slouched at the same time, which I didn't even know was possible.

Age of Ultron #2 isn't as strong as the first issue, and that's mainly because necessary exposition is rarely ever as exciting as the drama and terror that comes from seeing a post-apocalyptic world for the first time. Bendis delivers as much as he can while still bringing readers up to speed on the current standings, piece by piece. In a way, it's a self-defeating notion to sacrifice story development for the sake of explaining the backstory of the current status quo. Fortunately, Bendis pulls it off, more or less, and gets things prepped for the next issue. At ten issues, Age of Ultron is going to need a lot of twists and turns to keep readers interested; I'm confident Bendis is up to the task.

GRADE

8/10

FEATURED REVIEW: THE SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #1

(w) Dan Slott
(a) Ryan Stegman

The Superior Spider-Man #1 is better than I ever could have expected.

After generally being unimpressed with The Amazing Spider-Man #700, I was worried that Dan Slott's opus to Doctor Octopus would be a drag. Instead, what I got was an insanely good issue that delivered on all fronts. We get to see how Otto deals with real super villains and how being on the winning end feels for a change. Even though there's a lot to know going into this series, the story has so little pretense that any new reader could pick it up and be completely satisfied with the status quo.

Dan Slott had to go through a lot to get to this point, but it's been worth it, apparently. Otto as Spider-Man is a treat to read. His 'holier than thou' attitude toward pretty much everyone else is making Spider-Man more interesting than he's been in years. Peter Parker had a way of doing things, he had a process and a mindset for how to act as a superhero. Much of that mentality was based on "with great power comes great responsibility", but beyond that, Peter's personality was meek, shy, and nervous. He used humor and wit as a facade with which to hide these flaws, and it worked for him. But how many times did the villain have the upper hand? 

Otto is inarguably smarter than Peter Parker, which means he's got a whole different way of interpreting his role as Spider-Man. He listens to police bandwidths on a bluetooth headset instead of random patrols, he gains "a tactical advantage" by using nanotechnology to discover the whereabouts and plans of the new Sinister Six, and he pushes the boundaries at Horizon Labs to develop revolutionary technology with materials that could potentially be used for "high yield explosives, lethal biological agents, terrifying instruments of--". Dr. Max Modell is cut off by the charismatic, sophisticated "Peter" who insists that he's only doing good.

In a very real sense, Otto Octavius is a superior Spider-Man than Peter Parker. Of course, I don't mean in the hearts and minds of generations of fans, but in a logistical way, Otto has improved nearly every aspect of Peter Parker's life. It might be hard to hear, but Peter stumbled through most of his career as the Sensational Spider-Man. He often made the wrong decisions and regularly made mistakes that resulted in deaths. While all superheroes have their faults and their failures, Peter's always seemed exacerbated by the fact that he was always so down on himself. Otto, on the other hand, has confidence coming out of his butt despite the fact that his only real victory ever was cheating death by transferring his consciousness into Peter Parker's body. He has to be the Superior Spider-Man because that's all he's got left.

I've always enjoyed Ryan Stegman's art on Scarlet Spider, but for some reason, his work for The Superior Spider-Man seems more over-the-top than usual, almost as if he's emulating Humberto Ramos, the former regular artist for The Amazing Spider-Man. It's not bad, per se, it's just a bit more exaggerated than I'm used to seeing from Stegman.

The Superior Spider-Man #1 is a complete success. Even without the big twist at the end, Dan Slott has secured by readership for this book by delivering an awesome opening chapter to a series that shows a lot of promise for interesting, complex storytelling based on real human emotions and relatable feelings. It's a real shame that everyone already knows that Peter Parker will be back in the future. In the world of comic books, major players don't stay dead, so it's only a matter of time (or a matter of a new movie) before Peter gets back into his own head. And really, that's going to be disappointing when it does happen because we've read the same old song and dance for the last fifty years with Peter, and already I'm more invested in Otto Octavius' journey than I've been in Peter's for quite a while. Long live the Superior Spider-Man.

GRADE

10/10

AVENGERS vs. X-MEN #9 of 12

STORY: Jason Aaron
ART: Adam Kubert and John Dell

One could argue that reading Avengers vs. X-Men might be pointless now. What with Marvel teasing 'Marvel NOW!' - a soft reboot including new titles, relaunches of current series, and a ton of creator mix-ups - for weeks, why not just wait until October and start fresh? Because this series has finally reached the epic level we were all promised from the start - things are starting to happen that matter and will have lasting consequences.

Marvel is letting their gang of writers play pretty fast and loose with the passage of time in Avengers vs. X-Men, allowing upwards of two weeks to go by between issues, something that sets this series apart from many previous line-wide events. Knowing that this conflict has been going on for more than just a few days makes it all that more palpable - this isn't some skirmish or quick blowout. No, this is a war, in a much better sense than Civil War ever achieved. The premise of the series has grown from niche at best, to an idea that could be a monthly ongoing if it's parameters weren't so strict: Human Superheroes vs. Mutant Overlords! It's a series that could go on for years based simply on humans being the underdogs - as the Avengers have been for four issues now - and the mutants, however benevolent, have a dark fate ahead of them.

Indeed, the growing darkness surrounding the Phoenix Five Four takes precedent in Avengers vs. X-Men #9, as Jason Aaron gives readers a more detailed look into the psyche of each X-Man still wielding part of the Phoenix. Emma Frost, per usual, offers up the most introspective and existential dilemma dealing with her now awe-inspiring psychic powers. With the ability to look into every mind on the planet, she does and realizes that she could end the conflict in a moment using little more than a single thought; with Namor's power transfered to the other four Phoenix's, Emma's power is immeasurably grand. But Emma Frost is no simpleton - she understands the god complex she's undergone and sees that infinite power has brought her nothing but desire to destroy. In Emma's despair, we see the root of the Phoenix's terror, the meaning behind it's destructive tendencies. Would it be too far-fetched to see the original Phoenix, eons ago, attempting to save lives across the universe, only to be met with hostility by those who didn't understand it? Would it then be plausible to imagine that this ancient Phoenix would become sad, then angered by the lack of gratitude and understanding, leading to a rash of violence? We'll have to wait until next issue to find out if Emma succumbs to the pressure.

On the more visceral side of things, Magik and Colossus take center stage as the Avengers mount a rescue operation from the Verkhoyansk Mountains in Siberian. Magik has used her newly heightened powers to integrate a part of Limbo - the demonic dimension she uses to teleport through - into a volcano to act as a prison for the most powerful of Avengers, including Thor, Spider-Woman, and Quicksilver. Captain America leads his team into hell on Earth and is immediately ambushed by Colossus and Magik. After a few chaotic moments, Spider-Man manages to lure the Phoenix's away from the rest of the team rescue the captured Avengers. With his little sister whispering suggestions in his ear, Colossus beats Spider-Man to the point where I found myself questioning if this was the end for Peter Parker, a viable concern considering the upcoming reboot.

Magik starts getting a little too gruesome for Colossus' taste, and the two demigods begin bickering before Peter gets his two cents in. It's quite obvious that Magik has been corrupted by the Phoenix power, her already dark tendencies made even more chilling with the power of a death god. Colossus fears for his sister, and a few choice words from Spider-Man give each mutant a reason to take the other down. Spidey emerges, clinging to life with everything he has, while both Colossus and Magik lay defeated, their celestial power gone.

A major point in this issue is the fallout of the mutant race. After Namor's attack on Wakanda, Black Panther had his marriage to Storm annulled leading to Ororo gathering the other X-Men who've realized that Cyclops and the others have gone insane to stand against with the Avengers against the Phoenix Four. The fact that X-Men are distancing themselves from the Phoenix's was inevitable, but having Storm lead the rebellion is poetic justice. For decades, Storm has stood as a shining example of what most, if not all, X-Men strive to be - an agent of change for good through the use of a mutant ability. Now, it's her time to shine as the beacon of mutant hope against a force that threatens to demolish all life on Earth.

The Avengers now have more support than ever. Unfortunately, Cyclops rips through time and space to get to K'un Lun and take Hope away from Earth's Mightiest Heroes. While most of these issues have ended with cliffhangers, this one seems especially haunting because the writers can't jump forward in time next issue; this is the very moment before a giant brawl that promises to lead into the epic climax.

GRADE:

A-

(COMIC) SPIDER-MEN #2 of 5

STORY: Brian Michael Bendis
ART: Sara Pichelli

Well hello, multiverse! In Brian Michael Bendis and Sarah Pichelli's Spider-Men #2, some revelations are made, some characters introduced to each other for the first time, and we get a whole lot of Mysterio! Last month's premier issue wasn't my favorite. In fact, I felt that Bendis went on an ego trip, writing as many witty one-liners as he could for the web-slinger and turning him into an anecdote machine. It came off as showy and overly-saturated. Spider-Men #2, however, makes a 180-degree turn and sets things right for this series. Miles gets some lines of dialogue, Peter freaks out a lot harder than he normally does, and Nick Fury meets the Peter Parker than could have been. This is an issue of graphic art and storytelling that reminds us why we read comics: for the fun of it.


Mysterio made a confusing cameo last issue, babbling on about "the other Peter Parker" before his machine sucked Peter Parker Spider-Man into some wormhole. Of course, we re Mysterio aders know that Pete has landed in the Ultimate universe, a dimension quite similar to ours, with minor differences like Nick Fury's race, a giant Triskelion outside Manhattan Bay, and a Spider-Man that isn't him. While is one of Spider-Man's oldest and most consistent villains, he hasn't had a major presence in the Ultimate line of books outside of one storyline that didn't reveal much about the character in a significant way.

Ultimate Mysterio's enigmatic nature is finally addressed with the reveal that Quentin Beck has been sending a Mysterio-avatar through the rift, using the Ultimate universe as some sort of sociological experiment. During Ultimate Peter Parker's encounter with Mysterio, he was never able to figure out how Mysterio's head stayed imaterial, a question that might have been minor at the time, but now ties into Beck's control of the dimensional portal and Peter's current dilemma.

Now, about Peter and Miles.

The only thing I really didn't like about their meeting was the obligatory 'fight of misunderstanding.' Peter starts freaking out - more so than usual - as everyone seems to know his real identity. Regular civilians tell Peter his choice of costume is, "in bad taste" in consideration of the deceased. Of course, Peter Parker-616 has never been the most put-together guy, so it makes sense that he would lash out at a different Spider-Man - who still knows the name Peter Parker - who randomly shows up and tells you you're actually dead. And even though it does seem logical, the fight still feels forced, like Bendis was bullied into including it simply for the sake of pitting the Spider-Men against each other. There had to have been better, more natural ways to make these two characters fight. In the pages of Avengers vs. X-Men, Spider-Man even comments on the age-old tradition of 'fights of misunderstanding' and how much he misses them. Each Spider-Man tries to unmask the other. Only Peter is successful - albeit after giving Miles a rather stuck-up lecture on superheros and masks - and Miles is forced to run around covering his face until he manages to knock out Peter and turn him over to Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D.


Now, the inclusion of Ultimate Nick Fury was somewhat inevitable, as this summer's movie blockbuster, The Avengers, featured Fury as portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson, who was the original inspiration for Ultimate Nick Fury in the first place. If that sounds a bit convoluted, it is, not to mention that the regular Marvel Universe (Earth-616) now has a black Nick Fury to call it's own. Obviously, Marvel is doing everything it can to make connections between the movie Avengers and the comic books that inspired the film (see black Nick Fury, Avengers Assemble, Hawkeye's new costume, etc.), so bringing in Fury was a question of "when", not "if".

Spider-Men #2 is a huge step forward from the first issue, not only in terms of story progression, but also of narrative structure. The subtle hints at past events connecting to current dilemmas is near-perfect, and Sara Pichelli's art just fits so well with the tone of everything going on. Mysterio looks menacing, Peter looks dumbfounded, and Miles looks overwhelmed. There's got to be more to Mysterio's involvement in this situation, and Bendis seems to be taking the series in the right direction. I'm definitely looking forward to next month's issue!

GRADE

B+

(COMIC) SPIDER-MEN #1 of 5

STORY: Brian Michael Bendis
ART: Sara Pichelli

Spider-Men is an event that, this author feels, might become a bit long in the tooth. Fortunately, Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli may have also recognized this, seeing as the series is only five issues, not quite a mini-series, but not a mega-event like Avengers vs. X-Men or last year's ridiculously long and boring Fear Itself. Indeed, Spider-Men seems to be a perfect length; long enough for a popular character such as Spidey, while not overdoing it and losing readers in the process. Of course, this is all speculation after reading only Spider-Men #1. And actually, this first issue really should be called Spider-Men, Part 1: Peter Parker because Miles Morales is only on the final page, for one panel.

Bendis spends the entire issue in Peter Parker's head, following his stream of consciousness as he swings around New York City and beats up some bad guys. Eventually, Parker sees a mysterious glow, follows it, fights Mysterio for a quick mo',  then gets sucked into the Ultimate Universe through the mysterious glowing....thing. A lot of things are left vague and open at the end of Spider-Men #1, and it's hard to tell if it's on purpose or if Bendis is just trying too hard to make Spider-Man more insightful than he is. And though Mysterio is supposed to be the 'villain' of this arc, he literally has less than a paragraph's worth of lines, mostly relegated to lines like, "NO! Not you!" and the ever-popular-and-cliched, "You have no idea what I am capable of!"

And really, that is what irks me about Spider-Men #1: it's not really a crossover yet. If Bendis wanted to do a lead-in to their meeting, he should have done it in an issue of The Amazing or The Avenging Spider-Man instead of taking 1/5 of his narrative about TWO Spider-Men and only focusing on the one. I finished the issue thinking Well, maybe issue two will be in Miles' head, then immediately thought how boring and tedious THAT would be! Bendis is a great writer - one that seems to be a bit overworked these days - and I have faith that Spider-Men will get better, but based on this first issue alone, there's a lot left to want for.

GRADE:

C+

(NEWS) SPIDER-MEN, AND SOME THOUGHTS ON ULTIMATE MARVEL

A few days ago, Marvel (officially) announced Spider-Men, a five-part crossover series set to debut this June. As the name suggests, the House of Ideas is bringing Peter Parker - the standard Marvel Universe's Spider-Man - together with Miles Morales, the new Spider-Man in Marvel's Ultimate Universe. This historic event will be penned by Marvel Golden Boy, Mr. Brian Michael Bendis, with artwork from fan favorite Sara Pichelli.

Some quick history: Marvel began it's Ultimate line of comics - with Ultimate Spider-Man in 2000 - as a way to introduce a new generation of readers to classic Marvel characters without being bogged down by decades of continuity. When I first began reading Ultimate Marvel comics, the first trade paperbacks for Ultimate Spider-Man and Ultimate X-Men had already been released. I bought them both and sunk myself into this new line full of reimagined characters with histories I was experiencing firsthand, not reading about on Wikipedia or ComicVine. Marvel eventually expanded the line to include the Fantastic Four, the Avengers (dubbed 'The Ultimates'), along with appearances throughout the line from fan favorites like Daredevil, Blade, Hawkeye, and many more.

In 2008 and 2009, Marvel squandered the Ultimate universe with Ultimatum, the line's first mega-crossover that incorporated a five-issue limited series, all three ongoing series, and aftermath issues that led into a soft relaunch of Ultimate Marvel. Ultimatum totally changed the status quo by killing off 75% of the characters that writers has literally just spent years cultivating. I'm not talking about Banshee or Armor. Beast, Daredevil, Nightcrawler, Psylocke, and Dazzler all die in the initial tidal wave caused by Magneto. And that's just in the first issue! By the end of the series, Cyclops is dead, along with Professor Xavier, Emma Frost, Doctor Strange, Hank Pym, Polaris, Thor, Wasp and Wolverine. Basically, in an attempt to 'reset' the Ultimate line without totally relaunching, the writers cut the balls off a once-awesome-yet-slightly-waning line of comics. I'll be the last to say that making the mutant race a side effect of bio-chemical experiments is pretty lame, but at least it was something different.

After a chaotic and somewhat convoluted year of Ultimate Comic titles, Marvel once again hit the reset button by offering "The Death of Spider-Man", the second crossover event for the Ultimate universe that led up to Peter Parker's death at the tender age of 16. The aftermath of Peter's death is chronicled in Ultimate Fallout, which led directly into the second relaunch for the Ultimate universe. This time, instead of making it bigger, Marvel opted to trim down the line into three ongoing series and one mini-series. Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man (Vol. 2) introduces Miles Morales, the new boy who does whatever a spider can.

While crossovers with other universes has been done in the past (see Ultimate Fantastic Four, "Frightful" arc, Ultimate Power), Spider-Men marks the first time the Ultimate universe will intersect with Earth-616. Miles Morales has enough trouble living in Peter Parker's shadow without his adult self butting in! When Peter Parker arrives in the Ultimate universe only to find that the alternate, teenaged version of himself is dead, revelations are made that will rock the Ultimate universe! Stay tuned to "The Endless Reel" for our second Marvel event coverage of Spider-Men, starting this June.

- Jay