Reviewer: James Hatton
Story Title: Popular
Written by: Brian Michael Bendis
Penciled by: Mark Bagley
Inked by: Scott Hanna
Colored by: JD Smith
Lettered by: Chris Eliopoulos
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Brian Michael Bendis, both God in the eyes of my girlfriend. and destroyer of things loved by others. It doesn’t matter whether your opinion of BMB is that of unadulterated love or unabashed hatred. The fact is that Ultimate Spiderman has been one of the most consistantly enjoyable titles in near memory. It has helped usher in the age of trade paperbacks and is easily the most accessible book on the market.
That’s been my political post about Bendis – now the last storyarc was, funny enough, one of the weakest of the batch – especially after the confusing death of Gwen Stacy. Now that we’ve seemingly jumped back into a normal pattern of story, let’s see what goes on.
Story!
Like I said, the last storyarc seemingly happens out of continuity. I have a feeling that it was that given the amount of work Bendis is hurling out there, he tossed in one of those ‘we’ll use it later’ stories. His ‘Detention’ one-shot was reminscent of Breakfast Club and then to jump to his ’18 Again’ story was just like driving a straight away to a great tale of teenage grief and crashing into a Chucky Cheese – where inherantly funny, completely unusual.
This story starts off with Johnny Storm going back to school after his unfortunate accident (See Ultimate Fantastic Four if you don’t know what I’m talking about.. it relates to Gamma Rays and the ability to toast marshmellows with his toes). Anyway, he shows up at Peter Parker’s high school and like any other nubile young teenage male, he’s looking to make friends… female friends.
Thankfully Liz Allen, Gwen Stacy’s best friend in the world, thinks that Johnny’s just the dreamiest. So, like any youthful and giddy girl, she has Gwen go and find out what Johnny’s deal is. They talk, chit-chat, and generally make subtle googoo eyes on each other and Johnny is invited to go hang out with them later on.
(EDIT: The above paragraph consistantly refers to Gwen Stacy, where I mean Mary Jane. In not wanting to edit the original text – why don’t we all just go and laugh at me. Thank you – James)
So they go to… the beach? What hospitable beach is near Queens? Ah well, who knows. Anyway, they get to telling local urban legends about the Green Goblin and Johnny gets set on fire. Secret is out and we are done until next issue.
As far as stories go, this one reestablishes the love that Peter and MJ share, while showing how the death of Gwen has hurt their relationship, but that is your subplot beneath the idea of a superhero being amongst them.. well, publicly at least. I guarantee we’re going to see Johnny and Spidey hanging as early as next issue.
Art!
Look, Mark Bagley has the definitive style of this book. It’s young and fun and where Bendis seals the teenage dialogue – it’s Bagley that shows you the emotions behind the words. Without his picture perfect MJ faces, we wouldn’t be able to tell that for as much as she is trying to help out Liz, she is, herself kind of digging on the ‘FANTASTIC’ Johnny Storm.
In the past some of Bagley’s backgrounds have been lackluster, but the very people heavy school scenes of this issue allow him lots of time to be creative and fill pages with rampantly running teenagers.
Overall!
For a book that has always had a lot going for it – this issue brings us right back into the crazy life that is a teenage superhero. A fun book from beginning to end, no matter what else Bendis is doing in the Marvel U.
