Thursday, September 29, 2011

Review - Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #2


Grade: A

Let me start this review by thanking Brian Michael Bendis for showing the comic-reading public that some African-American fathers do stick around to raise their children.

Conversely, I’m saddened that, by the same token, he also perpetuated the stereotype that most Black man are or have been incarcerated. But, since Bendis focuses more on showing a powerful father-son relationship, I’ll let him slide on the jailed Black man stereotype, no matter how unfortunate and uncomfortable its truth may be.

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #2 continues the excellence of the first issue, this time focusing more intently on Miles. The last issue of UCSM ended with Miles being bitten by a genetically-engineered spider and then discovering he has the ability to become invisible. Issue #2 picks up right from that moment and follow Miles as he discovers some of his new abilities. While wandering towards home, Miles finds he has the ability to not only disappear but to jump and, when he runs afoul of some bullies, emit a shocking sting like a spider. Scared to death of being a mutant in a world where the remaining free mutants are quickly on their way to a days of future past scenario, Miles rushes to share his fears with his friend Ganke, a chubby, intelligent Asian with a passion for Legos (one stereotype out of two isn’t bad; kudos, again, Mr. Bendis). Not long after showing off some of his new-found powers, Miles’ father, last seen arguing with Miles’ uncle Aaron, arrives to reclaim his son.

The second half of the issue is dedicated to an awkward but moving conversation between Miles and his father, where his father reveals that he was once imprisoned—after running and robbing with Aaron—and how he hopes Miles will never have to face such a fate. This moment, which took at least three pages, is a pitch-perfect example of why decompression is a viable approach to comic storytelling. Allowing the conversation between Miles and his father to continue unburdened by a rushed gives the characters a chance to breath and enabled Bendis to employ some very human pauses and reactions. That scene single handedly shows that the best written and illustrated comics can easily match television or film in their ability to capture emotional truth.

But Bendis and his alone do not carry this issue, artist Sara Pichelli continues to deliver some of the best art of the year on this title. Pichelli is already well known for ability to add essential details to her illustration without overstuffing her panels (***coughJimLeecough***). Rather than rehash that praise, I’ll point to a couple of exemplary panels. Page 1, Panel 1 is an establishing shot of the hustle and bustle of Brooklyn focused on the varied faces of modern New Yorkers. The variety of faces in that panel is exemplary. There are no lookalikes or switched templates. Each face is unique and utterly human. The splash on page 14 is superb, delicately revealing the emotion on both Miles and his father’s face while showing that life goes on around them. Bendis is very lucky to have Pichelli on board with him because, despite the current praised heaped on writers, comics live and die based on the quality of their illustrations. As long as Pichelli continues to bring her gorgeous pencils to UCSM the comic should enjoy a long, prosperous existence.

While I’m hoping UCSM will enjoy a long run, this is just the beginning for Miles. By the end of this issue Ganke has reasoned that Miles is not a dreaded mutant but the survivor of a freak accident like the now-legendary Spider-Man, a conversation told completely through text. On that note, I’d like to heap some more praise on the writer, as many are wont to do these days. Bendis’ decision to eschew narration boxes in favor of a dialogue driven issue is not just inspired it’s a welcome. Today’s audiences, or at least those who Marvel and DC hope to court with initiatives like Ultimate Comics and the New 52, are used to entertainment, like television and film, that typically avoids narration. In using the non-narration approach, Bendis is delivering information in a more contemporary manner and delivering a product from the Big Two that is starting to look like it wants to shake off the shackles of tradition. To Bendis, again, I say kudos. Wisely, Bendis ends this issue where any story about Spider-Man should rightfully begin with Miles crawling the wall of his bedroom. Miles may be frightened of what comes next, but I, for one, am eager to see this kid ascend to the heights only spiders can reach.

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