Hollywood

[RUFUS!]

i liked this arc quite a lot. there was just enough of everything i wanted out of it but i do think that the timing with the movie & all took away from it.

so far...
Power & Responsibility *****
Learning Curve *****
Double Trouble ***
Legacy **
Public Scrutiny *
Venom ****
Geldoff *****
Cats & Kings **
Hollywood ****
Carnage ***
Superstars *****
Hobgoblin dropped until the last issue because i didnt like the story (probobly get it in tpb though)
Warriors - ****( 5 *'s if it pans out like i hope, it also depends on if the ending is anticlimactic)

 

[DIrishB]

I actually enjoyed this arc quite a bit as it was an interesting take on the movie version. Certainly something that I've never seen done before, especially since the images of the actual people involved in the production were used.

I'm a little confused as to why people are so down on Bendis. To be honest, USM was the only title I did originally read when I started up with the Ultimate line because I felt not enough had been done to the character to warrent the rewrite. Many months later, I ended up picking up around twenty issues for a buck a piece and sat down and read several arcs back to back. I find Bendis writing, while not up to par with Frank Miller (for example), he is certainly better in most regards to a lot of crap that can be found on the market today. He is actually funny and the interactions between Peter, MJ and the rest of the cast feel honest and real. Considering that he is writing about teenagers (mostly) I think he is doing a very good job. I particularly get a kick out of the fact that Peter frequently is seen screaming like a lunatic while in the middle of his fighting, a simple ploy that really hammers home the fact that he is not used to combat or high wire gymnastics, no matter what he is capable of. (Personally, I think the guy should sign up for fighting lessons with the Ultimates or someone like that.)

You make good points, and in regards to Pete taking fighting lessons, maybe he'll get a few more from Shang-Chi (like he did in UMTU #16) and some tips from Iron Fist in the Warriors arc. You never know.

 

[Ultxon]

I have to say, I really enjoyed the Hollywood arc. All the characters wree really portrayed excellently. Doc Ock was superb. The jokes were funny, the drama was real. The plot was there.

But the main questions I always ask myself at the end of the arc is and this is how I base my reviews: "How has the staus quo changed?" Well, both ock and gwen both go through monumental changes. First off, Doc Ock's arms are melted down, firts was the freakeish scene I've ever read. It made a hell of a lot more sense than ASM # 11 ["Since your prison sentence has been served, here are your arms back since you own them"]. Doc ock is turning very easily into the one of peter's greastest and most hard-to-categorize villains of Spider-man's career in the arc. And Gwen just ends up with the world on her shoulders by the end of the story. An exceeltn well-crafted arc. Couldn't have asked for me. Have to say I really enjoyed Carnage after that. Hobgoblin sucks on so many levels, and the MTU # 17-22 issues were alright just not anything spectacular.

 

[marvelman]

You might have to pick up Warriors again Marvelman, this is supposedly where all the stuff is becoming good again.

I hated Hollywood. It sucked. But not as much as Hobgoblin.

I plan on getting the TPB.

I heard it was good after I dropped it, and all I could say was, "Damn!"

 

[cmdrjanjalani]

I enjoyed Hollywood because of its homages to the movie. Sure, it was a generic "Doc Ock strikes again" in terms of the basic plot, but the conclusion with Octavius' tentacles melted down and the cliffhanger with Gwen was good. I also liked how it showed how far off Doc Ock was in the head. He killed an entire family to steal a plane and used a taxi driver as a flesh shield. I give it a 3.

 

[ourchair]

I really don't understand why people rate some of the earlier arcs so highly. I like Ultimate Spider-Man, but I'll admit that I'm less critical of the books as I should be because of being a Spider-Fan.

In fact, Power & Responsibility is in my opinion one of the worse stories in the Ultimate Universe. Most of the early Ultimate comics in my opinion weren't really very strong until perhaps Bendis and Millar started really getting a handle on what they were trying to do with the characters.

 

[ProjectX2]

I really don't understand why people rate some of the earlier arcs so highly. I like Ultimate Spider-Man, but I'll admit that I'm less critical of the books as I should be because of being a Spider-Fan.

In fact, Power & Responsibility is in my opinion one of the worse stories in the Ultimate Universe. Most of the early Ultimate comics in my opinion weren't really very strong until perhaps Bendis and Millar started really getting a handle on what they were trying to do with the characters.

I agree. I hated Power and Responsibility. If I hadn't got Learning Curve with it, I may have given up.

 

[nigma]

it wasn't a bad arc, it just seemed forced at the time i read it, with all the moive hype and everything. but i did like the death of that one guy whos name i can't remebmer right now, sandmans forced apperance for Ultimate 6. it was all coo.

 

[TheManWithoutFear]

You know what I love... Everyone says it was "forced" because of the movie. Big deal. I love how marketing works. I love how when a movie comes out they push a villain. Not the character. You know Spider-Man's in it but you get this kind of "so and so month is {insert villains} name month". I think it's cool. I thought how they brought Doc Ock back was very well written and it worked out great. The story was good so why should it be bad? I liked the storyline.

 

[ourchair]

You know what I love... Everyone says it was "forced" because of the movie. Big deal. I love how marketing works. I love how when a movie comes out they push a villain. Not the character. You know Spider-Man's in it but you get this kind of "so and so month is {insert villains} name month". I think it's cool. I thought how they brought Doc Ock back was very well written and it worked out great. The story was good so why should it be bad? I liked the storyline.

You got a point.

I loved the fact that for some fortuitous reason, the Goblin story, Legacy, that started around the time the first Spider-Man movie was released was actually a pretty good repair job on the character's largely underwhelming appearance in Power and Responsibility.

 

[DIrishB]

You got a point.

I loved the fact that for some fortuitous reason, the Goblin story, Legacy, that started around the time the first Spider-Man movie was released was actually a pretty good repair job on the character's largely underwhelming appearance in Power and Responsibility.

MWoF and ourchair make some good points. I agree, despite the reasoning (marketing or fictional) I think its the end result that counts. Coincidentally, thats why I hate pop music.