Ultimate Spider-Man #77 (SPOILERS)

[supermusli]

Maybe the Hulkbusters are actually just an unofficial name for the SHIELD equivalent of a SWAT team or something. That is, they are not actually designed to combat the Hulk, since he´s in custody. But they are designed to tackle superhuman threats of all kinds, including Hulk-level threats.

Compare this to the name Star Destroyers in Star Wars. Those ships are not actually designed to destroy a star (and they wouldn´t be able to), but it´s an intimidating name that works.

 

[supermusli]

Oh, and the issue was ok I think. Nothing spectacular, but nothing in this arc has been in my opinion. It was cool to see Furys plans for Peter Parker (has Fury been thinking about stripping him of his powers before this Goblin-event, or was this just a spontaneous decision for him?). The Goblin ultimization was disapointing. The interaction between Peter and MJ was good, and it will be interesting to see what is to become of that.

Overall, I agree that the title has lost something lately. I don´t think this has anything to do with Bendis not putting enough effort in it though. I just think it´s very difficult to maintain a title fresh and interesting for 77 issues in a row. This is just a temporary dive, and I´m sure it will get better again soon. Right now I´m reading this title because I like the characters, and want to follow what´s happening to them. Like any television series has it´s dull seasons, I´m hoping Spider-man will pick up again the next "season". Maybe it will be good for this title to get strictly monthly...

 

[TheManWithoutFear]

Maybe the Hulkbusters are actually just an unofficial name for the SHIELD equivalent of a SWAT team or something. That is, they are not actually designed to combat the Hulk, since he´s in custody. But they are designed to tackle superhuman threats of all kinds, including Hulk-level threats.

Compare this to the name Star Destroyers in Star Wars. Those ships are not actually designed to destroy a star (and they wouldn´t be able to), but it´s an intimidating name that works.

I hear ya, and somewhat agree. But I believe Fury even cites the Hulk by saying "no, it's not the hulk but..." over the phone or something. They were designed originally if not specifically for the Hulk.

 

[supermusli]

I hear ya, and somewhat agree. But I believe Fury even cites the Hulk by saying "no, it's not the hulk but..." over the phone or something. They were designed originally if not specifically for the Hulk.

Yes, but they would of course be the ones to call if the Hulk actually broke out. The guy on the other side of the phone was just trying to get a status on the situation, and assumed the worst (ie Hulk).

But then again, you may be right. This team might actually have been put together after Hulks rampage on manhattan (or earlier) with a specific assignment to bring him down if ever again necessary. This does not mean they couldn´t also have other missions. I´m thinking more that the name Hulkbusters implies that this team can take most anything head on, up to and including the Hulk.

 

[DIrishB]

Lynx wrote:

My BIGGEST gripe about this issue is Bendis' (and the editors, for that matter) stupidity when it comes to continuity. WHY, OH WHY is Fury a "Colonel" in this issue!? That is just stupidity. The Ultimates have been established (Hell, Ultimate Six was before this issue), Fury is a GENERAL.

Y'know, I didn't even notice that! My oh my...another one.

Including this revelation, Supermusli could change his signature from:

"There is continiuty, messed up continiuty, and Transformers continiuty"

to:

"There is continuity, messed up continuity, and Ultimate Marvel continuity"

...just an idea.

 

[supermusli]

Lynx wrote:

"There is continuity, messed up continuity, and Ultimate Marvel continuity"

...just an idea.

Haha, yes... that´s a thought. Still, Ultimate Universe is nowhere near as complicated and messed up as Transformers. Try to meld the Marvel Mangaverse with Ultimate marvel, throw in the continuity from the Spider-man and X-men movies. Try to make it all fit. Fail. Include guest appearances by Batman, Indiana Jones, David Letterman and Frank Miller. Make every character in this universe interact with each other randomly, kill half of them in a single issue, resurrect them five times, change a few of the characters into new characters and give them new names, kill some more just for the heck of it. Variate all the characters strenghts and personalities every issue, make them strong sometimes, and very weak sometimes. Make a new movie about all this. Make a comic that follows the movie, at the same time that you continue the regular comic and then let half of the issues consider the movie continiuty you have created. End the comic. Continue the comic. Never explain how it all makes sense, but claim that it does. Take the continiuty and jump on it, strech it, cut it and hit it in order for it to stay in place. Cry.

Then, tell everyone that all this, actually, takes place in the regular marvel universe. And you´re halfway to Transformers ;-)

 

[Goodwill]

I got the issue yesterday, so I'll get right into things.

I would say, at best, this issue was mediocre. The story was rushed and we really didn't get much feeling out of the characters that we were supposed to. The only really shocking moment emotionally, where tensions had mounted so well, was when Peter shoved MJ away from him and walked away. I didn't feel as though Nick getting punched out or Harry being tranked was all that griping as I would imagine it would be. I'm guessing this was so because 1.) The coloring and inking in this issue was so bad it detracted your attention to how bad it was 2.) There was a little too much process with Nick Fury getting ready... I think that should've played out in the background.

I think I can rate the entire arc as the same. We've got choppy writing where we're jumping back and forth, trying to tie this into the first few issues of Ultimate Spider-Man, and we've got a story going along with MJ and Peter in the present where Harry finds himself in the middle. Now, this isn't to say that we shouldn't have had all of that explanation, I just think Bendis could have done better with what he was doing. I think he's putting too much time into New Avengers at the moment to allow this book to get back to what it used to be. The coloring has gotten to the point where I'm sick of flipping the pages (The colors that this guy chooses are so dull and boring... I'd like things to go back to they way were before #50) and I'm really not caring about what "shocking" moments happen in these issues.

One thing, though, was sort of interesting... Fury actually doesn't want Peter as an Ultimate anymore. He wants to take away his spider powers. This'll be interesting to see play out, and I'm wondering if Mark Raxton has anything to do with it...

 

[Nurhachi]

I really didnt think this arc was that bad. Sure, i was annoyed when it was the 4th issue and we still hadnt seen hobgoblin, but we got full on action for the entire 5th and 6th issues. I do, however, think the people who get this in TPB will enjoy it a lot more then we who get it in single issues. I read them all in one sitting and found it a lot more enjoyable.

Also, I agree that a lot of negetive feedback about recent Bendis issues is, in fact, because of the inker.

Imagine the first few arcs with the current inker. No way would they be as good. If we had the old inker back, i think these arcs would be great!

Cant wait for the warriors arc! And then MORBIUS!!!!

:rockon:

 

[Goodwill]

I just think that the colorer/inker is the most distracting thing that this title has seen, really. I think it's entirely possible that the story itself would be more attractive if we had what we once did, but I'm not going to continue going on a fit about this... There's really nothing me as one man can do to get this colorer off the title. This is probably my biggest problem with the title right now.

Also, it wasn't that it was bad, like I said, but it was almost exactly what we had seen in the last Green Goblin arc. The only differences I'm seeing currently is the color between the goblins and who the respective Osborn had in their head. Harry had Shaw and Norman had little ghosts. MJ was even there getting in the way and SHIELD took the Hob down with ease after all that build-up. It's kind of upsetting, you know?