BOUGHT/THOUGHT Dec. 20th Edition

[hippie_hunter]

Sally Floyd is a bleeding heart liberal, this issue did more to just make me hate the character. Im taking a celldog stance on this with Sally, c'mon, youre lecturing Captain America about war? Youre telling what war is all about? Youre telling him what war means? Go **** yourself in the ass *****.

I loved it when she got pwned by that Congressman

 

[Darthphere]

I loved it when she got pwned by that Congressman

I'm telling Jenkins right now. Kill off Sally Floyd by the end of this, she is lost forever.

 

[Dread]

Sally Floyd is a bleeding heart Liberal who, a few issues back, met a red-state Congressman and learned he wasn't the devil incarnate, and that it may not be as simple as an evil Right Wing conspiracy, and now she's all confuseded. It was a bit pompus to brush off Capt. America like that, especially after he complimented her about "being fair" last issue. But it's extreme actions like this that keep her in the mainstream. I mean, Jessica Jones got a lot of mileage out of being a floozy (a tactic Bendis is attaching to Wanda Maximoff now). Yes, yes, I know, they're just aggressive when it comes to sex and now at least Jessica's an "honest woman" now, yada yada.

 

[Dread]

And the "Best Critical Rant/Review of a Comic Book" for 2006 goes to Dread!

I was, however, actually relieved that "Richard" wasn't the really Peter's dad (mainly because I suspected the guy was a phony after reading USM #100, which I agree that the revealation makes the whole "backstory" pointless) but not so much that he's ANOTHER Spider-Man clone. And really thought Bendis making Doc Ock, what? "Ockento" has really removed the uniqueness of the character. But in with regards to the series as a whole, I think you nailed the problem with Ultimate Spider-Man and the Ultimate line in general: a comic book that was supposed to not be mired in complicated continuity, thus making it accessible to new readers, has now developed one which makes it harder for new readers to pick up.

Thanks! It seems my unloading on USM has become popular for some.

I mean, I could take some underwhelming USM arcs; I mean they've been hit or miss by and large since CARNAGE. I liked WARRIORS and HOBGOBLIN overall but a lot of the others were either mediocre, annoying or underwhelming. Both annuals kicked arse, though. But, again, I could live with all that. I could even live with some of the persistant, perennial flaws that Bendis kept repeating because to him it was "formula" (unbeatable costumed females, forever getting unmasked/fighting people who knew his identity or had unmasked him, etc). But CLONE SAGA was just this overblown DARE at tempting fate with Spider-Man. Some people were decrying it by it's first or second issue, but I was fair, I was optimistic even into USM #100, until the very end. But after that, it's gone from confusing to garbage without any interludes into quality. Red herrings are dropped and not explained well, Bendis seems to be filling time to fulfill HIS OWN mandate of a whopping NINE CHAPTERS (that is longer than HOUSE OF M and INFINITE CRISIS, mind you) and to fill it with as much cluster**** as possible. I mean, if you read LEGACY and then HOBGOBLIN you can see some bits link up, and it works. But this one doesn't until Ock explains the Rielly connection from CARNAGE, and even then he leaves you in the dark as to why he cloned Gwenage or made an adult Richard Parker when those weren't well connected to Peter's DNA (that DNA I could understand getting Richard and Carnage, but Gwen) and Richard so far wasn't a soldier, but a red herring, which served none of the FBI's or Ock's admitted purposes. The "Ockneto" reveal wasn't TOO bad for me as this is Ultimate and you can play around with power levels like that (I mean look at Ultimate Mojo or even Spiral or Mr. Sinister) and even if it doesn't work out they tried. Or maybe it's because after Sasquatch MJ, anything looks better. Then you have Peter being so emo that Superboy Prime is shaking his head and going, "God, he's whiney!"

And like I stated and you agreed with...USM was supposed to offer an alternate universe free of the conveluted, shark-jumping crapola that pulled ASM down in the 90's and offer a back-to-basics approach. And it did that, decently and even well at times. But these last few arcs seem to show Bendis is clearly running out of steam and needs to go. Even if the next 3 part arc seems interesting and, being shorter, will likely be better. Even with rushed issues, Bags can stay, but Bendis seriously needs a co-writer in the very least here. Good god, Kirkman could probably tear this book a new eyeball in terms of quality, least from how he does INVINCIBLE.

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

Sally Floyd is a bleeding heart Liberal who, a few issues back, met a red-state Congressman and learned he wasn't the devil incarnate, and that it may not be as simple as an evil Right Wing conspiracy, and now she's all confuseded. It was a bit pompus to brush off Capt. America like that, especially after he complimented her about "being fair" last issue. But it's extreme actions like this that keep her in the mainstream. I mean, Jessica Jones got a lot of mileage out of being a floozy (a tactic Bendis is attaching to Wanda Maximoff now). Yes, yes, I know, they're just aggressive when it comes to sex and now at least Jessica's an "honest woman" now, yada yada.

Funny part is, Sally reminds me of several liberals.

 

[MaskedManJRK]

Thanks! It seems my unloading on USM has become popular for some.

I mean, I could take some underwhelming USM arcs; I mean they've been hit or miss by and large since CARNAGE. I liked WARRIORS and HOBGOBLIN overall but a lot of the others were either mediocre, annoying or underwhelming. Both annuals kicked arse, though. But, again, I could live with all that. I could even live with some of the persistant, perennial flaws that Bendis kept repeating because to him it was "formula" (unbeatable costumed females, forever getting unmasked/fighting people who knew his identity or had unmasked him, etc). But CLONE SAGA was just this overblown DARE at tempting fate with Spider-Man. Some people were decrying it by it's first or second issue, but I was fair, I was optimistic even into USM #100, until the very end. But after that, it's gone from confusing to garbage without any interludes into quality. Red herrings are dropped and not explained well, Bendis seems to be filling time to fulfill HIS OWN mandate of a whopping NINE CHAPTERS (that is longer than HOUSE OF M and INFINITE CRISIS, mind you) and to fill it with as much cluster**** as possible. I mean, if you read LEGACY and then HOBGOBLIN you can see some bits link up, and it works. But this one doesn't until Ock explains the Rielly connection from CARNAGE, and even then he leaves you in the dark as to why he cloned Gwenage or made an adult Richard Parker when those weren't well connected to Peter's DNA (that DNA I could understand getting Richard and Carnage, but Gwen) and Richard so far wasn't a soldier, but a red herring, which served none of the FBI's or Ock's admitted purposes. The "Ockneto" reveal wasn't TOO bad for me as this is Ultimate and you can play around with power levels like that (I mean look at Ultimate Mojo or even Spiral or Mr. Sinister) and even if it doesn't work out they tried. Or maybe it's because after Sasquatch MJ, anything looks better. Then you have Peter being so emo that Superboy Prime is shaking his head and going, "God, he's whiney!"

And like I stated and you agreed with...USM was supposed to offer an alternate universe free of the conveluted, shark-jumping crapola that pulled ASM down in the 90's and offer a back-to-basics approach. And it did that, decently and even well at times. But these last few arcs seem to show Bendis is clearly running out of steam and needs to go. Even if the next 3 part arc seems interesting and, being shorter, will likely be better. Even with rushed issues, Bags can stay, but Bendis seriously needs a co-writer in the very least here. Good god, Kirkman could probably tear this book a new eyeball in terms of quality, least from how he does INVINCIBLE.

Actually, I think Ock did kinda reveal why he created "Richard Parker" and Gwen/Carnage--just to f**k with Peter. He pretty much said during that conversation that EVERYTHING he was doing was to essentially destroy the kid, while still getting fame and money by the FBI for it.

At least, that's how I saw it.

 

[Dread]

Actually, I think Ock did kinda reveal why he created "Richard Parker" and Gwen/Carnage--just to f**k with Peter. He pretty much said during that conversation that EVERYTHING he was doing was to essentially destroy the kid, while still getting fame and money by the FBI for it.

At least, that's how I saw it.

I sort of read it that he was tasked by the FBI to use his "radioactive Spider-Blood" (couldn't resist, I know it's genetic here) to create super spider soldiers and that this job, by malicious convience, ruins every part of Peter's life. As well as keeps him legitly employed.

But, I was half tuned out so maybe if there was something specific, I missed it. I'm human. If you hid a dollar coin in a hunk of buffalo "pie", I might miss that too.

 

[MaskedManJRK]

I sort of read it that he was tasked by the FBI to use his "radioactive Spider-Blood" (couldn't resist, I know it's genetic here) to create super spider soldiers and that this job, by malicious convience, ruins every part of Peter's life. As well as keeps him legitly employed.

But, I was half tuned out so maybe if there was something specific, I missed it. I'm human. If you hid a dollar coin in a hunk of buffalo "pie", I might miss that too.

It's okay, dude.

 

[bored]

New Avengers #26
More copied and pasted: NA was "meh" beyond the telling of it. So Clint has been back for all this time, he's...just not doing anything. Christ, that was like how Xavier was actually around ever since Decimation but just hung out in bars for months while his students struggled without him.

And then he sleeps with Wanda. So now Wanda has gone from superheroine to crazy victimized villain to a random amnesiac sex object for the Big Manly Man to bed. Goody. And like Dread said in the B/T thread, why the hell is Clint the only person in the world who's not a complete ******? Did no one else think to look in the Wundagore mountains for Wanda considering that's one of the places in the world where she's most likely to be seen????

Well it wasn't bad, just meh. No one liked Bendis writing Wanda and Hawkeye the first time around either, so it's really no surprise that the passage of time changes nothing.

It's just that nothing makes a whole lot of sense. Hawkeye appears out of nowhere, decides that he's emo, goes to find Wanda, sleeps with her, and then disappears again. The single most irony/understatement-of-the-year moments in the issue is when Dr. Strange, in trying to explain Wanda's behavior to Clint, says "You are looking for mundane logic where none applies." Yeah, apparently! Thanks for letting us in on that!

The art is gorgeous, though. *shrug* Although Maleev, for some reason, doesn't draw Wanda anything like how Wanda looked like recently. I mean sure, Wanda looked like a nineteen year-old supermodel with bright red, straight hair during the 90s revamp, but nothing like that now. Right up until the end I wasn't certain if it was actually supposed to be Wanda.

(6.3 out of 10, mostly bumped up for the art)


I KNEW it! I knew that was what was going to happen!*

*seriously, there was a thread back when the solicit came out where i predicted it

 

[Dread]

*seriously, there was a thread back when the solicit came out where i predicted it

Really? Cool.

It is interesting that for all the praise he gets, no one calls Bendis on the fact that he seems to make his female leads into sex objects if he sticks with them long enough. Jones vented many a frustration with random sex in ALIAS. Jessica Drew spends an entire issue in her underware with the camera up her rear in NEW AVENGERS, and now Scarlet Witch goes from emotional basketcase (PMS rib, anyone) to the best kind of woman, at least to a neanderthal; a hot, ready woman with amnesia and a few Zen lines from KUNG-FU memorized. He just needs to leave Hawkeye and Wanda alone, and let someone more competant take a crack at 'em.

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

Or at least start treating his guys and gals as something more than people from the OC or Grey's Anatomy.

 

[MaskedManJRK]

Or at least start treating his guys and gals as something more than people from the OC or Grey's Anatomy.

Call me bitter, but I'm sure that there are a great many people who are exactly like those on the teen shows--drama queen ****es. Hell, I'd call them the majority at this point.

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

Bitter, but accurate.

 

[Doc Destruction]

Or at least start treating his guys and gals as something more than people from the OC or Grey's Anatomy.

I wish MOST Marvel comics would do that right about now.

 

[Dread]

All these days I've committed an injustice. I lauded NEW AVENGERS: THE ILLUMINATI #1 for at least being a fun actioner from Bendis, when he actually wasn't the only writer! Brian Reed (from MS. MARVEL) co-wrote it and I can sort of understand why this one had more action than usual from Bendis. I can't believe I missed that co-writer cred for so long and no one corrected me.

This just adds fuel to my arguement that Bendis needs a co-writer on USM DESPERATELY. Hell, I'd do it for free if they asked.

 

[BlackSymbiote]

Sucks to be you Dread. I'm dumping USM after this arc, which I'm not liking. Where the hell is the Scarlet Spider? I'm a big fan of Ben Reilly/Scarlet Spider. And don't tell me it's Spider-Woman! Bendis took away EVERYTHING that made her unique and turned her into what she was probably originally conceived to be: Marvel's version of Supergirl.

 

[Dread]

Sucks to be you Dread. I'm dumping USM after this arc, which I'm not liking. Where the hell is the Scarlet Spider? I'm a big fan of Ben Reilly/Scarlet Spider. And don't tell me it's Spider-Woman! Bendis took away EVERYTHING that made her unique and turned her into what she was probably originally conceived to be: Marvel's version of Supergirl.

I agree. It boggles my mind that Bendis seems to love Spider-Woman, yet Ultimate Spider-Woman literally IS what people who hate her claim she is; a female Spider-Man. In Marvel, her origin was different, her costume different, she is in no way related to Parker and even has very different powers (aside for an increased physique, which countless heroes have, or wall crawling). In that sense she was able to take the name Spider-Woman without her feeling like she was copying Spider-Man. But here, he's literally made her his clone. That's BORING. That's mundane. It takes her old struggles and just does the Cliff's Notes version.

Plus, well, Bags doesn't help. I defy you to see Kitty and Jessica in civvies without color or dialogue and tell them apart.

Maybe you could count Six-Arm as Scarlet Spider, as he got killed by being impaled on something metal, too.

While we're at it, Bendis also completely ruined any chance of getting a good version of Ultimate Scorpion, much like he closed the door on Mysterio (in Ultimate he was Bruce Campbell playing a role for the movie). A shame that Dr. Octopus' latest story that wasn't Ultimate Six or Slobbering over SPIDER-MAN 2 had to be involvement in this crap. He was one of Peter's better enemies. To whit, Ultimate Lizard was a joke, basically appearing in UMTU to fight Peter for maybe 2 pages before Man-Thing randomly showed up and TKO'd him. So that's 3 of Spider-Man's A-List that Bendis has all but shot out at the knees. When he butchers characters he claims to LOVE, what makes him think fans will give him any faith on stories with characters he may not love?

 

[CaptainCanada]

All these days I've committed an injustice. I lauded NEW AVENGERS: THE ILLUMINATI #1 for at least being a fun actioner from Bendis, when he actually wasn't the only writer! Brian Reed (from MS. MARVEL) co-wrote it and I can sort of understand why this one had more action than usual from Bendis. I can't believe I missed that co-writer cred for so long and no one corrected me.

If I was speculating on the division of labour, I would say that Reed wrote a lot of the dialogue; the only dialogue that I would absolutely peg as Bendis' would be the commentary from the Skrull scientists (and maybe the final conversation). Plotwise, it also seems much more like Reed's work on Ms. Marvel.

 

[Dread]

If I was speculating on the division of labour, I would say that Reed wrote much (if not most) of the dialogue; the only dialogue that I would absolutely peg as Bendis' would be the commentary from the Skrull scientists (and maybe the final conversation). Plotwise, it also seems much more like Reed's work on Ms. Marvel.

Perhaps. To play Devil's Advocate, unless we were there we can't see how they divided labor. When Bendis & Millar co-wrote the first 6 issues of UFF, Millar claimed he wrote "maybe 6-8 pages an issue", although he's known to joke during interviews and again, who knows how it was divided.

I agree that the Skrull dialogue was "Bendis-esque" but it could be possible that Reed plotted the action and Bendis the dialogue, but we really have little way of sorting it out. Bendis will naturally always get top billing whether he wrote 20 pages out of 22 or merely scripted a story Reed wrote from start to finish and added a few exchanges. The realization that Reed co-wrote it does explain to me why it had satisfying action when Bendis can be hit-or-miss for that kind of thing. I liked Reed's MS. MARVEL so at least Bendis has a capable co-writer for this project.