When did Ultimate Spider-man Jump the Shark?

[joe_collector]

It's obvious that Ultimate Spider-man is simply a pale shadow of its early self, and although I did continue to pick up the trades, and then hoped it would get better, it became quite clear that it will not.

 

The only question is when it jumped the shark?

 

Personally speaking, I first felt like the book started going downhill with that stupid "Spider-man Movie" storyline, and then again with the disappointing Venom arc, but the point where I just stepped back and said "WTF? That's enough" was after this classic:

 

 

This had to be one of the dumbest comic books I have ever read, and everything from the dialogue to the scenes (like the guy getting all horned up over Elektra) to the pacing was just terrible. Bagley's artwork was bad as well, as both Black Cat and Elektra looked pretty warped. And pitting two otherwise human girls against a superhuman Spidey was just so lame, especially once Spider-man got his hass whipped on multiple occassions.

 

At that moment it seemed like USM switched from a tough, fast, and agile fighter who could go toe to toe with Green Goblin, Doc Ock, Venom/costume, and other super-powered baddies, and turned him into a wimp of epic proportions.

 

Characters like Elektra only work because good writers keep them focused on human antagonists, like Daredevil, Bullseye, The Hand, or any number of secret agents or ninja opponents. Once you start having them beat up superhuman heavyweights like Spidey, it just tosses any suspension of disbelief out the window.

 

USM had been going downhil up to that point, and even though I continued buying a few trades after, that particular issue drained me of any enthusiasm concerning the title.

[deathlok]

I'm just shocked you actually read USM.

[joe_collector]

I'm just shocked you actually read USM.

 

Blame Lighthouse and his "crazy TPB dealzzzz".

[deathlok]

I never got started on it. Although I did get the first TPB from Lighthouse. I never read it.

 

I am curious to see how all of the Ultimate line fares in 5 years time.

[Foolkiller]

I think it was in the mid 30s, right after the Ultimate Venom storyline tanked.

[joe_collector]

I think it was in the mid 30s, right after the Ultimate Venom storyline tanked.

 

Yeah, and as I noted above, the three main points where the book dropped progressively lower for me, were the Spider-Man Movie, Venom, and Black Cat/Elektra storylines.

 

The Venom TPB I got from 'House was especially tough to read, as it contained the entire arc..

[chrisco37]

The Venom arc was last pretty good one.

 

What was after that? Geldof?

[Aces]

The only question is when it jumped the shark?

 

Right after the spider bite?

 

Hard for me to tell as I read the first 70 issues in 3-4 days.

 

I didn't have time to digest it properly...

[UnrulyAppendage]

I think when issue 100 comes around, it should be turned over to a new team and examine Peter in college. For the USM to have any staying power, there needs to be a long term goal of taking it to an end. Lets see Peter in college, then the twenty, thirty, and forty something years. While real time aging doesn't need to be applied, at least let him age. Every 100 issues takes place at certain time in point and things cannot be retconned back into existence for shock value and sales(Sins of the Past). End the series and make huge HC volumes and reap the residuals.

[Hobgoblin]

I am an avid reader of USM, however, I do agree that I'd love to see someone other than Bendis writing it. I like the other stuff bendis does, but USM lacks so much dialogue most of the time. I do enjoy Bagley's art though, but yeah, near 100 issues is enough for one team.

 

I do love USM though, simply because it allows me (someone who missed out on the first appearances of pretty much everyone in the Marvel Universe other than Carnage, Bishop, and Gambit) to relive the introduction to "new" characters ... even though they're not really new.

[Aces]

I think when issue 100 comes around, it should be turned over to a new team and examine Peter in college. For the USM to have any staying power, there needs to be a long term goal of taking it to an end. Lets see Peter in college, then the twenty, thirty, and forty something years. While real time aging doesn't need to be applied, at least let him age. Every 100 issues takes place at certain time in point and things cannot be retconned back into existence for shock value and sales(Sins of the Past). End the series and make huge HC volumes and reap the residuals.

 

It started with him in 10th grade (15 years old) and after 70 issues (6 years?) he's still there. Get him into 11th grade for crying out loud! And 16 so he can drive a car!

 

[joe_collector]

It started with him in 10th grade (15 years old) and after 70 issues (6 years?) he's still there.

 

That's due to "Bendis Time" where it takes a 5-issue arc to have MJ walk away from Pete, while they exchange soulful stares.

 

At this rate, he'll graduate around 3011.

[Hobgoblin]

It started with him in 10th grade (15 years old) and after 70 issues (6 years?) he's still there.

 

That's due to "Bendis Time" where it takes a 5-issue arc to have MJ walk away from Pete, while they exchange soulful stares.

 

At this rate, he'll graduate around 3011.

 

Isn't that the pacing off all comics though? One month in comic land does not equal one month in our time. According to some X-Men issues, Days of Future Past took place months ago, not decades ago.

 

It's not really Bendis' doing. I mean, how old is Peter in ASM? Has he even reached 30 yet? I don't think he has. It's been 40 years and he's aged maybe 10 years tops.

[delekkerste]

It's not really Bendis' doing. I mean, how old is Peter in ASM? Has he even reached 30 yet? I don't think he has. It's been 40 years and he's aged maybe 10 years tops.

 

In regular continuity, Peter is in his early 30s (~32-33) according to the interviews I've read with creators.

 

It's not just that Ultimate Peter's aging is lagging even by Marvel Universe standards, it's that the story pacing is positively plodding. I think I'm going to drop the title after the current storyline; I've been picking up the title for months, but not enjoying it. I liked the Ultimate Venom storyline (better than the Marvel Universe Venom - a character I maintain was created only to milk $$$s from drooling adolescent fanboys. I'm sorry, but brain-eating alien symbiote costumes have no business being part of the Spidey mythos ), but the USM series became a pale imitation of its former self with the Spidey movie and Geldof travesties.

[Hobgoblin]

I must admit, I don't have any of the "Spidey movie" USM issues, nor have I read that arc, but I do think that it was an odd decision.

[kidcolt]

It totally depends on how you look at the comic. In no way can you compare this to Amazing Spiderman 100-300. However I read it with an open mind, most of todays comics are only a shell compared to the greta silver and bronze age stuff. I read it as a light comical read and I enjoy it.

 

As for the movies I must admit I liked both 1&2.

[Comic_Diva]

I plan to bail at issue 100.

[FlyingDonut]

USM only works if you read the trades - which is CLEARLY how its written anyway. If you figure each trade is a week or so in Ultimate Marvel time, the pacing is OK.

[Jeffro.]

It's obvious that Ultimate Spider-man is simply a pale shadow of its early self, and although I did continue to pick up the trades, and then hoped it would get better, it became quite clear that it will not.

 

The only question is when it jumped the shark?

 

 

Speaking as an old fart who thinks that today's comics are in general a pale shadow of those produced 20+ years ago, I think Marvel jumped the shark when it started publishing Ultimate Spidey.

[helionaut]

I have to agree with Jeffro. I read USM up through #60-something, and while I did enjoy the light touch Bendis had and some of the more creative reimagining of the villains (Kraven as a steroidic Crocodile Hunter was nice), I thought the whole thing was a lame idea at its core. Take one of the world's most successful books, and just rewrite it keeping all the "good parts." As I never read Spider-Man regularly, though I was aware of the character's history, I didn't have much stake in it. I do think the Gwen Stacy thing was lame. One of the great moments in comics was the original death, with the "Did Spidey cause it" question, and it was obliterated in favor of making her just a victim. Is she still dead?

 

UXM was a little better as it mixed up the chronology a little more and added some wholly new things along with the reinterpretations, and for a while New X-Men and UXM were a very good tandem storytelling of the same stuff.