ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #6
COVER BY: DAVID LAFUENTE
WRITER: Brian Michael Bendis
PENCILS: DAVID LAFUENTE
INKS: David Lafuente Garcia
COLORED BY: Justin Ponsor
LETTERED BY: VC - Cory Petit
THE STORY:
Mysterio has had just about enough of Spider-Man, so he sends in the ULTIMATE SPIDER-SLAYER…and sends it right to Peter Parker’s school! All this and the mystery of the Shroud is finally revealed!! Join rockstars BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS and DAVID LAFUENTE as we swing into the final chapter of this thrilling arc! Rated T
PRICE: 3.99
IN STORES: January 6, 2010
What Bendis has to say about it:
Issue #1 saw the debut of Ultimate Shroud, an angry vigilante whose civilian persona is still a mystery. "We are going to reveal the Shroud's identity in issue #6," Bendis remarked. "And what's going on with the Shroud is a reaction. The events of 'Ultimatum' lead to a number of reactions, most of them sad. There would also be a lot of anger and punk rock style rage, too, and that's what is motivating the Shroud."
The Human Torch may be living with Peter Parker and his family and the two will certainly have some adventures together, but Spider-Man and the Human Torch aren't crime fighting partners. "Johnny isn't going to be looking over Peter's shoulders every day. It's not going to be a team-up book all the time," Bendis stated. "Sometimes they'll work together and sometimes they wont."
In February's "Ultimate Spider-Man" #7, Peter's close knit circle of "Amazing Friends" becomes even bigger as Bobby Drake, AKA Iceman, another teen hero left homeless by "Ultimatum," becomes a regular part of the series' supporting cast. "So many of these characters were traumatized by 'Ultimatum,' and there's something very interesting about Iceman's current situation, being part of Spider-Man's life instead of the X-Men's. You haven't seen that before. What's going to happen with Peter, Johnny, and Bobby may feel like the old 'Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends' series [The '80s cartoon series which featured the adventures of Spider-Man, Iceman and Firestar], but this dynamic and grouping is very different,"
Upcoming issues will find Peter Parker and his friends trying to help another super powered teen figure out his place in the world, as they are introduced to the Ultimate Universe incarnation of Rick Jones. "Issues 7-8 involve Rick Jones, who we last saw in 'Ultimate Origins.' He was the person the Watchers gave powers to. They saw 'Ultimatum' coming and couldn't stop it, but they could empower someone to protect and lead in the future," Bendis said. "So that will continue, and this story is also the debut of a brand new superhero and or villain."
Issues #7-8 will feature the work of guest artist Takeshi Miyazawa. "I'm really thrilled to have him drawing these issues. It gives our regular artist, David Lafuente, a head start on a much longer arc that follows this one. We want to make sure David is able to completely finish that story. I know people aren't used to seeing someone help with the art on 'Ultimate Spider-Man' since we had long runs from both Mark Bagley and Stuart Immonen, but David is doing something else with his artwork, and he just needed a bit of a head start to make sure that he can get through the whole next arc," Bendis explained. "So, better that we have a two issue arc written especially for Takeshi than have David not able to handle the schedule right in the middle of the next arc. So this worked out great."
Another thing that will be both thrilling and confusing is the upcoming year for the cast of "Ultimate Spider-Man." "Something comes up in the next arc that's so damaging to Peter's life, and is so unique, that I'm looking forward to people's reaction to it," Bendis revealed. "It will seem deceptively light-hearted for a while, then all of a sudden you're going to go, 'Oh my God! That's horrible!'"
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ULTIMATE COMICS ENEMY #1
COVER BY: Ed McGuinness
WRITER: Brian Michael Bendis
PENCILS: Rafa Sandoval
THE STORY:
Who is the face of true evil in the Ultimate Universe? What is the biggest secret the world doesn't know? Join the gathered heroes as they embark on an adventure unlike anything seen in Marvel Comics…and that's a promise!! Ultimate Universe co-founder, BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS (Ultimate Spider-Man, Secret Invasion) and rising star Rafa Sandoval (Avengers: The Initiative) unveils this important new chapter in the most exciting line in comics! Rated T+
PRICE: 3.99
IN STORES: January 27, 2010
What Bendis has to say about it:
"The new year also kicks off Bendis's other Ultimate Comics project, the four issue mini-series "Ultimate Comics Enemy." "[This mini-series] is a story I've been sitting on for a couple of years. It's something I've really wanted to do, and when Jeph Loeb told me he was going to drown the Ultimate Universe, I was excited because that set up the world so that I could do 'Ultimate Enemy,'" Bendis explained. "What we're debuting in this series is a brand-new villain. It's a mystery as to exactly what's coming."
"There are attacks happening. People are being assassinated, and that motivates the cast to figure out who is behind what's happening," Bendis said. "A couple targets are hit in these attacks. So, just when you thought the Ultimate Universe had no one left to kill, some people get yanked off the board."
"Ultimate Comics Enemy" will also be a very character-based series. Bendis plans on playing with the status quos and dynamics of several of his cast members. "I think people will enjoy Sue Storm's new post-'Ultimatum' status quo and how much face time Spider-Woman gets," the writer said. "You also get Nick Fury being reintroduced to Peter Parker and the gang. You've got to remember that no one knows he's around. He's been a Black Ops soldier for the past several months, and he reappears in Peter's life here. Fury had almost become a father figure to Peter, and then their relationship kind of fell apart. So it will be interesting to see the two of them interacting."
The events of "Ultimate Comics Enemy" unfold on a global stage and involve plot threads that Bendis introduced back in "Ultimate Spider-Man" and his 2008 "Ultimate Origins" mini-series. "The story involves things like what was going on with 'The Clone Saga' storyline in 'Ultimate Spider-Man,' and Roxxon Industries. There is a lot of large scale industrial and superhero style espionage," the writer revealed. "Everyone is racing to make things like the next Captain America or the Venom suit. So this series picks up on a lot of those established threads. You don't have to know about any of that stuff, but if you've been following it, there will be a nice payoff."
"Ultimate Comics Enemy" may be a four issue mini-series, but it's also the first chapter of a larger story that will unfold throughout 2010. "'Ultimate Comics Enemy' is the first in a trilogy of mini-series. The second series is 'Ultimate Comics Mystery,' and the third is 'Ultimate Comics Doom'. All of them are very connected. I think it will be a grand, epic and cool story," Bendis explained. "We're also using these series as a platform for several 'Young Gun' artists who deserve their days in the sun. The first one is Rafa Sandoval. I'm just trying to write scripts that let him go balls-out crazy. The first handful of pages came in recently, and we we're like, 'Home run!' He did a great job."
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SoratheKey -
UCSM: Ok I'm excited to know what the other story arc is about!
UCE: Ok I think that 616 writing from Bendis is good, but not extrardinary, while on Ultimate he is the bomb so I trust he will do a great job with this trilogy! But the art is wrong.... why is Spider-Woman shooting web from her wrist?