Book Review: Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 1: Power and Responsibility by Brian Michael Bendis

Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 1: Power and Responsibility by Brian Michael Bendis is a new way of telling Spiderman’s origin story with a lot of teenage angst. If you know the Spiderman origin you will appreciate the changes, if you don’t know the origin by heart then you might not notice the changes since they are slight. One big change is Uncle Ben stays around longer and you get a feel for Uncle Ben and Aunt May’s relationship. Another change is about Norman Osborn who doesn’t have to figure out who Spiderman’s secret identity is but knows it from the start. In this version seeing how the spider bite has affected Peter Parker inspires him to do what eventually leads him to be the Green Goblin. The Green Goblin is the biggest change so far, where it is not just a man in a mask but a serum that changes Norman Osborn’s physical makeup and turns him into a goblin-like creature. Norman Osborn hates his son Harry Osborn there is no tough love in this version he tries to kill and hates him from the start. This volume is all about Spiderman’s origin and about him choosing to be good instead of not caring. The power and responsibility speech was done well, it is very close to the way it is portrayed in the first Spiderman film with Toby Maguire. The Mary Jane relationship starts from the beginning in this version she is more of a combo of Mary Jane and Gwen Stacy from The Amazing Spiderman comics. Mary Jane is more smart and studious than the party girl actress from The Amazing Spiderman. Flash Thompson is still a jackass but so far he hasn’t developed a love of Spiderman. Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 1: Power and Responsibility collected issues 1-7 of Ultimate Spider-Man. Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 1: Power and Responsibility was first published on January 1, 2001, by Marvel.

Plot Summary: Peter Parker is bullied badly at school for being smart and a nerd. He goes on a field trip to Osborn labs where he is bitten by an experimental spider that Norman Osborn has been gearing up for human testing but all the animals that are infected have died. Norman Osborn as Peter follows and plans to kill him and make it look like an accident so they don’t look at the bite. When Norman Osborn orders the hit by a hit and run Parker jumps over the car and from then on Osborn follows him for research, and wants to inject himself with the drug. When Osborn injects himself it is pure so the same thing that happens to Peter doesn’t happen Osborn turns into a Goblin. He kills his wife and attempts to kill Harry, his son, and he remembers Peter Parker is Spiderman and wants to fight him.

What I Liked: The teenage angst and bravado were a little much but it felt very real and how a kid that was bullied constantly would react if he got special powers. I like that it also showed his frustration and anger at constantly getting bullied. I liked the Mary Jane and Peter Parker relationship that even if he did not get the powers they could have dated if Peter only had the confidence. I liked the more we got of Uncle Ben and how when he gets robbed he’s making a joke trying to defuse the situation saying, you probably have more money than I do. The Green Goblin and Spiderman fight is pretty intense. I liked that we got cameos from J. Jonah Jamison, Liz Allen, Captain Stacy, and Matt Murdock (Daredevil) gets mentioned.

What I Disliked: I had some issues with the art, I felt the Spiderman body was too thin and lanky, also there is one drawing where Peter is in a cutoff t-shirt and designer underwear, I’m pretty sure Aunt May is not buying him that, and the art made him look too effeminate and have female characteristics it did not fit. I’m pretty sure Peter Parker would be a tighty whitey man.

Recommendation: I had a good time with Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 1. It was nice that Peter Parker’s origin had an update. I like where the volume left off where Spiderman is a wanted man by the police. Are Spiderman and the Green Goblin working together? I recommend you check out Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 1: Power and Responsibility if you are a fan of Spiderman the character. This is a great intro for the character if you are unsure where to start.

Rating: I rated Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 1: Power and Responsibility by Brian Michael Bendis 4.0 stars out of 5 stars.

Book Review: Jessica Jones: Alias Volume 2 Come Home by Brian Michael Bendis

Jessica Jones: Alias Volume 2 Come Home this version collects issues 11-15 this volume, it follows one long 4 (11-14) issue mystery and then it has issue 15 an what an amazing issue that is, it is all dialogue, it feels like a Quentin Tarantino movie where it’s just dialogue away from action about one superhero’s sex life and the other is a semi awkward first date. Comic book heroes that make a cameo, Luke Cage, Matt Murdock (Daredevil), Spiderman, Black Widow, Doc Ock, Human Torch, and Scott Lang (Antman).

The Plot: Jessica Jones heads out of New York City to a small town to investigate the disappearance of of a missing girl. Jessica is shocked that the town already knows who she is and what she looking for killing her investigation. The girls father takes the brunt of the blame since he was there alone with her and his separated wife blames him of leering at his daughter and does not trust him. She now lives with her sister who’s just as convinced the father killed her niece. Jessica meet the small town sheriff who tries to genuinely help but Jessica is not one to let anyone easily and damn sure not going to ask for help. Everything changes when it is revealed that the missing girl is a possibly a mutant. The town has a church that preaches against mutants and the town does not take kindly to mutants. After that mystery is she bodyguards with Luke Cage for Matt Murdock who has just been outed as Daredevil, Jessica and Luke talk about having sex and her coming to his apartment when he had a lady with him last time, and she confront him of being a cape chaser who likes having sex with women with super powers. Then she goes on a semi-date with Antman Scott Lang (they have had one phone conversation). The date leaves with promise that I’m sure will be explored in further issues.

What I Liked: The dialogue is amazing it’s so good, so real and uncensored. Issue 15 is everything! It is packed full of dialogue gems Luke Cage and Jessica Jones conversation is so awkward it is confrontational, flirty, and they both try to show no emotion. The mystery is intriguing and has a couple of twist. I do like that we never really find out for sure if the missing girl is a mutant. She’s gay and it can be almost be interchanged as being a mutant in her small town which I thought was really clever and on the nose, especially for early 2000’s when this was written. This volume balances humor and depression really well, much like the show Marvel’s Jessica Jones.

What I Disliked: I really wanted to see what Jessica did with the police officer when she was blackout drunk and wakes up in a jail cell, I thought that most of the mystery was really good, but the solving of it was too convenient.

Recommendations: If you like the show Marvel’s Jessica Jones you will love this Volume especially issue 15, so good. If your a casual comic reader of a marvel universe watcher there’s a lot of ester eggs and references you can pick up on. This Graphic Novel has some strong language, sexual references, and violence. I rated this 4 out of 5 stars it was very close to 5 for me. I will continue reading the the other two novels in the series. This is a link to my review for the first volume. Book Review: Jessica Jones: Alias Vol. 1 by Brian Michael Bendis

Book Review: Jessica Jones: Alias Vol. 1 by Brian Michael Bendis

Jessica Jones: Alias Volume 1 collects issues 1-9, this graphic novel tells two stories the first is issues one through five which would get this novel an easy five stars, because it’s written so well, but the second story is not as good and would rate three stars. Fuck is the first word in this book and really sets you up for an adult comic, we see the infamous scene that was in the Jessica Jones tv show on Netflix where she has super hero sex with Luke Cage. There’s is comically two scenes of toilet seat crime solving, which I’m a fan of, and would probably solve most of my cases there if I was in law enforcement. Marvel hero’s in this book are Captain America Steve Rogers, Captain Marvel Carol Danvers, Daredevil Matt Murdock, and Power man Luke Cage. This novel is mature in content, it was published in 2001 and was published under MAX that an offshoot of marvel for extremes, this was Marvel’s way of competing with DC comics popular Vertigo comics.

The Plot: Jessica Jones used to be a Super hero, with a cape and everything and was called Jewel, Now she’s a seedy private eye, investigating mainly cheating spouses. This all changes when a woman who is clearly wealthy walks in and wants Jessica to find her missing sister. Jessica finds the sister and her boyfriend one late night, but she see’s something else the girls boyfriend gets a call and has to leave, but he doesn’t go out the front door, he goes to the roof and changes in to Captain America. (this is not like the movies where Captain America does not where a mask and his identity is known to the world) Jessica smells a trap, she tires to call the number given by the sister and it is disconnected, she goes to the address that was given and it’s a baby clothing store. She goes back to alleged sisters apartment and see’s that it is surrounded by cop cars, and a body on a gurney due to strangulation. After burning a lot of bridges no one will help her. She goes back to work and the police are waiting on her with cuffs saying they received an anonymous phone call speaking of Jessica’s involvement. Will she be implicated in a murder she did not commit? will any of here old superhero friends save her? Will she find the person behind it before it’s to late?

What I Liked: The dialogue is really sharp and fast, it really captures the way people talk. There’s a scene with Jessica and Captain Marvel gossiping of super hero’s sex lives that’s amazing and very catty. The detective work s really good it’s explained really well. The police interrogation scene was done really well the panels perfectly show the nervous rapid paced flow. The superheroes are used just enough, the names dropped but don’t appear are really great and you will get rewarded for knowing them, especially in the catty sex lives scene. There’s really good twist in story lines. The art work keeping the noir shadowy feel works incredibly well setting up the seedy atmosphere.

What I Disliked: The second story about finding a semi famous sidekick that might be related to Jessica. There’s a really good twist involving a psychologist that I really loved and did not see coming, but that was all I loved in this tale. I did not like how Steve Rogers was drawn, everyone else was fine but it was just bad and Captain America deserves better than that.

Recommendations: If you like Marvel’s Jessica Jones Tv show then you’ll love this and see where they got the ideas for this and that scene, since there is three of Marvel’s Defenders in this volume. If you want to read about a strong female protagonist. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars and look forward to reading the 3 other volumes out.

Book Review:Vicious by V.E. Schwab

I really did enjoy this book! it wasn’t your standard good Vs. evil it was kind of evil thinking he was good Vs. evil that still has some good in him. I love what does for the super hero genre.  It could be compared to Professor X and Magento, with different powers, and instead of one bad guy there was two with his own ideas, thinking he was doing good.

It is currently 2.99 in the Kindle Store I highly recommend you checking it out!
The Plot: Victor and Eli are roommates and best friends, when Eli make a discovery that people with Extra Ordinary powers (mutants basically) are made not through genetics but by surviving a near death experience. Victor volunteers to test the theory but it doesn’t work. Then Eli tries and it does work he has rapid healing. Victor want to try again, but Eli wants him to wait, and preoccupied with his own new powers. Victor not wanting to wait guilts Eli’s girlfriend and Victor’s friend first to help. It works Victor gets the power but Eli’s girlfriend dies in the process, Victor’s power is the taking and giving of pain which he eventually begins to control. Eli fights Victor and leaves him for dead, setting the accident with his girlfriend to look like murder in the process. Victor is arrested and spends 10 years plotting his revenge, while Eli has spent the last ten years eliminating people with abilities saying it’s curse and he’s God’s instrument to get rid of it. Victor comes up with a plan to stop Eli and take his revenge, with an unlikely ally a young girl who can bring things back from the dead, that Eli has already failed to eliminate.

What I liked: The switching of dates and times at every chapter, the writing is good so I didn’t get confused and it gave real insight to the characters and their current situation. The characters are not black and white, good or evil, but blurred. Easy too read and picture. There’s unresolved issues and a secret involving a powerful ally, I like that it didn’t wrap in a bow for the ending. The character’s are amazing and very well thought out, their struggles on good and evil make this book so captivating, even if they did not have powers.  How they got powers was really interesting and new.

What I didn’t like: We never really saw Eli’s feelings on his girlfriend dying, which I would’ve wanted to see.

I loved this book and will get the next book in the series Vengeful when available in September. I will say the violence is high, there’s drug use, and there is a little language, I would recommend in to a 15 to 16 year old at the earliest. I would recommend this to comic book and graphic novel readers.  I would also recommend this book as a great way to dip your toe into this genre of supernatural and comics as well.  I enjoyed this one more than the other series I read of hers called Shades of Magic.  I give this 4.7 out of 5 stars my highest review so far.

Book Review: Runaways: The Complete Collection Volume 3 by Brian K. Vaughan and Joss Whedon

This completes the saga of the the original Runaways comic book, it adds Joss Whedon, Writer of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, and Angel, to complete the last six episodes. This graphic novel collects Runaways (2005) 19-30, Civil War: Young Avengers & Runaways 1-4, and Secret Invasion: Runaways/Young Avengers 1-3.

The image above is one of my favorite covers of the Runaways, there’s even more to it and the book shows how the cover was designed.

overview: The runaways deal from the last loss of a teammate. One hellbent on getting to member back, goes the the beings that gave their parents, the Pride, their evil powers, and member makes a deal if they sacrifice an innocent soul like there parents had done then they will bring the teammate back from the dead. Things get pretty intense, theres a lot of ways this can turn out and because of the loss one member is highly unstable. The other member deal with the prediction that one of the members will turn evil in the future. Karolina and Xavin explore their relationship started in the last volume. Xavin deals with being a new member. Molly is still my favorite and she has an awesome run in the the Punisher. The Runaways go back in time 100 years, I din’t care for this story line but it does have the best lines in the volume. The Runaways face off against the Young Avengers, Kingpin and a lot of ninjas, and a Skrull invasion.

This Novel goes in chronological order, so the Runaways goes through 19-21 then the civil war storyline effected all events in the marvel universe, and we jump in to that storyline with the Young Avengers. I liked the first three a lot I feel the Civil war slowed down the book, but I will say the current things that the group were going through continued, no storylines were dropped or forgotten about. Then it closes out the Runaways run 22-30 Joss Whedon writes 25-30 and being a fan I have to say it was the worst story-wise and the best dialogue-wise. His story deals with the past and too much was going on without the proper build up, I did enjoy the scenes with Kingpin and the Punisher and thought that it ended pretty well. Then we get to the secret Invasion which is the way too end this book, it was so action packed, and we finally get to se the new member use her power, all the members of the Young Avengers and the Runaways get a moment to shine.

This novel kept with the series dealing with teenage angst, one member becomes an adult and dealing with that awkward time. It has an opportunity to bring a lost character back, and it is so refreshing the way it gets dealt with, it does not wrap up in a nice little bow, but it does wrap up by adding to a characters arc.

I recommend this if you’re a fan of the Marvel Universe, if you like young adult novels, there’s cussing but it is bleeped out. I give this a 3.6 out of 5 stars.