Brian Michael Bendis, Twitter, 5th June : “again, i have to say. there’s two double sized issues of USM to go. it’s not the last issue of this volume. it does not say final issue.”

See, there you go. You fools, thinking this was the last issue of Ultimate Spider-Man just because it’s… the last issue of Ultimate Spider-Man! That’ll learn yer! Because the intelligent decision-making that has informed the Ultimate imprint over the last couple of years has now led to a situation where its flagship title, the one that started the whole thing in the first place and which has remained one of the most consistently excellent superhero books (if not the most consistently excellent superhero book) of almost an entire decade, doesn’t even get to have its final issue be its final issue. Instead, the pieces will be picked up in a two-part spinoff mini that pointlessly has the word “Requiem” tacked onto its title, and its events are entirely influenced by the writing of a deranged lunatic. There are no words.

And funnily enough, in the last issue of Ultimate Spider-Man… there are no words. As the recap page states, “This is a SILENT issue”. I’m almost disappointed they didn’t put “‘NUFF SAID!” on the cover, for old times’ sake. It’s actually a surprisingly appropriate step, mind, for an issue that doesn’t feature its lead character – and in this series in particular, the lead character has always been a window into the book’s world, a grounded (despite his extraordinary powers) point of identifiability – although I wish that fact had been flagged up sooner, because if UltiPeter really is dead (and I don’t believe he is, or at least that he won’t be resurrected along with a bunch of other people, but the book is making out like it’s pretty final, so let’s play along), then the end of issue #132 was one of the most flat and unheralded “important” moments in recent comics. It’s therefore unexpected to be confronted with a contemplative coda, rather than the actual climax to the series, which has apparently already been and gone.

Still, this is nice – Bendis constructs the issue well, and knows he can rely on Immonen to successfully convey character and emotion through the art – indeed, there’s arguably more done with Jessica Drew here than at any other point, with a genuinely touching moment as, discovering that Kitty Pryde is alive, and momentarily unaware that the memory of her isn’t her own, she joyously hugs her only to be phased through. Elsewhere, this is about quietly contemplating a world without Spider-Man in it – and so we see Kitty and Jessica sombrely carrying out the sort of post-disaster search and rescue that we should be watching Peter do. Preparation for Jessica replacing him in the costume? It’s hard to tell, but it would be a genuine shame if the character’s to be wrenched away from us so suddenly. It’s also curious that so little focus is given here to the reactions of Mary Jane and Aunt May – but I’d imagine we’ll see that in Requiem. Even so, it at least takes pains to point out the actual human cost of the havoc wreaked by Ultimatum, which is good, since it’s something Loeb has been singularly refusing to do in the main series.

As with so many recent issues of this title, though, it’s hard to know how to really approach it until we’ve got the wider context of where the series goes from here. If this really is the end of USM as we know it? It’s inadequate, frankly. Anything that Requiem does in terms of wrapping up and celebrating the character (again, working on the “he’s actually dead” assumption – but come on, we’re in clear No Body Rule territory here) may help, but even then, I’m affronted that it’s not being done in actual issues of the actual series. Just as I’m affronted that Stuart Immonen, having come in and done such a fantastic job in the wake of the apparently irreplacable Mark Bagley, ended up getting such a short run. And affronted that such a superb comic is ending as a result of, of all things, the brain-clawing awfulness of Ultimatum. This book deserves better, Ultimate Peter Parker deserves better, and the readers deserve better.

Every month we take turns to delve into our trusty longboxes, pluck out a dusty back issue, and give you our thoughts. We’ll also try and place it in the context of the time it was originally published.

Despite the vast success he’s enjoyed over the past decade, reader opinion continues to be split on the subject of Brian Michael Bendis. For many, though, he’s earned the right to have stumbles such as Secret Invasion overlooked in perpetuity, courtesy of his top-end work on the likes of Ultimate Spider-Man, Powers and – perhaps most notably – Alias. A quite superb fusion of Bendis’ knack for crime fiction and characterisation, and his knowledge and grasp of the Marvel universe, the twenty-eight issues for which it ran represent one of the most consistently excellent comics runs of the past decade – and in the shape of failed superhero turned private investigator Jessica Jones, it introduced by far the publisher’s most compelling new character since… well, since I can’t remember when, quite frankly.

Something of a format breaker, this standalone issue is presented, rather than in standard comics format, as scripted dialogue alongside uncharacteristic painted art from Michael Gaydos – and one can’t help but wonder whether this was planned all along, or if the issue was forced into this style after Bendis realised he’d written too much dialogue. Either way, it somehow works perfectly, and is exemplary of the book’s wit and characterisation at its finest.

The story is a fairly straightforward one – Jessica is hired by J. Jonah Jameson with a view to uncovering Spider-Man’s secret identity, but disliking both the assignment and the editor’s attitude, pulls something of a fast one on him. There’s nothing more elaborate than that, but what makes this a real joy – aside from the reveal of the precise nature of Jessica’s clever trickery – is, quite simply, the way Bendis plays with character. Quite aside from the ranting of Jonah (of which more shortly), there’s a nuanced precision to his handling of Ben Urich, Robbie Robertson and even Betty Brant, and more specifically the dynamic within the Bugle offices. This particular corner of Spider-Man’s supporting cast has always been one of the MU’s strongest assets, and Bendis gets that, just as he gets how to write fluid, believable, characteristic and downright hilarious JJJ dialogue. More than that, he gets to the nub of the neuroses that lie at the heart of Jonah’s anti-mask paranoia, as well as exploring the more active side – from hiring Jessica to compiling a “Spider-Man map” of repeated sightings around Queens and ESU – of his Spider-hatred campaign.

Michael Gaydos’ art throughout the series was as consistently excellent as Bendis’ writing, but here he breaks out of his comfort zone somewhat to illustrate Bendis’ dialogue with a succession of paintings – and while it wouldn’t necessarily have worked every month, it’s fair to say he outdoes himself on this occasion. Stylised and yet with a tangible realism, they’re an aid to immersing the reader in the immediacy of what are, essentially, a pair of single-set, real-time scenes (split by two months). I’m not sure they could really be described as “storytelling” in the purest sense, but from an absolutely lovely Spider-Man panel (which I think I’m right in saying was the webhead’s only in-costume appearance in the series) to a superb two-page vista of Jonah looking out over the city, the entire issue is a visual delight.

Aside from setting up the later plot element of Jonah’s distrust of Jessica (not to mention a neat touch that jumped out on re-reading: an early mention of Jessica’s “Knightress” identity, a backstory thread that wouldn’t be picked up until long after the series had finished), this doesn’t do a huge amount to move the series along. But as an amusing standalone piece, it’s lovely – and nothing short of superbly crafted. Modern mainstream comics honestly don’t get much classier than Alias, and if you’ve never read it, you could do yourself a hell of a lot worse than starting from the beginning the next time you’re down the LCS.

Even though “the search for a new sorcerer supreme” isn’t quite the draw that someone at Marvel seems to think it is, New Avengers is still an enjoyable title, largely because it allows Bendis to do what Bendis does best. Which is, to say: talking. Lots of it. For the second issue in a row, a fair chunk of this issue revolves around super-heroes standing still and chatting about what’s going on. If you don’t truck with that, then fair enough – but go read Mighty Avengers instead.

The problem with that, however, is that the tone of the writing isn’t properly suited to the capabilities of the comic’s artists. Bachalo’s scenes often look wonderful, but as is typical with Bachalo’s current work, the action can be hard to follow. It’s exactly the sort of place you’d expect some dialogue to keep things a bit clearer, but all too often we get monosyllabic, if not entirely mute scenes. Meanwhile Tan, who just about manages to be at home drawing action, is forced to illustrate lavish speeches that rely on a subtely and preciseness of expression that Tan is incapable of. I hope you like your Avengers with cold, dead eyes, because that’s what you’re going to get from this title.

In fairness, the story itself is much more engaging than the trouncing I just gave the art would suggest. The threat of someone unwanted – perhaps even an outright villain – becoming Sorcerer Supreme is tangible, and it’s made even more amusing by the closing scenes which indicate that the new Sorcerer might actually be somewhere between the two. Few people will entirely understand the Hellcat references in the closing pages, but those of us that do get it will certainly be amused.

It’s fair to say that this isn’t quite the screaming-out-of-the-gate restart that New Avengers fans  after Secret Invasion finally buggered off, but it’s not horrible – it’s just a pity that it’s being massively outclassed by Dark Avengers. Does Bendis only have the energy for one great idea at a time, and if so, can we maybe think about him handling 50% of Marvel’s output for a while?

New Avengers is a title under the fairly real threat of losing its “top billing” status at the moment. A price hike combined with the end of the title’s long-running lynchpin, Secret Invasion, has left the book feeling a little superfluous to requirements, especially now that Dark Avengers is, for now at least, taking over the series’ position as Marvel’s “event” title. Meanwhile, regular artist Billy Tan, despite improving in leaps and bounds over the last year, is still far below the required level for “New Avengers” talent.

Tan’s attempts to convey the subtler expressions demanded in the opening scene where Carol watches TV are fairly painful – though more worryingly, out of costume, the character isn’t even recognisable through art alone. Elsewhere, Jessica Jones, previously a noteworthy example of a female character who wasn’t all breast and thighs is reduced to sporting the interchangeable T&A look that Tan seems incapable of deviating from. If an artist can’t even the features and body language of Marvel’s most well-defined female character right, one has to question whether they’re really ready for New Avengers.

Still, someone seems to be aware of this – alongside Tan’s sequences, we also see artwork from Chris Bachalo, who turns in some of his best work in years. A perfect choice to illustrate Dr. Strange’s sequences, Bachalo has shown a tendency to allow his love of experimental page-design to override his storytelling, but in this issue, the balance is perfectly pitched. Sadly, such work largely serves to highlight Tan’s inadequacy.

Of course, art rants aside, New Avengers #51 shows that Bendis and Breevoort are aware that the series has to raise its game. The writing is as good as New Avengers has ever been – the issue contains several sequences that’ll leave fans grinning, not least of them the long-awaited “first meeting” of Jessica Jones and Peter Parker, finally following up her retroactive insertion into Amazing Fantasy #15 back when Alias was wowing readers with “The Secret Origin of Jessica Jones”.

The overall arc, a quest for a new Sorcerer Supreme, is less instantly engaging, but still shows promise, bringing together Marvel’s various magic-wielders for an apparent magical epic the likes of which New Avengers hasn’t tried before. If that’s the direction the series is going, then it will, if nothing else, herald a return to the stand-alone, Marvel Universe-trotting arcs that made New Avengers a success in its early days, and that can only be a good thing.

Dark Avengers #3 continues the series’ fantastic opening arc, as Osborn’s team of “evil” Avengers fight an attacking Morgan Le Fey.

The opening pages, however, take a short break from the action to show us exactly how Osborn brought the Sentry into the fold. As a man well-placed to deal with voices in his head, Osborn’s advice to Bob is undeniably helpful, but in giving him this advice, Osborn also places The Sentry subtly under his control, assuring the unstable hero that they fight together. It’s simply some of Bendis’ best writing in years.

After that strong character material, the gears change and we are instead treated to the spectacle of the Avengers fighting Le Fey’s forces. It’s all excellent reading as the team struggles to stay in control of clearly overwhelming odds, demonstrating the competency and intelligence that such villains would need to stay in their position. This arc in particular shows why the “Dark Avengers” are needed at all – with Osborn now running the show, he needs enforcers to protect those loyal to him. Since Dr. Doom falls under such auspices, so he must intervene when Le Fey attacks. It’s big-budget action, with a brilliant core concept, and I can’t wait for each new issue.

A large part of that is Deodato’s artwork, which is reaches breathtaking levels at times. It’s a rare talent who can make characters recognisable purely from their posture, but that’s what he manages to do with Norman Osborn on the final page. Even with the character concealed beneath a full suit of armour, it’s unmistakably him. Surely, Deodato is the comics industry’s turnaround success story of the last 10 years, going from sub-Image 90s wank to the absolute top of the industry. If ever an artist deserved to be rewarded for his hard work, he’s the one.

• nancy drew dvdrip download

Someone should talk to Bendis about how he approaches New Avengers. As fellow-reviewer Seb recently said to me, they should really just re-title this series “New Luke Cage” and have done with it. Cage is, and always has been, the most well-developed character in the book, and whenever Bendis gets a chance to really dig into him, the series noticeably improves as a result.

The apparent resolution of the “Aliens took my Baby” story was remarkably quick to arrive, given the usual length of time this sort of sub-plot could be spun out from. Apparently, its main purpose was to give the New Avengers and the Dark Avengers something to fight over next issue (aside from the question of who gets to be the real Avengers, presumably.) Cage immediate reneges on his deal with Osborn is an odd turn, as his decision to appeal for Osborn’s help seemed to be a laboured-over decision – one which turned out to be well justified. I can’t help but think Cage’s situation would’ve made for better dramatic tension if he had remained in Osborn’s debt – after all, Cage is a man of principles (well, usually) and it doesn’t seem to fit with his usual characterisation for him to go back on his word.

We are left, then, with the lingering question of just what the point of this Baby Cage-Jones subplot was. There were strong hints early on that she was a Skrull, or connected to the Skrulls, and when JarviSkrull kidnapped her, it seemed to all but confirm it… and yet, what we find it that the kid was actually nothing more than a bargaining chip for his protection? Something doesn’t quite ring true – a large amount of pagetime went to the child over the course of Secret Invasion, and this quick ending feels like evidence of an aborted storyline. If not, it’s simply a flat-out poor attempt at misdirection on Bendis’ part, because if the plot really has culminated with this 2-issue story designed purely to lead into the big issue #50 fight then it doesn’t remotely justify the build-up.

Criticisms of the plot mechanics aside, the issue really is well up there in terms of how enjoyable it is. Whether it increased sales or not, New Avengers’ extended visit to crossoversville did not see it maintaining the high quality of the title’s earlier material, and the phrase “return to form” would certainly not be unfair to deploy at this point. Traditionally, the series only lasts less than a year before the crossovers start taking over again, but perhaps if we’re lucky, Dark Avengers will take some of the flak this time?

waiting download

then she found me dvd download