Book Description

The comic book publishing event of 2000 is coming to your bookstore.

Ultimate Spider-Man received extensive press coverage and was the highest selling comics launch of the year. It is the reinterpretation of Spider-Man's origin, updated for today's tweens and teens. Starting over at the beginning, the story of how a tortured teen is imbued with startling powers, has been completely re-imagined to appeal to the hi-tech, media savvy youth of today.

In the process, great steps were taken to make the unfolding saga reader-friendly to the non-comics reader. "Our characters have been around for almost 40 years," explained Bill Jemas, Marvel`s President of Publishing and New Media, explaining the reasoning behind Ultimate Spider-Man. "It's great that our comics are so rich that storylines run forever, but we want the Ultimate books to be accessible to the first-time reader. Someone will be able to pick up an issue of Ultimate Spider-Man and have enough information to understand and appreciate it."

An outsider even amongst his own peers, high school student Peter Parker is a young man at the crossroads of destiny. Orphaned as a youth and raised by his Uncle Ben and Aunt May, Peter finds himself the target of a constant barrage of pranks perpetrated by school jock Flash Thompson and his burly bud, nicknamed Kong. After Peter is bitten by an experimental spider from the laboratory of Osborn Industries, industrialist Norman Osborn takes a deadly interest in this development. Will Peter be able to avoid a violent case of corporate downsizing? When backed into a corner, will our hero learn that with great power there must come great responsibility? ... Read more

Reviews (43)

Comics for Everyone
Hats off to Marvel for making comics accessible again. Ultimate Spider-Man is a great comic that anyone can read and relate to. It tells the story of a nerdy high school sophomore who suddenly finds himself in possession of fantastic powers. It's an old story, with a hero that will be familiar to almost anyone. After all, Spider-Man is one of the most recognizable characters in entertainment history.

But what's this "Ultimate" about? Spider-Man is a character who was created in the sixties, and since then he's been dragging forty years of continutity and backstory. Ultimate Spider-Man approaches the character from the ground up, with a contemporary voice and pop culture references that place the book squarely in the 21st century. This Peter Parker isn't married and successful yet; he's barely coming to grips with his powers. The origin is updated, the villains look different, and nothing about the hero's future is set.

Longtime Spider-Man fans may still be more comfortable with the original character that they've grown up with. (The "classic" Spider-Man is still thriving and his ongoing series is currently enjoying the excellent writing of Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski.) But for those who lost interest in comics years ago, or those who are approaching the medium for the first time, this book is absolutely perfect.

The writing, by comics wunderkind Brian Michael Bendis, is awesome. Dialogue is sharp and sparkling with very authentic voices. The art is attractive and expressive. The stories are easy to follow, even for a first time comics reader. It's a comic that anyone can enjoy, and one which I strongly recommend. I loved it, my girlfriend loved it, and I'm sure that you'll love it.

Spider-Man Revisited
Writer Brian Michael Bendis set out to reinvent and reinvigorate Marvel's hallowed Spider-Man franchise in this landmark series. Judging from the critical acclaim and market success it's had, I'd say he met his goal.

Spider-Man was originally created in 1963 and while his origin story is a comic book classic, let's just say some of the elements within the story have become somewhat dated. Bendis' rehash of Spidey's origin sets him in modern times, with the look of a modern 15-year-old, and the characters speaking in...you guessed it...modern dialogue.

Bendis has done a fine job of updating the character and doesn't give in to the temptation to pace the story too quickly. He takes his time, building up the characters and the story of how Peter Parker is bitten by a radioactive spider and subsequently given super powers.

Mark Bagley competently, though not spectacularly, illustrates the story. Bagley's artistic storytelling skills are excellent, but I think Marvel might have been better served had they gone with a less traditional artistic style on this book.

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN: POWER AND RESPONSIBILITY is a great new beginning for Spider-Man and appeals to fans of all ages.

Ultimate spider-man is the best!
I have read spider-man comics for years and this series is definitley one of the best! the writing, the art, the inking, and the charecters all work perfectley together!
This series gets you very involved in the stories, it gets you attached to the charecters with great charecter development through out the issues.I would certainly recommend this series to any comic book fan!

Great Start to a Great New Comic Book Series!
After 42 years of stories, Spider-Man, like many other Marvel titles, has become bogged down in its own complex continuities. Many comics have gotten to the point where those who haven't been reading since way back have trouble understanding the plots. It is for this reason that the creation of the Ultimate series is such a smart move on Marvel's part. Now, on to comic being reviewed. Gone are the futile attempts by Lee and Ditko (Spidey's original creators) to come up with good villains and story lines every month (many old fans may look back not-so-fondly on such abysmal creations as the Terrible Tinkerer, or A Guy Named Joe). Since Spider-Man is already established as a great series, Bendis had more time to flesh out the characters, and elaborate on classic story arcs, without struggling to come up with new ideas every month. To make it more appealing to younger readers, Bendis put a more modern spin on Ultimate Spider-Man. This means that the characters act/talk like they're living in the year 2000, not 1963. Many long-time fans will notice several major changes in the continuity and characters. For one, Peter Parker starts out dating MJ Watson, bypassing his relationships with Betty Brant and Gwen Stacy (although they both make cameo appearences in a couple of stories). In addition, rather than being an insane-workaholic-costume-wearing-Spidey-foe, ultimate Green Goblin is an insane-workaholic-mutated-drug-addicted-Spidey-foe. Since it is known from the beginning that Norman Osbourn is the Green Goblin, his origin is told in a different manner, in a much shorter time (which is a change for the better, IMO). Finally, the event of Uncle Ben's murder is pretty similar to the original comic, except for the fact that Peter lets the crook go when he robs a deli, rather than a wrestling manager. Oh, and Aunt May is much younger, so Peter doesn't have to worry about her health (at least for the time being). That about covers all the MAJOR CHANGES in the first story arc, which are necessary for a better retelling of the exploits of the web-head. As for the artwork, Bagley does an excellent job providing the right atmosphere for the stories. In my opinion, his use of detail is top notch, and his style is great. Bagley can only get better as he continues his career. Overall, Power and Responsability is a great start to a promising new Spider-Man series.

This one's the best.... but still far from "Ultimate"
The first storyarc in the rather poor Ultimate Spider-man series is the enevitable origin storyarc. Peter Parker is bitten by a genetically altered spider. Eventually, he soon dons the guise of Spider-man to cash in on fame and fortune. But when a horrible tragedy strikes..... You've read it before, and you're going to read it again. Yes, it has, "mondern," stuff like the internet, but still, it has "R-I-P-O-F-F," written all over it. At least the story is slightly touched upon a bit more between Peter's relationships with Aunt May and Uncle Ben(who, dare I say it, has been redesigned into a hippy. Deny it all you want, its true) before the uncle has the fateful encounter with the burglar, leading to Spider-man's true birth as a superhero. But other than that, it's best to just browse. The entire battle with the Green Goblin afterwards is pointless and doesn't serve much purpose to the story afterwards. Something tells me another 40 years from now, Bendis will most likely have been forgotten from the other Spider-man authors, simply because of the unoriginality his stories contain. Still, if you simply must pick up an "Ultimate" book, this one is probably your best bet. ... Read more

Book Description

Not since the days of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the trailblazers of the Marvel Universe, had someone so perfectly captured the intense mood, cosmic style and classic sense of adventure of Marvel's first family of super heroes. Writer/artist John Byrne launched the Fantastic Four into realms where few creators before had dared to go. Now, the collection of his classic run continues! Featuring the trial of Reed Richards - and introducing the newest member of the Fantastic Four! Plus, Reed and Sue place the fate of their unborn child in the arms of...Doctor Octopus?! ... Read more

Reviews (29)

Classic issues yes, but not the best collection
First off I will say that the issues collected here from Chris Claremont's early legendary run on the X-Men are essential reads for any X-Men fan, but Marvel should have really put more thought and money into this volume of Essential X-Men. The entire book is in black and white, no color at all except for the covers of the book. Also, the cover itself is made of poor quality material and scratches up and tears easily. All that aside, this TPB brings us the new team of X-Men which includes Wolverine and Banshee, and also introduces us to Colossus, Nightcrawler, and Storm. The new X-Men face off against Magneto, Juggernaut, the Shi'ar, and we also see the death of a fellow X-Man who actually managed to stay dead for quite some time (and in the Marvel universe, especially in the X-Men universe, that is a hard thing to do). All in all, this collection is a good pick up for any X-Men fan, just beware before you buy.

The relaunch of a comic series that changed everything
The New X-Men became the most popular comic book series in the late Seventies and early Eighties and has continued to be so almost to this day. You can see why by looking at this reprint edition, which carries (unfortunately in black and white newsprint reproduction) the first twenty or so issues of the relaunched series. One of the most interesting things is to see how long it took for Chris Claremont, the main writer, to get the series "right." For the first ten or so issues the stories were pretty standard early Seventies Marvel cheesiness, with far too many characters and hyperdramatic posturing (there's so much going on in the Empress Lilandra story--featuring the introduction of not of two sets of heroes, the Starjammers and the Imperial guard, but also an entirely new Marvel interstellar empire--that it's very confusing to see what kind of effect Claremont and his illustrator, dave Cockrum, had in mind). With the introduction of John Byrne into the series as the artist, however, Claremont begins to take his time with his stories, and focus on subtler characterization. The superb Mesmero story, "Mind Games," is the first where you feel both the writer and the artist are doing something truly innovative. And from then on, it just gets better and better.

"Essential" is right
I think these Essential collections are awesome. The important thing is that you get a lot of comic for a pretty cheap price. Everyone keeps complaining that they aren't color - but think of how much it would cost if they were. With a series as long as the X-Men and all it's sub-series, I know I, and probably quite a few other fans, wouldn't be able to afford a higher price. Here you get all the back issues and back story you wouldn't be able to read otherwise (unless you have the time/money to go hunting for all the back issues) for a good price. I have no complaints.

In the begining
I have always loved the X-men. My cousin and I grew up reading these comics. These "Essential" series comics are great. they are a cheap way to catch up on all the ones I missed as well as reading those issues I fondly remember. I really like the fact that I can read them from the begining, and with out gaps (I hate getting a comic book that keeps refering to an issue I don't have.)
For many the fact that they are black and white, has been a problem, but I still have many of my old issues, and I found that in general the black and white "essential" was clearer.
I got over the lack of color quickly (However my ten year old nephew keeps telling me to get them in color, so maybe its just me.)
I plan on buying all of the Marvel Essentials books; I think they are great.

Essential X-Men I
I purchased this for a x-mas gift and it is all in color.
every page is full color.
I keep reading that it's black and white well mine aint.
I had the original X-men comic way back when and sadly did not retain it.
anyine else get a colored one? ... Read more

Reviews (6)

One Of The Best Batman Adventures Ever Created
Batman: Hush Volume 2 is the sequel to Volume 1 of the mysterious and exciting Hush series which was a bestseller monthly title that was delivered for a year. Batman: Hush is written by DC COMICS legend, Jeph Loeb [The writer who wrote Batman: The Long Halloween and Batman: Dark Victory, considered some of the best Batman tales ever written] and illustrated by Jim Lee [An artist whose artwork was so amazing that a completely new series of X-Men comics were created to showcase it]. Volume 2 showcases Chapters 6 to 12 in the Hush saga. In the first volume, the Batman nearly fell to his death but after being helped by his childhood friend, Doctor Thomas Elliot, he is restored and takes up his cape and cowl to figure out why his enemies have been overstepping their own customary boundaries. You can expect to see a cast of familiar and fascinating villians of the Batman Universe including The Joker, Harley Quinn, Ra's Al Ghul, The Riddler and a couple of more. The entire Hush storyline is captivating, and very mysterious as readers struggle to discover the identity of "the bandaged man in a trench coat" who colides with the Batman in a few exciting sequences. If you're wondering wheter to buy this book or not the answer is simple...buy it in hardcover. It is awesome and awe-inspiring and with one of the best comic book writers and artists creating it, it becomes a very exciting read to read over and over and over and over [You get it] again.

Batman Hush
Batman Hush was extremely dissapointing for me since I am a huge fan of his previous stories. Many comic book fans were dissapointed since they expected a classic. We didn't get a classic but we did get an average story. Batman Hush is a mystery and you'll probably try and figure out who's beneath the bandages unless you collected the issues a year ago.

A great part of this book is the art. Jim Lee is a great artist in my opinion and I hope that he'll work with Jeph Loeb in the near future. The only problem is that lots of the characters look the same. Harvey Dent looks like a bald version of Bruce Wayne while Lex looks like a slightly fatter version of Thomas Elliot.

Another good thing about this story is the relationship between Catwoman and Batman. Batman reveals to her that he is Batman and then things get a lot more interesting until the end.

The end is actually this story's downfall in my opinion. I believe that the story could've been much better if Jeph Loeb had been allowed to write a couple more issues so that he could explain everything a bit more.

In conclusion, I believe that fans of comic books should give this a chance since it is extremely popular and lots of people still talk about it right now. I suggest that you read The Long Halloween, Dark Victory, Daredevil Yellow, and When In Rome when it comes out. TLH,DV,and DY are all much better then HUSH and I suspect that When In Rome will also be better since it deals with Catwoman. Jeph Loeb always does well when he's writing about Catwoman.

For the love of God, don't read this book!
Looking for a good Batman story? Well, keep looking, because "Hush" isn't it. No, this is by far one of the worst Batman stories I've ever read. The likely fact that it was produced purely to make money and quite obviously devoid of any actual desire on the part of DC or Loeb to create a good comic is made obvious by the fact that a 12-issue story was published in two money-making volumes rather than one.

"Hush" has more holes in its plot than a piece of swiss cheese. The main villain remains a complete enigma even after the story is over. All the other villains that show up have an extremely strong feeling of "I'm just here so Jim Lee can draw me" behind them (I mean, did we REALLY need that sudden, unexplained, and way-too-short Scarecrow cameo?) Same for the needless appearance of Superman and the countless other guest stars. Events happen with no explanation, and by the end the "story" (such as it is) has become so muddled and, quite frankly, stupid that the ending doesn't even matter. The last page could have been a two-year-old's drawing of Batman taking a poop and it wouldn't have made the story any worse.

You want the truth about "Hush"? (Or at least what seems the likeliest explanation for this abomination?) DC wanted a way to boost sales of "Batman." They decided to team up two fan-favorite stellar creators: Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee. All fine and good...or so one would think. What seems most likely is that either DC or Lee chose what characters would appear in the story so that Jim Lee could draw as many people as possible. Loeb was then left to create a story that would fit the umpteen-million characters in for Lee to draw. I guess he didn't try too hard, because this is all he came up with.

So, if you like stories that don't make sense, stories where Batman doesn't act like Batman, or stories that feature so many guest stars it feels more like a gallery than a story, then this just might be for you. If you like real, character-based, plot-driven stories, pass this by. PLEASE.

Or you can just be fooled by the pretty artwork (overrated, in my opinion) like everyone else.

Killer Art by Jim Lee continues...
I used to assume that given his flair and elegant drawing style, there's no way Jim Lee could tackle the dark, grim and gritty portrayal of Batman's world. Yet Hush shatters all my doubts. This guy rocks man! I could spend hours savoring the illustration alone and not caring about the story but the story is also top notch.

Loeb Does it Again! Lee's Art is Outstanding!
Batman: Hush Vol. 1 & 2, are a nice collector's edition. It should not, however, stop someone from collecting last years monthly story. Loeb is one of the few who can create a tight story with a good plot and has a nack for using multiple characters out of the DC universe. Who is the responsible villain this time: Ivy, Two face, Joker, Riddler, or is it someone else, deep from Batman's past?

This story is a little more predicatble than "The Long Halloween" and "Dark Victory" but still is engaging enough to bring the reader in and hold his or her interests until the final pages, even if they figure it out. Again, Batman gets pushed to the edge in a believable way (yes, even though it is a comic, some resemblance of realism must still take place for the reader to enjoy the story).

An overall great story that all can enjoy! ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Almost unbearably fantastic!
Loeb has proved himself to be one of the best Batman writers around, and Lee was already a comic book legend after his run on X-Men. Together, they have created one of the most intriquing Batman stories in recent memory, at least one that takes place in the actual continuity of the Bat-books.

Vol. 1 collects the first five issues in the 12-part "Hush" storyline. This first installment sets up much of what is to come in this storyline, introducing Bruce Wayne's boyhood friend Tommy, and the mysterious bandaged stranger unofficially dubbed Hush, who really, really has it out for Bats and can get at him (I spoil nothing for anyone by stating that my prediction is that Tommy and bandage-face will turn out to be the same person).

Lee's take on the world of Batman is simply stunning; he is producing the art of his career on this run. I love his take on Killer Croc, who finally actually looks like a monstrous human crocodile the way Lee draws him. Superman pops up, and while it's cool to see Lee draw him as well (before he takes over the artistic reins on a Superman comic after this Batman run), I'm sick of Batman and Supes getting pared up, it's been done TO DEATH! ENOUGH ALREADY, THEIR CONTRASTS AS CHARACTERS AREN'T ENOUGH TO WARRANT THESE ENDLESS TEAM UPS!!! Ahem. Anyway, I can't wait to read the end of this storyline in a few days and find out who this 'Hush' guy is...

A great story!
This book is the first in a series that teams up Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee in a new DC adventure. In this story, when Batman discovers Killer Croc involved in a kidnapping, he realizes that there is more here than meets the eye. When Catwoman enters the fray, he realizes that something very strange is going on. And, when the trail leads to Poison Ivy and Metropolis, things begin to get downright weird! Old enemies put in an appearance in this story, as do old friends, and sometimes it's hard to tell who are the friends and who are the enemies!

This is a great story! I loved the storyline, with all its twists and turns, and found the illustrations to be absolutely excellent! My son and I both loved this story, and highly recommend it. We're also breathlessly waiting until we can see the sequel!

Candy For The Comic Fan
The average comic fan struggles between trying to "look" mature and giving in to their childhood fantasies. Having said all that, the average comic fan is actually far more intelligent than most people think. I mean, the world is only now discovering things like the "Matrix" films and these are things that comic readers have taken for granted for years.

I, and many like me, have been "seduced" by the intellectually satisfying and literary rich writings of post-modern comic scribes like Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison and Warren Ellis. These masters of deconstructionist, post-modern writing always seem to come up with new ways of reinventing the entire comic genre. However, all that said, there is still that part of me that is a lot less cerebral and a lot more visceral... or more romantic. It's that part of me that gasp with bated breath when Green Lantern takes his oath or when the Batman swoops down unto the roof of the GCPD in answer to Commissioner Gordon's call. And for that, I turn to Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee's "Batman : Hush".

Jeph Loeb doesn't pretend to be what he's not. He's not from the fraternity of "2000 A.D." British writers who deconstructs superheroes to show them for the fascists they really are. Jeph Loeb is a romantic - of the "Casablanca" sort. He loves superheroes and it shows in his works (check out "Superman For All Seasons" and his Marvel "color" books for further evidence). And here in "Hush", we have Loeb writing a story that I believe he himself wanted to read. All the best writers write for themselves... for their own pleasure rather than for the approval of a board of critics. In short, Loeb writes as a fellow fan to fellow fans who want to see a great Batman-Superman bout, a Batman-Catwoman romance, a Batman-Joker fight-to-the-death, etc. - you get the point! More than that, he writes for the artist. In this case, Jim Lee. Jeph Loeb is as much a fan of Lee as many of us. So he writes the scenes that he himself (and most of us) wants to see Jim bring to glorious life with his pencils. For example, who doesn't want to see Poison Ivy drawn by Jim Lee?

That brings us to the artist. Need I tell you that Jim Lee is the creator of the highest-selling comicbook of all time (X-Men #1)? Need I tell you that Jim Lee is the founder of Wildstorm? But more important than that, we respect the man for his art - which can be summed up as merely a strong sense of the human figure and tight, super-detailed backgrounds. Having grown up with his work on X-Men and Punisher, I must say that he has improved greatly here on Batman, giving us (dare I say it) the most definitive Batman since Neal Adams in the 1970s. All that is brought to glorious life by the tight inking work of frequent collaborator Scott Williams and colorist Alex Sinclair.

This first of two volumes collects the first five parts of the Hush storyline along with an introductory "origin" of Batman told from Alfred's perspective. Jeph Loeb provides the foreword himself and the book includes biographies of the creators. I gave it four stars instead of five because the paper is awfully thin. Seeing that this is a hardcover collection of the highest-selling comic of 2003, D.C. should have used a heavier paper-stock - like they did on the wonderful Green Arrow hardcovers.

All in all, I recommend this book for those who grew up with Batman and those who would like a taste of the "real" Batman apart from the awful movies.

Delicious
Jim Lee.

He's the reason I am giving this book five stars.

Over the past year this story has kept comic books readers fascinated. It has almost held the #1 spot for the 11 months that it has been on sale. And this is due to Jim Lee's spectacular art work. In this book Lee pays a true homage, to my favorite comic book character. He is the reason I bought four copies of the book at a time. And he is the reason I bought this trade.

The story on the other hand is something else. Jeph Loeb's sense of storytelling is more of a "tell" than a "show". Most of the story is driven forward by the narration in Batman's head. The premise of Hush is supposed to be someone manipulating Batman's foes to get at him. But the truth of the matter is, with the exception of Killer Croc' (who is supposed to be too stupid to stage a kidnapping) it really isn't shown.

And of course there is Batman's "romance" with Catwoman.

Words can not express how put off with this part of the story. It's purely contrived and annoying. Catwoman comes on to Batman in one of the most sexually agressive moves I have seen in a mainstream comic book. And by the next issue he is in love?

Please

In other Batman books (including Dark Victory and The Long Halloween-also written by Loeb) he would have spurned her advances. To tell you the truth it is the portrayal of Catwoman that has ruined the book for me. The portrayal of Catwoman has to be the most annoying portrayal I have ever seen of the character. For the entire arc Catwoman behaviour alternates from bimbo to vixen. When she's a bimbo she comes across as comic relief in a tv sitcom. When she's a vixen, she comes across like the Baroness in the Sound of Music. I don't know what Jeph Loeb was doing as he's portrayed her excellently twice before. Her dialogue just grates on my nerves.

Still I must praise Loeb for giving such a great profile to Huntress. Another vigilante who gets along with Batman, like oil gets along with water. He portrayed her excellently , the fighter she is and how she will still do the right thing, no matter how badly she is treated by others.

Still I would recommend this book to Batman fans and collectors. Jim Lee's art work is worth every penny.

Just a good comic book
The art of Lee is nice like all his work men strong, women hot. I can't deny that, however, his Joker is the worst I've ever seen. But the story, well... maybe it would be great in 1 or 2 issues, but not twelve!!!! I think is sucessfull because Loeb know how to write the last page of each issue to keep you waiting for the next, but in two or three years when people can get the book all together, it would be forgotten. Batman look sometimes like a cyborg, sometimes like a fool, sometimes like the bad guy, but never like the DETECTIVE that he is. If you want a really great Batman's story read anything that Frank Miller had wrote. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Its nice to see a more realistic Marvel Universe!
Well this book was good, but Volume 1: The Tomorrow People was better. This book introduces many new and important character's to the Ultimate Marvel Universe, Including Juggernaut, Nightcrawler, Rogue, Sabertooth, and Nick Fury. The story tells of the Weapon X program kidnapping and basically enslaving the X-men and their leader, Professor Charles Xavier. The X-men are forced to do everything that Professor Xavier has tought them is wrong. Using tiny explosive chips planted into each of the X-men's heads, they are forced to do as they are told, or else KABLOOEE! I also like the fact that the whole Cytorak, or whatever its called, crystal was not included. Some of you may not understand, but taking out things like that make the story less confusing and more realistic. The day Marvel start incorporating things like "magic crystals" and such into the Ultimate Universe, is the day I stop reading them. I have come to expect a level of "realism" from these books. Anyway, this book also hints at the future creation of the Ultimates (the Ultimate Universe's version of the Avengers).

A bit inferior to the traditional Weapon-X story
"Return to Weapon X" is the 2nd trade paperback in the Ultimate X-Men series from Marvel, and covers Ultimate X-Men issues 7-12. This book features the popular "Weapon-X" storyline from the traditional X-men comics, with some drastic changes. Purists of the X-Men will probably be very upset, and those that are relatively new to the X-Men (like myself), will be a bit let down. The new Weapon-X storyline that writer Mark Millar has decided to create is just not as good as the original. "Weapon-X" was one of the main sagas in X-Men, if not all of the Marvel Universe. I didn't read X-Men, but I can remember the excitement surrounding this storyline and how much it made me want to start reading X-comics. Millar's version of it is rather boring, and there is too much of a focus on the other mutants rather than how Weapon-X relates to Wolverine. Wolverine's past is explored much more in later issues of "Ultimate," and I feel it was just a bit too soon in this new series to explore it. It all leads up to an anti-climatic finish with some rather large holes that don't make much sense.

The storyline is written by Mark Millar and most of it is pencilled by Adam Kubert, who has done a decent job with the X-Men in my opinion. While it's not the best storyline featured in Ultimate X-Men, I would recommend anyone who enjoys the series to pick it up, but I would encourgae you to start with the first book "The Tomorrow People" and reading the series in order. If you have a limited budget though and can't purchase all the books, you won't really be missing much by skipping this one.

great followup
What we have here is a great follow up to vol one of the Ultimate X-Men. We introduce more characters and get this new take on the Weapon X story. Well done story at that. Still gets high marks for art and character.

If you like X2, you'll like this.
Ultimate X-Men: Return to Weapon X is the second story arc of Ulitmate X-Men. The story starts as the terrorist group, Weapon X, kidnaps the teleporter Nightcrawler and forces him to work along with other mutant victims Rogue and Juggarnaut (who has a strange, new costume.) A few weeks later, Cyclops, Storm, and Colossus are in Tokyo being interviewed on a talk show. Following orders, Rogue secretly absorbs Colossus's memories and leads Weapon X to the Xavier Institute. The X-Men are abducted and forced to be Weapon X agents. This graphic novel is obviously what X2: X-Men United was based on. There are many similarties like Weapon X creating a Cerebro copy, Iceman visting his parents, and the X-Men teaming up with the Brotherhood of Mutants. The only bad thing about this book is the characters. Jaggurnaut was pulled out from out of nowhere and had no connection with the proffesor. Sabretooth is still a volunter agent for Weapon X, but has an adamantium skeleton along with eight claws. I have many more small examples, but these two are the most noticable.

The Weapon-X Program "recruits" the X-Men
Despite the title and the cover art for this second trade paperback volume in the "Ultimate X-Men" series (collecting issues 7-12), "Return to Weapon X" does not focus on the character of Wolverine. True, he is a key part of the solution for the predicament our Merry Mutants have found themselves in this time around, but Weapon X is now a big time secret government program run under the auspices of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Nick Fury that has a rather impressive little roster of mutants in its service: Juggernaut, Rogue, Nightcrawler, and Sabertooth. Think of them as the government's answer to the X-Men and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, and that pretty much accounts for all of the mutants belonging to groups at this point in the series.

Despite being on a first name basis with the President of the United States, Xavier's School for Gifted Children is hit by Colonel Wraith and his shock troops, both human and mutant. Now Cyclops, Marvel Girl, and the others will serve the greater good and help the government fight fire with fire (the only good mutant is a mutant with a neural implant). Of course, since this is a comic book, the person in charge of this government program is psychotic and perfectly willing to do anything to do anything to get the job done (or did I mention already that Wraith was in charge?). The main part of the story arc has to do with the X-Men regaining their freedom, but this is also mixed up with Wolverine's search for his past and Nick Fury's search for an illegal genetic operation violating the Superhuman Test-Ban Treaty.

I think that one of the main strengths of the Ultimate comic books is that they emphasize story arcs that take multiple issues (six in this case) so that a dozen issues into the series we have only dealt with two major stories instead of a self-contained episode with a new villain every single month. This should help the well from running dry too quickly. Writer Mark Millar along with Penciller Adam Kubert (with Tom Raney & Tom Derenick) and Inker Art Thibert (with Scott Hanna, Joe Kubert, Danny Miki, & Lary Stucker) are having fun tweaking the "original" X-Men stories and creating some new dynamics (e.g., Storm is interested in Hank McCoy, Nightcrawler does not speak English) so I think that those who have been reading the X-Men since issue #1 of "The Uncanny X-Men" (or issue #1 of "The Giant-Size X-Men") will enjoy the differences more than neophytes and appreciate the way key stories resonant (e.g., Jean Grey is Marvel Girl and not Phoenix when she steps over the line this time around).

"Return to Weapon X" is not as good as the first volume in the series, but it is hard to compete with Magneto when you talking about the X-Men, whichever version of the group is involved. Millar's story is certainly complex enough and you can see all sorts of things being set up for down the road. As long as you are not offended by the very existence of the series, you should find "Ultimate X-Men" or any of the other titles in the Marvel series to be at least entertaining and quite possibility compelling. At the very least, you should be able to appreciate the tweaking. ... Read more

Book Description

Collecting Ultimate X-Men #34-39. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

the hunt is on
i thoguht that the story in this graphic novel was exceptionally good. it starts out in a bar with logan eating and a women walks in acting she is like a fan of him and the x-men. when she leaves the diner he is in takes heavy fire and he is seriously wounded. he then goes to the house of peter parker and hides there until he is healed. he learns that people from weapon x are looking to kill him with new equipment. there are also appearences by spider-man and daredevil. the artwork in this novel is also very good and there are some funny parts to the story. this one probably has the most action and wolverine dies, don't worry he comes back like a page later.

Fair but could have been much better
it was a fair story story though from the cover i expected more daredevil than the little we seen, he never even gets to do more than throw his stick a couple of times, spidey kind of leaves before the end of the story too.

at least for once bendis didn't skip the action, in fact it's pretty much nothing but action from the third page where wolvie gets blasted.

spidey is played a little too dumb here i think, yeah i know he's a rookie but DD or wolvie are having to get him out of harms way a lot and he does not listen well.

fair read and I have skipped the rest of the ultimate x-men since i don't care a bit about them after having read the first 26 issues and dropping the book, seeing them coem in near the end showed me why, oh well i still have the trades coming out of the older claremont x-men to fall back on :

Somebody is seriously hunting down Logan to kill him dead
Wow. There have been lots of changes in the Ultimate version of the Marvel Universe, but one constant has been the back story on Wolverine. He remains a mutant with extraordinary healing capabilities and claws popping out of his hands whose skeleton has been coated with the unbreakable metal adamantium by a covert military group called Weapon X. In the process of creating the ultimate living weapon they also wiped clean his memory. Once known as Logan he is now called Wolverine and has been trying to be a member of the X-Men.

But now two things have happened. First, Professor X has discovered a wedding ring that belonged to Wolverine in the government's Weapon X files. The ring bears the inscription: "To James, with all my love." This leads us to wonder if James is Wolverine's real name and who was he married to? Second, since his feelings for Jean Grey led him to leave Cyclops behind on a mission to die, he has left Charles Xavier's school. When "Ultimate X-Men Volume 7: Blockbuster" begins Wolverine is just trying to enjoy a cup of coffee and a sandwich. That is before a hail of automatic gunfire rips him to shreds.

"Blockbuster" collects together issues #34-39 of "Ultimate X-Men," written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by David Finch. The story arc follows the pursuit of Wolverine by a strange strike force armed with sophisticated military technology that includes a way of tracking Logan and adamantium bullets. Unwilling to ask the X-Men for help after the initial assault Logan ends up hiding out in the basement of none other than Peter Parker. When the battle moves to Hell's Kitchen that means not only Spider-Man but now Daredevil is also involved in Wolverine's problems. Eventually Nick Fury and Shield as well as Professor X and the X-Men become involved as some more clues regarding Logan's past are revealed.

Throughout this storyline Bendis and Finch take full advantage of Wolverine's powers of recuperation to really put him through the wringer. This is especially true of Chapter 3, that begins with Logan being driven through a series of buildings by a rocket and reaches a crescendo when he has an up close and personal encounter with the psychotic blonde heading the team that is trying to kill him. She clearly knows who he is but Logan has no memory of her whatsoever and if you think this might be the woman who gave him that wedding ring you will not be alone.

Although this is a very personal storyline in terms of Wolverine there are significant implications for the X-Men as well. Bendis continues to expand the idea of mutants being a divisive political problem as the modern equivalent of the slavery issue while the X-Men's role in the "real" world continues to be restricted by the order of the government. But more importantly, in the short-term, it is not Wolverine but another X-Men who takes a fateful step over the line.

With "Blockbuster" we basically have a giant chase story. These people are out to get Wolverine and to take him down hard. Throughout the entire story they are chasing him, but there are also times when he is trying to turn the tables on them as well. The appearances by both Spider-Man and Daredevil are well integrated into the story and as much as this is an action driven story there are plenty of character driven moments; the exchanges between Wolverine and Spider-Man are especially good, but those between Logan and Xavier are clearly more important. Consequently, "Blockbuster" lives up to its title because it not only stands on its own as a great action story but because it advances a couple of key plotlines for "Ultimate X-Men." To be continued... ... Read more

Reviews (7)

still going strong
This contains New X-Men #21-25. And it is still going strong. The story is well written with great characters. The art is a little spotty here, but it is such a great story that that can be forgiven.

Just plain good X-reading!!!
I have enjoyed the Ultimate X-Men title as a reader of the Graphic Novels only. I started with the first two books in paperback form, but after this edition of books 3 and 4 in Hardcover I wouldnt buy or recommend anything else! In fact, if I could I would buy the first Hardcover edition of the series.

The book itself is beautifully made and very sturdy. Not to mention looking pretty good on a bookcase. And it's just really cool to have so many pages of good reading in one place.

The stories themselves are pretty good two. Mark Millar's writing page by page (as opposed to just the plot) is really bloody good and I'm getting more into the characters that aren't Wolverine more than ever before. The artwork is mostly good tho I wish Andy Kubert would have done more issues.

Needless to say it was a page-turner and tho I'm not an age-old fan who was dissapointed with the Phoenix intro - I was a fan from the start of the second X-Men series and I really like the return to just plain adventure stories with a writer who has the courage to mix everything up (for the better). And also, in combination with the previous Hardcover (or Vols 1 & 2 of the Trade Paperback) it's a great read for any new readers.

This book destroyed the Phoenix Saga!
The Phoenix saga is in my opinion in the top 3 most important events in any X-men incarnation. This story is SOO good, that it has become one of a few storylines that is and forever will be in every X-men incarnation (of course the incarnation would have to have Jean Grey in it). Unfortunatley this book makes a mockary of the Phoenix saga. First off, the Phoenix is a god is immense power, no change there. But the thing that [...] me off is how easily Xavier managed to stop Jean(Dark Phoenix). As I recall, the original Phoenix saga lasted many issues, this book turns it into like 5 pages. Dark Phoenix is made into a wuss. I dont care how strond Xavier is, he cannot stop the Dark Phoenix in 5 minutes, OK! This book took one of my favorite characters, spat on it, crapped on it, pee'd on it, buried it alive and fed it to the dogs. I hope that the phoenix will be better percieved in future stories. Other than that, it was a pretty good book... hehe...

The Phoenix Saga Begins...
Story: I loved the story of the fourth Ultimate X-Men story arc. Although it is rushed into only five issues (with the final a double-length), it is one of the best. The novel starts innocently enough: Kitty Pryde joins the X-Men. But soon Jean begins to see terrible visions of the Phoenix. It is revealed Jean has been chosen to be the host of the Phoenix Force. Meanwhile, Cyclops and Wolverine (who earlier tried to kill each other) journey to the Savage Land to fight a computer being only to find Shadowcat is tagging along. I like the idea that the Hellfire Club funds Xavier's operation. The ending is horrible though.

Art: Ya' have to love the art style of issus 21, 22, and 25. But Kaare Andrews art in issues 23 and 24 almost made me gag. It looks like rejected material from a G-rated animated movie. This is probably the only reason this book is rated 5 stars.

Character: Like most of this book, the best of the best. The X-Men's attitudes are much better than theirs in "World Tour" where they seemed addicted to killing. Cyclops and Wolverine got more aggresive than ever when they tried to murder each other. The conflict between Beast and Storm is great, especially when Beast is responsible for Magneto's return at the end. What Iceman does when the whole world is expecting him to blame Xavier for his concusion is great. Ultimate Shadowcat's personality is the same as the old, but it's still great. The new Brotherhood is very daring and stupid, and Sabretooth, Taod, Jagguranut, and Rogue have all left. I don't really get what's with this Prosimian person though- good thing Magneto kills him off.

Although this book is not good for people that do not know mch about the Phoenix Saga, it is a good read for fanatics.

The Ph
This volume captures several interesting stories of the Ultimate X-Men series, and paved the way for more anticipated action for future issues. The introduction of Shadowcat, Cyclops and Wolverine at the Savage Land, the ambush at the Hellfire Club (which was done with great tribute to the Dark Phoenix saga), the manifestation of Phoenix, the return of Magneto, etc. you get them all in this volume. Once again, excellent art work on the Ultimate X-Men series. I'd love to see a better rendition on the Phoenix manifestation part, but I'm inclined to believe there'll be more to come after the Magneto return saga. Too bad we didn't see the rest of the Hellfire Club members, and Sebastian Shaw's showtime was drasticially cut. Nevertheless, still a great read. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Book Description

Darth Vader wants Luke Skywalker -- alive. Prince Xizor, the largest trader in the galaxy, wants Skywalker dead. And Skywalker, along with Leia, Chewbacca, and the droids, have a goal of their own: rescue Han Solo. But Solo has been encased in carbonite and taken by the most notorious mercenary in the galaxy, Boba Fett, who intends to deliver him to Jabba the Hutt. It's a clash of good against evil, of right against wrong, and it comes to a head in the Shadows of the Empire . . . Featuring all your favorite characters from the Star Wars motion picture trilogy and a score of new ones, Shadows of the Empire is everything a Star Wars fan could hope for. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Excellent novel. Definetly worthy of Star Wars universe
This book deals with all that happens between "Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi." One of the main charactures is Prince Xixor. He seems to be another of the Emperor's cronies. Like Darth Vader. Han Solo is frozen in carbonite. Leia and Luke are trying to find him and bring him back to "the land of the living." Anyone who enjoys watching the movies and reading the books should read this book without delay.

Many will read this and not put it down until they're done!
All right, Star Wars fans! You waited for the story of what REALLY happened between the Movies (Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi) and now you got it! Wondering "How did Luke all of a sudden become a Jedi Knight in Return of the Jedi?"? Or maybe "When did the second Death Star start?"? Well, here it is! And if you liked the game... You'll LOVE the book! Han Solo is frozen in Carbonite... Luke Skywalker is becoming a Jedi... And the Empire has the alliance in their grasp! What will happen? The suspense is endless. The battles in this book go into so much detail, you'd swear you were actually there! Pick it up... YOU WON'T PUT IT DOWN! The best Star Wars book to date! Experience Shadows of the Empire!

Luke takes out Vader Enemy
This is a review of Shadow of the Empire which is available as a hard cover book of 340 (ISBN 0553574132) pages, a comic (isbn 1569711836), a novelization of 176 pages (isbn 044013036) and audio cassette (isbn 0553100890). This story tales places between ESB and ROTJ. I always felt it was one of the more important stories of the Expanded Universe given that Xizor became an action figure as did Dash Render and his ship (Outrider). The whole gang is in this one even Han, though is encased in carbonite. We get Vader, the emperor, Fett, Guri, Boosk, 4-Lom, Jabba, Zuckuss and Wedge along with the regular gang of heroes.

Apparently Dark horse did have available any pictures of Lando or Leia because the artists did a lousy job of drawing them. Most of the time Luke was OK, but sometimes he looked like Jessica Lynch. They did do a great job drawing Fett, Vader and dash however.

Everyone is searching for Han, but he has not be taken directly to Jabba. Xizor has risen to lead Black Sun which has thrived since Darth Maul wiped out the old leadership. His newest ambition is to replace Vader as #2 in the empire. Xizor orders Luke killed knowing that Vader wants him alive. Then Xizor captured Leia.

This is one of my favorite of all the EU stories. Steve Perry has created a new and exciting Journey. The novel is 4 stars and the comic is 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. Considering that Dark horse released this in 1997 before some of their awesome new production techniques, this is a very well done comic. The abridged audio cassette is good quality, but at on 2 ½ hours to much is cut.

Not too bad
As with so much of Star Wars, you pretty much have to read the book it ties into to get it all. The effort on LucasFilm's part was overall admirable, although the problem remains when you have large numbersof people who don't read both genres of comic book and novel.

The highlights here are the scenes with Boba Fett and the bounty hunters. The main character material seems almost as filler tie-ins and even the art seems to lax a bit in those categories.

The pencils are good for the most part, while the coloring tends to vary. I've not too fond of Cary Porter's coloring, as it tends to be unrealisting and not dramatic at times. Once again, these flaws tend to be more visible in the 'main-character' plotline.

Buy it if you want some nice Bounty Hunter interaction and the like.

Intersting filler-in for the novel
Whereas the Shadows of the Empire novel was focused on the normal character, the Rebels and Vader and the new Xizor, the comic's point of view is mainly that of the scum of the galaxy, the bounty hunters and Jabba and his goons. That is where it makes its biggest mistake -- it can't stand alone.

It's laudible that they tried to give an alternate perspective in the comic so fans wouldn't feel like they were just rereading the novel, but on the other hand it doesn't make sense unless you've read the book. Characters just show up and aren't explained, and events that are quite big in the story can't be emphasized enough in the comic due to space restraints. It would have been a much better idea to instead of paralleling the novel, to adapt it entirely to comic form, plus add the bounty hunter stuff.

The art was mixed. The droids, Fett, Vader and most of the bounty hunters looked good, but the more humaniform characters looked messed up and unrecognizable. Leia and Lando in particular looked bad, Dash was strange, and Xizor looked horrible; he wasn't even consistent from panel to panel.

Fortunately, the locations were pretty good, but where this comic shined were the spacefights, dogfights which would do a Rogue Squadron comic proud. There was some interesting use of tactics, all the ships were drawn very well, and the lighting effects and engine glow were very good.

Fett was another problem in this book. He talked too much. We already know he's one of those silent but deadly guys; why authors feel the need to have him give corny one-liners, talk to himself and gloat to his enemies is beyond me. The dialogue throughout the comic was decent, but there were quite a few corny or unecessary lines.

A last note -- this comic was released before it was quite established exactly what bothans looked like, so they are kind of messed up looking.

As a companion for the novel, this comic worked fine, but as a stand-alone piece, it is below par. If you like Star Wars, or if you're a big Shadows fan, then I recommend this one. If not, don't bother. ... Read more

Book Description

For 25 years, fans have wondered about the Clone Wars. With the release of Episode II, audiences witnessed the events that started that epic conflict. Starting this year, LucasBooks is chronicling these historic events through comics, adult novels, middle grade fiction, audio books, short stories, and more - revealing the all-important events that occur between Episodes II and III in preparation for the latter's release in 2005. This volume collects the first issues of Dark Horse's ongoing Star Wars: Republic comic book that chronicle the Clone Wars, starting with issue #50. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

5 Stories providing key details about the Clone Wars.
This is a review of Dark horse TPB Star wars Clone Wars Volume 1 The Defense of Kamino (CW-DOK) and other tales. It collects Republic series 49 and 50 plus Jedi Mace Windu. It takes place 1 TO 3 months after the battle of Geonosis but before the excellent novel SHATTERPOINT, year -21 BNH on the timeline.

It was amazing to read this comic jus a couple days after finishing Shatterpoint. The coordination between Dark horse and Del Rey is a thrilling thing. After the hideous results of NJO the whole Expanded universe prequel effort is spine chillingly amazing!

Story one Sacrific. This story takes place 1 month after the battle of Geonosis and is another glorious effort from the team of Ostrander and Duursema. This story includes Zenex, who is of the same race as Xizor, future head of black sun. We also see Aalya Secura as a jedi after her trials and tribulations earlier and her master Quinlan Vos, a favorite of my son and I. The story and artwork are superior. The decision as to coloring is puzzling, as it seems to mute and darken the whole visual effect. And why color the light sabers in predominant white with only a hue of color around the energy blade? Dooku and our buddy Sidious are of course in this story.

Story 2 The Defense of Kamino is broken up into 3 tales.

Tales A. Brothers in Arms. Good story with impressive artwork and awesome coloring. The coloring is still done as if in a dark atmosphere, but the inker Parsons was created a richer for satisfying visual look than we saw in story one. The pencil work by Duursema is awesome as usual, and the drawings of Ben and Anakin are perfect.

Tale B Jango's Legacy is very good, but I have one negative comment. Duursema must not have given Thompson the pictures of what Ben and Anakin look like because he didn't do a very good job. Stephen, you got to be more careful when drawing someone that everyone knows. Good job otherwise.

Tales C. No End in Sight. This has an awesome space battle that is a visual marvel on all levels.

Story 3. Schism. Features Windu and is another masterful job by Ostrander - Duursema and Parsons.

ONE OF MY PET PEEVES HAS BEEN THE BINDING PROBLEMS WITH THE COMICS MADE IN CHINA. THIS ONE HAS SEEN SOME ABUSE ALREADY AND IT IS NOT FALLING APART IN MY HANDS.

This story here ties into the movies and other comic so well and, with only minor complaints, is a visual marvel, is it OK to mention the enemy?, that I am awarding this comic SOMETHING I RARELY DO... 5 STARS.

Excellent artwork, good stories, definitely worth getting
I highly recommend this trade paperback collection. It contains some of the best Star Wars comics to come out in a long time.

As mentioned above, it contains Star Wars: Republic #49 and #50 (a double issue), as well as Jedi: Mace Windu (which was also a double issue). These were the first Clone Wars comics that Dark Horse published.

The artwork is really outstanding. Star Wars fans are really in for a treat thanks to Jan Duuresma, an exceptional artist who draws the characters really well, and also delivers exciting, dynamic action sequences. The coloring is also very good in these issues.

The stories are set after Attack of the Clones, which is great because we are seeing the Clone Wars unfold in real time. The consequences of the Battle of Geonosis are being seen throughout the galaxy. As Count Dooku said, "This battle is far from over. This is just the beginning."

The characters are handled well. Anakin and Obi-Wan make appearances, and Mace Windu gets the spotlight as he tries to deal with Jedi Knights who have had it with the Republic. In addition, the new female Dark Jedi, Asajj Ventress, appears in this collection. She will be appearing in the upcoming Clone Wars cartoon. You also get to see the first appearance of the ARC troopers, a new version of the clones.

This is a great beginning to the Clone Wars and I look forward to future installments. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

The Ultimate Spider-Man's first encounters with the Kingpin
There are some noted examples of a writer coming in and revitalizing a comic book by tinkering with the fundamental nature of the character, as Alan Moore did with "The Swamp Thing" and Frank Miller accomplished with "Daredevil." But starting from scratch, as Marvel is attempting with "Ultimate Spider-Man" is a much rarer attempt (e.g., John Byrne starting over with Superman). However, writer Brian Michael Bendis is well aware of the high stakes game he is playing and through this second trade paperback collection of comic book stories ("Ultimate Spider-Man" issues 8-13) the results are quite admirable.

At first glance the obvious intent here is to condense the story of Spider-Man. In what we know consider Volume 1 of "The Amazing Spider-Man" Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. the Kingpin, does not show up until issue #50 (and really did not become the monolithic New York City crime boss until Miller worked the character into "Daredevil"). Here he catches Peter Parker's attention in issue #8 and it is Spider-Man's attempt to bring down the secretive crime lord that creates the story arc of this collection. This means that we get to avoid the Terrible Tinkerer and other abominations from the early years of Spider-Man under Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. On the Peter Parker side of the equation we pass Betty Bryant and Gwen Stacy and go immediately to Mary Jane Watson.

The theme of these stories is that Spider-Man, who is in point of fact almost sixteen years old, is in way over his head as a superhero. The Kingpin proves this by taking about a half dozen pages to defeat Spider-Man and toss his unconscious body out the window. Spider-Man's early attempts at crime fighter are so inept that he actually contributes to the idea that Spider-Man is a criminal, making it easy for J. Jonah Jameson to trash the hero in "The Daily Bugle." In the end it is as much Peter Parker as his alter-ego that scores an initial, tentative victory over the Kingpin; plus Spider-Man's verbal battle with the Kingpin is a minor comic (as in comedic not as in book) gem.

But Bendis is interested in doing more than creating a more streamlined version of the story of Spider-Man. In the final issue of this collection he unveils a radical change in the whole secret identity part of the character's dynamic. It will be interesting to see how this plays out (especially since it kills one of the my all-time favorite scenes from the original "Amazing Spider-Man"), but I have to admit I appreciate the character's motivation for doing so. The Spider-Man story is enough of a soap opera without resorting to the more inane traditional elements of the genre. All in all, this is a first rate retelling of the tale, enjoyable both by those who are well versed in the character and those who come to this series in the wake of the blockbuster film.

The pencils of Mark Bagley and inks of Art Thibert create a unique artistic interpretation of Spider-Man (think Titian inked by Todd McFarlane) and Peter Parker (whose can match Mary Jane strand for strand for hair in the face). I am not sure if the credit goes to the writer or the artists, but bonus points for having the saved new and improved Electro from having to wear one of the worst costumes in the history of comic books.

SPIDERMAN DONE RIGHT!
If you're a long time fan of the Amazing Spiderman comics, if you're a new reader, or if you're just curious about this character before the Sam Raimi film hits on May 3, 2002...THEN THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU.

Brian Michael Bendis is the best thing to happen to Spiderman since Stan Lee and John Romita. He's got a firm grip on the character and successfully manages to put a 21st century spin on things so both old and new fans can equally enjoy. Peter Parker is portrayed even more realistically here than he was in the classic run of the original title. Here's a hero with worries, problems, goof-ups, and oh yeah...superpowers.

The first Ultimate Spiderman collection "Power and Responsibility" is arguably one of the Top 5 story collections in Spidey history. With "Learning Cruve" Bendis proves that he is not going to have a sophomore jinx.

This collection of stories from the Ultimate Spiderman comic series covers issues 8-13. Inside we're treated to: Peter still struggling with his powers and his new role as a hero, Spiderman's clash with the Kingpin, an Ultimate spin on J.J. Jameson and the staff of the Daily Bugle, and revamped characters of The Enforcers and Electro.

There is no way to give the story justice in a review. You need to read and enjoy Learning Curve like any Spiderman fan should...with a smile on your face!

The most consistently well-written comic today
"Learning Curve" is the second volume of Ultimate Spider-man. Ultimate Spider-man is Marvel's seperate brand of comics that, in a sense, are "new", seperated from 42 years of continuous storytelling. The idea is that any new reader would be hopeless trying to read modern comics since they can't first go back and read the 1000+ issues that proceeded it. So Ultimate Spider-man takes a familiar hero, Spider-man, and starts him from the beginning; a whole new story for readers to enjoy.

What is amazing about this series is that it has caught on not just with new readers, but with long-time comic fans. This is because not only does it have clean, accessible art, wholesome writing, and completely accessible and fun dialouge, but it features a "truer" version of Spider-man than the one in the regular comic. In the "Amazing Spider-man" comic, Peter Parker is married, has a job, nothing very interesting for comic readers. In Ultimate Spider-man, he is still 16, still in high school, still struggling to balance a girlfriend, classes, internship, all while putting in swingtime as the misunderstood webslinger.

This collection, number two in the series (I recommend getting number one first), features Spider-man's battle with the Kingpin. The story is chock full of intelligence, with things going on as they would in the real world. No comic book death traps, no silly villians. The final battle with the Kingpin is not only well-written, it is one of the funniest scenes I've ever seen in a comic book. And the final chapter features a great moment in the very real and heartfelt relationship between Peter and Mary Jane, a relationship that gets more real and more interesting with each succeeding chapter.

Buy this book, hell, buy the hardcover with volumes one and two if you can find it. It's worth reading, and it'll be worth taking off your shelf in years to come. Good for kids and adults.

Loved it!
If you're collecting this series, this is a good one! I enjoyed it. Still, if you're starting there's a limited hardcover with the whole series its 1000 pages! That's the one I wanted my friend has it but getting them one by one is good too.

this one was ok
This one was okay, it was fun going from page to page with spidy and the art work was wonderful, except for the first two pages ... Read more

Book Description

Few have made an impression on the comic book industry quite like John Byrne, from his legendary run on the X-Men to his ground-breaking Superman: The Man of Steel. When he took over Fantastic Four in 1981, the First Family was never the same. With riveting stories and cinematic storytelling, Byrne's run on the Fantastic Four redefined the characters themselves. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Byrne's real hallmark FF work was later...
The Fantastic Four were a major part of my comic collection growing up, and I remember how much I enjoyed John Byrne's run on the FF in the early 80s. Buying this book was part of my ongoing effort to collect some of the best stories I remember from my years collecting comics to share with my two sons. I really do feel that this time period was the golden age of comics, and I want my boys to see these stories along with standards-bearers like the Daredevil-Elektra and Dark Phoenix tales.

Unfortunately, I'd forgotten that the first few issues of Byrne's second FF run were really a set up to what follows. With the possible exception of issue #236's Dr. Doom tale, they were largely the kind of stories that filled a comic between longer epics, with less substance. As a result, what you really have in this book is a series of short vignettes spanning one, perhaps two issues. Most pay homage to the history of the Fantastic Four, which is great, and Byrne's illustration is as excellent as usual. In the end, I would've purchased this reprinting anyway, but the great stories - including the amazing Galactus tale and the Gladiator/X-men story of issue #250 - happen later in the run, which I believe is being released in July.

Byrne's Legendary FF Run Starts Here!
When I was in Grade School, every kid I knew collected Comic Books. We would all get together every Friday in the Lunchroom and swap Comics, try to get each other to try different books, etc. I remember the excitement that we all felt when the first issue of John Byrne's Fantastic Four came out....the feeling of greatness that we all got when we read it. Everyone agreed that there would be no passing this book around- we'd all have to get our own copy every month.

So, with a real feeling of nostalgia, I picked up Volume One of Fantastic Four Visionaries. The stories hold up amazingly well, even after Twenty years. Byrne doesn't do a flashy overhaul of The FF (Like he did with DC's Superman..); he simply returns the group to their most basic element: They are not a Super-Hero group. They are a FAMILY, and Byrne, for the first time since the Lee/Kirby run, has them ACT like one. They bicker. They squabble. They tease each other, but they do it with love. When one is in trouble, the others rush in to help. They have more at stake when they're in a battle than the fate of The Earth: They have to worry about the Family members they're fighting alongside.

The stories in this volume are really just warm-ups for the stories that will (Hopefully!) be included in Volume II. The FF runs into Alchemical creatures sent by Diablo; Johnny (The Human Torch) Storm tries to clear the name of a dead man; The Earth is saved by the most powerful man in the World, while The FF are battling The Living Planet, Ego. A strange alien is coerced by winos (!) into helping them rob Banks. The FF welcome a new member, and help the Inhumans relocate to the Moon. Most importantly, they have their fondest wish granted by their greatest enemy: Dr. Doom. This story is perhaps the most poignant FF story ever. The emotions that Byrne imbues the characters with in this story are totally believable. The only beef that I have with the book is this: It would have been nice if Marvel had re-mastered the color. (And Byrne's stories are too wordy!! But that's just a small quibble.)

Fans of The World's Greatest Comic Magazine will love this book!

Only the beginning...again!
I've always loved the Fantastic Four. To me they represent the very best of what the Marvel Comic universe is all about. Created by the legendary duo of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the Fantastic Four formed a thematic bridge between the Timely Comics era of B-movie style sci-fi/horror and the Sixties superheroics of the Marvel Age. They were pulp adventurers fighting aliens and subterranean monsters -- but with superpowers. They didn't even wear costumes in the their debut issue! Lee and Kirby did their best work on the book, introducing characters like Doctor Doom, the Inhumans, Galactus and the Silver Surfer to name just a few.

After Kirby left the art chores on the book and Lee later stopped writing, The Fantastic Four took a long (decades long), slow slide into complete generic mediocrity. In 1981 long-time comics fan-turned-pro John Byrne, hot off a pencilling stint on the ascendant Uncanny X-Men, decided to try his hand at his old favorites...The Fantastic Four. This was made more interesting by the fact that he intended to write and draw each monthly issue alone, with only a letterer and colorist assisting. Although he was a top young talent at the time, not many people believed he would keep a monthly schedule, let alone make the book interesting enough to read. But Byrne had a plan...

"Fantastic Four Visionaries: John Byrne" collects the first eight issues of his triumphant five-year run on the book, and highlights Phase One of the Byrne FF Plan: Get Back to the Basics. For his first several issues of there's not even a visual cue that the book isn't set in the Sixties; the street clothes, dialog, art -- even the coloring! -- is straight out of the Lee/Kirby days. In effect, it's retro yet so bereft of irony that it's classic! These issues are a love letter to the days when the book was great and also a little work therapy to get Byrne (and the book) in fighting trim for the real battle: returning the Fantastic Four to it's rightful spot as "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine". The pinnacle of this phase is the return of Doctor Doom in Byrne's now-classic 20th anniversary story, "Terror in a Tiny Town".

Byrne's sixth issue marks the beginning of Phase Two: Shake Down the Status Quo. After declaring that he's finally found a cure for Ben Grimm's disfiguring transformation into The Thing, the stretchable super-genius Reed Richards proceeds to screw him up even worse -- and permanently -- by 'devolving' Grimm back to the even uglier lumpy orange oatmeal look that he had immediately after his initial cosmic ray accident. Then the Inhumans are forced to move their entire homeland, to the Moon to escape death from the pollutants in Earth's atmosphere. Oh, and Johnny Storm's shy girlfriend turns out to have flame powers almost as powerful as his own!

My singular complaint with collection is that it ends just when Byrne is hitting his stride on the book and just before Phase Three of his Master Plan: Really Big Changes. Being arguably the best work of his career and definitely the best post-Lee/Kirby era for our titular heroes, I can only hope "Fantastic Four Visionaries: John Byrne, Volume 2" is coming soon!

Byrne fans won't be disappointed
If you're a fan of Byrne, these stories certainly will not disappoint you, although they could have chosen better yarns to put together in a TPB. Most of these are slightly above average -- the Ego battle, the revelation that Frankie Raye is a human torch, and the Inhumans moving Attilan to the Blue Area of the Moon -- but the others are just average. For a "Visionaries" TPB, you expect top-notch vignettes. You get it here....almost.

Fantastic Four Visionaries
I can't believe its been twenty years since this first came out. This book contains the issues #232 through 240 of FF where John Byrne assumes the roles of writer, penciller, and inker. The artwork is stunning and often reminds you of Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott at their peak. Byrne's writing is inconsistent, though. While he has a lot of interesting ideas (Thing mutation, Frankie Raye transformation, and Doctor Doom anniversary story), his ideas become overly complicated and his stories tend to become very wordy, especially in sequences where Reed tries to explain things to the rest of the group. While the Doom and Inhumans stories contained here are great, the Spinnerette and Ego tales are uninteresting (not coincidentally, these two are not part of the regular FF rogues gallery).

This is, in essence, a microcosm of John Byrne's work. Great artwork, great ideas, but wordy and complicated stories...all of which are hallmarks of his career whether it be in FF, X-Men, or Superman. If they continue the FF Byrne Visionaries sequence, the next volume will contain better stories. ... Read more

Book Description

Daredevil found new life under the pen and pencil of Frank Miller, and his vision of the Man Without Fear is highlighted in this third volume, collecting the complete run.In this collection, Daredevil once more takes on New York City's criminal underworld, angered over the prevalence of drugs in the schools.Along the way, he has to first compete against and then fight the Punisher, who has a deadlier method for dealing with pushers.

Daredevil also finds himself foiling the Kingpin of crime's latest machinations while precariously handling a crumbling relationship with Heather Glenn.

When the dangerous Hand return from Japan, Daredevil needs help but his last ally against them, Elektra, is dead.Coming to his aid is the Black Widow, an old lover, who only further complicates Daredevil's emotions. ... Read more

Reviews (41)

Excellent, an absolute must have
The highlight of Frank Miller's legendary run on Daredevil, Visionaries Volume 2 collects issues 168-182; introducing Elektra and beginning the classic saga which would lead to her death. In this collected volume, DD tangles with Turk, Sewer King, the Kingpin, and the deranged assassin Bullseye; culminating in the classic battle between Bullseye and Elektra which left her dead. Miller's cinematic style artwork and superb storytelling perfectly control the pace of the story, something that is nearly impossible to do in comics. However, while this is an essential book and all, the dialogue can be a bit cheesy and grating at times, but if you can look past that, you'll find one of the greatest stories ever to be written in comic history. If you're new to Daredevil and like this, pick up Miller's Born Again which manages to be even better than this.

From Humble Beginnings--Comic History Was Made!
Five stars for this collection of very decent Daredevil stories is more a tip of the hat to an historic moment in comic history than it is to the actual contents. Without the work of Frank Miller represented in this exact book, you would never have seen a Daredevil movie, guaranteed! For a few years before Miller took over the art chores of the Daredevil comic back in the very late 70's, it was a second tier (maybe third) Marvel title and was on the verge of imminent cancellation. The stories and villains had been so lame for so long that the book was on sale bi-monthly and was ready for the ax. That is, until Marvel gave a promising young artist named Frank Miller a shot at the title and it quickly turned into the (STILL) heavyweight champion of comics. It simply doesn't get much better than Frank Miller's work on Daredevil.
This collection features Miller as an artist rather than a writer as his own stories don't appear until Visionaries Volume 2. And what an artist. Back in the day, the gritty realism and innovative design work accentuated by the inking of Klaus Janson rocked all of us