Ultimate Spider-Man (2012 cartoon)

[Kaiolino]

Yeah, I know. Really bummed they ditched Josh Keaton though. And for Drake Bell of all people.

J.K. Simmons will reprise his movie role as JJJ, Chi McBride is Nick Fury, Clark Gregg is agent Coulson and Stephen Webber is Norman Osborn.

The show will be loosely based on the similarly named Ultimate Spider-Man comic book written by Brian Michael Bendis, who will also be a creative consultant for the cartoon. Paul Dini will be one of the writers.

More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultimat...Man_(TV_series)

[Badass SnoCone]

Drake Bell? What the hell?


...This better be good. Though, with Paul Dini as one of the writers, I'm sure it will be.

It's just, when I think Spider-Man, Drake Bell's voice isn't really the first one to come to mind.

[MasterKingJC]

Drake Bell? Come on.....

And J.K. Simmons returning as Jameson makes me interested.

[Sniper King]

I don't like the Ultimates universe of Marvel, so if this is based off of it...
Then again, it's LOOSELY based...it could be good.

[Green_vs_Red]

I don't like the Ultimates universe of Marvel, so if this is based off of it...
Then again, it's LOOSELY based...it could be good.

Given how much loose the 90's Spider-Man series was with the original source material most of the time I don't know.

[Kaiolino]

Ultimate Spider-Man was one of the best and most consistent ongoing superhero comics of the past decade.

[Md-Martin]

I loved Ultimate Spider-Man. The art was what got me and it remained consistent......for a while. I don't know how I feel about Drake Bell, seems he couldn't make it as a musician/actor now that he's grown up and is just trying for this.

[super "pet" robot]

But he was the Dragonfly man. Respect the Dragonfly, man.

[Kaboom]

Yeah, for some reason I can imagine Drake Bell doing a really good job voicing a teenage Peter/Spidey. Personally, I think he's a pretty good choice for this kind of stuff, even if he's a little over-exposed.

And Simmons playing JJJ, aaaawww yeah. Almost makes up for him not being in the new film. Almost.

[Green_vs_Red]

Yeah, for some reason I can imagine Drake Bell doing a really good job voicing a teenage Peter/Spidey. Personally, I think he's a pretty good choice for this kind of stuff, even if he's a little over-exposed.

Now ?

[pyromonki]

I just got through watching the first season of Spectacular Spiderman... and boy does this have some big shoes to fill. I've never seen such an awesome Spider-man execution in my life.

Is this show in 3d?

[RobbyBevard]

What, Spectacular Spiderman has gotten a season 3?

Oh. This is the show that killed it?

Pardon my French, but...
FUCK THIS SHOW.

Sorry, even the mighty Paul Dini has some BIG shoes to fill. The previous show was note perfect, and for all the hype it gets, the Ultimate Universe sucks in a LOT of ways now that its aged a couple years and its flaws are more apparent.

Ultimate Spider-Man was one of the best and most consistent ongoing superhero comics of the past decade.

Especially that time Peter went to Hollywood to get in on the fact they were making a movie about him and Doc Ock also showed up!

For SIX issues!

Or any of the amazing stories with Venom! Or Ultimate Deadpool being the best version of the character ever!

Yeah. no. Ultimate Spidey did a few things right, really right... but it has a laundry list of things that have gone wrong with it too.

One of the best things it did was have Peter and Kitty Pryde date. THAT was interesting and fun and a change from the old universe. And thus, it was dropped after a single arc.

[Kaiolino]

Especially that time Peter went to Hollywood to get in on the fact they were making a movie about him and Doc Ock also showed up!

For SIX issues!

Except that was just a miniscule part of the arc. The Spidey movie tie-in covered TWO issues AT MOST. And it became plot relevant later on when Spidey's own popularity sky-rocketed. The rest of the arc was Doc Ock kidnapping Spidey (good stuff), Pete's trip back home (hilarious stuff) and Gwen finding out Pete's secret identity (fantastic stuff).

Or any of the amazing stories with Venom!

You mean the one where Eddie Brock actually shares a history with Spidey and forms a close relationship with him before he becomes Venom? The Venom story that can be considered one of the best Venom-related story of all time? The one that Spectacular Spider-Man copied a lot of elements from? Yeah, that really was amazing!

Aside from that original arc, he only makes one other appearance, so I'm assuming that's the one you're talking about.

Or Ultimate Deadpool being the best version of the character ever!

Because Deadpool is such a consistent character in 616 and not at all overused and a bumbling idiot ever since the late nineties. The Ultimate Deadpool without his lovable traits and replaced with a complete racist piece of shit attitude is actually a change that makes the Ultimate universe interesting and surprising in the first place. That arc was full of Spidey/Kitty banter anyway, which greatly takes away from the bad stuff.

Yeah. no. Ultimate Spidey did a few things right, really right... but it has a laundry list of things that have gone wrong with it too.

Sure if you want to get nitpicky about it. Otherwise please tell me of a superhero comic written in the last decade that was as consistent as Ultimate Spider-Man. I'd like to read them (but not X-Factor and Brubaker's Cap stuff, already read those).

One of the best things it did was have Peter and Kitty Pryde date. THAT was interesting and fun and a change from the old universe. And thus, it was dropped after a single arc.

It was my favourite part of the entire series and I HATED the quick break-up for quite a while, but it allowed Kitty to enter darker territory later on when she was hunted down by the government and she became a much better character for it.

And Peter Parker isn't that big a difference from Peter Rasputin. One of them is more talkative than the other, but they're both superheroes, both hated by the public, both shy and somewhat awkward.

[pyromonki]

Because Deadpool is such a consistent character in 616 and not at all overused and a bumbling idiot ever since the late nineties. The Ultimate Deadpool without his lovable traits and replaced with a complete racist piece of shit attitude is actually a change that makes the Ultimate universe interesting and surprising in the first place.

That just sounds unpleasant.

[RobbyBevard]

You mean the one where Eddie Brock actually shares a history with Spidey and forms a close relationship with him before he becomes Venom? The Venom story that can be considered one of the best Venom-related story of all time? The one that Spectacular Spider-Man copied a lot of elements from? Yeah, that really was amazing!

Oh and by the way our fathers worked together on a cure for cancer and.... oh wait, monster thing!

Aside from that original arc, he only makes one other appearance, so I'm assuming that's the one you're talking about.

Anything with Carnage is a direct result of that. So all the Gwen Stacy stuff. As for the Hollywood story, I mostly remember that entire arc as something that could have easily been done in 2 issues. i only read it the once, I was NOT impressed by the story, so the details are fuzzy. I could go through my trades and break apart the highs and lows arc by arc, but I'm really not in the mood.

Ultimate Spidey's best stories are the ones with Kingpin.

The Ultimate Deadpool without his lovable traits and replaced with a complete racist piece of shit attitude is actually a change that makes the Ultimate universe interesting and surprising in the first place.

The Ultimate universe changing things to update them or make them better or take away the old campiness is the point. Fixing the broken stuff without the baggage of continuity. Breaking the stuff that already worked... Not so much.

That arc was full of Spidey/Kitty banter anyway, which greatly takes away from the bad stuff.

And if they'd stayed together past that arc I'd probably be more okay with it. Instead Peter just sort of unceremoniously breaks up with her without even telling her the second MJ says "Hi".

I gave up on Ultimate X-Men long ago, so I'll have to take your word for it.

Otherwise please tell me of a superhero comic written in the last decade that was as consistent as Ultimate Spider-Man. I'd like to read them (but not X-Factor and Brubaker's Cap stuff, already read those).

Gold Digger. Savage Dragon. Both have kept the same main writer/artist for 20 years, (Fred Perry and Eric Larsen, respectively) consistently great year in year out. Invincible is newer comparatively, but its had Kirkman writing it since the start and had a pretty consistent team and been going since 2002.

I'd even mention Spider-Girl which ALSO kept a consistent team for 100+ issues and 10 years, and more than one series, but never got the press or push of Ultimate, and is never counted for its streak on the technicality that one issue in the 30's had a different artist on it. (Even though I think they had a streak of 100 issues after that anyway, and eventually did a fill in issue to cover that gap.)

Gold Digger is especially Impressive because Fred writers, draws, letters, and colors his book every month on his own, has done a full 60 minute animation, does a second black and white book every month (sometimes Gold Digger related, sometimes not) and then sometimes does a third book in the same month. AND he does a webcomic! Man is a machine.

[Md-Martin]

I actually liked the explanation for Venom in this universe. I mean it made more sense for Eddie to be angry about Peter destroying the last thing his father worked on before death. Was it a bit irrational for him to use the remaining part of it after Peter thought he got rid of it all? Yea, but this guy that you haven't seen in years comes, steals your fathers work, tells you it corrupts you, tells you he's Spider-Man, and then wants to destroy it. I also like the explanation for why the suit worked, it was supposed to enhance the body's own features so the body could cure cancer naturally. When Spider-Man used it, it got the Spider powers.

You're right Robby, the Kingpin was awesome in Ultimate. My favorite has got to be the arc where Daredevil assembles a team to take him down. Spidey eating Pizza with the Kingpin is one of my favorite moments in the series.

Didn't like Carnage and the Gwen Stacey stuff....actually I just didn't really like Gwen in this series. I felt like her father was offed to quickly, and Gwen was just, there.

Kitty was one of my favorite things, so yea, I was mad when Peter was just like "Oh, I almost died. Love you MJ". Then they mentioned like once "Oh, did you break up with Kitty yet"? and then she just...finds out.

[Sniper King]

Because Deadpool is such a consistent character in 616 and not at all overused and a bumbling idiot ever since the late nineties. The Ultimate Deadpool without his lovable traits and replaced with a complete racist piece of shit attitude is actually a change that makes the Ultimate universe interesting and surprising in the first place. That arc was full of Spidey/Kitty banter anyway, which greatly takes away from the bad stuff.

You say that as if Deadpool has been around before the '90s...

[RobbyBevard]

Deadpool is, ironically, closer to what Spiderman is supposed to be than SPidey himself is. A wisecracker with a million one liners. That are actually funny! And talks to himself. Main universe Spidey is just so... brooding... all of the time.

[Saturn Beaver]

Drake Bell, really? Has he starred in a successful voice acting role to voice Marvel's flagship character? But well, let's just wait and see, the other casting seems cool. I agree with Robby, even for Paul Dini coming after Spectacular (who deserves every right to be called that) who got an early demise, those shoes are gigantic. In a way, it's like how no other Batman animated series after that can really surpass Batman TAS.

About the comic, it's not without its weakness, but I still like it, better than Amazing in Marvel 616. It got some weird stuff like Robby mentioned, and the whole decompression thing to fit the 'writing for the trade' mentality definitely hurts it, but it got some cool stuff in there too. Definitely my favorite title running in the Ultimate Universe, in a world full of dicks (especially the heroes, even Cap is kinda dickish) having one person who is honest-to-goodness heroic and nice is a welcome change.

Don't open if you haven't read the latest USM, issue 160:

Spoiler:

So of course, they killed him - and this being Ultimate Universe, it can last pretty damn long. I appreciate that at least he's not going down like a punk, but he's still a great character with still lots of stories to explore (J.J.J. knows his identity and is actually on his side, the whole gang in his house can go as a team to fight larger threats, his relationship with the hero's community now that he knows Cap and Iron Man personally) and is pretty much irreplaceable.

Which is why I'm a bit annoyed that they're going to replace him so quickly, sure they say that the replacement is inspired by Spidey but still...Oh, and I heard rumors that the replacement is a black guy, so finally Donald Glover can get the role if they're going to make a movie based on that.

[city_lights31]

Am I the only one with a bit of a softspot for Drake Bell? That said they totally could have got someone better for this.