Ultimate Spider-Man: And His Amazing Friends (20)

Waaay back in 1981 there was an animated television series called Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends which would have seen Spider-Man, Iceman and the Human Torch unite had it not been for legal reasons which saw the Human Torch removed and replaced by a character called Firestar. The series actually ran for about three years and became a little legendary in Marvel circles, not least because of the popularity of Firestar who was written into the mainstream Marvel universe.

Brian Michael Bendis, a brilliant author if ever there was one and one who has guided Ultimate Spider-Man for some time now, has often spoken of how he would like to bring Firestar into the Ultimate universe, though it was going to be an organic creation. In the mainstream universe Firestar is Angelica Jones, but in the Ultimate universe things are very different. The mutant-phobic Liz Allen, niece of a mutant terrorist, goes to a beach party with Johnny Storm (who is bored), Bobby Drake (who is trying to get his friendship with Kitty back again), Kitty Pryde herself, Mary Jane Watson and Kong Harlan. The last time this group met, Johnny became the Torch and freaked Liz out. This time, it is Liz who sets herself on fire and discovers that she is a mutant - worse, she is not the niece of a mutant terrorist, she is the daughter of one; and if she found out who that one was she wouldn't be over the moon about it.

Of course, as Iceman and Spider-Man attempt to calm her down (the Human Torch recalled to the Baxter Building in a bit of poor writing that seems to be required to get rid of Johnny), Magneto and the X-Men come out to show her the various options she now has in her life.

It's actually a great little three issue story that tells a wonderfully human story and features virtually no fighting at all. Magneto arrives, tells Liz she should join him, she flies off and he appears to accept that he isn't going to change her mind. Liz joins the X-Men and all is well - although Peter's secret identity is revealed to Liz and, in a rather neat little surprise that has been foreshadowed for some time, Kong reveals he has worked it out himself.

Aside from what is one of the most criminal continuity cock-ups in the Ultimate universe (seriously, how hard can it be for Bendis to call Ralph Macchio and find out who the current X-Men line up is???), Brian Michael Bendis weaves a story that includes some of the best dialogue ever in a comic. Bendis writes cracking dialogue in what is almost a Kevin Williamson style, and the various characters really come off the page.

There are two more issues included in this trade paperback - one sees the return of Omega Red as Peter has to explain why his school project with Kitty has been destroyed without revealing that it was primarily because he was fighting Red; and the other deals with the Shocker and how his life has been destroyed. This appears to be leading towards something as we get yet more references to something happening at Roxxon that nobody knows about.
A great collection of issues and one well worth obtaining.

"A"