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Ultimate Comics Spider-Man (2009) (Collected Editions)
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man, Vol. 2: Chameleons
Collects Ultimate Comics Spider-Man (2009) #7-14. Spider-Man and his amazing friends, Iceman and the Human Torch, team up to help the newly powered Rick Jones deal with the crazy changes and responsibilities that come with...power. But what side of the coin is Rick Jones on? Is this the birth of a new hero? Or the birth of an ultimate...enemy? Plus, it's the return of Spider-Woman! And guess who she totally makes out with in this issue! What? Yeah, you heard me!
163 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2010
10 people are currently reading
240 people want to read
About the author
Brian Michael Bendis
4,417 books2,569 followersA comic book writer and erstwhile artist. He has won critical acclaim (including five Eisner Awards) and is one of the most successful writers working in mainstream comics. For over eight years Bendis’s books have consistently sat in the top five best sellers on the nationwide comic and graphic novel sales charts.
Though he started as a writer and artist of independent noir fiction series, he shot to stardom as a writer of Marvel Comics' superhero books, particularly Ultimate Spider-Man.
Bendis first entered the comic world with the "Jinx" line of crime comics in 1995. This line has spawned the graphic novels Goldfish, Fire, Jinx, Torso (with Marc Andreyko), and Total Sell Out. Bendis is writing the film version of Jinx for Universal Pictures with Oscar-winner Charlize Theron attached to star and produce.
Bendis’s other projects include the Harvey, Eisner, and Eagle Award-nominated Powers (with Michael Avon Oeming) originally from Image Comics, now published by Marvel's new creator-owned imprint Icon Comics, and the Hollywood tell-all Fortune and Glory from Oni Press, both of which received an "A" from Entertainment Weekly.
Bendis is one of the premiere architects of Marvel's "Ultimate" line: comics specifically created for the new generation of comic readers. He has written every issue of Ultimate Spider-Man since its best-selling launch, and has also written for Ultimate Fantastic Four and Ultimate X-Men, as well as every issue of Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, Ultimate Origin and Ultimate Six.
Brian is currently helming a renaissance for Marvel’s AVENGERS franchise by writing both New Avengers and Mighty Avengers along with the successful ‘event’ projects House Of M, Secret War, and this summer’s Secret Invasion.
He has also previously done work on Daredevil, Alias, and The Pulse.
Though he started as a writer and artist of independent noir fiction series, he shot to stardom as a writer of Marvel Comics' superhero books, particularly Ultimate Spider-Man.
Bendis first entered the comic world with the "Jinx" line of crime comics in 1995. This line has spawned the graphic novels Goldfish, Fire, Jinx, Torso (with Marc Andreyko), and Total Sell Out. Bendis is writing the film version of Jinx for Universal Pictures with Oscar-winner Charlize Theron attached to star and produce.
Bendis’s other projects include the Harvey, Eisner, and Eagle Award-nominated Powers (with Michael Avon Oeming) originally from Image Comics, now published by Marvel's new creator-owned imprint Icon Comics, and the Hollywood tell-all Fortune and Glory from Oni Press, both of which received an "A" from Entertainment Weekly.
Bendis is one of the premiere architects of Marvel's "Ultimate" line: comics specifically created for the new generation of comic readers. He has written every issue of Ultimate Spider-Man since its best-selling launch, and has also written for Ultimate Fantastic Four and Ultimate X-Men, as well as every issue of Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, Ultimate Origin and Ultimate Six.
Brian is currently helming a renaissance for Marvel’s AVENGERS franchise by writing both New Avengers and Mighty Avengers along with the successful ‘event’ projects House Of M, Secret War, and this summer’s Secret Invasion.
He has also previously done work on Daredevil, Alias, and The Pulse.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
August 30, 2022
This was so fun omg!
So we get to see whats going on with Peter and Johnny and Bobby and whats happening to Rick Jones and the mystery of the watcher and its a fun story albeit different role for Rick and then checking in to see whats going on with Spidey and his life when he gets kidnapped by Chameleon and the drama and havoc that his life becomes and even though he maybe rescued, the public perception has changed once again and it will be a challenge for Peter and a big thing for J-cube ahead!
Ahh I loved this one! Its one of the most refreshing take on the villains and I love how Bendis made them twins here and the dynamic is so fun oh god and what it does to Peter and damages his life and the fallout will be interesting to see and also the art was great and makes for a smooth read and yeah I will definitely recommend it!!
So we get to see whats going on with Peter and Johnny and Bobby and whats happening to Rick Jones and the mystery of the watcher and its a fun story albeit different role for Rick and then checking in to see whats going on with Spidey and his life when he gets kidnapped by Chameleon and the drama and havoc that his life becomes and even though he maybe rescued, the public perception has changed once again and it will be a challenge for Peter and a big thing for J-cube ahead!
Ahh I loved this one! Its one of the most refreshing take on the villains and I love how Bendis made them twins here and the dynamic is so fun oh god and what it does to Peter and damages his life and the fallout will be interesting to see and also the art was great and makes for a smooth read and yeah I will definitely recommend it!!
March 16, 2013
Rick Jones, Serpent Squad, Spider-Woman, Kitty Pride, plus the house full of crazy kids. Wow, I didn't think Spidey's life could get any more hectic.
The treatment of mutants post-Ultimatum is a nice angle here - love to see Bendis take on prejudice and persecution without hitting us over the head with it. This feels like the natural evolution of UltimateMarvelU events, and an agonising twist for Kitty who's been through plenty, thankyouverymuch.
Bendis gets in a good lecture or three here too, which is pretty awesome - not often the comikz get to treat readers like real adults, and it's fun to face down a real strong opinion every so often.
The damage that Bendis does to Peter's life here is pretty substantial too. I'm tense just reading it, and I want to race to the end to see everything put back in its rightful place, but I'm afraid Bendis is going to challenge us further with some real consequences that stick around. Ugh.
OTOH, the joke about the hair's effect on his costume was awesome - love when the creators can make fun of themselves like this.
The treatment of mutants post-Ultimatum is a nice angle here - love to see Bendis take on prejudice and persecution without hitting us over the head with it. This feels like the natural evolution of UltimateMarvelU events, and an agonising twist for Kitty who's been through plenty, thankyouverymuch.
Bendis gets in a good lecture or three here too, which is pretty awesome - not often the comikz get to treat readers like real adults, and it's fun to face down a real strong opinion every so often.
The damage that Bendis does to Peter's life here is pretty substantial too. I'm tense just reading it, and I want to race to the end to see everything put back in its rightful place, but I'm afraid Bendis is going to challenge us further with some real consequences that stick around. Ugh.
OTOH, the joke about the hair's effect on his costume was awesome - love when the creators can make fun of themselves like this.
July 20, 2013
There's an awful lot going on in this particular collection, and not all of it worked for me. Rick Jones? Meh. Chameleons? Meh. That said, Kitty's storyline is handled very well. I suppose this reflects things going on elsewhere in the Ultimate verse. Poor Kitty, I just felt heartbroken for her. (And even more angry at Xavier for having kicked her out of his school in the first place, but that's basically a settled issue.)
Now the art... At first, I had really disliked Bagley's art. Been looking forward to when he'd leave the book, in fact. But if I'd known I'd be getting Lafuente's instead, I would have appreciated him while I had him. I really, really dislike the bargain basement Tokyopop look of Lafuente's art, which seems like such an odd and ill-suited choice for this particular book. It looks like he won't be on the next volume, though, and thank God for that.
Now the art... At first, I had really disliked Bagley's art. Been looking forward to when he'd leave the book, in fact. But if I'd known I'd be getting Lafuente's instead, I would have appreciated him while I had him. I really, really dislike the bargain basement Tokyopop look of Lafuente's art, which seems like such an odd and ill-suited choice for this particular book. It looks like he won't be on the next volume, though, and thank God for that.
August 29, 2024
I got over the art in this one and once I did, I began to really enjoy the story. As this run is winding down, I’m reminded of a few things that I don’t think will get resolved, but I’m curious to see if those things get brought up anyway. This volume was a ton of fun with Peter’s identity being revealed to what seems like just about every other character in this book now and the introduction of a couple very cool villains who bring some seriously high stakes to Peter’s actual life and quite possibly more importantly his social life. Looking forward to continuing and then finishing this run!
December 10, 2020
Definitely an improvement from the last volume.
I'm happy Bendis didn't forget about Rick Jones after Origins. After those two issues I think the Chameleons arc had pretty good pacing. And although Kitty Pryde's new costume twist was pointless I did like the twist with her powers. Lafuente even had a couple genuinely good pages and I liked how some got parallels later in the arc. It's not at all perfect and some characters are still a little iffy, but it seems like Bendis just needed some time to get back in the groove.
I'm happy Bendis didn't forget about Rick Jones after Origins. After those two issues I think the Chameleons arc had pretty good pacing. And although Kitty Pryde's new costume twist was pointless I did like the twist with her powers. Lafuente even had a couple genuinely good pages and I liked how some got parallels later in the arc. It's not at all perfect and some characters are still a little iffy, but it seems like Bendis just needed some time to get back in the groove.
February 7, 2023
(3.5) Though I think the quality of the volume is still better than before the soft reboot, I found this volume to be rather irksome. First, it starts with a brief tale that mirrors a story from before the reboot, where a peer of Spidey's discovers they have fire-abilities. It's better than the last time someone Spidey knew discovered they had fire abilities, but still frustrating to be rehashing old grounds. Then, the longer tale after that, the namesake of the volume, follows a story trope I absolutely hate, where someone chameleons as the hero and gives them a bad name, making all of the hero's friends, family, and loyalists question the hero's actions even after it's revealed to have been a shapeshifter. Tired and annoying story but at least Bendis still finds some entertainment to be milked out of the situation.
October 29, 2011
Whenever an X-Men yells "Magneto was right!", I'm always a little bit more happy than I should be.
This volume deals with a few issues. There's the Rick Jones part which is fun but shallow. Bendis seems to really like moving back and forth in time, and I don't. But, overall, the story has some good beats, with the three superteens trying to help out a confused Rick. The Kitty Pride story is better. I know I complained about how Bendis writes her (and the X-Men in general) but he makes up for it in this volume. Kitty being arresting in school for being a mutant has some heavy emotional ramifications and works a lot better than it should. Her confrontation with her friends outside her house is great (though her interaction with Iceman seems off to me, considering all they've been through together).
The chameleon story I've seen before in other mediums and having someone else run around as Spider-Man causing trouble is less interesting to me than the story wants. Another issue I have is how much Bendis likes revealing Peter's identity to people. I wonder why he even bothers writing a double life, other than making it so complicated for his characters that it's almost exhausting to read. Looking forward to the next volume with a hope for previous quality.
This volume deals with a few issues. There's the Rick Jones part which is fun but shallow. Bendis seems to really like moving back and forth in time, and I don't. But, overall, the story has some good beats, with the three superteens trying to help out a confused Rick. The Kitty Pride story is better. I know I complained about how Bendis writes her (and the X-Men in general) but he makes up for it in this volume. Kitty being arresting in school for being a mutant has some heavy emotional ramifications and works a lot better than it should. Her confrontation with her friends outside her house is great (though her interaction with Iceman seems off to me, considering all they've been through together).
The chameleon story I've seen before in other mediums and having someone else run around as Spider-Man causing trouble is less interesting to me than the story wants. Another issue I have is how much Bendis likes revealing Peter's identity to people. I wonder why he even bothers writing a double life, other than making it so complicated for his characters that it's almost exhausting to read. Looking forward to the next volume with a hope for previous quality.
October 23, 2024
Crossroad (7-8). This two-issue story is just full of Ultimizations of stuff: the Serpent Squad, Project Pegasus, Captain Marvel. And it's also nice to see Peter, Johnny, and Bobby working together. But it's also a bunch of big action scenes without a whole lot of depth, except for the new character [3+/5].
Tainted Love (9-14). An excellent introduction of Ultimate Chameleon(s) and a fun look at how they mess up Peter's life. Plus, more great character growth for Jameson after what we already got in Ultimatum. And finally, a good look at Peter's whole home crew. You couldn't ask for much more as this era sadly comes to an end. [4+/5].
Tainted Love (9-14). An excellent introduction of Ultimate Chameleon(s) and a fun look at how they mess up Peter's life. Plus, more great character growth for Jameson after what we already got in Ultimatum. And finally, a good look at Peter's whole home crew. You couldn't ask for much more as this era sadly comes to an end. [4+/5].
May 31, 2020
Ever wonder what an Ultimate version of the classic Spider-Man villain the Chameleon would be like? Ultimate Spider-Man Chameleons answers that question. In this sequel to Brian Michael Bendis' Ultimate Spider-Man The New World According To Peter Parker, Spider-Man is captured and impersonated by the Chameleon after being captured at the Daily Bugle. Brian Michael Bendis does a wonderful job at writing a great story and a fun cast of characters, and this has good artwork to compliment the story.
Story
Ultimate Spider-man Chameleons is a misleading title because Chameleons is the second story arch in the book. The first arc is Crossroads, where you have Rick Jones becoming Nova. Spider-Man, Ice Man, and the Human Torch try to figure out what is going on with Rick as they teleport across the world. Eventually, the four manage to stop a Serpent Squad heist in Project PEGASUS. The beginning mostly serves as a set up for Ultimate Doom, a crossover event in the Ultimate Universe. Then we get an Ultimate Spider-Woman comic as she stops the Bombshell from robbing a bank and flirts with the Human Torch *eye roll.* Also, Spidey gets a haircut. Next, we see Kitty Pryde go, rogue, when the government finds out she's a Mutant and tries to arrest her. Spider-Man, Ice Man, and the Human Torch try to save her before she does something wrong. Finally, we get to the Chameleons arc when the Chameleon and his sister, Camellia, abduct Peter Parker and J. Jonah Jameson. The Chameleon abducts Peter Parker while impersonating Mr. Jameson, as Mary Jane shows Ben Urich a video of Kitty Pryde escaping Midtown High. The Chameleon impersonates Spider-man until Ice Man and the Human Torch find out, oh it's on the cover look. They try to save Peter and stop the Chameleons. I like how it stays focused it doesn't ignore the events of the previous issue like some comics. I think it should find a new title Chameleons isn't appropriate for this but then what are you going to call it.
Characters
Brian Michael Bendis does a masterful job of not only doing these characters justice but expanding on the versions of the characters he created in his first Ultimate Spider-Man run. Spider-Man is the wise-cracking nuisance to bad guys of hero, while still being a geek in school. There is also the side of him that bears the responsibility of his previous actions. We see this in the chapter where the Human Torch meats Spider-Woman, Spider-Man remembers that Spider-Woman was a clone created by Doctor Octopus and does everything he can to forget about her. However, her existence still bothers him. He also feels guilt after not doing enough to protect Kitty Pryde when the government tried to capture her and tries to atone for that decision. He also no longer works for the Daily Bugle, instead, he works at a burger joint with Ice Man. Human Torch and Ice Man are the same characters Marvel fans know and love. Both are hotheaded boys who have instant crushes on the first beautiful woman they see. In fact, Ice Man wants Spidey to hit him upon the beautiful heroines and villainesses he named after learning about the Human Torch's encounter with Spider-Woman. They both take their friendship with Spider-Man seriously and have a there for each other style bond. That's why they go out of their way to save Spider-Man after they learn he is captured by the Chameleon. The Chameleon in this is much like his mainstream counterpart, he pretends to benefit himself. However, this version of the character can shape-shift into whoever he wants to be instead of wearing facemasks of those he wants to impersonate. This take on the character makes more sense than his original counterpart because wearing a facemask should be enough for you to pass off as someone else. This version of the Chameleon also has a sister who has the same power he has. The Chameleon impersonates Mr. Jameson because he's wealthy and he could lure Peter into his trap. Then, impersonates Peter Parker because he suspects Peter is someone important since he was the only photographer to take pictures of Spider-man(when Peter worked at the Bugle). Then discovers Peter Parker is Spider-Man and pretends to be Spider-Man to commit crimes. Something every version of the Chameleon has done, in fact, the Chameleon impersonated Spider-man in his very first appearance. Now, this isn't the first time someone impersonated Spider-Man in the Ultimate Universe, in Ultimate Spider-Man: Public Scrutiny a thief dresses up as Spider-Man to carry out robberies until Spider-Man stops him. In Chameleons the Human Torch and Ice Man have to stop the Chameleon because Spider-Man is held captive by Camellia. The Chameleon does have a human side to him because he cares deeply about Camellia's well being and it is shown when the Human Torch, Ice Man, and Spider-Man stop him, and when he's held captive at SHIELD. Camellia is really just a female version of the Chameleon, not much to her character really. Kitty Pryde is shown to be good-natured at heart until the FBI tries to arrest her for being a mutant. Then she becomes very mistrusting of humanity and even starts to agree with Magneto. She also feels betrayed by Ice Man, the Human Torch, and particularly her ex-boyfriend Spider-Man after the FBI came to her school and they didn't do enough for her. Mary Jane and Gwen Stacey are pretty much the same characters Spider-Man fans know and love. The difference is that Spidey dated MJ before Gwen. Aunt May is Peter's loving aunt who always wants Peter to do what's right. She scolds Peter (Chameleon) when she finds out that he cheated on Gwen because cheating is wrong to her. Spider-Woman is a clone trying to live a superhero life and adopt her own life instead of being a Spider-Man clone. She adopts the identity of Jessica Drew to be her private identity. She also prefers to be left alone and it is shown when the Human Torch tries to hit on her, and she tries to get him to leave her alone. Rick Jones AKA Firestar doesn't want to be drawn into the superhero world because he doesn't understand what he's getting into but decides he likes being a superhero after he alongside Spider-Man, Ice Man, and the Human Torch fight the Serpent Squad and win. What I find neat and weird at the same time about this version of Nova. In the main Marvel Universe Nova is a member of a space law enforcement corps, sort of like Green Lantern. However, in the Ultimate Universe, the title of Nova is a title given to the chosen one of the Watchers, not a corps. Rick Jones in the main universe is the Hulk's best friend and he becomes A-Bomb, here he's Spider-Man's neighbor. The Serpent Squad and Bombshells are nothing more than glorified thugs. That being said Bendis does a great job with handling these characters.
Artwork
Ultimate Spider-Man Chameleons is illustrated by two artists. Takeshi Miyazawa does the artwork in Crossroads, and it's ok. Ever now and then the superhero costumes look a little baggy. I wasn't a fan of Miyazawa's spikey Ice Man look, it just looked weird, but I'll live. The rest of the graphic novel was drawn by David Lafuente, who illustrated The New World According to Peter Parker. His character designs suit the atmosphere of a Spider-Man story much better than Miyazawa. It has that coming of age feel along with a superhero story blend to it. It has an upbeat tone when it needs one and a dark tone when it's needed. The character designs suit the characters. Ice Man has the look I normally associate with Ice Man. Human Torch aside from his black hair looks like the Human Torch. Spider-Man looks great, and when he gets a hair cut he looks like Peter Parker. Spider-Woman has an all-red female version of Spider-Man's black suit which is honestly a very good look for her. It resembles Julia Carpenter's Spider-Woman look more than it does Jessica Drew's even though that's the name Bendis chose to give her. The Chameleons have blank faces which is a very neat idea for an original design for the iconic Marvel villain. Especially, when this version is a brother and sister duo. Typically, the Chameleon has a solid white face with features on it, but the blank faces help create the impression that they are identityless. All in all the artwork was good.
Ultimately, Ultimate Spider-Man Chameleons is a good read for fans of the webhead, and if your favorite Spider-Man villain is the Chameleon you should check this out. I was intrigued by the story and characters, and the artwork made Ultimate Spider-Man Chameleons all the more fun to read. I would definitely check this out if I were a Spider-Man fan.
Story
Ultimate Spider-man Chameleons is a misleading title because Chameleons is the second story arch in the book. The first arc is Crossroads, where you have Rick Jones becoming Nova. Spider-Man, Ice Man, and the Human Torch try to figure out what is going on with Rick as they teleport across the world. Eventually, the four manage to stop a Serpent Squad heist in Project PEGASUS. The beginning mostly serves as a set up for Ultimate Doom, a crossover event in the Ultimate Universe. Then we get an Ultimate Spider-Woman comic as she stops the Bombshell from robbing a bank and flirts with the Human Torch *eye roll.* Also, Spidey gets a haircut. Next, we see Kitty Pryde go, rogue, when the government finds out she's a Mutant and tries to arrest her. Spider-Man, Ice Man, and the Human Torch try to save her before she does something wrong. Finally, we get to the Chameleons arc when the Chameleon and his sister, Camellia, abduct Peter Parker and J. Jonah Jameson. The Chameleon abducts Peter Parker while impersonating Mr. Jameson, as Mary Jane shows Ben Urich a video of Kitty Pryde escaping Midtown High. The Chameleon impersonates Spider-man until Ice Man and the Human Torch find out, oh it's on the cover look. They try to save Peter and stop the Chameleons. I like how it stays focused it doesn't ignore the events of the previous issue like some comics. I think it should find a new title Chameleons isn't appropriate for this but then what are you going to call it.
Characters
Brian Michael Bendis does a masterful job of not only doing these characters justice but expanding on the versions of the characters he created in his first Ultimate Spider-Man run. Spider-Man is the wise-cracking nuisance to bad guys of hero, while still being a geek in school. There is also the side of him that bears the responsibility of his previous actions. We see this in the chapter where the Human Torch meats Spider-Woman, Spider-Man remembers that Spider-Woman was a clone created by Doctor Octopus and does everything he can to forget about her. However, her existence still bothers him. He also feels guilt after not doing enough to protect Kitty Pryde when the government tried to capture her and tries to atone for that decision. He also no longer works for the Daily Bugle, instead, he works at a burger joint with Ice Man. Human Torch and Ice Man are the same characters Marvel fans know and love. Both are hotheaded boys who have instant crushes on the first beautiful woman they see. In fact, Ice Man wants Spidey to hit him upon the beautiful heroines and villainesses he named after learning about the Human Torch's encounter with Spider-Woman. They both take their friendship with Spider-Man seriously and have a there for each other style bond. That's why they go out of their way to save Spider-Man after they learn he is captured by the Chameleon. The Chameleon in this is much like his mainstream counterpart, he pretends to benefit himself. However, this version of the character can shape-shift into whoever he wants to be instead of wearing facemasks of those he wants to impersonate. This take on the character makes more sense than his original counterpart because wearing a facemask should be enough for you to pass off as someone else. This version of the Chameleon also has a sister who has the same power he has. The Chameleon impersonates Mr. Jameson because he's wealthy and he could lure Peter into his trap. Then, impersonates Peter Parker because he suspects Peter is someone important since he was the only photographer to take pictures of Spider-man(when Peter worked at the Bugle). Then discovers Peter Parker is Spider-Man and pretends to be Spider-Man to commit crimes. Something every version of the Chameleon has done, in fact, the Chameleon impersonated Spider-man in his very first appearance. Now, this isn't the first time someone impersonated Spider-Man in the Ultimate Universe, in Ultimate Spider-Man: Public Scrutiny a thief dresses up as Spider-Man to carry out robberies until Spider-Man stops him. In Chameleons the Human Torch and Ice Man have to stop the Chameleon because Spider-Man is held captive by Camellia. The Chameleon does have a human side to him because he cares deeply about Camellia's well being and it is shown when the Human Torch, Ice Man, and Spider-Man stop him, and when he's held captive at SHIELD. Camellia is really just a female version of the Chameleon, not much to her character really. Kitty Pryde is shown to be good-natured at heart until the FBI tries to arrest her for being a mutant. Then she becomes very mistrusting of humanity and even starts to agree with Magneto. She also feels betrayed by Ice Man, the Human Torch, and particularly her ex-boyfriend Spider-Man after the FBI came to her school and they didn't do enough for her. Mary Jane and Gwen Stacey are pretty much the same characters Spider-Man fans know and love. The difference is that Spidey dated MJ before Gwen. Aunt May is Peter's loving aunt who always wants Peter to do what's right. She scolds Peter (Chameleon) when she finds out that he cheated on Gwen because cheating is wrong to her. Spider-Woman is a clone trying to live a superhero life and adopt her own life instead of being a Spider-Man clone. She adopts the identity of Jessica Drew to be her private identity. She also prefers to be left alone and it is shown when the Human Torch tries to hit on her, and she tries to get him to leave her alone. Rick Jones AKA Firestar doesn't want to be drawn into the superhero world because he doesn't understand what he's getting into but decides he likes being a superhero after he alongside Spider-Man, Ice Man, and the Human Torch fight the Serpent Squad and win. What I find neat and weird at the same time about this version of Nova. In the main Marvel Universe Nova is a member of a space law enforcement corps, sort of like Green Lantern. However, in the Ultimate Universe, the title of Nova is a title given to the chosen one of the Watchers, not a corps. Rick Jones in the main universe is the Hulk's best friend and he becomes A-Bomb, here he's Spider-Man's neighbor. The Serpent Squad and Bombshells are nothing more than glorified thugs. That being said Bendis does a great job with handling these characters.
Artwork
Ultimate Spider-Man Chameleons is illustrated by two artists. Takeshi Miyazawa does the artwork in Crossroads, and it's ok. Ever now and then the superhero costumes look a little baggy. I wasn't a fan of Miyazawa's spikey Ice Man look, it just looked weird, but I'll live. The rest of the graphic novel was drawn by David Lafuente, who illustrated The New World According to Peter Parker. His character designs suit the atmosphere of a Spider-Man story much better than Miyazawa. It has that coming of age feel along with a superhero story blend to it. It has an upbeat tone when it needs one and a dark tone when it's needed. The character designs suit the characters. Ice Man has the look I normally associate with Ice Man. Human Torch aside from his black hair looks like the Human Torch. Spider-Man looks great, and when he gets a hair cut he looks like Peter Parker. Spider-Woman has an all-red female version of Spider-Man's black suit which is honestly a very good look for her. It resembles Julia Carpenter's Spider-Woman look more than it does Jessica Drew's even though that's the name Bendis chose to give her. The Chameleons have blank faces which is a very neat idea for an original design for the iconic Marvel villain. Especially, when this version is a brother and sister duo. Typically, the Chameleon has a solid white face with features on it, but the blank faces help create the impression that they are identityless. All in all the artwork was good.
Ultimately, Ultimate Spider-Man Chameleons is a good read for fans of the webhead, and if your favorite Spider-Man villain is the Chameleon you should check this out. I was intrigued by the story and characters, and the artwork made Ultimate Spider-Man Chameleons all the more fun to read. I would definitely check this out if I were a Spider-Man fan.
February 10, 2021
Book 2.
Spider-Man, Iceman and the Human Torch are all living under the same roof and together have to tackle a young man trying to come to terms with developing superpowers, the backlash against their friend Kitty Pryde's status as a mutant and a pair of shapeshifting siblings.
I found this book notably more enjoyable than the last one, in large part due to the new elements from 'The World According to Peter Parker' having had a bit of time to bed in with me.
So now having all the teen heroes together doesn't feel so contrived and I've gotten a bit more used to Lafuente's too-young-looking version of Peter Parker (in fact, one of the Chameleons calls this out in quite a self-aware meta moment, saying that Peter looks more like he's thirteen).
This is not to say that I particular approve of these elements, just that they're not as jarring here as I found them the first time.
We get three main story beats here and the first two in particular are very interesting. The first sees the Ultimate Universe version of Rick Jones awaking with cosmic power and then having Peter, Johnny and Bobby try to help him adjust. It's pretty engaging too because each of them have had very different experiences of gaining their powers and being accepted (or not) afterwards.
The second story is the true emotional core of this book as we see Kitty persecuted at school for being a mutant. The X-Men have always been about challenging prejudice and it's good to see them tackle it here, although I felt Kitty's ultimate (no pun intended) reaction being pretty unfair to her as a character.
The third story has Peter being replaced by a shapeshifting duplicate who infiltrates his life to learn his secrets. It's the least engaging of the plotlines but we at least get to see a bit of genuine drama unfold amid the Gwen/MJ love triangle as a result of the Chameleon's meddling.
* More review here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com *
Spider-Man, Iceman and the Human Torch are all living under the same roof and together have to tackle a young man trying to come to terms with developing superpowers, the backlash against their friend Kitty Pryde's status as a mutant and a pair of shapeshifting siblings.
I found this book notably more enjoyable than the last one, in large part due to the new elements from 'The World According to Peter Parker' having had a bit of time to bed in with me.
So now having all the teen heroes together doesn't feel so contrived and I've gotten a bit more used to Lafuente's too-young-looking version of Peter Parker (in fact, one of the Chameleons calls this out in quite a self-aware meta moment, saying that Peter looks more like he's thirteen).
This is not to say that I particular approve of these elements, just that they're not as jarring here as I found them the first time.
We get three main story beats here and the first two in particular are very interesting. The first sees the Ultimate Universe version of Rick Jones awaking with cosmic power and then having Peter, Johnny and Bobby try to help him adjust. It's pretty engaging too because each of them have had very different experiences of gaining their powers and being accepted (or not) afterwards.
The second story is the true emotional core of this book as we see Kitty persecuted at school for being a mutant. The X-Men have always been about challenging prejudice and it's good to see them tackle it here, although I felt Kitty's ultimate (no pun intended) reaction being pretty unfair to her as a character.
The third story has Peter being replaced by a shapeshifting duplicate who infiltrates his life to learn his secrets. It's the least engaging of the plotlines but we at least get to see a bit of genuine drama unfold amid the Gwen/MJ love triangle as a result of the Chameleon's meddling.
* More review here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com *
October 24, 2024
"Chameleons" is a dour offering for the Ultimate Spider-Man series. Given the context, I suppose the down vibes make sense. The planet was just nearly destroyed by Magneto. Mutants are seriously hated, as Kitty Pryde finds out when she starts attending Peter Parker's high school. And Spidey's life, never easy, is about to get tougher.
This volume begins with a lighter touch. The Human Torch and Ice-Man have washed up at Aunt May's house in the wake of the disaster, and, as it turns out, Ultimate Nova has manifested down the block. His awakening inspires some light-hearted super-hero hijinks with the Queens crew, including a showdown with an all-female Serpent Squad that inspires some...complicated...feelings.
The bulk of the book, though, focuses on Peter being impersonated by a shape-shifter who blows up Spidey's life. The impostor kisses his ex-girlfriend, is seriously rude at school and ends up impersonating the Wall-Crawler as he robs a bank with dual machine guns.
The last act seems decidedly unsubtle for someone who has impersonation powers and could probably make good money without resorting to firearms. There's some hand-waving about how Mutant Growth Hormone lets this guy emulate Spider-Man's powers, but it's not very convincing.
In the end, this volume gives us a dual-hostage situation with some particularly nasty characters on top of the stress of the chameleon taking Peter's already shaky life for a joyride. It's done well enough, but it's a depressing read, one I didn't really enjoying spending time with.
This volume begins with a lighter touch. The Human Torch and Ice-Man have washed up at Aunt May's house in the wake of the disaster, and, as it turns out, Ultimate Nova has manifested down the block. His awakening inspires some light-hearted super-hero hijinks with the Queens crew, including a showdown with an all-female Serpent Squad that inspires some...complicated...feelings.
The bulk of the book, though, focuses on Peter being impersonated by a shape-shifter who blows up Spidey's life. The impostor kisses his ex-girlfriend, is seriously rude at school and ends up impersonating the Wall-Crawler as he robs a bank with dual machine guns.
The last act seems decidedly unsubtle for someone who has impersonation powers and could probably make good money without resorting to firearms. There's some hand-waving about how Mutant Growth Hormone lets this guy emulate Spider-Man's powers, but it's not very convincing.
In the end, this volume gives us a dual-hostage situation with some particularly nasty characters on top of the stress of the chameleon taking Peter's already shaky life for a joyride. It's done well enough, but it's a depressing read, one I didn't really enjoying spending time with.
August 3, 2019
This one's okay, but still has quite a bit of trouble getting off the launch pad. While the queer commentary on social othering based on identity-based differences is executed well--even for 2009-2010--the gender portrayals are nevertheless highly polarized, to an almost obnoxious degree (I mean for fuck's sake, Parker's girlfriend is best friends with two of his other ex's, all three of whom go to school together with Kitty Pryde--who he also dated?--and who apparently have nothing better to talk about than how in love with Peter Parker they all are? What is this, an Axe commercial?) The series *is* doing a good job of challenging stigmatas regarding others' differences and promoting greater tolerance and critical thinking (as seen with the principal's speech to the parents in this volume); however, this sub-arc of the story slips into disarray with how haphazard the sequence of events are thrown together. There were too many story lines at once, several of which garnered only peripheral attention, and the major focus--i.e. these shape-shifting twins--seemed to come out of nowhere and get resolved in a way that felt pretty pat.
And its certainly likely these issues will be resolved further down the line (and that I'm maybe digging a bit too deeply into a simple volume of a Marvel comic book), but I do thing this could have been done in a more effective way.
And its certainly likely these issues will be resolved further down the line (and that I'm maybe digging a bit too deeply into a simple volume of a Marvel comic book), but I do thing this could have been done in a more effective way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2019
NO! NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!!
This is fucked!!!!!
NOOOOOO. YOURE GOING TO FUCKING THROW AWAY PETER AND GWEN/AND SPIDER-MAN’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COPS OVER A CHAMELEON ARC?!?!? NO. All of this fucking fresh change now thrown back in a TERRIBLE and HORRIBLY UNORIGINAL story about a shapeshifting nobody who by happenstance fucked up the interesting differences Ultimate Spider-Man had made over time for no reason other than that guy just HAPPENED TO BE THERE!? NO that’s fucking bullshit. You didn’t even make it an interesting revenge plot where a good villain systematically destroys his life in cool ways, JUST SOME HILLBILLY FUCK WITH NO FACE AND NO MOTIVES DESTROYING THE SHIT I LIKE BECAUSE FUCK IT - IM HERE NOW SO WHY NOT. FUCK THIS.
AND THE B AND C STORIES IN THIS TRADE WERE A FUCKING NOVA ORIGIN AND A REALLY INTERESTING KITTY STORY THAT WENT FUCKING NOWHERE!!!! FUCK THIS TRADE.
This is the worst trade of ultimate Spider-Man I’ve read. I can’t believe how badly they retconned everything in this in such a terribly sloppy way.
Even carol fucking Danvers said ‘Spider-Man deserved better than you’ to those fucking shapeshifters. YES HE DID. HE DESERVED AN INTERESTING & FLESHED OUT ENDING TO HIS RELATIONSHIP. FUCK!!!!!
This is fucked!!!!!
NOOOOOO. YOURE GOING TO FUCKING THROW AWAY PETER AND GWEN/AND SPIDER-MAN’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COPS OVER A CHAMELEON ARC?!?!? NO. All of this fucking fresh change now thrown back in a TERRIBLE and HORRIBLY UNORIGINAL story about a shapeshifting nobody who by happenstance fucked up the interesting differences Ultimate Spider-Man had made over time for no reason other than that guy just HAPPENED TO BE THERE!? NO that’s fucking bullshit. You didn’t even make it an interesting revenge plot where a good villain systematically destroys his life in cool ways, JUST SOME HILLBILLY FUCK WITH NO FACE AND NO MOTIVES DESTROYING THE SHIT I LIKE BECAUSE FUCK IT - IM HERE NOW SO WHY NOT. FUCK THIS.
AND THE B AND C STORIES IN THIS TRADE WERE A FUCKING NOVA ORIGIN AND A REALLY INTERESTING KITTY STORY THAT WENT FUCKING NOWHERE!!!! FUCK THIS TRADE.
This is the worst trade of ultimate Spider-Man I’ve read. I can’t believe how badly they retconned everything in this in such a terribly sloppy way.
Even carol fucking Danvers said ‘Spider-Man deserved better than you’ to those fucking shapeshifters. YES HE DID. HE DESERVED AN INTERESTING & FLESHED OUT ENDING TO HIS RELATIONSHIP. FUCK!!!!!
January 2, 2022
Meskipun judul besar dari volume 2 ini adalah Chameleons (yang secara tersurat menunjukkan siapa musuh yang akan dihadapi oleh Spider-Man di episode ini ... "chameleons"-nya ditulis dalam bentuk jamak lho ;) ), akan tetapi dua nomor pertama berkisah tentang kelahiran pahlawan super baru di jagat Ultimate Comics ini.
Episode ini merupakan salah satu episode yang saya suka. Kisah Chameleon di sini terasa natural dan masuk akal. Bagaimana ia secara bertahap mengetahui rahasia Peter Parker tidak terasa dibuat-buat. Kerusakan yang ia perbuat pun terasa terstruktur. Ini jauh dari kisah Chameleon pertama yang ada di seri Amazing Spider-Man tahun 60-an. Perbedaan besar juga terjadi pada karakter May Parker, bibi dari Peter Parker. Penggemar Spider-Man tentu tahu bahwa di awal-awal kisah Amazing Spider-Man, May Parker digambarkan sebagai perempuan tua sakit-sakitan yang harus dirawat terus oleh dokter. Cemas sedikit, ia langsung sakit. Kini May Parker digambarkan sebagai perempuan tua yang tegas dan kuat. Setelah ia tahu kehidupan ganda yang dijalankan oleh keponakannya, ia bahkan berani menampung dua pahlawan super remaja lainnya di rumahnya. Dengan caranya sendiri, May Parker kini terasa sepadan dengan Charles Xavier.
Episode ini merupakan salah satu episode yang saya suka. Kisah Chameleon di sini terasa natural dan masuk akal. Bagaimana ia secara bertahap mengetahui rahasia Peter Parker tidak terasa dibuat-buat. Kerusakan yang ia perbuat pun terasa terstruktur. Ini jauh dari kisah Chameleon pertama yang ada di seri Amazing Spider-Man tahun 60-an. Perbedaan besar juga terjadi pada karakter May Parker, bibi dari Peter Parker. Penggemar Spider-Man tentu tahu bahwa di awal-awal kisah Amazing Spider-Man, May Parker digambarkan sebagai perempuan tua sakit-sakitan yang harus dirawat terus oleh dokter. Cemas sedikit, ia langsung sakit. Kini May Parker digambarkan sebagai perempuan tua yang tegas dan kuat. Setelah ia tahu kehidupan ganda yang dijalankan oleh keponakannya, ia bahkan berani menampung dua pahlawan super remaja lainnya di rumahnya. Dengan caranya sendiri, May Parker kini terasa sepadan dengan Charles Xavier.
August 7, 2021
[This is a review for vols. 1-3]
I hadn't read Bendis in awhile and forgot how much I love his dialogue. There was a point in the mid-aughts where it felt like every other book I was reading was a Bendis book and I got tired of his trademark pitter-patter style. But coming back to it after awhile, it feels new and refreshing again! The post-ultimatum Ultimate Spider-Man issues are a nonstop, edge-of-your-seat roller coaster ride that ends tragically (I'm currently reading vol. 4: Death of Spider-Man) but then paves the way for Miles to take center stage (and Bendis's Miles Morales Spider-Man comics are also an EXCELLENT read). Bendis manages to make familiar relationships (between friend AND foe) fresh and interesting while still honoring the spirit of the original stories from Spidey's early days. No matter what else he does, Ultimate Spider-Man will always be Bendis's greatest imprint on the Marvel Universe (notice, I'm not saying "best writing" or "best story" but "greatest imprint" :)).
I hadn't read Bendis in awhile and forgot how much I love his dialogue. There was a point in the mid-aughts where it felt like every other book I was reading was a Bendis book and I got tired of his trademark pitter-patter style. But coming back to it after awhile, it feels new and refreshing again! The post-ultimatum Ultimate Spider-Man issues are a nonstop, edge-of-your-seat roller coaster ride that ends tragically (I'm currently reading vol. 4: Death of Spider-Man) but then paves the way for Miles to take center stage (and Bendis's Miles Morales Spider-Man comics are also an EXCELLENT read). Bendis manages to make familiar relationships (between friend AND foe) fresh and interesting while still honoring the spirit of the original stories from Spidey's early days. No matter what else he does, Ultimate Spider-Man will always be Bendis's greatest imprint on the Marvel Universe (notice, I'm not saying "best writing" or "best story" but "greatest imprint" :)).
December 30, 2022
I really loved this book. I picked it up because I saw that the Human Torch was in it (and I've been on an FF kick), but I ended up finding the whole thing delightful. Teen superheroes all living together with a guardian who knows their superheroes.... Honestly, the dynamics of those relationships were spot-on. I need to go back and read volume #1 now (and the subsequent volumes after). I don't know much about the Ultimate Universe, but I can safely say that I was thoroughly charmed by this corner of it. (And, also, I'm a sucker for a good Chameleon--or in this chase Chameleons--story.) In addition, this book wasn't afraid to go to some darker places too, exploring prejudice and the government overstepping its bounds. But the story kept its heart in these young heroes being just that... YOUNG heroes--growing and failing, learning and laughing. Like I said... I'm ready to read more!
March 9, 2024
What a fun time this was.
Told through three separate smaller stories, volume 2/24 of Ultimate Spider-Man mostly is focused on the dynamic of Human Torch, Ice Man and Spidey acting as an impromptu super hero team now that they all live together, and what a great dynamic it is.
Seeing Peter working and bickering with two friends while trying to deal with b-tier villains like.the ultimate universe's equivalent to the Serpent Society makes for such and entertaining read and I really hope we get more of this before Peter dies and Miles takes over.
I also really enjoyed the introduction of the Ultimate version of the Chameleon and I'm glad more classic Spidey villains are still getting Ultimate translations to this day.
My one minor qualm is I don't feel we've been getting enough of Kitty these past two volumes so I'm hoping that'll change before Peter dies too.
Told through three separate smaller stories, volume 2/24 of Ultimate Spider-Man mostly is focused on the dynamic of Human Torch, Ice Man and Spidey acting as an impromptu super hero team now that they all live together, and what a great dynamic it is.
Seeing Peter working and bickering with two friends while trying to deal with b-tier villains like.the ultimate universe's equivalent to the Serpent Society makes for such and entertaining read and I really hope we get more of this before Peter dies and Miles takes over.
I also really enjoyed the introduction of the Ultimate version of the Chameleon and I'm glad more classic Spidey villains are still getting Ultimate translations to this day.
My one minor qualm is I don't feel we've been getting enough of Kitty these past two volumes so I'm hoping that'll change before Peter dies too.
July 9, 2023
It's amazing how bad art (at least bad as I perceive it) can spoil enjoyment of a comic. I've went from flying through the series to hitting the wall with the reboot and I can't really summon the will to continue.
It doesn't help that it's went all high school, teeny whine fest with Spiderman tagged on to the side of it. I liked the relationships the series built and I liked the character but the child drama is tedious and not enjoyable.
I know what's coming with the series, we all know as it was talked about a lot at the time it happened, but it's honestly reached the stage I'd welcome it. I've went from dreading it and feeling I would miss the series when it ended to now really looking forward to it so it can move past it's current state.
It doesn't help that it's went all high school, teeny whine fest with Spiderman tagged on to the side of it. I liked the relationships the series built and I liked the character but the child drama is tedious and not enjoyable.
I know what's coming with the series, we all know as it was talked about a lot at the time it happened, but it's honestly reached the stage I'd welcome it. I've went from dreading it and feeling I would miss the series when it ended to now really looking forward to it so it can move past it's current state.
August 9, 2020
It was an interesting Spider-Man story, and I just loved all other superheroes being there as well, but sometimes when Human Torch and Iceman were there, it didn't feel like Spider-Man, but the other things made it feel like home. It was thrilling when Chameleon pretended to be Parker, and it gave an interesting sense to the book. To the other characters, it was as if they knew Parker, but they didn't because of the different things he was doing. All in all, it was an amazing book definitely worth 5 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2024
Gross gross gross. Gross art. Gross alien subplot that is clearly mopping up an unresolved FF situation (and essentially rehashes Liz's entire arc in a few pages). Gross to see Bendis apparently forget how to do decent relationship drama that is based on well-written characters with personalities and realistic flaws. Gross to kick out Kitty and probably drop her for a while. Gross to see Chameleon kissing high schoolers. Gross seeing GWEN say "Tiger." AND GROSS FOR CLONE PETER TO BE IN A RELATIONSHIP!!
July 30, 2019
It's very telling that the book itself acknowledges that Peter's hair is too long and his face is hilariously round when he's in the Spider-Man costume and that they amend both, because it was the first thing I noticed when Lafuente came on. That being said, while you do get some odd character design choices and weird faces, I do like the art style under the right amount of polish. It's not Bagley, but then what is?
December 8, 2025
There’s a ton of good stuff in here. I’m on a love/hate thing with all the people living at May’s currently. It makes sense for a ton of the characters but it’s also giving CW a bit. I’m digging what’s going on with Kitty but Chameleon was underwhelming more than anything. I still liked this a ton overall but I’m terrified for what’s coming
September 17, 2017
I love this series so much, Bendis is an amazing writer and his work with Spider-Man always keeps me entertained. This book was on par with the rest, and I enjoyed the Gwen/Mary Jane/Peter love triangle, which really heats up in this volume.
January 6, 2022
Didn’t like this one very much. It’s boring, the artwork is bland and the storylines kinda suck… but it got better at the end I suppose. I just wanna finish the Ultimate Comics run and get onto the death fo Spider-Man and Fallout…
April 15, 2022
Some compelling movement in the broader character arcs. This presses the good Spider-Man high school drama buttons, but the villain (albeit a classic) is not very interesting in this Universe. I do, however, love what Bendis is exploring with J. Jonah Jameson.
March 5, 2023
Took a while to read this one as the first few issues were not overly interesting. But the book took a turn randomly halfway through that completely detoured the story, in a great way. I flew through the last 3.5 issues and they were great.
September 18, 2024
Love triangle (or should I say square?), teenage tantrums, terrible art and a shapeshifting villain who kisses Spidey's ex-girlfriend. Can't get much worse than this...
Compared to the original ultimate run, this is crap.
Compared to the original ultimate run, this is crap.
December 10, 2017
Loved the art and the whole series
April 26, 2019
Spider-man and his friends faces the chosen one and a chameleon that takes over Peter Parkers identity
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews