Ultimate Comics: Avengers 2 #4 Review
Finally, we’re getting somewhere!
Ultimate Comics: Avengers 2 #4
In the first three issues of this series, I had issue with how slow things were moving, but now, in this fourth out of six issues, we’re finally learning some stuff that is exciting and interesting. Frank Castle takes on Ghost Rider only to get his ass handed to him. However, they learn that Ghost Rider has an aversion to the cross when he cowers back from the sight of Castle’s necklace. We also learn the back story of the new Black Widow and Johnny Blaze’s transformation into the Ghost Rider courtesy of a character known only as “The Spider”.
No one believes that this series needed this issue more than I did. The first three issues were so boring and drug out the story so much that I nearly lost all interest in the story. I honestly believe that the series could have been only four parts in length putting each of the first three issues in one with a little hangover into the fourth issue. My biggest concern, though, has been how utterly bored I got before this issue. Generally, a story gets boring when the story is either poor quality or when the editing is suspect. I really felt this story was a good one, so the poor story is not the problem. It’s fairly clear that I feel the problem with this series has been the editing. It just doesn’t feel like anyone read through the story and wondered if there was anyway to trim down the first half of the arc to give it a little more of a punch.
Though this “Spider” character seemed to appear out of nowhere, I’m going to reserve judgment on this character until someone can explain who this person is. I only read the Avengers and Ultimates stories in this spin-off universe, so if this character has appeared someplace else, please let me know.
I will tell you what I did like about this issue. I loved the back story of Ghost Rider. It’s truly tragic. He might be doing “Satan’s work”, but he’s not hurting anyone that doesn’t deserve it. His revenge is based on his life being derailed when it should have been spent happily with his the love of his life. She has moved on, but he’s still angry about what should have been and can never be.
The end of the issue is actually pretty chilling when the Spider spells out who is the last remaining person Ghost Rider will hunt down and I don’t think that you will it coming when the reveal is made. I think it puts a very interesting spin on everything in the Ultimate Marvel Universe.
I now fully expect the last two issues of this run to be as exciting as this one. It’s just too bad the overall story will be hampered by the first half instead of remembered for an entirely well executed story.
A COMIC BOOK BLOG RATING
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Excellent back story to the Ghost Rider and why he’s doing what he’s doing with a chilling conclusion to the issue. | Though the issue is excellent, this whole arc is not one of Mark Millar’s best and it’s disappointing from the creator of the Ultimates. |
| Rating |
2 Comments
The spider appeared first as far as I know in ultimate comic avengers 1 issue 3 where he was introduced among gregory starks creations along with the nerd hulk. We don’t know much about him yet but becuase of this his appearence didn’t feel like an ass pull to me
That’s good to know. He must have slipped in under my radar when I read that other issue in the first arc. Thanks for the info!