Ultimate Spider-Man #109

 Posted: 2007
 Staff: Peter Kroon (E-Mail)

Background

The costumed hero called Daredevil also shows up at Peter's school - in the guise of Daredevil's alter-ego, lawyer Matt Murdock - and offers Peter an opportunity to plan the downfall of Wilson Fisk (a.k.a. the Kingpin of Crime). Since gaining his powers, Spider-Man has had several confrontations with the red-clad DD... and they are not friends.

But Peter is less a friend of the Kingpin, and is intrigued enough to follow DD to this super-hero meeting, and to help hatch a plan: Have the mysterious Moon Knight pose as a new hitman for the Kingpin - and then use Moon Knight to help take the Kingpin down from inside.

But the other heroes don't know that - though Moon Knight's intentions are pure - he is suffering from a massive multiple personality disorder. Moon Knight takes the new role of Ronin, and the Kingpin sends him to bring in Spider-Man... and Ronin does so by attacking Peter's school in broad daylight.

Story Details

  Ultimate Spider-Man #109
Arc: Part 4 of 'Ultimate Knights' (1-2-3-4-5)
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils: Mark Bagley
Inker: Drew Hennessy
Cover Art: Mark Bagley

Murdock is in court. He overhears a radio... Midtown High School was under siege. He excuses himself.

Elsewhere, Spider-Man, unmasked, is being held captive by the Kingpin. Fisk doesn't want to know his real name. Bottom line, he owns Spider-Man. He has the merchandising rights to Spider-Man's likeness. And then he beats up Ronin, calling him Moon Knight. He tells Moon Knight, and his hero friends, for find another hobby. He has Matt Murdock on his payrole and says he used him to set up the heroes. And to Peter he says he has to keep on being Spider-Man. If not, he'll just hire somebody else to do it. He owns the rights, after all.

Daredevil searches the office of the Kingpin. He finds blood and calls Dr. Strange. Strange uses his magic to recall what happened there. Spider-Man was on the desk, Ronin was there as well. They took Spidey to the basement. They find the room where the Kingpin beat up Ronin earlier that day.

That night, the heroes meet on a rooftop. Daredevil says they need to find Spider-Man. Suddenly Spidey is there, he shoots webbing at Daredevil and unmasks him. He calls him a traitor. Matt doesn't understand. Then there's an explosion, it's the office of Matt Murdock. Let it burn, Matt says. He explains the Fisk killed his father. He did not sell them out, but who did? Then Matt turns, looking at Dany Rand. What did you tell the Kingpin?

General Comments

The Kingpin set up the heroes using Matt Murdock. Yeah right, Spidey falls for it. It almost works. Such a shame it only lasted for a few pages. This would have been a nice sub plot. Oh no, what am I saying, this should have been decompressed? Yeah, it should. But the other stuff should not. The recalling that Dr. Strange did, it was cool, but it reminds me of old movies. You know, when somebody is leaving the house, you see then get up, walk to the hallway, get their coat, open the door, enter the garage, start the engine and drive the car out of the garage. Nowadays, they get up and the next shot is them driving on the high way. That is what I want to see, more action. Not more shots of the same scene, but more different shots. This issue is only 3 scenes, using 22 pages, come on, you guys can do better than that!

Overall Rating

A fun issue. Action, drama, suspense. But nothing really happened that could not have been told in 2 pages. And the only new angle was destroyed by the end of the issue.

 Posted: 2007
 Staff: Peter Kroon (E-Mail)