Crimson
09-30-2005, 10:04 AM
Even the though the guy has been dead since Spidey's first appearance way back in Amazing Fantasty #15 it seems a lot of writers can't help but try to add something to the legend that is Uncle Ben. Who are your favourites and if you want, who's do you think is lacking?
Personally I think Stan Lee's Uncle Ben is very weak. We're told Uncle Ben was nice and we should miss him. This, of course, isn't a shot at Stan Lee. He didn't have the luxury of 6 issues to tell an origin… hell, if you’ve heard the back-story, he’s lucky he got to tell Spider-Man’s origin at all!
I also think the Movie version is lacking. The actor did a good job but he just didn’t have the screen time for the audience to care. Spider-Man is one of my favourite movies of all time and if they made it all longer just for Uncle Ben it probably would of ruined it but it was still pretty hard for the average joe to go to the movie and care for Uncle Ben.
Bendis’ Uncle Ben in Ultimate Spider-Man was one of the first I got a chance to read and I felt he nailed the idea of a “Cool Uncle”. Perhaps not the father figure Uncle Ben was but he nailed a cool uncle and by the end of the first arc I knew I was going to miss Uncle Ben even though I knew from the second I bought the book he was going to bite the big one.
Jenkin’s Uncle is probably my favourite though. The notable issues are the start of his run PP:SM #20 (When Peter visits Uncle Ben’s grave to rediscover his sense of humour after the hell he’s been living), #33 (Everyone year on the anniversary of Ben’s death Peter goes to a baseball game like they used too) and the end of his run Spectacular #27 (Peter goes to visit Uncle Ben’s grave during winter).
They are really simple stories like them playing practical jokes on each other, making snow men or going to a baseball game but its these simple things that make the character. I don’t really care about if he saved an old woman one time, its these little things that show what a loving and caring father figure he was for Peter and shows why Peter misses him so much. Top stuff! Everyone should try and read these issues.
Personally I think Stan Lee's Uncle Ben is very weak. We're told Uncle Ben was nice and we should miss him. This, of course, isn't a shot at Stan Lee. He didn't have the luxury of 6 issues to tell an origin… hell, if you’ve heard the back-story, he’s lucky he got to tell Spider-Man’s origin at all!
I also think the Movie version is lacking. The actor did a good job but he just didn’t have the screen time for the audience to care. Spider-Man is one of my favourite movies of all time and if they made it all longer just for Uncle Ben it probably would of ruined it but it was still pretty hard for the average joe to go to the movie and care for Uncle Ben.
Bendis’ Uncle Ben in Ultimate Spider-Man was one of the first I got a chance to read and I felt he nailed the idea of a “Cool Uncle”. Perhaps not the father figure Uncle Ben was but he nailed a cool uncle and by the end of the first arc I knew I was going to miss Uncle Ben even though I knew from the second I bought the book he was going to bite the big one.
Jenkin’s Uncle is probably my favourite though. The notable issues are the start of his run PP:SM #20 (When Peter visits Uncle Ben’s grave to rediscover his sense of humour after the hell he’s been living), #33 (Everyone year on the anniversary of Ben’s death Peter goes to a baseball game like they used too) and the end of his run Spectacular #27 (Peter goes to visit Uncle Ben’s grave during winter).
They are really simple stories like them playing practical jokes on each other, making snow men or going to a baseball game but its these simple things that make the character. I don’t really care about if he saved an old woman one time, its these little things that show what a loving and caring father figure he was for Peter and shows why Peter misses him so much. Top stuff! Everyone should try and read these issues.