CBR: COMMENTARY TRACK: Bendis on "Ultimate Comics Spider-Man" #2

[CBR News]

With "Ultimate Comics Spider-Man" #2 in stores now, CBR spoke with writer Brian Michael Bendis for page-by-page commentary and insight into the pivotal chapter in the origin of Miles Morales.


Full article here.

[Robbie_Jee]

<SPOILER WARNING>

You're going to see how Peter's life and death affect him directly and see what his role in all of it is. You're going to see Gwen Stacy. You're going to see Aunt May. You're going to see Peter. You're going to see them in different and surprising ways. You're going to see how Miles interwove himself into the end of Peter's life and you're going to find out how and where he gets the costume from. Plus you'll see Spider-Woman's response to the news of the new Spider-Man.

[Jarocho]

When Aunt May and Gwen were shipped off to France (and Bobby, Johnny, and Kitty moved over the the UXM comic) Bendis was obviously sweeping away Peter's supporting cast to make way for Miles. It will be interesting to see if any of them can stick around. Of all of them, I think Jessica Drew has a place in this comic.

[ᏕᏢᎪᏒᏒᎾᎳ]

I'm hoping they all come back. Not that I expect them to be a regular presence in the book, but it would be nice to see where they are once in a while.
Besides, we have to see all their reactions to the new Spider-Man!

[LemonWedge]

How is a kid who goes "Oh no!" when he discovers what's happened to him going to end up in the costume next issue? And for those looking to see him in the costume he will be in it shortly.

And

A lot of people want to know how he goes from his crappy costume in "Ultimate Comics Fallout" #4 to the super cool costume that's on the cover of the book. You're going to find out all of this. You're going to see how Peter's life and death affect him directly and see what his role in all of it is. You're going to see Gwen Stacy. You're going to see Aunt May. You're going to see Peter. You're going to see them in different and surprising ways. You're going to see how Miles interwove himself into the end of Peter's life and you're going to find out how and where he gets the costume from. Plus you'll see Spider-Woman's response to the news of the new Spider-Man.

This sounds good. Like absolutely brilliant sort of good. I'm hoping that issue #3 is the one that gets the ball rolling on Miles' story. He's had two issues of set up introducing us to his setting and cast, but I very much want to see all of this and what comes out of it.
If all of this happens in issue #3, then it's going to be very exciting indeed.

[Chaos_Alfa]

And



This sounds good. Like absolutely brilliant sort of good. I'm hoping that issue #3 is the one that gets the ball rolling on Miles' story. He's had two issues of set up introducing us to his setting and cast, but I very much want to see all of this and what comes out of it.
If all of this happens in issue #3, then it's going to be very exciting indeed.

I don't think all of this is going to happen in issue #3, because spoilers:

he's also talking about Spider-Woman and we know she will make her first appearance in UCSM #6

end of spoilers

[LemonWedge]

But Bendis gave that answer after being asked about what happens in Issue #3.
The Spider-Woman thing could be setting something up for a later issue, we never know what'll happen.

[4PointOh]

Interesting choice there for Bendis to make both Miles' uncle AND his father criminals/ex-cons/thieves.

Very interesting. And telling.

And, of course, when all else fails, make the Asian kid chubby and smart.

Well written comic; that I can't deny. And Sara Pichelli's art is spectacular.

I do, however, find the racial politics quite problematic.

[Jarocho]

Interesting choice there for Bendis to make both Miles' uncle AND his father criminals/ex-cons/thieves.

Very interesting. And telling.

And, of course, when all else fails, make the Asian kid chubby and smart.

Well written comic; that I can't deny. And Sara Pichelli's art is spectacular.

I do, however, find the racial politics quite problematic.

His father and his uncle represent choices, and since Miles will be dealing with crime, it is economical have these influences at his home. That said, neither are stereotypical ex-cons. Aaron wears a costume and the father is pretty straight-laced and kind of strict.

In Avengers Academy Striker said he wanted to be a solo superhero but he could never find a bank robbery. That is Joseph Campbell 101. The hero's story starts with "The Call to Adventure." A normal 14 yo kid with a boring family in the suburbs has no entry point into the comic book crime fighting world. Let's not forget, the orginal Spider-Man was NYC based and found his calling when his uncle was murdered in a violent crime.

[DimitriKalashnikov]

I think Jessica will end up being a super hero mentor to Miles. Teach him a thing or two. I can see a sort of relationship like The Boss and Naked Snake had in Metal Gear.

[4PointOh]

Perhaps I should preface this by saying a few things that I'm sure more than a few folks here are thinking:

1. I'm not calling Brian Bendis a racist.
2. I'm not asking anyone to stop buying or enjoying ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN; in fact, I'm going to continue to buy it, at least for now.
3. I'm not saying that anyone who reads and enjoys ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN is a racist.

His father and his uncle represent choices and since Miles will be dealing with crime, it is economical have these influences at his home. That said, neither are stereotypical ex-cons. Aaron wears a costume and the father is pretty straight-laced and kind of strict.

Okay, but why is it necessary for both his uncle AND his father represent those choices? Why does one have to be a criminal redeemed and another a criminal unrepentant? Why can't at least one of the adult black men in this series, in Miles' life, not be a criminal at all? Is that difficult to portray or imagine? I know we live in a country where criminality is regarded as a synonym for black masculinity, but come on. As a black man raised and living in Brooklyn, NY, I find Bendis' particular arrangement and choices not only contrived (obviously), but imaginatively questionable.

In Avengers Academy Striker said he wanted to be a solo superhero but he could never find a bank robbery. That is Joseph Campbell 101. The hero's story starts with "The Call to Adventure." A normal 14 yo kid with a boring family in the suburbs has no entry point into the comic book crime fighting world. Let's not forget, the original Spider-Man was NYC based and found his calling when his uncle was murdered in a violent crime.

Okay. But I'm not sure what any of this has to do with my critique of the racial politics at play, intentionally or unintentionally, in the Ultimate Spider-Man comic book. Miles' "call to adventure" could play out perfectly fine without making his father an ex-con. There's enough in Miles' father's view on mutants to give our young hero tremendous conflict. To have Miles' (favorite? only?) uncle be a criminal is enough conflict. To have his father also be a criminal (ex-criminal) seems, to me, gratuitous. I'm immediately pulled out of the story, as otherwise well-written as it is.

It's as though the comic book isn't being written for me. It's seems, to me, like the comic is being written for white people. There is, to me, a certain condescension in the story, a certain reassurance. Something about it says to me: "See white people? Black men are criminals either by nature or nurture, but some of them are capable of redemption. Some of them are even capable of becoming heroic despite coming from the devastation they live in. So there's no need for you to be afraid of all of them."

To me, it's almost as if this story was written by a white missionary commenting on what he thought he saw during his observations of tribes in the deep heart of the Congo. Is the story being told compelling? Yes. Dramatic? Certainly. Earnest? I'm sure. Truthful? I imagine that some people might want to believe so because in the cultural narrative and in all forms of media, we're conditioned to believe so.

But I don't. Sorry.

Story: A-
Art: A+
Racial Politics: D

[Cancerous]

Interesting choice there for Bendis to make both Miles' uncle AND his father criminals/ex-cons/thieves.

Very interesting. And telling.

And, of course, when all else fails, make the Asian kid chubby and smart.

Well written comic; that I can't deny. And Sara Pichelli's art is spectacular.

I do, however, find the racial politics quite problematic.

I agree. Some writers do tend to subconsciously write minority characters very stereotypically, especially blacks and asians. I sort of just shook my head when i found that both his father and uncle had a criminal background. It was my same reaction when they revealed Patriot was a drug user in Young Avengers. It just plays into bad stereotypes. Now thats not me saying i'll drop the book because i for one love the all new Spider-Man but it gets a little cliche after a while, no?

[wyokid]

With "Ultimate Comics Spider-Man" #2 in stores now, CBR spoke with writer Brian Michael Bendis for page-by-page commentary and insight into the pivotal chapter in the origin of Miles Morales.


Full article here.

[Jarocho]

Perhaps I should preface this by saying a few things that I'm sure more than a few folks here are thinking:

1. I'm not calling Brian Bendis a racist.
2. I'm not asking anyone to stop buying or enjoying ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN; in fact, I'm going to continue to buy it, at least for now.
3. I'm not saying that anyone who reads and enjoys ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN is a racist.



Okay, but why is it necessary for both his uncle AND his father represent those choices? Why does one have to be a criminal redeemed and another a criminal unrepentant? Why can't at least one of the adult black men in this series, in Miles' life, not be a criminal at all? Is that difficult to portray or imagine? I know we live in a country where criminality is regarded as a synonym for black masculinity, but come on. As a black man raised and living in Brooklyn, NY, I find Bendis' particular arrangement and choices not only contrived (obviously), but imaginatively questionable.



Okay. But I'm not sure what any of this has to do with my critique of the racial politics at play, intentionally or unintentionally, in the Ultimate Spider-Man comic book. Miles' "call to adventure" could play out perfectly fine without making his father an ex-con. There's enough in Miles' father's view on mutants to give our young hero tremendous conflict. To have Miles' (favorite? only?) uncle be a criminal is enough conflict. To have his father also be a criminal (ex-criminal) seems, to me, gratuitous. I'm immediately pulled out of the story, as otherwise well-written as it is.

It's as though the comic book isn't being written for me. It's seems, to me, like the comic is being written for white people. There is, to me, a certain condescension in the story, a certain reassurance. Something about it says to me: "See white people? Black men are criminals either by nature or nurture, but some of them are capable of redemption. Some of them are even capable of becoming heroic despite coming from the devastation they live in. So there's no need for you to be afraid of all of them."

To me, it's almost as if this story was written by a white missionary commenting on what he thought he saw during his observations of tribes in the deep heart of the Congo. Is the story being told compelling? Yes. Dramatic? Certainly. Earnest? I'm sure. Truthful? I imagine that some people might want to believe so because in the cultural narrative and in all forms of media, we're conditioned to believe so.

But I don't. Sorry.

Story: A-
Art: A+
Racial Politics: D

I'm Mexican-American (as per my name) and I definitely see where you are coming from. But reading Miles father I kept thinking of my own brother. As a teenager he was arrested for trying to break into a car because of the crowd he hung out with. He was locked up, dropped the friends, and grew up to be the most boring straight-laced guy you would ever know. It is hard to hang out with a crowd like that and not get sucked in. I have a lot of family members who made huge mistakes and are totally different people now. I'm saying all this, to say it works in the story, it makes dramatic sense. Aaron grew up to be a criminal, Miles' father had the same experiences and grew up to be a honest man. I know I'm avoiding Racial Politics but you stated it was a good, earnest story but not truthful. It is truthful to my life experiences, and a story has to be specific to something to be worth a damn. Bendis could have made different choices but I don't think he needed to because his story is solid.

As a teenager I had to pick up my dad from lock up. It was a weird thing, my parent's were divorced and I was never close to my father, but I was available. I asked him what it was like and he said it was fine, they just joked around and played dominoes. That was the only conversation we ever had about why he was in jail or what happened. This is the moment I'm excited to see Miles involved in, because I think he might refuse to ask more questions too. That is why I really have an affinity for the character. Even if he is half-black and I'm all Mexican and the writer is Jewish.

[semicyon]

Perhaps I should preface this by saying a few things that I'm sure more than a few folks here are thinking:

1. I'm not calling Brian Bendis a racist.
2. I'm not asking anyone to stop buying or enjoying ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN; in fact, I'm going to continue to buy it, at least for now.
3. I'm not saying that anyone who reads and enjoys ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN is a racist.



Okay, but why is it necessary for both his uncle AND his father represent those choices? Why does one have to be a criminal redeemed and another a criminal unrepentant? Why can't at least one of the adult black men in this series, in Miles' life, not be a criminal at all? Is that difficult to portray or imagine? I know we live in a country where criminality is regarded as a synonym for black masculinity, but come on. As a black man raised and living in Brooklyn, NY, I find Bendis' particular arrangement and choices not only contrived (obviously), but imaginatively questionable.



Okay. But I'm not sure what any of this has to do with my critique of the racial politics at play, intentionally or unintentionally, in the Ultimate Spider-Man comic book. Miles' "call to adventure" could play out perfectly fine without making his father an ex-con. There's enough in Miles' father's view on mutants to give our young hero tremendous conflict. To have Miles' (favorite? only?) uncle be a criminal is enough conflict. To have his father also be a criminal (ex-criminal) seems, to me, gratuitous. I'm immediately pulled out of the story, as otherwise well-written as it is.

It's as though the comic book isn't being written for me. It's seems, to me, like the comic is being written for white people. There is, to me, a certain condescension in the story, a certain reassurance. Something about it says to me: "See white people? Black men are criminals either by nature or nurture, but some of them are capable of redemption. Some of them are even capable of becoming heroic despite coming from the devastation they live in. So there's no need for you to be afraid of all of them."

To me, it's almost as if this story was written by a white missionary commenting on what he thought he saw during his observations of tribes in the deep heart of the Congo. Is the story being told compelling? Yes. Dramatic? Certainly. Earnest? I'm sure. Truthful? I imagine that some people might want to believe so because in the cultural narrative and in all forms of media, we're conditioned to believe so.

But I don't. Sorry.

Story: A-
Art: A+
Racial Politics: D

You have a very valid point about racial stereotypes. However, as Jarocho notes, this is a truthful story for some people of color but still, it's a problem when media examples of your race tend to be negative and criminal. If this story were told with lower socio-economic white brothers, it would be a bit easier to enjoy the story and art.

I do think it makes sense, though, for it to be both brothers being ex-cons, not just the one because I don't think it is quite as simple as Miles' dad is good/right and his uncle is bad/wrong. They both learned something about their jail time and they both wanted to get out of their lower-income upbringing. They both want to help Miles do the same without repeating the same mistakes that they did. However, they both have different ideas about what exactly were the mistakes, how to get out of a difficult circumstance, and even whether or not they got out of the circumstance at all. Despite the fierce and honest love Miles' dad has for him, I can completely understand why he'd go to his Uncle Aaron, instead, to talk. I don't think we've seen the whole picture of what exactly his uncle is really doing.