Ultimate Fantastic Four Volume 3 N-Zone

Awesome.

That's all that really needs to be said about N-Zone. Just awesome. This has been my favourite so far (obviously) but the reason is that it's just written so well for super-high science fiction.

I really liked the way Reed was using his powers outside of the box. Being stretchy is about so much more than being able to tie oneself in knots. I didn't like what they did with Johnny in the N-Zone. To me, his exotropic powers seemed to be reacting to the endotropic universe and it made sense. Instead, he was shedding his skin like some kind of snake?

There was great tension built up with the escape and while it ended with the obligatory fight scene I still really liked it. I'm giving it a 5.

Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 15 Silver Sable

I'm not really sure why this is called Silver Sable as she doesn't really take up that much of the story. It actually kind of jumps around a bit with the loose association of the stuff that was made to get Roxxon. It does introduce Kitty Pride of the X-Men as a love interest for Peter (like) and then spends some time introducing various villains for Spider-Man to fight.

The actual Silver Sable story line was interesting. I liked the kidnapping of Flash Thompson and what it turned in to. I'm intrigued by Silver Sable and what she actually does but I was a little let down by the conclusion to the story. Once again, it's Nick Fury and the Ultimates to the rescue (behind the scenes this time).

All in all, I'll give it a 3.

Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 14 Warriors

When Spider-Man has to fight something that's a little less obvious I find the story a lot more intriguing. In Warriors the foe isn't some crazed genetic experiment like Carnage or the Green Goblin, or a maniac like Doctor Octopus, it's organised crime. And trying to figure out where the side of good lies.

I liked the introduction of the Moon Knight. There was enough information given to make me want to find out more but not too much to remove the sense of the mysterious. The Black Cat and her various reactions to the situation was fun and Spider-Man just getting tired of trying to figure out which side was the right one and instead deciding to web the whole lot of them was great. I'll give it a 4.

Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 13 Hobgoblin

Hobgoblin was another one I didn't really get. It felt like a really convoluted way to get Peter to break up with Mary Jane. Not that I completely disagree with Peter's reasoning. She did get into the middle of trouble with ease but he could have told her a bit more to give her a better idea of why she should stay away. And, oh yeah, Harry used to date her and that's why she was in big danger when he turned into the Hobgoblin. Didn't really capture me. I'm giving it a 3.

Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 12 Superstars

Superstars is another team-up book. It takes place more in the continuity than Ultimate Marvel Team-Up so it's not quite so confusing to read but it still feels slightly apart from the rest of the series.

Still, it has one of the funniest stories in the series. That of Wolverine and Peter switching bodies. I really liked the introduction of the Ultimate Human Torch. It makes him more human and more of a teen. The Ultimates and Doctor Strange are just kind of meh but the beginning of the volume is just so strong that I'll give it a 4.

Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 11 Carnage

I don't know what to think of this one. Carnage just seemed a bit rushed. From the introduction of Carnage and what he was to the death of Gwen Stacy to the ultimate battle between Spider-Man and the genetic experiment gone awry to Peter quitting Spider-Man (yet again). It just seemed like it had to cover too much ground in not enough space. I kind of get the feeling that Brian Michael Bendis was just not that into telling this part of the Spider-Man story. It felt like there were certain points that he felt had to be made, and that they might as well be made here but they weren't really story elements that he was all that interested in. It was OK, I guess. It's a 3.

Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 10 Hollywood

This one's just great. From Peter's disbelief that they can make a movie about Spider-Man without his actual consent to the fight that starts in New York and ends in Brazil. Hollywood is just full of great little moments. It's high action with a heart as Gwen Stacy finds out the truth near the end of this volume. I'm giving it a 5.