ENGL- 485 Revised Paper
Ultimate Spiderman Volume 1: Power and Responsibility
Adolescent literature is what boys and girls grow up reading and literature shows them that even in a made up world or one like their own, that there is someone, somewhere, going through the same life conflicts as them. The stage in your life when your considered and adolescent is one of the most conflicting and challenging years of growing too adulthood. Some books are more extreme than others like J.K. Rowlings Harry Potter series, who star a boy in a world of wizards and myths made real. While others work of literature are more realistic, for instance The Skin I’m In by Sharon G. Flake and S.E. Hinton The Outsiders. For this piece, I’m going to focus my attention on a more fictional and well-known adolescent fictional character who has been around since 1962. Spider-man the alter ego of young adolescent Peter Parker. I know it says Spider-man not Spider-boy or Spider-adolescent. When Marvel comics created the ultimate universe, in order to design a reboot while establishing a new world and created new mythos to such common heroes like Captain America, Iron man, Thor and so on. In 2000 Marvel comics started the ultimate universe with the debut of Spider-man issue one. Starting off Peters journey and appearing much younger then in regular comics at the time, where he is seen as an adult among his peers. The Ultimate Spiderman Volume 1: Power and Responsibly story by Bill James and written by Brian Michael Bendis is a graphic novel but a novel none the less. Its success brought about 22 volumes then 3 more after another Marvel reboot. The series still ran with a Multiracial Spider-man named Miles Morales. Miles Morales is half African American and half Puerto Rican student, who becomes the new Spider-man after the heroic death of Peter Parker in the story arc and graphic novel Death of Spider-man by Mark Bagley and Brian Michael Bendis. Spider-man is a classic iconic character and has had several various adaptation of him done throughout comics, television, movies, video games and more coming out within the next decade. So maybe it’s time we take Spider-man to the classroom where he can do more good for the adolescents.
The first volume in Brian Michael Bends Ultimate Spider-man is a 7 issues origin story arc of Peter Parkers life as a growing adolescent in high school whose life changes the day a spider bites his arm and alters his DNA. The book shows the birth of an adolescent teen who fights crime because of he has this great power and he see it as his great responsibility to help others with his gift. Peter made a wrong choice and that choice took his Uncle Ben away from him forever. The series, has the longest continual run record of Spider-man comics, and has shown Marvel the most success within their new adaptions of the character. Spider-man doesn’t show up in his classic costume till the last two issue of the story arc which is the near the end of the book with the graphic novel, he’s fully dressed with webs fighting a mysterious fire monster whom murdered his friend’s mother and then attacks the school while setting it on fire. Before any of the cool spider action, we see the struggling life of a teenage boy whose life is no cake walk. He has the same problem of common adolescent, He goes to school, he has a crush who he sees as more popular than himself, he gets picked on and let’s not forget he acts out emotionally like most teens his age. Why wouldn’t Peter Parker be seen as a role model and have a positive influence for reader in the classroom starting at a high school ages 12 and up? The graphic novels say it’s for all ages. But to give it a range, lets base it on the book itself 12-18.
Peter Parker is a bright young, 15-year-old boy who lives in the Queens New York with his uncle Ben and aunt May. When he was much younger his parents left him with his relatives then died in a plane crash. He is a really smart, polite, and respectful student and loves science like his late father. Peter isn’t the most popular one in school and tends to get picked on by the jocks. His crush is Mary Jane Watson a red headed girl from school he’s known growing up. Peter see himself as an outsider among his own peers. When Peter goes on a field trip to Osborn Industries he gets bitten by a genetically altered spider. When Peter first noticed the change in his body and his powers developing. He played around and truly acts out against his old nature. First Peter stands up to one of his bullies when he sees him bugging his crush Mary Jane. After finally letting lose and taking out his bully nicknamed Kong, he passes out and wakes up in hospital. Second Peter’s spider sense and agility is tested when he is almost hit by a car and senses that the man driving has a weapon, Peter skips school to research his spider bite. Uncle Ben and aunt May were worried and spoke to him about missing class to which Peter doesn’t respond well and runs to his room in fury to figure out he can stick to walls. Lastly Peter picks a fight with Flash Thomson to which Peter lashed out again after Uncle Ben gives him a speech because he’s disappointed in him. He lashes out at Uncle Ben confused about himself and runs off.
Peter is still a sweet kid at the time and the next day after running off in night to test his powers, Peter apologizes to his uncle. Uncle Ben is probably one of the most important characters in the book because he taught Peter to be a good man and even left him off knowing one more piece about life. “Don’t try to be something else don’t try to be less. Great things are going to happen to you and your life. Peter. Great things and with that will come great responsibility. Do you understand”- Ben Parker. Soon after that Peter starts to feel more accepted in school when he joins the basketball team and wins a couple games. Peter then sneaks out with a full body costume mockup of his soon to be class red and blue. He enters a wrestling contest to win money for his struggling family. Peter is brought down to the negativity that his classmates have for him that he didn’t even realize that his crush Mary Jane actually liked him. Peter then after providing for his family decided to stop wrestling in this new costume, which will later be the good old red and blue we all know and admire. The manger tries to hire him full time instead the mystery man gig. A Grocery store gets robbed and Peter doesn’t stop it, he just lets the guy go by instead of easily subduing him. It was his responsibility and he just looked the other way. Peter goes through typical struggles that may happen to adolescents his age, he goes to an underage drinking party with students from his high school. But Uncle Ben didn’t raise no fool, He catches Peter to which he acts selfishly when Uncle Ben gives him a lecture and runs off. He returns after being out late to find that uncle Ben was murdered. When Peter hears the news he runs out and finds the guy while dawning the red and blue costume and finds out that the guy who he let get away killed his uncle. Peter Parker now deals with the death of his uncle something that is difficult for people of that age group to understand. Peter fights crime while thinking about his selfish actions, before breaking down and crying to Mary Jane. After spoofing up the costume and making his own web shooters. The Ultimate Spider-man made his debut when the strange monster who attacked his best friend, Harry Osborn’s mother is found dead. The monster was attacking his school and Peter Parker now Spider-man jumps in and fights the mysterious green monster. After a battle leaving Spiderman with more questions. Peter returns to his life as an innocent adolescent and returned to his now widowed aunt.
The Ultimate Spider-man Series could be taught in schools to show adolescents, that their teachers are willing to adapt with new forms of teaching. Peter Park goes through so much on a daily basis and he also put his life on the line, those very same days. Most importantly that even superheroes deal with real life problems and are not the gods there made out to be. With great power comes great responsibility, I would start in high school but that doesn’t refrain from any grade beyond. Colleges should start using comic books as an academic tool instead of dismissing the vast qualities of storytelling and art formations. Comic books hold multiple values and concepts that others don’t pay them any mind because of the fact that it’s a comic and exposes reader to illustration and not leave it to the mind. Getting the graphic novels would be cheaper in schools to buy the paperbacks. Peters humor as Spider-man would keep the readers alive and benefit more for students who are more visual learners. All students regardless of age can feel a sense of intimidation when confronting a page full of text, with comics and graphic novels readers get more action and feel and see the emotions more clearly. Consider the graphic novel a bridge into reading larger text for those struggling.
In a blog about brining comics to the class they talked about Josh Elders Three E’s of Comics Engagement, Efficiency and Effectiveness. The ultimate spider-man volume one gives out the visual layout and then the reader must make meaning from the text and images. Some panel require no text at all but a series of photos that make meaning to the story. When Peter join the basketball team in order to make Flash Thompson eat his words and gain some popularity, he is seen on a pages going to basketball winning the game and the team throwing him in the air, instead of in the lockers. You finally see Peter be excepted by his peers. Which builds these friendships and gives Peter a little more of realistic point of view on his powers. Comics can use panels like this to transition time in a day or even later in the future. Efficiency, how the comics is formatted to withstand large amount of information in short time of each issue. This works in helping the instructor in teaching content in the subject. Spider-man’s origin takes 7 issues to complete and it builds up a whole a lot of background information about the characters in the first volume. Peter goes from zero to hero is 7 long issue in a total of 200 pages. If a student can read a 200-page book with pictures and still obtain the same values, they would get from reading Harry Potter or Catcher in the Rye. I’d say move over Holden and Harry to make room for the new go-to book in adolescent literature, that teaches values of Responsibilities to all who read. Some may argue that having the pictures in front of you will rob you of the narrative at hand. But depending on the artist and his from, It’s really up to readers and how they read and visualize it. This is where I can argue the Ultimate Spider-man series popularities in the world, by the fact that Marvel kept a steady pace on the artist and didn’t differ as much throughout their run. Most comics switch it around and give others a chance to show how they’d see it. The style Peter Parker and Spider-man are portrayed are well done and wonderful, according to Entertainment Weekly “One of the most emotionally resonant depictions of the Teendom in comics since Spiderman’s first debut”. As you watch him grow up it’s a real thrill. Effectiveness is the whole process of how the transfer of knowledge you get from the book and its images. In Neurological experiments it shows how the brain process text and images in a whole different part of the brain in a theory called Cognition which is dual-coding. The experiments showed the increased memory retention of both images and text. Sometimes comics remind myself of great televisions shows and it takes a really good series for me to go back to issues or volume one and start over.
The Ultimate Spider-man is an amazing series and teach valuable lessons throughout. Very highly recommended by many, my suggestion is to use Spider-man and graphic novels in the class room, it would be to test out Volume one for a class and have them read it, do an assignment and at the end the assignment ask if the class would like to continue with volume two or have the class take a new series altogether. The students will have questions because not all in comics are explained or leave you satisfied because, you want to know more, the students getting to analyze the structure and deep meaning shown by reading the text. This is a more chipper way to convey content to them. Making a high level thinking and reading comprehensions to something that is usually seen as lower level.
To conclude Peter Parker can be the role model for young adolescent literature. The Ultimate Spider-man comic series can be brought inside the classroom and used as an in-depth reading to get the students interacting with literature and grasp more on the pages. Using text and images actually can help improve the classroom moral and the student’s intelligence, while preparing them to take on more classic and longer reads in the future. I recommend any one of those 26 volumes of Peter Parker Spider-man it can help classrooms. The book delivers in story and in art. While bringing students into likening reading and motivating them to do more outside the classroom. Peter Parker or Miles Morales can be used to effectively to show adolescents through literature, making Spider-man a more multicultural character based on the two Spider-men. Spider-man being one of the most popular character would make the selling point of the graphic novel into the classroom a whole lot easier. Spider-man can be used in other media as well to effective help and guide the students into understanding. The students are the ones who are most important on this decision because not everyone loves or even likes comics. Even if just one person buys an issue of any comic afterward the teacher or professor got them into, that would be a win for literature and most importantly adolescent literature.
Work Cited
"Blog." Teachcom. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
Michaels, Brians, and Bill James. "Ultimate Spiderman Volume 1 Power and Responsibly." Ultimate Spiderman Volume 1 Power and Responsibly. Vol. One. New York: Marvel Comics, 2000-2009. 1-200. Print. Ultimate Spiderman
Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Book 1. Scholastic Press: 1997., n.d. Print.
Hinton, S. E. The Outsiders. N.p.: Viking/ Dell Publising, 1967. Print.
Flake, Sharon. The Skin I'm in. New York: Jump at the Sun/Hyperion for Children, 1998. Print.