Brian Michael Bendis's Ultimate Spider-Man / What is Your Verdict ?

[sabongero]

Finally. I never thought I could ever post this, since I was thinking the series would go on for years before a reboot. But thanks to Big Events and the Ultimate Lines seem to be faltering, it ended abruptly with Peter Parker ending up "dead". You can't help reading the topics here on the Ultimate Forum. I don't think he's dead because Marvel deaths are 99.9 % recoverable.

I read one comic book of this series and decided that no way am I going to read another issue in comic book form. So, I've read it in TPB form, which was phenomenally 110 % better. I've read Volume 1 to Volume 14 (buying a TPB each month for the last year and a half), and I will say that I've liked this take on Spider-Man. And with Bagley's pencils, the look was consistent, and Bagley's chracters were consistent with their core intent. Overall up to just before the Clone Saga I give this series a 4-star rating. I am getting volume 15 next this month.

[NickGuy]

Its above average. alot of the early plots feel rushed and forced for trades (most notable the venom and carnage arcs) but overall, its pretty well written.

[ijffdrie]

i give this book a 4 star rating, if i could i'd give it a 4.5


i can think of few things i would give a 5

[Mulbard]

Its above average. alot of the early plots feel rushed and forced for trades (most notable the venom and carnage arcs) but overall, its pretty well written.

I don't mind plots being trade-friendly, as I only get trades and hardcovers :tongue:

[NickGuy]

i dont either, but some of the conclusions to some arcs felt rushed. like carnage happening in flashback made me go wtf

[artiepants]

i think it was overall the best and most consistant near-10 year run on anything i've ever read, and has been the best Spider-man since the early 90s.

[Micca]

I am currently just reading the series. I have bought the trade versions so should get through them at a good rate. I have read the first two volumes today. I like the art etc and some of the plots, however I feel it's a bit rushed just now. I mean I just got to issue 13 and he's already told Mary Jane he's Spider-Man.

[VRaptorX]

I am currently just reading the series. I have bought the trade versions so should get through them at a good rate. I have read the first two volumes today. I like the art etc and some of the plots, however I feel it's a bit rushed just now. I mean I just got to issue 13 and he's already told Mary Jane he's Spider-Man.

well....he waits about 100 more issues to finally ask about sex so that has to count for something right?

[Cloudman]

5 stars.

Brilliant characterisation, intriguing plots, interesting takes on new characters, near-perfect dialogue (combined with great art throughout).

[sabongero]

well....he waits about 100 more issues to finally ask about sex so that has to count for something right?

Speaking of sex, on the earlier volumes it was funny when Aunt May asked Peter if he and MH were doing the Speenyroonie with each other and to utilize condoms. And Bagley just captured Pete's face and mannerisms when a teenager was approached by a grown-up regarding the Nastee. It was so funny. Bendis has great dialogue and Bagley interprets them just perfectly.


I am currently just reading the series. I have bought the trade versions so should get through them at a good rate. I have read the first two volumes today. I like the art etc and some of the plots, however I feel it's a bit rushed just now. I mean I just got to issue 13 and he's already told Mary Jane he's Spider-Man.

I agree with you on that. That was the only thing that really seemed to be rushed. They could have held on for several years before it was used.


i think it was overall the best and most consistant near-10 year run on anything i've ever read, and has been the best Spider-man since the early 90s.

You couldn't have summed it up any better than that. Consistency.


I don't mind plots being trade-friendly, as I only get trades and hardcovers :tongue:

Two years ago I started reading this with the TPB in mind. And you get to appreciate it even more than say reading it every month in comic book form.

[Cloudman]

I agree with you on that. That was the only thing that really seemed to be rushed. They could have held on for several years before it was used.

You've got to remember that at the point of #13, Marvel didn't know whether the series would continue for that much longer, so they wanted to get in some interesting stories before it had to end. Luckily, it continued and thrived.

[sabongero]

You've got to remember that at the point of #13, Marvel didn't know whether the series would continue for that much longer, so they wanted to get in some interesting stories before it had to end. Luckily, it continued and thrived.

Really ? I didn't know that it was on the bubble at the time. I came in late in 2006 at reading comic books again. And this was the only one I read in TPB form. So it didn't really sell well in the early goings ?

[Cloudman]

Really ? I didn't know that it was on the bubble at the time. I came in late in 2006 at reading comic books again. And this was the only one I read in TPB form. So it didn't really sell well in the early goings ?

Sorry, I didn't explain very well. USM was selling well back then, as it has for a long time, but it was originally intended to be only a short 7-issue series. Because of its success, Marvel decided to continue it for longer, but they weren't sure for how long.

[sabongero]

Sorry, I didn't explain very well. USM was selling well back then, as it has for a long time, but it was originally intended to be only a short 7-issue series. Because of its success, Marvel decided to continue it for longer, but they weren't sure for how long.

Thanks for the clarification. I never knew USM was intended to be a limited series only.

[Cloudman]

Thanks for the clarification. I never knew USM was intended to be a limited series only.

Yes. It's quite amazing to think that just from one 7-issue series we got a whole universe.

[Maestro]

I am currently just reading the series. I have bought the trade versions so should get through them at a good rate. I have read the first two volumes today. I like the art etc and some of the plots, however I feel it's a bit rushed just now. I mean I just got to issue 13 and he's already told Mary Jane he's Spider-Man.

I think that was better than doing the predictable "keeping your identity secret" thing. it took about 200 issues of Amazing Spider-Man for Mary Jane to find out

[Micca]

I think that was better than doing the predictable "keeping your identity secret" thing. it took about 200 issues of Amazing Spider-Man for Mary Jane to find out

I wasn't saying I wanted them to wait hundreds of issues or anything like that because that can get drawn out and at times you're like "Just tell her would you!" - I just thought 13 issues in was far to soon. I mean, cmon, he barely knew he was Spider-Man at that stage and yet he's telling Mary Jane that he is - just felt rather rushed to me. Suppose it's all about personal opinions. :tongue:

[Mulbard]

I wasn't saying I wanted them to wait hundreds of issues or anything like that because that can get drawn out and at times you're like "Just tell her would you!" - I just thought 13 issues in was far to soon. I mean, cmon, he barely knew he was Spider-Man at that stage and yet he's telling Mary Jane that he is - just felt rather rushed to me. Suppose it's all about personal opinions. :tongue:

I agree it was too soon, although I didn't mind it too much, Harry disappeared too early also. That said, I absolutely love Ultimate Spider-Man nevertheless. The reason he was so certain he could tell her was because in Ultimate Spider-Man, she had been his closest (and pretty much only) friend for a long time.

[UltimateMarvel_Fan501]

I loved this series. This was the comic that got me back into comics

[Chris S.]

Sorry, I didn't explain very well. USM was selling well back then, as it has for a long time, but it was originally intended to be only a short 7-issue series. Because of its success, Marvel decided to continue it for longer, but they weren't sure for how long.

Where are you getting this from? I'd always heard it was intended as on an ongoing. After the failure of Chapter One they feared it wouldn't do well. That is why they didn't ship all that many USM 1 and why they are more valuable.

Are you sure your not confusing it with Chapter One.

[Chris S.]

I wasn't saying I wanted them to wait hundreds of issues or anything like that because that can get drawn out and at times you're like "Just tell her would you!" - I just thought 13 issues in was far to soon. I mean, cmon, he barely knew he was Spider-Man at that stage and yet he's telling Mary Jane that he is - just felt rather rushed to me. Suppose it's all about personal opinions. :tongue:

I think it was more realistic. They have handled Peter being masked well in USM. It is crazy for a character to have no one know who he is. Especially in Peter's case because he is so obviously Spider-Man.

Also can you imagine being 15 and having a secret like this? It made sense he told MJ so early on.

[ThisMortalSoil]

Probably one of the best comic book series I ever read. I gave it a 5

[Tikal]

yeah i would give it a five to
it's a damn good series
even in it's slow moments it was still good
i can't really think of to many other series that constantly stayed good like this one

[Alex Dragon]

I am currently just reading the series. I have bought the trade versions so should get through them at a good rate. I have read the first two volumes today. I like the art etc and some of the plots, however I feel it's a bit rushed just now. I mean I just got to issue 13 and he's already told Mary Jane he's Spider-Man.

It only seems rushed if you compare it to what happened in 616 universe. If I remember correctly, Bendis said it's not hard to believe that a person would tell their best friend about the amazing thig that happened to him. He wanted to explore the dynamic between Pete and MJ with MJ knowing his secret and Peter having someone to share that with. Most important of all he wanted to show that it wasn't really a good idea that Pete told MJ. Bendis has shown from time to time thwe downside of MJ knowing his secret.

[Alex Dragon]

I think the run was overall "outstanding". Not every arc was outstanding but the misses were few compared to the hits.

I especially liked what Bendis did with Peter and the way he interacted with his high school friends. It was a far more believable situation than the original 616 version had. I've never really liked or understood why in the 616 version why Peter spent so much time with "friends" who didn't seem to like him much and he didn't seem to like. The whole Flash and Pete hanging out so much when Flash was such a bully to Pete never made sense.

I also think Bendis' version worked better for me because he always made it seem like his Spider-man and Peter were the same person. Not that Spider-man acted like Pete but I could buy that it was Pete under the mask. In the original 616 version Spider-man and peter seemed like to completely different person. I know they are supposed to act differently...eh, it's hard to explain...but anyway...I buy more into Bendis' version of Peter overall.

[Frisky Dingo]

I loved this series. This was the comic that got me back into comics

Same here, on both statements.

[DrDoom616]

Yep, me too, I stopped collecting for a few years, but Ultimate Spider-man brought me back into the fold, this book has been consistently well written from day one and is IMO a perfect example of how good a comic should be.

It's just a damn shame that Marvel has allowed crap writers to ruin the rest of the Ultimate Line.

[Joe Prevost]

I loved the early Ulitmate Spiderman, but like alot of good books, they always fade away. Honnestly, I would believe this book to be one of Marvel's top selling books, but in recent years, Ultimate Spiderman's writer, Michael Bendis, 'sold out', if you will, to the main universe. After he made the jump and started working on more prominent books, ala Avengers, Ultimate Spiderman is stories slowly degraded and lost substance.

Now we're getting a new revamped Spiderman drawn by the penciler of Hellcat. Already, several of the old Ultimate Spiderman's veteran readers lose interest bevause of his childish, manga-esque style. Maybe the stories will improve, hell, maybe the art will supirse us and draw our attention, like Stuart Immonen.

Anyways, as to my rating, I give this book a 3.5/5.

[DrDoom616]

I loved the early Ulitmate Spiderman, but like alot of good books, they always fade away. Honnestly, I would believe this book to be one of Marvel's top selling books, but in recent years, Ultimate Spiderman's writer, Michael Bendis, 'sold out', if you will, to the main universe. After he made the jump and started working on more prominent books, ala Avengers, Ultimate Spiderman is stories slowly degraded and lost substance.

Now we're getting a new revamped Spiderman drawn by the penciler of Hellcat. Already, several of the old Ultimate Spiderman's veteran readers lose interest bevause of his childish, manga-esque style. Maybe the stories will improve, hell, maybe the art will supirse us and draw our attention, like Stuart Immonen.

Anyways, as to my rating, I give this book a 3.5/5.

3.5/5?

bit generous to give a rating before you've even seen the book, I will reserve judement until i see issue 1

[Joe Prevost]

3.5/5?

bit generous to give a rating before you've even seen the book, I will reserve judement until i see issue 1

3.5 was my rating for V1.

As to V2, we'll have to wait and see.

[Cloudman]

3.5/5?

bit generous to give a rating before you've even seen the book, I will reserve judement until i see issue 1

I'll reserve judgment till it reaches #10.

[Hibbleton]

I give it a five, though I'm not done yet.

I'm reading through the trades and just finished the Clone Saga and for the whole series I'm just blown away. The dialogue and the art work so well together, and its funny and exciting. When Black Cat pulls of his mask and he kinda gives an awkward smile and then puckers his lips had me laughing for a good five minutes.

It's the little things too, the fact that the book never forgets that his just a kid and how he gets angry everytime he rips his costume. I loved that he told MJ so early because it made it easy to see how close they got. And I freaking love Ultimate Aunt May. When she was in the hospital and Peter is sitting next to her and says that to him she is his mom, I'm am not embarrased to say that I cried. Not hard but there were definitely tears. I've definitely never been so attached to a comic before.

It isn't perfect but its close enough.

[Joe Prevost]

I'll reserve judgment till it reaches #10.

Well, Bendis is writing and the art isn't too bad. Maybe there's a chance after.

[stealthwise]

When it started, the book had a freshness to it that allowed to cover up any of Bendis's noticeable tics and storytelling flaws, but over time I felt that they made the book nearly unreadable in monthly (or at one point bi-weekly) format, so I switched to the trades after almost dropping it altogether. Venom, Carnage and Hobgoblin are all paced almost exactly the same and are definitely intended to be read for the trades.

I agree with the poster above about the Black Cat moment, and I quite liked the other storylines that followed, but the book really got me back on board when Stuart Immonen started doing the art. His ability to portray action and create more innovative layouts was blowing me away after Bagley's serviceable art for so many years. It was like putting a jet engine in a Ford Pinto.

Sad that the book got derailed by the Ultimatum crap, so it looks like the last trade I got will be the very last and that there's not much point in continuing on with the series after all of the pointless changes that have been made.

[Ryder]

Well, Bendis is writing and the art isn't too bad. Maybe there's a chance after.

The art from the preview is actually very good. a lot better than the Annual.

[sabongero]

Is the volume 21 trade paperback the last TPB to come out from this series?

[Ryder]

Is the volume 21 trade paperback the last TPB to come out from this series?
No there will be the Ultimatum one and I assume UCSM will eventually have TPBs.

[John Zaleski]

5 stars... by far my favorite seriese. EVARRRRRRRRR

[sabongero]

No there will be the Ultimatum one and I assume UCSM will eventually have TPBs.

Thanks for the info. But I am asking about the original Ultimate Spider-Man run by Bendis/Bagley which ended with Bendis/Immonen. So it's only up to volume 21 on the Trade Paperback right? What was the final issue of that series before being retconned to #1 again?

[ijffdrie]

Thanks for the info. But I am asking about the original Ultimate Spider-Man run by Bendis/Bagley which ended with Bendis/Immonen. So it's only up to volume 21 on the Trade Paperback right? What was the final issue of that series before being retconned to #1 again?

133 it thought.
And it wasnt retconned, it is the start of a new volume.

[sabongero]

Oh okay. So the original Ultimte Peter Parker Universe is still intact. That's great. I guess they will have volume 22 out sometime at the end of the year. Volume 21 consists of issues 123-128 as I saw at the Borders website just now.

Thanks for the info.

[cradleman]

Volume 22 is due out on February 3, 2010, according to Amazon.com.

[spacepatate15]

I enjoyed ultimate spider-man but only for a short time before my interest got away.The problem is the same problem that plagued the ultimate line at the end of the first chapter of the universe history.Too much stuffs from the past bring in and not enough original stuff except for how spider-man was created.It was just a spider-man book with the past stuffs compacted into a single book and nothing else.So i lossed my interest after the return of the green goblin story arc.

This appear to have improved a lot in ultimate comics spider-man.For exemple,the statue quo of spider-man is different,the villain are very different from their original version and bendis promised brand new creations as well.They is a lot of stuff that is very different and the style of the book is amazing.It feel like a manga and at the same time,like a excellant representation of how spider-man should look like.It a lot better than mark bagley bland artstyle.

With the change and the new statue quo,im very interested in that book and i will get the series at every months

[KangarooOnTheLoose]

4.5

Like a lot of you have mentioned, Bendis' dialogue is really human, as are his characters, and Bagley's art goes so well with the writing that it's like watching actors on a stage. It even produced a playable comic book video game :eek:
When Bagley left I wasn't optimistic. I mean Immonen's an okay artist but his jagged lines and often crude facial expressions cannot follow-up to Bagley's comic-booky, manga-influenced style. Bagley really nailed the emotion, and after Spiderman and His Amazing Friends I stopped reading.
I've seen glimpses of David LaFuente's art, but it just doesn't work. Especially his Spidey - does Peter's head double in size and roundness when he puts on that mask? I am gonna give this one a try, though, because Ultimate Mysterio does look admittedly badass.

[oldschool]

I thought the first 50 issues or so were absolutely outstanding and I thought it continued to be very good, though not consistently excellent after that. I think the "CW 11" feel of the dialogue and very teen setting kind of got grating after a while. I also thought the "Gwen as Carnage" thing was weak and the Ultimate Clone Saga ended badly after a terrific start. I also think the book never recovered artistically from Bagley's departure.

[Cloudman]

I thought the first 50 issues or so were absolutely outstanding and I thought it continued to be very good, though not consistently excellent after that. I think the "CW 11" feel of the dialogue and very teen setting kind of got grating after a while. I also thought the "Gwen as Carnage" thing was weak and the Ultimate Clone Saga ended badly after a terrific start. I also think the book never recovered artistically from Bagley's departure.

It was the most consistently good comic book in a long time. Even the arcs which people hated have a lot of merit to them.

And the art thing? Don't get me wrong, Bagley was good, but his art had no stylisation at all. It was solid and consistent, but not as interesting as Immonen's or LaFuente's.

[SpideyZERO]

My very first comic series and it dragged me into comic world. I still remember I bought the Venom trade and then started collecting the whole series in trades. Good old days. I really enjoy USM. Great and fun story with equally awesome art. Sure, there's some weak arc there and there, but there are so many classic stories there. I hope Ultimate Universe will continue for a long time! :biggrin:

[Bowie1979]

USM was my introduction to the world of comics as well. The first hardcover was simply sublime.

[Cloudman]

Who the hell voted "poor"?

[sabongero]

I have the TPBs volumes 1 to 20. I must admit the thing I liked about it was the teenager Spider-Man story, with Peter's high school story. My favorite part may well have to be Peter Parker's life. And the hook-up with Kitty Pryde of the X-Men. It's too bad Kitty's lack of self-esteem doomed that relationship from the start. I kind of wish, that Pete hooked up with her for the long run.