A terrific blend of teenage drama, mad comic book science and crime drama, plus a reverence for the past and a vision for the future, “Ultimate Spider-Man” continues to prove its valued place in the Marvel Universe.
Unfortunately, due to the nature of the issue, spoilers for “Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spider-Man” #1 will be discussed.
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Illustrated by David MarquezPART TWO OF THE BIGGEST SPIDER-MAN STORY OF THE YEAR “REVIVAL”
• After the mind-blowing reveal at the end of the first issue, miles life will NEVER be the same again.
• With SHIELD gone, the biggest villain in SPIDER-MAN history is out and nothing can stop him.
• Miles has made a huge choice about the woman he loves. Will he live to regret it?
The first issue of the latest volume of “Ultimate Spider-Man” marked a number of milestones for both the series and the Ultimate universe. First, it saw young Miles take star billing in the title, a call back to the “Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man” comics of old and another stepping stone in his meteoric rise as the Spider-Man for a new generation. As progressive as that sounds, the issue also featured a literal blast from the past, with the Ultimate Peter Parker seemingly returning from the grave. This development seems counterintuitive to both the development of Miles as “The Ultimate Spider-Man,” as well as the Ultimate Universe’s “dead is dead” philosophy. However, regardless of the verisimilitude of this Parker resurrected, Brian Bendis and Dave Marquez channel the scenario into a truly engaging and enjoyable issue.
“Miles Morales” #2 is an extremely breezy read. The average reader can probably read through the issue at a leisurely pace in under 5 minutes. Still, Bendis and Marquez manage to pack a tremendous amount of depth and plot into the issue, in spite of its apparent brevity. Several pages of the issue feature sparse dialogue or, as in case of the opening segment showcasing a freed Norman Osborn, are entirely silent, contributing to the book’s lightness. However, this lack of wordage allows Marquez’s terrific pencils and Justin Ponsor’s striking colors room to flourish. Time that might have been spent trudging through exposition, internal narration or the like can be instead spent admiring Osborn’s fiery and dramatic entrance, the dynamic action of two rogue Spider-men, or the diverse range of emotion displayed by Miles as he comes face to face with a legend.
That latter bit makes up the majority of the issue, and quite appropriately. Last issue’s inciting cliffhanger bears immediate exploration, and Bendis doesn’t disappoint on that front. The interplay between Miles and Peter is fantastic, with Miles’ incredulous, awestruck wonder and Peter’s mild annoyance at his apparent replacement. Like all good first-time hero meetings, this one eventually devolves into fisticuffs, but not before we get some fantastic dialogue from both parties involved. As mentioned before, Marquez’s incredible knack for conveying emotion through character expression and body language complements Bendis’ uncharacteristically sparse dialogue very well, creating a scene that’s rich in wit and emotional depth. Bendis marries Miles’ line of thought with the reader’s, tracing through all the various explanations for Peter’s return. His eventual conclusion is both hilarious and troubling, a pitch perfect reaction to the most notorious of comic book and particular “Spider-Man,” tropes.
The rest of the issue revolves around the various subplots established last issue: the escape of Norman Osborn, the villainous Spider-esque thieves, and Miles’ conflicting desire to reveal his identity to Kate Bishop. Each plot point is progressed, if only slightly. The Osborn scene is little more than a check-in, reminding the reader that the green menace is back in action, but the all silent segment is an especially enjoyable showcase for Marquez and Ponsor’s art. The rogue Spider-men story takes an interesting turn involving Tony Stark and Latveria, adding another layer of mystery to the story.
The Kate Bishop dilemma gives rise to the issue’s cliffhanger, along with some terrific dialogue between Miles, Ganke, and Kate. Bendis demonstrates a terrific ability to juggle various tones, creating a book that feels just as much a slice of life teen drama as it does a super-hero book. Bendis writes these characters with an intimacy and familiarity one would expect from a creator-owned property, which “Ultimate Spider-Man” essentially is at this point (though the finale is potentially a callback to a similar scene involving Peter and Mary Jane in the first volume). This makes the book feel unique, set apart from not only other the rest of the Marvel universe, but even the other Ultimate books as well.
“Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spider-Man” is shaping up to be a more than worthy continuation of Bendis’ decade-plus saga. Its singularity belies its high profile nature, making it a bit of an anomaly in the comic book world, in more ways than one. While the catalyst for ‘Revival’ is just as likely to induce groans and and skepticism as it is to engender excitement and nostalgia, Bendis and Marquez manage to hit all the right beats, preventing the development from feeling overly gratuitous or regressive. The continuing adventure of Miles Morales has become a must-read story, and the wait for next month’s issue is nigh unbearable.
Final Verdict: 8.9 – Buy
