Wednesday, January 2, 2013

CBR Ultimate Comics Spider-Man Vol. 1

 

What perhaps started as a fun joke on the internet became a reality in the hands of writer Brian Michael Bendis.
And such a fun reinvigorating new character for the franchise at that!


For more stories of AMAZING FANTASY check those out!!

Comic title: Ultimate Comics Spider-Man Vol. 1
Art by Sara Pichelli 
Story by Brian Michael Bendis

Published by Marvel Comics
From 2011-12
Lineup Ultimate Comics, Spider-man
Format: Trade paperback collecting issues #1-5 of Ultimate Comics Spider-Man and Ultimate Fallout #4.

Back in early 2000, Marvel tried and succeeded into launching another "alternate" Marvel Universe inprint (like those I like).
While others attempt like Marvel 2099 or Marvel MC2 tried new ideas with established characters and the history of the Marvel U, expanding upon well known concepts for either long time fans or at least fans on the know basis, Ultimate Marvel was conceived as a way to touch upon new readers.

The idea was to reinterprete Marvel in a more contemporaneous setting, while most of their creations had come from the 60/70s (often under Stan Lee's writing).
For this a team of writers joined together to establish the ground for this new universe.
Amongst those, Brian Michael Bendis, Warren Ellis, and Mark Millar.
Like in the past, the Spider-man comic become the forefront of this new alternate universe, Brian Bendis inventing the first rules and creating the basis for all the other titles.
It started wiith Spidey and then quickly rose each year a new publication, Ultimate X-Men in 2001, The Ultimates in 2002 and much later Ultimate Fantastic Four.
To those initial four were added some other books over the years, more were canceled until only one or two titles were kept around.

In 2011 the entire Ultimate Marvel brand was relaunched as Ultimate Comics.
Thanks to some shake-ups of the line and some good marketing, they were able to gather back some new audience and make the Ultimate line relevant again.
First with a new big crossover-event called Ultimatum.
Then with "The Death of Spider-Man" story arc, which made the previous Ultimate Spider-man comic book reach its conclusion with Spider-man going against the Green Goblin for one last time.

Peter Parker gave his life protecting his loved ones.

Here comes an all-new Spider-man.


The story picks up a bit earlier, months before the aforementioned death.

Miles Morales is a 13 years old.
He is about to enter middle school and his family is trying to get him into one of the better local schools in NYC.

While he was preparing to enter a new world of higher education, late night studies and dormmates, he certainly wasn't prepared to get super powers!

One time while visiting his Uncle Aaron Davis (aka The Ultimate Prowler - but hush! little Miles doesn't know it yet...) he is bitten by a genetically altered spider that was hidden amongst stuff Uncle Aaron had just stealing from Oscorp.
You see, up until his death at the ends of Spider-man, crazy/genius Norman Osborn had been working on retro-engineering the spider that granted Peter Parker his own spider-abilities.
Anyways radioactive spider, spider-bites, plus young sweet introvert neurotic kid equals Spider-man! (remember this?)


Miles is freaked out by the situation.
Is nerdy best friend Ganke thinks its the coolest thing ever to happen to any of them.

Miles is specially not gonna talk about this at home, thanks to his dad that seems to absolutely despise mutants and super-powered people.
He discovers his strange new powers one by one (which by the by seem to have a lot more in common with Miguel O'Hara than Pete's). Like he can sort of turn invisible. Has a "spider-bite"-thingie. And almost "float" up the wind a bit.

Our hero decides it's too risky to play super hero.
Plus there's already Spider-man around.
That is until he gets his own "Uncle Ben" in the form of the Death of Spider-Man!


It is such a fun new retelling of a similar classic Spider-man story.
Brian Bendis did such an oustanding work. In the hands of another writer it could have just turned cheesy and forced on. But he makes Miles such a fun compelling new hero. And despite him being just a kid!

Our new hero seems less reluctant at first but he ends up wanting to self-sacrifice for others just the same - because we (as the readers) know that "with great power comes greater responsibility" (which I'm glad we got as a message but not bluntly spoken in words as usual).

The art of Sara Pichelli is absolutely and completely stunning!
Breath taking!
And finally, someone is able to manage drawing different ethnicities clearly.
She makes Miles, Ganke and everyone else truly come to life in those pages.


It's a fun coming of age story.
As kids his age start to follow their own path, Miles learns one new ability at the time.

There's plenty of familiar Ultimate-verse faces such as (Aunt) May Parker, Gwen Stacy, Jessica Drew/Spider-woman and even the SHIELD that promise to be a bigger part in Miles life as the story will progress.

It was one of the biggest challenges to rejuvenate the franchise and Ultimate Marvel, now Ultimate Comics.
The stories had been going a big stale, and for a brand that promised fresh and newcomers friendly takes on popular Marvel series, even its continuity was getting a big out of hand in recent years.
I'm just glad they were able to find a new angle to explore these stories, which was what Marvel missed to do with Marvel 2099 back in the 90s (thus ending it abrutly).

Miles Morales is another typcial "Peter Parker", like comics haven't seen much going these last few years.
Parker-style guilt, a good great clean young super hero and spectacular adventures. 
The perfect blend for yet another new Amazing Spider-man!


Overall, I really loved it!
I hadn't followed Ultimate Spider-man in ages. Ages, really. But I really liked his early run and the promises of that new young Peter Parker.
I wasn't that keen on Miles when I first heard about him - don't mind the early reception and harsh critiques on the internet. Just the idea of someone new taking Pete's place.
But he quickly grew on me, Bendis is that a great writer.

Miles is cleary THE new Spider-man.
I love the idea of a learning curve to his powers set.
Everything seems so fresh, the possibilities infinite.
All the new and old enemies he will have to face up, rise up to the challenge and how he will live up to the legacy of the original web-crawler, Peter Parker.

It seemed the book received a bit of a polarized reaction at first. 
But jackasses comments and racism aside, Miles IS a great characters there's no denying that.
Heck, even Spider-Man's original creator Stan Lee approved the positive role model he is!

I give it:
3 / 3 SpiderHams!
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