Ultimate Spider-Man, Volume 12: Superstars

Ultimate Spider-Man (Collected Editions)

by Brian Michael Bendis (Writer), Mark Bagley, Scott Hanna (Illustrator)

A bizarre occurrence brings Spider-Man and Wolverine together for the weirdest team-up in super-hero history As the two struggle to get to the bottom of this mystery, their lives literally unravel. Why are both heroes too concerned with their own lives to work together? Strap yourself in, True Believer; it's all part of the ride you get when you buy a ticket for the team-up for people who hate team-ups Plus: Johnny Storm realizes that despite his new flame powers and fame on the horizon, he still doesn't have a high-school diploma. And where does the young New Yorker enroll? Why, none other than a certain Queens high school that also counts one Peter Parker - Spider-Man - as a student. And what's up between Johnny and sweet Liz Allen? Watch the sparks fly.

Collecting: Ultimate Spider-Man 66-71

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, Spider Man, Comic Book, Superheroes, Fiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published April 6, 2005

About the author

A comic book writer and erstwhile artist. He has won critical acclaim (including five Eisner Awards) and is one of the most successful writers working in mainstream comics. For over eight years Bendis’s books have consistently sat in the top five best sellers on the nationwide comic and graphic novel sales charts.

Though he started as a writer and artist of independent noir fiction series, he shot to stardom as a writer of Marvel Comics' superhero books, particularly Ultimate Spider-Man.

Bendis first entered the comic world with the "Jinx" line of crime comics in 1995. This line has spawned the graphic novels Goldfish, Fire, Jinx, Torso (with Marc Andreyko), and Total Sell Out. Bendis is writing the film version of Jinx for Universal Pictures with Oscar-winner Charlize Theron attached to star and produce.

Bendis’s other projects include the Harvey, Eisner, and Eagle Award-nominated Powers (with Michael Avon Oeming) originally from Image Comics, now published by Marvel's new creator-owned imprint Icon Comics, and the Hollywood tell-all Fortune and Glory from Oni Press, both of which received an "A" from Entertainment Weekly.

Bendis is one of the premiere architects of Marvel's "Ultimate" line: comics specifically created for the new generation of comic readers. He has written every issue of Ultimate Spider-Man since its best-selling launch, and has also written for Ultimate Fantastic Four and Ultimate X-Men, as well as every issue of Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, Ultimate Origin and Ultimate Six.

Brian is currently helming a renaissance for Marvel’s AVENGERS franchise by writing both New Avengers and Mighty Avengers along with the successful ‘event’ projects House Of M, Secret War, and this summer’s Secret Invasion.

He has also previously done work on Daredevil, Alias, and The Pulse.

Reviews

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was really good omg!

So we have a buncha short stories together like whats going on when Spider-man and Wolverine's body gets exchanged and well that was a fun one lol and then the coming of Human-torch and him meeting Pete for the first time and the start of their friendship but things with Liz too and a darker turn with the public perception of the F4 here and then the big story with Pete going to rescue Dr Starnge but having to fight "Nightmare" and what it does to him and his relationship with MJ!

Its one of those volumes which really integrates him to the larger marvel universe and I love it plus the cameos are really cool and the way Peter interacts with each of them particularly Johnny was so good but the thing with MJ.. its sad to see and will really change him all around going forward! So yeah a definite recommend from me!

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably the weakest volume of the run so far with too heavy a reliance on "guest stars", but still pretty good when focussing on the inner life of Peter Parker and co.


I could have lived without the "Freaky Friday" story involving Wolverine but it was amusing enough, I guess.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of fun! Wolverine, Human Torch, and Dr. Strange make appearances in this one.

[Matthew Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

These were all team-up types of issues and while they weren’t all bad, they were just okay at best. Felt more like filler issues in this run than anything else.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Relatively underwhelming. There are six issues in this volume. Each and every one focuses on a guest character. What is this, Ultimate Spider-Man Team Up? I would not have read that book voluntarily. The Wolverine and Doctor Strange issues just weren't that great. Bendis thought highly enough of the Wolverine body switching storyline that he put in a (tongue in cheek, I know) apology in the middle of the story. The story with Johnny Storm was much, much better, because Johnny himself was a much more interesting character. I also appreciated the friendly reminder of why I don't read the Ultimates that was included in the Doctor Strange story: the characters themselves are all such jackasses. This isn't the first time that I've seen Bendis take a potshot at them. I wonder if he personally isn't a fan?

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty much an entire volume of filler but it was pretty fun for the most part.

It is 3 different stories. First is dealing with Peter and Logan switching bodies. Yes, freaky friday style. Don't worry, even Bendis knows it is stupid, and that's part of the joke. It's okay, it has some cute parts, but overall a very skippable read. The second bunch is the best stories for me with Johnny coming to school and boring out with Peter. It's simple but effective and some good dialogue. The last story is Peter going on a Date with MJ but it getting it all fucked up. It's okay, the ending was pretty great.

Overall, it's a solid bunch of side stories but disappointing coming from the very serious and fucked up last volume. If you want a great follow-up, this isn't it. But it does a decent job of being easier and fun to lessen the darkness.

A 3 out of 5.

[Nicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the friendship here with the Human Torch, but whaaaat is that bit with Wolverine? It's just so silly! It's really making me want to read Ultimate X-men, though. And is there Ultimate Fantastic Four? Must look this up. Maybe now I have a job...

The introduction of Dr Strange makes me quite curious. I know Billy Kaplan (Young Avengers) is a runner-up for the next Sorcerer Supreme, so... hmm.

[Frédéric · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rated 100% filler. Team up with Wolvie was actually fun though.

[Doctorjimmy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Διάβασε εδώ όλο το review

Δεν έχω ιδέα γιατί μπήκα στον κόπο να γράψω «κριτική» για το 12ο “arc” του Ultimate Spider-Man. Θέλω να πω, ο ίδιος ο Bendis στην αρχή της πρώτης ιστορίας (από τις τρεις -2 τεύχη η καθεμιά τους) ανακοινώνει πως δεν πρόκειται να διαβάσεις τίποτα το ιδιαίτερο. Και, μάντεψε, έχει δίκιο! Οι σύντομες περιπέτειες εδώ πιθανότατα είναι απλά υλικό που δεν χρησιμοποιήθηκε νωρίτερα (ίσως επειδή δεν ήταν αρκετά καλό) και είναι απλά ανιαρές: ο Pete με τον Wolverine αλλάζουν σώματα (γιατί;;;), ο Johnny Storm από τους Fantastic Four γράφεται στο σχολείο του Pete (για κάποιο λόγο, δίνουμε σε comic του Spidey πρωταγωνιστικό ρόλο….στον Human Torch) και ο Doctor Strange άθελα του ρίχνει τον Pete σε ένα εφιαλτικό ταξίδι με ένα ξόρκι του (αχρείαστα, κακοφτιαγμένα και κλισέ “οράματα” που δείχνουν τις αμφιβολίες του ήρωα). Το πιο απίστευτο είναι πως το διάβασα μέχρι τέλους.

[Shane Stanis · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Ultimate Years 10&11

Read for a handful of shorter arcs including Spidey/wolvey freaky Friday (and some unfortunate repeats of Logan and underage girls, now with even less consent)

Highlight is the Steange story with some really fun art

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Freaky-Friday Wolverine-Peter Parker story was rather cute, if lightweight. The Johnny Storm/Human Torch story was okay, a bit of morale building. The Doctor Strange plot made me think I probably missed something by skipping 3 books, but it was all right, too. The whole volume was fine but didn't feel essential.

[Rick Ray · Rating 2 out of 5]

Following up the rather strong previous volume comes the dud that is "Superstars". Opening to a two-issue arc featuring Wolverine and Spidey undergoing a body swap that invokes some of the creepiest moments of the series, the following issues featuring the Human Torch and Doctor Strange are better but not by much.

The Wolverine/Spidey body swap issues are infamous at this point, though it seems clear that Bendis knew these stories would look bad for him given his self insert narration at the beginning of both issues highlighting just how much this wasn't his idea. Personally, I feel like it's a poor look to throw everyone else under the bus for this, but I imagine Bendis was being tongue-in-cheek with his commentary here. Anyways, we get the funny "Freaky Friday" situations of Wolverine trying to go to school as Peter, who in turn struggles to handle Wolverine's heightened senses. It's funny at times, though I could definitely do without Wolverine ogling over MJ.

The Human Torch issue was a fun one for sure, especially given the natural pairing of Torch and Spidey. Here we see Johnny Storm going to Peter's high school, only to struggle with balancing his own wanderlust and wish to be a bigger contributor to the world of superheroes. Spidey acts as a natural pal for Torch, making this one off tale a quaint and memorable team up.

The Doctor Strange issues in the back end were a little less fun, though not all that bad. Spidey tries to help Strange with a matter, only to find himself trapped in a nightmare. This is one of those stories that works better if someone like Ditko was at the helm of it, but here it's a surprisingly bland team up.

"Superstars" is basically a series of Spidey team up stories that don't all work, but it's entertaining enough to get through these issues with relative ease.

[skramzfan · Rating 3 out of 5]

saw the body swap plot and immediately expected a lot of second hand embarrassment. it was okay though, the self aware bit about the writers and x-men parts were funny. WOLVERINE IS A PEDO???? there's the usual people being assholes to peter and him whining and shit, cool little monologue in issue 70. most of it was just meaningless filler and not funny enough to make up for that. i didn't really care about human torch but it added something to liz with her being mutant-phobic and scared she is one herself (i've heard spoilers and looking forward to what they're gonna do w this) n they could've made the dream stuff more interesting TBH

[Rocío · Rating 3 out of 5]

Claramente son issues de relleno, pero no me importa porque fue como leer un fanfic

Los primeros dos issues fueron un body swap entre Peter y Logan, estuvo entretenido.

El tercer y cuarto issue fueron una especie high school au donde Johnny Storm se anota en la secundaria de Peter. Tengo que admitir que leí varios de estos en ao3 así que amé.

Los últimos dos issues fueron sobre Dr. Strange, y la verdad es que no me gusta mucho este Dr., al menos con las pocas apariciones que tuvo. Pero son los issues más serios y los que más pueden afectar el siguiente volumen.

En resumen, bastante entretenido.

[Chris Borror · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume of Ultimate Spider-Man is 144 pages spanning issues 66-71. Overall this was a fun read. I took a star off because the Wolverine and Spider-Man Freaky Friday story was odd. It didn’t seem like it belonged and I got the vibe that this was more of a joke than anything meant to be taken seriously. Just wasn’t my cup of tea. Everything else was good. Especially the Doctor Strange issues.

[Justin Biondo · Rating 3 out of 5]

For what this volume was it wasn’t bad. After Carnage something a bit more lowkey was needed and this volume hit that perfectly. The stories could have been stronger but I do love Bendis blaming the first story on Nick Lowe. The Torch story was fine and the Strange one felt like a back door pilot for Ultimate Dr. Strange to me. This was far from bad but I was hoping it was better. Onto Hobgoblin

[Jake Lepak · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Stormy · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this one was so weird I started to comic thinking I find missed a bit here what I read back to the last comic and I hadn't so we start with Peter Parker in his bed just waking up but it actually isn't him yeah I know it gets a bit weird so somehow Peter Parker and Wolverine have switched bodies so we go through this comic with them both saying the other one did it Peter thinks somehow that Wolverine has done this to them this comic book what's a bunch of laughs when will Wolverine has to go to class as Peter Parker but tries to refuse but Peters like I can't get another absence I've had too many and the next one will get me expelled and then Peter trying to find the X-Men to sort this mess out it's just a good book and even some other characters / superheroes turn up in this one

[Adam Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

A totally acceptable Spider-Man journey. The first arc harkens back to the Assistant Editor Months at Marvel, as Bendis introduces the first two issues which deal with a brain swap between Spider-Man and Wolverine. It's Incredibly Stupid with a Very Forced ending, but it also lets you know that upfront with Bendis breaking the fourth wall to announce "Even I couldn't drag this story out to three issues."

The team-up with Johnny Storm from The Fantastic Four is more believable, more heartfelt, and heaps better than any of the Ultimate Fantastic Four run.

The final arc center around Doctor Strange, and it was ... fine.

[Amory · Rating 4 out of 5]

2021 review:
4.5 stars!
The body-switch with Wolverine was gimmicky and dumb but still fun to read, and I really liked Johnny Storm's plotline in this. While I didn't like the setup for the Doctor Strange story, I actually enjoyed that as well. This whole volume was just fun, with more of the art style I love.

2025 update:
Crazy of past me to call this whole volume fun when the last panel of MJ saying they were supposed to have their fancy date actually broke my heart; the nightmare sequences in the last two issues of this were brutal too.

[Jeff Raymond · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t want to say I disliked this batch, but…well, some of this was weak. I can forgive the Ultimate Six diversion as an obvious crossover with a comic I don’t read, but I have to say that Black Cat is really annoying, and the whole Hobgoblin thing didn’t do it for me, either. Still soldiering on - I have library leads on all the available trades, shockingly, so I’ll be caught up at some point this summer - but a few of these were more than a little rough around the edges.

[Jack Herbert Christal Gattanella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty much what others have said. This is not quite exactly the sort of gigantic Civil War/Secret Invasion type of crossover trade book, but it also kind of takes away just slightly from the dramatic what-if high stakes momentum that was left off in the previous volume with what happened to Gwen and Parker's decision to quit (not that it seems like the first or last time, but it seemed yo have a good dramatic umph to it).

So here? Three double issues where we get a) a very silly, sometimes funny but ultimately superfluous meta tale of a body switch "whoopsy daisy" between Wolverine and Spider-Man; b) Johnny Storm is told to go to high school for, uh, reasons, and while this had its moments of pathos it feels weird since one isnt sure just reading this where it fits with the Ultimate F4 story, and at the end Storm is gone anyway; and c) nightmare madness with Doctor Strange (Jr) and a fancy dinner that doesnt really happen (spoilers? Eh no big deal really).

That last one has some potential too, but I think it's squandered because it's front loaded with information about Strange - and his son, didnt even know he had that in the comics, or at least in this line - and that this is kind of like a diet Sandman: what could be a wild and intelligent and in-depth exploration of Peter's subconscious and fears is... Stuff that largely feels reheated. Maybe Bendis just wasn't as sharp at that as he is at what hes so good at, which is crafting excellent funny/heartbreaking/harrowing doalog and action set pieces, and not so much at mystical-dream-WTFery with a character we only just met (and isn't as easy to pin down as Logan or Storm). And the artwork in this issue is trying to be EXTREME and falls a bit if not flat then just typical.

So it is still fun and I wouldn't say to skip over it - in a way it makes sense that Peter finally returns to the suit to do the most basic superhero thing ever with a burning building and a baby inside - but it is one of the weaker volumes overall.

[Sam Whale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easily the weakest volume of the run so far and the first that feels like it doesn't add anything to the arcs, themes or the leads.

The strongest issues were by far the Human Torch story. Having Peter meet Jonny in school and establish a friendship was really nice, and Jonny's time at Pete's school also gave us some great moments with MJ, Liz and Kong. I hope this continues a friendship between the two and even if it doesn't these issues still felt like the ones of the most importance.

The Wolverine Spider-Man freaky Friday story is famously bad already so I'm not sure what I can add. I found the issues very funny to read, but certainly not in the way intended. All I liked here was Peter's brief conversation with Kitty Pryde and that only because I love their future relationship in later volumes.

Finally the Doctor Strange story just felt like nothing to me. The story felt like showing Peter's nightmares post Gwen's death was going to be this big important moment for him and for his psyche, but it was mostly just more monstrous versions of his villains chasing after him..the Ultimate version of Doctor Strange seems interesting, being the son of the traditions Dr strange hero, but we don't get much of him and we get nothing between him an Peter; this was probably my least favourite arc in the whole run.

It's still Ultimate Spider-Man, still BMB's strongest character writing and Bagley's best art, but compared to the 11 books before it and a lot of the ones later on, this is pretty weak stuff.

[Aaron Maurer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just don't get it. I don't like X-Men and Spider-man crossing paths. I like them in their own worlds. I grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons for X-Men and to me they are their own separate world and character system.

I played with action figures like Spider-man and that is another world. For me, crossing them together feels off even though I am aware that so many love it and searching on Marvel Unlimited I better get over it because they have 1000's of comics of them together.

I don't know why but these comics just felt out of place. I felt like I have been reading all these comics and each storyline built upon one another, but the first few issues in this collection felt like they just were there without much context. It took me a while to find my flow in the reading again.

Towards the end it started to work for me again, but I felt disrupted in my thinking and reading.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Superstars (#66-71). Three team-ups that would really have fit better in Ultimate Team-Up (and there's a reason that series isn't making it into the omnibuses!).

First up a Wolverine and Spider-Man body switch that would be hilarious if it weren't presented right on the heels of the tragic Carnage.

Second a Johnny Storm team-up that's really the best of the batch because it uses the High as its foundation and treats Johnny like a person.

Third a really horrible Dr. Strange team-up that's boring before we even get to the never-ending nightmare sequence. Its only redeeming quality: it's the only arc to treat the Carnage arc like it just happened.

Overall, a disappointment [3/5].

[Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four two issue stories that occasionally veer close to feeling like advertisements for the other ultimate books, but it's alright since they're so much fun. I think Bendis just wanted to have fun after Carnage so he did three short teamup stories.
The first one is about Wolverine and Peter freaky friday-ing.
The second, and best of the three, is about Johnny Storm going to Peter's school for a day.
The third has Peter and MJ going on their fancy date they arranged in the second story as Peter tells the story of the time he met Dr. Strange, who in this universe is the son of the normal Dr. Strange. It's the weakest and darkest of the three.
Essentially a palate cleanser before we get back to business, but a really good time overall.

[Marloges · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh... barely giving this three stars since the Johnny story was kind of fun and the ending of the Wolverine part made me laugh out loud. Other than that these are just random crossover episodes that didn't add to the story and felt like filler. It's also a bit problematic that they've placed this arc right after the dramatic ending of the previous one which takes away some of it's impact... I liked the ending of the Doctor Strange bit since it hit right in the feels but since that one was just the Marvel Team-Up bit all over again it felt a bit lazy. Fun, inconsequential but overall pointless arc. You can skip this, but it's not so bad that you should.

[JP · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review / all my reviews available on my blog

Woo boy that was a ride. I was expecting some fallout from Gwen… but all we get on that front was a single line. Kinda weird.

Instead, a body swap story with Wolverine (hilarious), getting to meet Johnny Storm who is just trying to be normal (best Fantastic Four story thus far!), and a dreamy (but in the nightmare sort of way) introduction to Doctor Strange.

All that in six issues/a single volume.

Good, but Oy the whiplash.

Onward!

[Brandon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wolverine tries to fuck a teenager, Human Torch goes to a regular high school, and Doctor Strange does his own thing whole Peter butts his head into it. It's a Marvel Team-Up throwback, aside from the actual Ultimate Marvel Team-up series, with the Human Torch story in particular matching up to those early classic Team-Up issues. But most of it reads like fluff that could be entire,y skipped and reader would miss nothing.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Wolverine duo would have gotten one star. The Johnny Storm duo would have gotten four, so I'm being generous and rounding up to three stars. I love a good team-up, and the Johnny storm storyline is how it's done. Both characters should grow and benefit from a cross-over appearance, and the growth that occurs for both Peter and Johnny is excellent. The Wolverine story is clearly just a goofy writer's room idea published (the opening pages say as much).