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Ultimate Spider-Man Omnibus
Ultimate Spider-Man Collection
"With great power, there must also come great responsibility."
In 1962, these prophetic words launched one of the most successful and recognizable characters of the Twentieth century — Spider-Man! The powers granted to bookish Peter Parker by a radioactive spider have fueled the imaginations of fans worldwide for nearly 40 years. With the dawning of a new age, however, comes a hero for a new millennium — Ultimate Spider-Man!
In 1962, these prophetic words launched one of the most successful and recognizable characters of the Twentieth century — Spider-Man! The powers granted to bookish Peter Parker by a radioactive spider have fueled the imaginations of fans worldwide for nearly 40 years. With the dawning of a new age, however, comes a hero for a new millennium — Ultimate Spider-Man!
992 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2004
88 people are currently reading
667 people want to read
About the author
Brian Michael Bendis
4,450 books2,563 followersA 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.
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.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
June 1, 2015
So this was terrible. I was expecting something really different to this. I'm pretty sure I absolutely detest the ultimate universe, this confirms it. The old Stan lee stories were ten times better than this.
Here are the reasons I hated it
1. It's just a retelling of all the classic Spider-man stories with a twist.
2. The artwork is terrible
3. The artwork is terrible (so bad it's on here twice) to the point that they draw Peter Parker posing like a girl in his pants wtf!
There is only one comic I've read recently with worse artwork and that was Rick Remenders uncanny avengers!
4. The changes they made to the characters are worse! Why make Kraven a TV star?
I'm angry I bought this, I'm putting this on eBay Asap!
Sorry to everyone who liked this, I really really really wanted to like it, but it just comes across with so little effort put into it.
I will continue to avoid the ultimate marvel universe like the plague. The only thing worse than this is Ultimate X-Men and if you like that there's something wrong with you.
The end.
Here are the reasons I hated it
1. It's just a retelling of all the classic Spider-man stories with a twist.
2. The artwork is terrible
3. The artwork is terrible (so bad it's on here twice) to the point that they draw Peter Parker posing like a girl in his pants wtf!
There is only one comic I've read recently with worse artwork and that was Rick Remenders uncanny avengers!
4. The changes they made to the characters are worse! Why make Kraven a TV star?
I'm angry I bought this, I'm putting this on eBay Asap!
Sorry to everyone who liked this, I really really really wanted to like it, but it just comes across with so little effort put into it.
I will continue to avoid the ultimate marvel universe like the plague. The only thing worse than this is Ultimate X-Men and if you like that there's something wrong with you.
The end.
January 23, 2023
A fun if unsurprising Spider Man viewed through a hyper-colored Y2K lens. My main complaint is the fat-shaming and queer-shaming as a means for comedy—that’s just lazy and below-the-belt.
May 14, 2024
Oh my days this was everything I’ve ever wanted!
So I’ve always wanted to read some Spider-Man comics since I’ve started reading but they’re either weird, bad or way too old. This was the only series that seemed to fit what I wanted in a Spider-Man story and I finally got hold of it recently.
This is essentially just a retelling of the classic Spider-Man stories but modernised and with a slight twist so not only do you get a full complete story that makes sense from start finish that is self contained you also get a good idea of Spider-Man’s history too.
Absolutely loved this, can’t wait to read the rest of this series!
So I’ve always wanted to read some Spider-Man comics since I’ve started reading but they’re either weird, bad or way too old. This was the only series that seemed to fit what I wanted in a Spider-Man story and I finally got hold of it recently.
This is essentially just a retelling of the classic Spider-Man stories but modernised and with a slight twist so not only do you get a full complete story that makes sense from start finish that is self contained you also get a good idea of Spider-Man’s history too.
Absolutely loved this, can’t wait to read the rest of this series!
December 13, 2022
NOSTALGIA !!! Just pure NOSTALGIA ! This run still holds up. From Bendis awesome writing to Bagley’s dope artwork ! The writing truly flows really well.. and Bendis truly captured the essence of Spider Man in this story. So many relatable topics that Stan Lee started with his run. This book is just inspiring to see the struggles of a teenager, there were moments in some of these stories that made me wanna tear up cause I felt what was happening emotionally. Reading this as an adult hits differently than reading this when I was a kid. Just wow, can’t wait for VOL 2 !
October 28, 2022
Power & Responsibility (1-7). Bendis' initial arc for USM is pretty much the short story from AF #15, spread out over 7 issues. Sadly, it shows, because the story drags. With that said, this is a great modernization of the story. Nicely dovetailing the origin, the Osbournes, and even Doc Ock, and also giving some good modernizations to Peter, his guardians, and his school. If it'd just been kept to 4 or 5 issues, it would have been excellent [4/5].
Learning Curve (#8-13). Bendis really take USM to the next level with his second arc, and that's likely in part because the training wheels come off: we no longer know what's going to happen. But we also really get Bendis at his best, mixing together Peter and a crime narrative. The brutal reality of Ultimate Peter's life as Spider-Man is terrific, and so is his quest to take down the Kingpin. Meanwhile, we get improving characterization of supporting cast as Peter joins the Bugle, and then a terrific entire issue focusing on Peter and Mary [5/5].
Double Trouble (#14-21). It's like the inevitable second or third superhero movie, where the producer suddenly decides that we need two villains to remain interested. So we get Doc Ock and Kraven: double trouble. And they're great. Not only does Doc Ock nicely tie into Peter's origin, but he's also scary as heck. Meanwhile, Kraven turns out to be hilarious. Alongside all of this, we're getting a real arc in the overall storytelling. Almost two years in, and Peter's slowly becoming a hero. [4+/5].
Legacy (22-27). Much like Doc Ock, this new Green Goblin is terrifying. This is also a story that's entirely heartbreaking, with both Mary and Harry dramatically in the line of fire. The integration with SHIELD is fun too, really creating an Ultimate universe that's larger than just Peter. Overall, a wonderful arc, even if a lot of our supporting cast (at both the school and the Bugle) has gone missing [5/5].
Public Scrutiny (28-32). The story of a counterfeit Spider-Man would be interesting on its own, even if it feels like a big of a backslide from the triumph of the previous volume. (Parker Luck!) But the way that intersects with Gwen's story raises it all up to the next level and results in an enthralling storyline, especially as we see its repercussions on Peter's life. [5/5].
Venom (33-39). Moving past Osborne and Ock it's intriguing to have another major Spider-Man story element that's also being related back to Peter's own history. This time it's Eddie Brock and Venom, who have relations to Peter's lost parents. Great setup, great follow-through, and some more interesting character moments. Unfortunately, the arc is brought down somewhat by some boring fights with the Venom suit and then with Venom himself: fights that just don't have much depth to them [4/5].
Learning Curve (#8-13). Bendis really take USM to the next level with his second arc, and that's likely in part because the training wheels come off: we no longer know what's going to happen. But we also really get Bendis at his best, mixing together Peter and a crime narrative. The brutal reality of Ultimate Peter's life as Spider-Man is terrific, and so is his quest to take down the Kingpin. Meanwhile, we get improving characterization of supporting cast as Peter joins the Bugle, and then a terrific entire issue focusing on Peter and Mary [5/5].
Double Trouble (#14-21). It's like the inevitable second or third superhero movie, where the producer suddenly decides that we need two villains to remain interested. So we get Doc Ock and Kraven: double trouble. And they're great. Not only does Doc Ock nicely tie into Peter's origin, but he's also scary as heck. Meanwhile, Kraven turns out to be hilarious. Alongside all of this, we're getting a real arc in the overall storytelling. Almost two years in, and Peter's slowly becoming a hero. [4+/5].
Legacy (22-27). Much like Doc Ock, this new Green Goblin is terrifying. This is also a story that's entirely heartbreaking, with both Mary and Harry dramatically in the line of fire. The integration with SHIELD is fun too, really creating an Ultimate universe that's larger than just Peter. Overall, a wonderful arc, even if a lot of our supporting cast (at both the school and the Bugle) has gone missing [5/5].
Public Scrutiny (28-32). The story of a counterfeit Spider-Man would be interesting on its own, even if it feels like a big of a backslide from the triumph of the previous volume. (Parker Luck!) But the way that intersects with Gwen's story raises it all up to the next level and results in an enthralling storyline, especially as we see its repercussions on Peter's life. [5/5].
Venom (33-39). Moving past Osborne and Ock it's intriguing to have another major Spider-Man story element that's also being related back to Peter's own history. This time it's Eddie Brock and Venom, who have relations to Peter's lost parents. Great setup, great follow-through, and some more interesting character moments. Unfortunately, the arc is brought down somewhat by some boring fights with the Venom suit and then with Venom himself: fights that just don't have much depth to them [4/5].
February 6, 2022
Perfect for binge-reading, this run. First read.
This was a great recast of Spider-Man as a year-2000 teenager. Loved the way some of the familiar story beats were reframed. I know it isn't really fair to compare, but this retelling allowed them to improve on the original run on many levels. The storytelling is more condensed and more focused than Lee's original run. Highlights: Peter meeting Fury, the Kingpin, the battle with the Green Goblin seen from the goblin's perspective (trippy!). Venom.
Bagley's art grew on me. His faces, especially females, are too cartoony, but he's absolutely brilliant in other areas. His Spider-Man: perfection.
This was a great recast of Spider-Man as a year-2000 teenager. Loved the way some of the familiar story beats were reframed. I know it isn't really fair to compare, but this retelling allowed them to improve on the original run on many levels. The storytelling is more condensed and more focused than Lee's original run. Highlights: Peter meeting Fury, the Kingpin, the battle with the Green Goblin seen from the goblin's perspective (trippy!). Venom.
Bagley's art grew on me. His faces, especially females, are too cartoony, but he's absolutely brilliant in other areas. His Spider-Man: perfection.
March 21, 2014
Not a big Spidey fan, but I have loved a lot of Bendis's stuff(Torso, Daredevil, Powers) in the past so I gave this a shot. Really struggled with all of the teen angst. Probably would have enjoyed this more in the 90's. Definitely getting old. Mark Bagley does a decent job with the artwork, but not enough for me to strongly recommend this title to anyone who isn't a Spiderman fan.
January 26, 2023
Great book! Some aspects are a little dated but overall it’s the Ultimate Universe’s best series
January 16, 2015
Dittkos Spider-Man hat meine kindliche Vorstellung von Superhelden-Comics geprägt, und als jüngst Doc Ock als Spidey auftrat, musste ich schon einiges an Toleranz aufbringen, um die Idee nicht rundheraus als absurd abzutun. Entsprechend stellte sich mir als erstes die Frage, ob ich den Ultimate Spider-Man wirklich lesen wolle. Bekanntlich hat Marvel diese Reihe ja gestartet, um die Stories der alten Haudegen zu modernisieren und für ein heutiges, nicht mehr ganz so kindlich/kindisches Publikum zugänglich zu machen; und dann vor allem auch, um die Umsatzzahlen in einer schwierigen Phase zu stabilisieren, wenn nicht gar zu steigern.
Letztendlich war es Bendis´ Name, der mich zu diesem Omnibus greifen ließ, und ich habe es nicht bereut.
Nachdem sich über vier Jahrzehnte gezeigt hatte, in welche Richtung die Reise gehen würde, konnte Bendis Peter Parkers Geschichte zielgerichtet-gestrafft neu erzählen, Sackgassen und Redundanzen vermeiden und die Verzahnungen zum modernen Marveluniversum vorbereiten.
Der Kalte Krieg, Vietnam und Kommunismusangst wurden getilgt, ebenso anderen Anklänge, die zu sehr den 60ern verhaftet waren.
Bei aller Modernisierung hat Bendis an Peter Parkers Charakter festgehalten, der der unsichere Highschool-Schüler bleibt und mindestens soviel mit seinem Privatleben zu kämpfen hat wie als Spider-Man mit den Bösewichten; Ein sympathischer, tragischer Teenager, mit dem sich auch heute noch junge Menschen identifizieren können. Die Schule und die Bullies haben sich natürlich verändert, aber die Stimmungslage ist weitestgehend dieselbe geblieben. MJ und Gwen haben ihre Rollen tauschen müssen und die Kämpfe mit den albernsten Superschurken bleiben Spidey erspart (eine meiner Lieblingsszenen ist die, als Spidey mal wieder viel zu spät auftaucht um einen Superschurken zu stoppen und Iron Man den schon längst verarztet hat).
Ansonstenn findet sich alles wieder: Humor, Tragik, auch eine Portion Pathos, und natürlich Spannung. Vor allem ist Spidey immer der menschlichste aller Superhelden gewesen, und genau das bleibt er bei Bendis glücklicher Weise auch.
Mark Bagleys Zeichnungen gehen ein klein wenig ins cartoonhafte, aber gerade auf diese Weise gelingt es ihm großartig, Emotionen in die Gesichter unserer Helden zu zaubern. Und überhaupt ist seine Seiteneinteilung überzeugend und hat einen eigenen Erzählrhythmus, mal langsam, wenn es um wichtige Dialoge geht, dann wieder schnell und ineinandergreifend, wenn hurtige Action ansteht. Das Coloring fand ich ebenfalls sehr gelungen, was bei einem SW-Fan einiges heißen will. Einzig die Cover haben mir überhaupt nicht gefallen. Sie vermitteln so rein gar nichts vom Charme, den die Artwork im Heftinneren hat.
Letztendlich war es Bendis´ Name, der mich zu diesem Omnibus greifen ließ, und ich habe es nicht bereut.
Nachdem sich über vier Jahrzehnte gezeigt hatte, in welche Richtung die Reise gehen würde, konnte Bendis Peter Parkers Geschichte zielgerichtet-gestrafft neu erzählen, Sackgassen und Redundanzen vermeiden und die Verzahnungen zum modernen Marveluniversum vorbereiten.
Der Kalte Krieg, Vietnam und Kommunismusangst wurden getilgt, ebenso anderen Anklänge, die zu sehr den 60ern verhaftet waren.
Bei aller Modernisierung hat Bendis an Peter Parkers Charakter festgehalten, der der unsichere Highschool-Schüler bleibt und mindestens soviel mit seinem Privatleben zu kämpfen hat wie als Spider-Man mit den Bösewichten; Ein sympathischer, tragischer Teenager, mit dem sich auch heute noch junge Menschen identifizieren können. Die Schule und die Bullies haben sich natürlich verändert, aber die Stimmungslage ist weitestgehend dieselbe geblieben. MJ und Gwen haben ihre Rollen tauschen müssen und die Kämpfe mit den albernsten Superschurken bleiben Spidey erspart (eine meiner Lieblingsszenen ist die, als Spidey mal wieder viel zu spät auftaucht um einen Superschurken zu stoppen und Iron Man den schon längst verarztet hat).
Ansonstenn findet sich alles wieder: Humor, Tragik, auch eine Portion Pathos, und natürlich Spannung. Vor allem ist Spidey immer der menschlichste aller Superhelden gewesen, und genau das bleibt er bei Bendis glücklicher Weise auch.
Mark Bagleys Zeichnungen gehen ein klein wenig ins cartoonhafte, aber gerade auf diese Weise gelingt es ihm großartig, Emotionen in die Gesichter unserer Helden zu zaubern. Und überhaupt ist seine Seiteneinteilung überzeugend und hat einen eigenen Erzählrhythmus, mal langsam, wenn es um wichtige Dialoge geht, dann wieder schnell und ineinandergreifend, wenn hurtige Action ansteht. Das Coloring fand ich ebenfalls sehr gelungen, was bei einem SW-Fan einiges heißen will. Einzig die Cover haben mir überhaupt nicht gefallen. Sie vermitteln so rein gar nichts vom Charme, den die Artwork im Heftinneren hat.
September 22, 2025
This is going to be the best reread for this summer!
Spider-man is a summers title. I don´t know why, it just is for me.
Seeing the Across the spider-verse movie got me feeling that I want to work myself up and be reintroduced to Miles Morales again. And with all stories we have to start at the beginning...
With the re-invention of Peter Parker as the Ultimate Spider-man!
All though some celebreties and language barriers can somewhat date it. You cannot deny that the dialgoue that Brian Michael Bendis put into this work. Is great writing. It has pages upon pages of wordbubbles without being "wordy". Cause when our casting characters talk. They feel real. Or more real as we were used to. The constant back and forth intead of letting everyperson finish of their sentences gives you a feeling of haste. And I think that is a good reason to why you can speed through every issue as quick as one does. Cause the story and writing carries on very natural like a good interesting conversation (I heard those occur occasionally).
That is my way to say that I blew through the second half of this omnibus in just one day and now I am already taking of the plastic of the second volume, ready for more!
Spider-man is a summers title. I don´t know why, it just is for me.
Seeing the Across the spider-verse movie got me feeling that I want to work myself up and be reintroduced to Miles Morales again. And with all stories we have to start at the beginning...
With the re-invention of Peter Parker as the Ultimate Spider-man!
All though some celebreties and language barriers can somewhat date it. You cannot deny that the dialgoue that Brian Michael Bendis put into this work. Is great writing. It has pages upon pages of wordbubbles without being "wordy". Cause when our casting characters talk. They feel real. Or more real as we were used to. The constant back and forth intead of letting everyperson finish of their sentences gives you a feeling of haste. And I think that is a good reason to why you can speed through every issue as quick as one does. Cause the story and writing carries on very natural like a good interesting conversation (I heard those occur occasionally).
That is my way to say that I blew through the second half of this omnibus in just one day and now I am already taking of the plastic of the second volume, ready for more!
March 13, 2024
This series has been on my radar for a while and through the first few issues, I’m really enjoying it. This series does a great job at a modern retelling of Spider-Man and reading through this has me curious what the next 150 or so issues will take the character through. A few random notable points while reading: Uncle Ben is kind of overbearing, the creative team misspelled Entomology on a panel, Peter listens to Blink 182 and rocks an awesome Einstein poster that seems to change expressions throughout the story, there was zero secret from the very beginning that Norman was not a good guy, the anxiety of knowing Uncle Ben was going to bite it soon was tough, the story was very familiar to the Sam Raimi movies, and Green Goblin on steroids looks pretty sick.
While the first arc was really all about Spidey’s origin and establishing the world and characters, the next arc focused on Spider-Man’s first real big nemesis (pun intended) in Kingpin. The way Kingpin is written and drawn is great in this series and I’m loving how this creative team handles the interactions between the two. I’m really enjoying Peter becoming more comfortable with being Spider-Man and the jokes he’s throwing out work really well. This second arc ends with Mary finding out who Peter really is and I’m very excited to see where this one continues to go!
The third arc in this omnibus deals with Doc Ock and Kraven the Hunter and I think it handles both really well. Doc Ock is done in a way where I almost sympathized with the character at times and while Kraven was a bit underwhelming ultimately, I believe that he’ll come back in a big way down the line in this run. I love the witty dialogue that Bendis gives Peter and the relationships with the various characters in this story are developing very well. Really enjoying the read!
Peter loves Taco Bell! Seriously though, I really dig how comfortable the writers are twenty-some issues in with Peter’s witty dialogue. I also love the way they’re handling the possible love triangle between Mary Jane, Gwen, and Peter. And I love how the identity of Spider-Man is becoming less of a secret to those around Peter more and more. This really gives the Norman/Goblin character a truly villainous and horrifying feel. I love how Goblin is taken down and I’m sure the trauma that Harry will face definitely won’t come back against Peter at all. In all seriousness though, I love how Bendis plays with existing story points in previous continuity and how he keeps the reader guessing where he will follow and where he will stray from them.
Bendis’ take on the Rhino is an interesting one and the issue where Peter is trying to get away and save the day and fight Rhino has been one of my favorite issues yet. I’m also continuing to enjoy this love triangle between Peter, Mary Jane, and Gwen a lot! The fake/duplicate Spidey story is one that had me guessing and thinking I know what was going on, but I really didn’t and I don’t know that I was very satisfied with where it went so far.
The Venom storyline is much different than we’ve seen traditionally, and I actually really like what they did with it. The new Eddie Brock/Peter Parker relationship seems like it should make for a really interesting read along future issues and stakes are high for the emotional aspect of things, given that Venom is the work of both of their deceased fathers. The way this story ended was one that has me interested in how this relationship will play out over the course of this series.
A lot has been set up for this universe to really continue in an exciting, big way. Even though I’m only about 20 years late in reading this run, I’ll still enjoy reading and looking forward to every issue!
While the first arc was really all about Spidey’s origin and establishing the world and characters, the next arc focused on Spider-Man’s first real big nemesis (pun intended) in Kingpin. The way Kingpin is written and drawn is great in this series and I’m loving how this creative team handles the interactions between the two. I’m really enjoying Peter becoming more comfortable with being Spider-Man and the jokes he’s throwing out work really well. This second arc ends with Mary finding out who Peter really is and I’m very excited to see where this one continues to go!
The third arc in this omnibus deals with Doc Ock and Kraven the Hunter and I think it handles both really well. Doc Ock is done in a way where I almost sympathized with the character at times and while Kraven was a bit underwhelming ultimately, I believe that he’ll come back in a big way down the line in this run. I love the witty dialogue that Bendis gives Peter and the relationships with the various characters in this story are developing very well. Really enjoying the read!
Peter loves Taco Bell! Seriously though, I really dig how comfortable the writers are twenty-some issues in with Peter’s witty dialogue. I also love the way they’re handling the possible love triangle between Mary Jane, Gwen, and Peter. And I love how the identity of Spider-Man is becoming less of a secret to those around Peter more and more. This really gives the Norman/Goblin character a truly villainous and horrifying feel. I love how Goblin is taken down and I’m sure the trauma that Harry will face definitely won’t come back against Peter at all. In all seriousness though, I love how Bendis plays with existing story points in previous continuity and how he keeps the reader guessing where he will follow and where he will stray from them.
Bendis’ take on the Rhino is an interesting one and the issue where Peter is trying to get away and save the day and fight Rhino has been one of my favorite issues yet. I’m also continuing to enjoy this love triangle between Peter, Mary Jane, and Gwen a lot! The fake/duplicate Spidey story is one that had me guessing and thinking I know what was going on, but I really didn’t and I don’t know that I was very satisfied with where it went so far.
The Venom storyline is much different than we’ve seen traditionally, and I actually really like what they did with it. The new Eddie Brock/Peter Parker relationship seems like it should make for a really interesting read along future issues and stakes are high for the emotional aspect of things, given that Venom is the work of both of their deceased fathers. The way this story ended was one that has me interested in how this relationship will play out over the course of this series.
A lot has been set up for this universe to really continue in an exciting, big way. Even though I’m only about 20 years late in reading this run, I’ll still enjoy reading and looking forward to every issue!
August 2, 2025
Certified hood classic. Puts a unique spin on Spidey’s origin and all his villains, introducing them in fun and unique ways which is nice because so many hero and villain origins are very, very old. Reading this really puts into perspective how shafted Peter gets in his life though - bro gets no breaks.
Bendis’ retold story is great - treads some similar ground to past Spider-Man stories, but he always finds a way to put a spin on it that keeps it interesting. He also keeps Peter perfectly funny during fights and knows how to balance the comedy with the tension and drama. I could see Bagley’s art being a little difficult to get adjusted to for some people, but I thought it was great and fitting.
Anyway, despite this being a decent length, I flew through it and can’t wait to read more (Marvel please reprint omnibus 2 asap😭😭😭). Great read for fans both new and old.
Bendis’ retold story is great - treads some similar ground to past Spider-Man stories, but he always finds a way to put a spin on it that keeps it interesting. He also keeps Peter perfectly funny during fights and knows how to balance the comedy with the tension and drama. I could see Bagley’s art being a little difficult to get adjusted to for some people, but I thought it was great and fitting.
Anyway, despite this being a decent length, I flew through it and can’t wait to read more (Marvel please reprint omnibus 2 asap😭😭😭). Great read for fans both new and old.
January 19, 2024
Ultimate Spider-Man Omnibus Volume One clocks in at 1000 pages and contains issues 1-39, plus the 1/2 issue. It’s the incredible beginning of Marvel’s Ultimate Universe and the reimagining of the story of Peter Parker becoming Spider-Man. Written by Brian Michael Bendis, with art by Mark Bagley. I can’t say enough great things about this run so I won’t even try. All I’ll say is that I highly recommend you read this fun series!!!
January 31, 2023
HANDS DOWN THE MOST INFLUENTIAL SPIDER-MAN SERIES AND ARGUABLY THE MOST CONSISTENT RUN FOR THE CHARACTER!!
This is now my 2nd time reading this omnibus and with the 2nd omnibus *finally* coming out, I had the perfect reason to read it again. ‘Ultimate Spider-Man’ is the brainchild of Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley, where in the fresh year of 2000, they were assigned to do a limited 6 issue series on a modern retelling of Spider-Man’s origin. As most people know, it grew to be a very popular series and continued as an ongoing. This first volume contains the first 39 issues as well a ½ issues, showing Peter Parker as a 15 year old highschool sophomore in a new alternate Marvel universe that starts fresh. We see the same origin of him being bit by a radioactive spider and gaining powers and then losing his uncle Ben and feeling responsible. Only difference is this time around instead of all that taking place in one issue it’s all spread out into a 7 issue intro arc. We see him take on the Green Goblin, only this time he's a monster like hulk being that can throw fireballs. We see him take on the Kingpin who has Electro and The Enforcers on his payroll. Doc Ock gets an arc, Spidey gets introduced to Nick Fury who knows he’s Peter Parker, Spidey tells Mary Jane he’s Spider-Man and they start going out sooner than the OG series, and it all comes to an end with a crazy intro arc to Venom. In between are some non arc specific issues that show his everyday struggle of juggling the life of a highschool teen and a masked superhero.
Brian Michael Bendis is the writer for this series and as I said in my title, he writes the most influential Spidey comic ever! Now sure there are things he took from all the super talented writers to write the web-head before him, but what he does on his own stands out very highly to me and clearly to other people as a lot of what he brought to the character is shown in other mediums featuring Spidey. Reading this run I really saw how much was taken and put into the movies, and I mean *all* the movies. From the original Raimi trilogy, to the ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ duology, and even the later MCU trilogy and appearances in general. I’m talking straight up panels put into film in every film throughout the 20 years that they’ve come out. There’s been video games inspired by this series, cartoon series, hell they eventually took this universe and put it into the original 616 universe (albeit with a different character as Spider-Man, but still). It’s all just a fresh take on the character that is so consistent that in my opinion it is the best overall Spider-Man series. Bednis shows a true masterclass with the writing too, as it all feels engaging and even issues where it’s just characters conversing it still feels like a satisfying read and is important to move the plot forward. Bendis likes his dialogue and will fill a page with it but he’s so damn good at it that it doesn’t feel like blabbing. He also knows when to leave the page silent though, and let the art tell it all. He builds up an intensified shot and lets the emotional reaction of the characters speak for itself. It’s honestly some of the most fun I’ve had in reading a book and could have more and more of it.
On artwork is Mark Bagley and I think there was no better match than him. He is no stranger to Spider-Man as he drew the character quite a bit back in the 90s and in my personal opinion, is the best to ever draw the character. This series was a career defining moment for Bagley cause it showed him drawing a familiar character but his approach and style to it was fresh and new. The whole goal of Bagley and Bendis was to capture that youth of Peter Parker/Spider-Man, and look wise, Bagley executes perfectly. It also shows how prolific Bagley is as a consistent artist. Him and Bendis broke the record for longest artist and writer duo streak, and in these first 39 ½ issues it looks consistently good. His reimaged character designs pay respect to the originals but also hold good on their own. Great action scenes, detailed display of emotion, great body language, and fluent panel to panel transitions.
Overall; This is hands down the best way to start reading Spidey or if you need a fresh take on the character who's been around for 60+ years, even though this series is 20+ years old in its own right, it’s a timeless series that I and many other people love.
This is now my 2nd time reading this omnibus and with the 2nd omnibus *finally* coming out, I had the perfect reason to read it again. ‘Ultimate Spider-Man’ is the brainchild of Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley, where in the fresh year of 2000, they were assigned to do a limited 6 issue series on a modern retelling of Spider-Man’s origin. As most people know, it grew to be a very popular series and continued as an ongoing. This first volume contains the first 39 issues as well a ½ issues, showing Peter Parker as a 15 year old highschool sophomore in a new alternate Marvel universe that starts fresh. We see the same origin of him being bit by a radioactive spider and gaining powers and then losing his uncle Ben and feeling responsible. Only difference is this time around instead of all that taking place in one issue it’s all spread out into a 7 issue intro arc. We see him take on the Green Goblin, only this time he's a monster like hulk being that can throw fireballs. We see him take on the Kingpin who has Electro and The Enforcers on his payroll. Doc Ock gets an arc, Spidey gets introduced to Nick Fury who knows he’s Peter Parker, Spidey tells Mary Jane he’s Spider-Man and they start going out sooner than the OG series, and it all comes to an end with a crazy intro arc to Venom. In between are some non arc specific issues that show his everyday struggle of juggling the life of a highschool teen and a masked superhero.
Brian Michael Bendis is the writer for this series and as I said in my title, he writes the most influential Spidey comic ever! Now sure there are things he took from all the super talented writers to write the web-head before him, but what he does on his own stands out very highly to me and clearly to other people as a lot of what he brought to the character is shown in other mediums featuring Spidey. Reading this run I really saw how much was taken and put into the movies, and I mean *all* the movies. From the original Raimi trilogy, to the ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ duology, and even the later MCU trilogy and appearances in general. I’m talking straight up panels put into film in every film throughout the 20 years that they’ve come out. There’s been video games inspired by this series, cartoon series, hell they eventually took this universe and put it into the original 616 universe (albeit with a different character as Spider-Man, but still). It’s all just a fresh take on the character that is so consistent that in my opinion it is the best overall Spider-Man series. Bednis shows a true masterclass with the writing too, as it all feels engaging and even issues where it’s just characters conversing it still feels like a satisfying read and is important to move the plot forward. Bendis likes his dialogue and will fill a page with it but he’s so damn good at it that it doesn’t feel like blabbing. He also knows when to leave the page silent though, and let the art tell it all. He builds up an intensified shot and lets the emotional reaction of the characters speak for itself. It’s honestly some of the most fun I’ve had in reading a book and could have more and more of it.
On artwork is Mark Bagley and I think there was no better match than him. He is no stranger to Spider-Man as he drew the character quite a bit back in the 90s and in my personal opinion, is the best to ever draw the character. This series was a career defining moment for Bagley cause it showed him drawing a familiar character but his approach and style to it was fresh and new. The whole goal of Bagley and Bendis was to capture that youth of Peter Parker/Spider-Man, and look wise, Bagley executes perfectly. It also shows how prolific Bagley is as a consistent artist. Him and Bendis broke the record for longest artist and writer duo streak, and in these first 39 ½ issues it looks consistently good. His reimaged character designs pay respect to the originals but also hold good on their own. Great action scenes, detailed display of emotion, great body language, and fluent panel to panel transitions.
Overall; This is hands down the best way to start reading Spidey or if you need a fresh take on the character who's been around for 60+ years, even though this series is 20+ years old in its own right, it’s a timeless series that I and many other people love.
January 21, 2025
I've been really into "Ultimate Universes" lately. By that, I mean these stand alone "Meant to end" dimensions where they take our familiar characters and do something with them. Growing up, I was always intrigued by "Ultimate Spider-Man," mainly because he was less daunting to read than the 616 incarnation. I remember reading the first volume in high school, and I really enjoyed it, but I didn't read anymore. I also remember having Marvel Unlimited back in 2018, and I went to read "Ultimate Spider-Man," confused as to why there were X-Men in there, and that Peter had, seemingly, been Spidey for a year. That's when I learned about "Volumes," in signifying series. This makes more sense, haha.
So, this volume collects 40 issues (technically 39 and a half, thanks to a Wizard Magazine half issue), along with supplementary material including sketches, e-mails between Bendis and Editors, and some other cool historical stuff. However, it is missing some important information, specifically Ultimate Marvel Team-Up #10, the first appearance of the Lizard. It's directly referenced and a panel is shown in #38 of USM, but I had to google what issue this was because, and I don't know if this was the case for the Ultimate titles when they were releasing, Editor's Notes are missing or have been removed in this book, which could've helped with these things. It's such a nitpicky thing, but as I have collected omnibuses, I've grown to be quite nitpicky on this stuff.
The story itself is a nice telling of the Spider-Man mythos, and it's a perfect jumping on point for a universe. It makes sense that, after 2023's "Ultimate Invasion" and 2024's "Ultimate Universe," "Ultimate Spider-Man" by Hickman would kick off the new universe in earnest. There's something enduring about this character, be it him as an adult, or him as a teenager, that draws readers to him.
At the time, Ultimate Spider-Man occupied a certain niche, where fans (to be honest, Editors), wanted to see a younger Parker, without the baggage of being married, clones, or pregnancy scares. They wanted to return to that 60s Spidey, and USM 2000 fulfilled that desire. Peter is a high school student in the early 2000s, complete with his classmates wearing crop tops and jerseys. Now, I was a teen in the 2010s, so the fashion and lingo were more like "Simp" and not "Herb," and it was sweatpants in the classroom instead of jeans. Then again, I went to a private school, so it was ties and stuff, but you get the gist: the book dates itself, bad. Couple that with things like Peter calling a character the R slur, or "gay" being thrown around as an insult, it shows it's age. It's not something that could be helped, but coming at it with a 2025 lens, it certainly is a bit eh.
It was also probably different picking this up month-to-month but reading it in one huge tome made it feel like some of these things (Specifically Peter and MJ's relationship) feel kind of fast. I think Bendis' writing is great, and I feel as though Bagley's art is very stylistic and engaging (It's not aiming for hyper-realism like Bryan Hitch's "Ultimates").
The book ends on an interesting part, as it seems as though Volume 2 of the omnibuses (out of 4, 5 if you count "Death of Ultimate Spider-Man Omnibus" and 7 if you include Miles Morales) aims to finish the arc that the Ultimate Spider-Man Omnibus finds itself in from Issue 33-39.
I don't like this Gwen Stacy depiction, though she is closest to Spider-Gwen, which is funny -- that's my favorite comic superhero next to Spider-Man.
If I could rank this with half stars, it's more a 3.5/5, and might be a 4 on further reflection. I think that the way the book handles these villains and the fast-paced nature of the arcs leads to a formulaic melodrama. Then again, that's what we come to Spider-Man for.
So, this volume collects 40 issues (technically 39 and a half, thanks to a Wizard Magazine half issue), along with supplementary material including sketches, e-mails between Bendis and Editors, and some other cool historical stuff. However, it is missing some important information, specifically Ultimate Marvel Team-Up #10, the first appearance of the Lizard. It's directly referenced and a panel is shown in #38 of USM, but I had to google what issue this was because, and I don't know if this was the case for the Ultimate titles when they were releasing, Editor's Notes are missing or have been removed in this book, which could've helped with these things. It's such a nitpicky thing, but as I have collected omnibuses, I've grown to be quite nitpicky on this stuff.
The story itself is a nice telling of the Spider-Man mythos, and it's a perfect jumping on point for a universe. It makes sense that, after 2023's "Ultimate Invasion" and 2024's "Ultimate Universe," "Ultimate Spider-Man" by Hickman would kick off the new universe in earnest. There's something enduring about this character, be it him as an adult, or him as a teenager, that draws readers to him.
At the time, Ultimate Spider-Man occupied a certain niche, where fans (to be honest, Editors), wanted to see a younger Parker, without the baggage of being married, clones, or pregnancy scares. They wanted to return to that 60s Spidey, and USM 2000 fulfilled that desire. Peter is a high school student in the early 2000s, complete with his classmates wearing crop tops and jerseys. Now, I was a teen in the 2010s, so the fashion and lingo were more like "Simp" and not "Herb," and it was sweatpants in the classroom instead of jeans. Then again, I went to a private school, so it was ties and stuff, but you get the gist: the book dates itself, bad. Couple that with things like Peter calling a character the R slur, or "gay" being thrown around as an insult, it shows it's age. It's not something that could be helped, but coming at it with a 2025 lens, it certainly is a bit eh.
It was also probably different picking this up month-to-month but reading it in one huge tome made it feel like some of these things (Specifically Peter and MJ's relationship) feel kind of fast. I think Bendis' writing is great, and I feel as though Bagley's art is very stylistic and engaging (It's not aiming for hyper-realism like Bryan Hitch's "Ultimates").
The book ends on an interesting part, as it seems as though Volume 2 of the omnibuses (out of 4, 5 if you count "Death of Ultimate Spider-Man Omnibus" and 7 if you include Miles Morales) aims to finish the arc that the Ultimate Spider-Man Omnibus finds itself in from Issue 33-39.
I don't like this Gwen Stacy depiction, though she is closest to Spider-Gwen, which is funny -- that's my favorite comic superhero next to Spider-Man.
If I could rank this with half stars, it's more a 3.5/5, and might be a 4 on further reflection. I think that the way the book handles these villains and the fast-paced nature of the arcs leads to a formulaic melodrama. Then again, that's what we come to Spider-Man for.
January 19, 2025
(Zero spoiler review) 2.75/5
I really liked Bendis' run on Alias. I really, really liked his Daredevil run. His Ultimate X-Men run was pretty dang good too, but this... Not so much.
I am pretty inexperienced when it comes to Spidey. I really didn't like Stan Lee's opening efforts on the character, but then again, I'm not big on Lee's writing, nor much of the silver age. And if this was something akin to the grounded and gritty Daredevil and Alias runs, this could have bene god tier, but it's pretty much the exact opposite of that. Where I wanted serious, I got silly. Where I wanted consequential, I got comical. With the main culprit being Spidey himself. If the book showed Peter growing into his powers, learning, losing and gradually building up to the imposing character he would become, that would be one thing. But instead, he is all but invincible from the start, with his cocksure attitude and lame braggadocio ripping me out of the book with precise aplomb. His first fight he is dangling thousands of feet above the city by the Green Goblin, and he is cracking wise the entire time. A few days before, he was a regular kid. He shouldn't be carrying on like this. Peter (more so Spidey) annoyed the crap out of me throughout, though there was plenty else to dislike. I couldn't stand Uncle Ben and Aunt May's interpretation here. Trying for a younger take may have worked, but Bendis was well shy of the mark, with Aunt May in particular frequently coming across as annoying AF. And whilst it was nice to have one artist on the entire book, I'm really not big on Bagley's art. Its technically sound, but the mixture between his more cartoonish style and the diabetically vibrant colours rarely succeeded in dragging me in, where the writing so often failed too, as well. It did improve somewhat toward the end, going from unreadable, to readable, but this was nowhere near the overly lauded run I was expecting. Maybe Spidey just isn't for me. I know most people rave about this, but I would suggest approaching with caution. 2.75/5
OmniBen.
I really liked Bendis' run on Alias. I really, really liked his Daredevil run. His Ultimate X-Men run was pretty dang good too, but this... Not so much.
I am pretty inexperienced when it comes to Spidey. I really didn't like Stan Lee's opening efforts on the character, but then again, I'm not big on Lee's writing, nor much of the silver age. And if this was something akin to the grounded and gritty Daredevil and Alias runs, this could have bene god tier, but it's pretty much the exact opposite of that. Where I wanted serious, I got silly. Where I wanted consequential, I got comical. With the main culprit being Spidey himself. If the book showed Peter growing into his powers, learning, losing and gradually building up to the imposing character he would become, that would be one thing. But instead, he is all but invincible from the start, with his cocksure attitude and lame braggadocio ripping me out of the book with precise aplomb. His first fight he is dangling thousands of feet above the city by the Green Goblin, and he is cracking wise the entire time. A few days before, he was a regular kid. He shouldn't be carrying on like this. Peter (more so Spidey) annoyed the crap out of me throughout, though there was plenty else to dislike. I couldn't stand Uncle Ben and Aunt May's interpretation here. Trying for a younger take may have worked, but Bendis was well shy of the mark, with Aunt May in particular frequently coming across as annoying AF. And whilst it was nice to have one artist on the entire book, I'm really not big on Bagley's art. Its technically sound, but the mixture between his more cartoonish style and the diabetically vibrant colours rarely succeeded in dragging me in, where the writing so often failed too, as well. It did improve somewhat toward the end, going from unreadable, to readable, but this was nowhere near the overly lauded run I was expecting. Maybe Spidey just isn't for me. I know most people rave about this, but I would suggest approaching with caution. 2.75/5
OmniBen.
July 25, 2025
4.3⭐️
Probably my favourite telling of the Spider-Man origin story, covers a hell of a lot of Spider-Man’s early rogue gallery too, Doc Ock was awesome in this and the green goblin design is way different, noticed that the ultimate run doesn’t stick exactly to the original script and I like that, keeps me on my toes with the direction of everything!
Also really impressed with the character development, Peter has some really emotional powerful moments in this and the artwork complements these scenes perfectly. Artwork is fantastic overall especially in some of the venom panels at night!
Overall great graphic novel could not read the 1000 pages quick enough! Happy that there’s another 3 in the set! Super excited to see who’s introduced next villain wise.
Probably my favourite telling of the Spider-Man origin story, covers a hell of a lot of Spider-Man’s early rogue gallery too, Doc Ock was awesome in this and the green goblin design is way different, noticed that the ultimate run doesn’t stick exactly to the original script and I like that, keeps me on my toes with the direction of everything!
Also really impressed with the character development, Peter has some really emotional powerful moments in this and the artwork complements these scenes perfectly. Artwork is fantastic overall especially in some of the venom panels at night!
Overall great graphic novel could not read the 1000 pages quick enough! Happy that there’s another 3 in the set! Super excited to see who’s introduced next villain wise.
July 7, 2018
As a mediocre fan of graphic novels and a 80’s child it was cool to read through this reboot Omni-bus. I enjoyed the back story and behind the scenes info as much if not more than the actual story line. This feels like the best way to read comics to me, the full story in one edition with author’s notes and drawings. I have really come to love this version of the Spider-Man universe over all others and that is largely due to reading this collection.
July 26, 2022
None of this should have worked. But it all does, brilliantly.
February 12, 2022
First time reading this material for me and I was NOT disappointed. Earned every one of those 5 stars. Even better, Vol 2 was just announced!!!
July 18, 2023
9/10
I LOVE SPIDA MAN
I LOVE SPIDA MAN
November 3, 2025
★★★★★ — 4.99/5: THIS IS MY SPIDER-MAN!
There are comic books you read, and then there are comic books that live with you. For me, Brian Michael Bendis' Ultimate Spider-Man wasn't just a series—it was a revelation, a swinging beacon of teenage trials, heroics, and humor that hit my life right when I needed it most.
Growing up, Superman had my heart. Capes, virtue, and the boldness of truth were staples of my early fandom. But then came this kid—Peter Parker. Not a god, not an alien, not a billionaire in a cave. Just a teenager trying to survive high school, loss, puberty, and a secret identity. Ultimate Spider-Man spoke to me. It wasn't just Spidey with a ‘fresh coat of paint’—it was like Bendis cracked open the wall between reader and hero and said, “Hey, you belong in this world, too.”
Bendis took the heart of Peter Parker and modernized it with unmatched wit, pacing, and charm. He didn’t reboot Spider-Man—he rebirthed him. Every 9 quarters ($2.25) issue I managed to snag felt like a piece of treasure. I scoured racks and library shelves, waiting for the next dose. Thankfully I had a quality hookup at my local flea market that always took care of me. And now, years later, being spoiled with the omnibus editions feels like getting the keys to the Baxter Building and Wayne Manor rolled into one.
Let’s not forget the villains. Oh, the villains. This wasn’t a rogues' gallery—it was an all-star demolition team.
The Green Goblin: Not a guy in a Halloween suit, but a full-on, mutated monster—more terrifying, more tragic.
Doctor Octopus: Arrogant, brilliant, and terrifying, with those tentacles and that smug superiority that made you want Peter to punch him even harder.
The Kingpin: A mountain of menace in a designer suit.
Electro, Sandman, Shocker, The Enforcers—each got Bendis' golden touch, given motivations and moments that elevated them beyond “villain of the week” tropes.
But then… came Venom.
Venom. My guy. That suit. The symbiote wasn’t just a cool power boost—it was darkness manifest, a reflection of Peter’s worst instincts, and the most badass design my younger self had ever seen. The swirling black, the massive grin, that liquid alien rage? Perfection. Watching that character evolve was like witnessing visual rock-and-roll on a comic page.
Then, like a dream crossover event, came Sam Raimi’s trilogy. And yes, I love all three. Raimi's vision, Tobey’s awkward sincerity, the Danny Elfman score—it all brought Ultimate Spider-Man to life for me in a way that made the multiverse unnecessary. I’ve never felt the need to chase down every new variation of Spidey. Why would I, when Bendis gave me everything?
The series never felt stale. The character grew. The relationships deepened. MJ wasn't just a redhead bombshell—she was a real teenage girl with real hopes. Aunt May wasn’t just background noise—she was an emotional anchor. And the art—from Mark Bagley’s iconic work that defined the early run to the later transitions—always captured the perfect mix of youthful energy and superhero scale.
TV shows, as flashy and fun as they were, never cast the same spell. This comic hooked me. It wasn’t just entertainment; it was part of my growth. As Peter faced bullies, love, betrayal, and responsibility, I felt like I was growing beside him.
Now, as an adult and a parent, I still carry those stories with me. I hope one day my kids find a hero they connect with the way I did with Peter. Maybe it'll be Spider-Man. Maybe it’ll be someone else entirely. But I hope their hero swings through life with the same grace, wit, and vulnerability that made Parker—and Ultimate Spider-Man—my ultimate favorite.
Besides Watchmen, no other superhero comic has influenced me this deeply. My bookshelf might be packed with fantasy, sci-fi, and manga, but Ultimate Spider-Man will always hold a webbed-up space in my heart.
Brian Michael Bendis, thank you. You made something eternal.
There are comic books you read, and then there are comic books that live with you. For me, Brian Michael Bendis' Ultimate Spider-Man wasn't just a series—it was a revelation, a swinging beacon of teenage trials, heroics, and humor that hit my life right when I needed it most.
Growing up, Superman had my heart. Capes, virtue, and the boldness of truth were staples of my early fandom. But then came this kid—Peter Parker. Not a god, not an alien, not a billionaire in a cave. Just a teenager trying to survive high school, loss, puberty, and a secret identity. Ultimate Spider-Man spoke to me. It wasn't just Spidey with a ‘fresh coat of paint’—it was like Bendis cracked open the wall between reader and hero and said, “Hey, you belong in this world, too.”
Bendis took the heart of Peter Parker and modernized it with unmatched wit, pacing, and charm. He didn’t reboot Spider-Man—he rebirthed him. Every 9 quarters ($2.25) issue I managed to snag felt like a piece of treasure. I scoured racks and library shelves, waiting for the next dose. Thankfully I had a quality hookup at my local flea market that always took care of me. And now, years later, being spoiled with the omnibus editions feels like getting the keys to the Baxter Building and Wayne Manor rolled into one.
Let’s not forget the villains. Oh, the villains. This wasn’t a rogues' gallery—it was an all-star demolition team.
The Green Goblin: Not a guy in a Halloween suit, but a full-on, mutated monster—more terrifying, more tragic.
Doctor Octopus: Arrogant, brilliant, and terrifying, with those tentacles and that smug superiority that made you want Peter to punch him even harder.
The Kingpin: A mountain of menace in a designer suit.
Electro, Sandman, Shocker, The Enforcers—each got Bendis' golden touch, given motivations and moments that elevated them beyond “villain of the week” tropes.
But then… came Venom.
Venom. My guy. That suit. The symbiote wasn’t just a cool power boost—it was darkness manifest, a reflection of Peter’s worst instincts, and the most badass design my younger self had ever seen. The swirling black, the massive grin, that liquid alien rage? Perfection. Watching that character evolve was like witnessing visual rock-and-roll on a comic page.
Then, like a dream crossover event, came Sam Raimi’s trilogy. And yes, I love all three. Raimi's vision, Tobey’s awkward sincerity, the Danny Elfman score—it all brought Ultimate Spider-Man to life for me in a way that made the multiverse unnecessary. I’ve never felt the need to chase down every new variation of Spidey. Why would I, when Bendis gave me everything?
The series never felt stale. The character grew. The relationships deepened. MJ wasn't just a redhead bombshell—she was a real teenage girl with real hopes. Aunt May wasn’t just background noise—she was an emotional anchor. And the art—from Mark Bagley’s iconic work that defined the early run to the later transitions—always captured the perfect mix of youthful energy and superhero scale.
TV shows, as flashy and fun as they were, never cast the same spell. This comic hooked me. It wasn’t just entertainment; it was part of my growth. As Peter faced bullies, love, betrayal, and responsibility, I felt like I was growing beside him.
Now, as an adult and a parent, I still carry those stories with me. I hope one day my kids find a hero they connect with the way I did with Peter. Maybe it'll be Spider-Man. Maybe it’ll be someone else entirely. But I hope their hero swings through life with the same grace, wit, and vulnerability that made Parker—and Ultimate Spider-Man—my ultimate favorite.
Besides Watchmen, no other superhero comic has influenced me this deeply. My bookshelf might be packed with fantasy, sci-fi, and manga, but Ultimate Spider-Man will always hold a webbed-up space in my heart.
Brian Michael Bendis, thank you. You made something eternal.
April 22, 2015
Taken as a whole this a superb run, not least because of its sheer length. Clocking in at around 150 issues, it's difficult for anything to keep up anything approaching such a high level of quality. The other Ultimate tentpoles are good in most places: Fantastic Four, X-Men, even Ultimates to some extent, and they all have at least one thing in their armoury which Spiderman doesn't: numbers. Here, it's pretty much just Spidey as a constant lead, which simply makes his continued appeal - with apologies to Xavier's school - astonishing.
So, during the course of this you get a speedy origin story, Peter Parker's closely protected home life, a rolling array of villains major and minor, and a gradual and credible interweaving of other Marvel stalwarts. There are a few things however which elevate this above perhaps any of its stablemates.
First, Parker's enemies are pretty much all products of his own life (with the exception of Vibro, who hilarious pops up every so often only to be slapped down effortlessly). They overlap with his history, his family's history, and his own mistakes and triumphs. This grounds the comic book unreality, and instantly open the door to powerful allegories. What comes back to haunt him, whether deserved or not, resounds in his personal life as well as the pugilism of the heroics. Some of it is absurd - the Sinister Six don't exceed the sum of their parts, and by the end I'd even had it up to here with Otto Bloody Octavius and his Fucking Metal Arms That Won't Die.
Second, he is a smart kid. The story doesn't shy away from the fact that Parker cherishes his not quite genius-level intellect even though on the surface his powers are basically super-athleticism. And with the smart comes the tragedy of the Spiderman: the recognition of a responsibility to do what you can with the powers available to you. If only there were a snappy aphorism to convey that.
Third, the lines spark with zing and sass, beyond any top bantz which Johnny Storm and the Thing can produce with the possible exception of "Dude, you fantasti-suck..." The supporting characters feel real, and the writers capture the speedy if not entirely profound wit of the highschooler.
Fourth, its about youth, and the painful desire to cling to innocence as well as an urge to develop maturity. There are plenty of sexy bodies on display, some absurd and sexist along the way, but perhaps (I can't say) balanced by a fair share of opportunity to ogle the Spiderman physique. The girls in his life are minor roles, but then again so are the boys, and at least the girls fight their own good fights.
Fifth, his internal monologues save pretty much any story, by turns undercutting the ridiculousness and pomposity of villains, breathing life into exposition, and just riffing off whatever came into the writer's head.
Sixth, the Marvel heavyweights who crop up - Fury, mutants, Fantastic Four, Ultimates - do so pretty much always in service of Spiderman's storyline, and while it feels like a definite power up when they share the action, they work alongside him to varying extents in a way that never feels crowbarred in.
It's a long read, and best taken at a run, but it's never les than fun, warm-hearted and willing to treat its youthful leads seriously.
So, during the course of this you get a speedy origin story, Peter Parker's closely protected home life, a rolling array of villains major and minor, and a gradual and credible interweaving of other Marvel stalwarts. There are a few things however which elevate this above perhaps any of its stablemates.
First, Parker's enemies are pretty much all products of his own life (with the exception of Vibro, who hilarious pops up every so often only to be slapped down effortlessly). They overlap with his history, his family's history, and his own mistakes and triumphs. This grounds the comic book unreality, and instantly open the door to powerful allegories. What comes back to haunt him, whether deserved or not, resounds in his personal life as well as the pugilism of the heroics. Some of it is absurd - the Sinister Six don't exceed the sum of their parts, and by the end I'd even had it up to here with Otto Bloody Octavius and his Fucking Metal Arms That Won't Die.
Second, he is a smart kid. The story doesn't shy away from the fact that Parker cherishes his not quite genius-level intellect even though on the surface his powers are basically super-athleticism. And with the smart comes the tragedy of the Spiderman: the recognition of a responsibility to do what you can with the powers available to you. If only there were a snappy aphorism to convey that.
Third, the lines spark with zing and sass, beyond any top bantz which Johnny Storm and the Thing can produce with the possible exception of "Dude, you fantasti-suck..." The supporting characters feel real, and the writers capture the speedy if not entirely profound wit of the highschooler.
Fourth, its about youth, and the painful desire to cling to innocence as well as an urge to develop maturity. There are plenty of sexy bodies on display, some absurd and sexist along the way, but perhaps (I can't say) balanced by a fair share of opportunity to ogle the Spiderman physique. The girls in his life are minor roles, but then again so are the boys, and at least the girls fight their own good fights.
Fifth, his internal monologues save pretty much any story, by turns undercutting the ridiculousness and pomposity of villains, breathing life into exposition, and just riffing off whatever came into the writer's head.
Sixth, the Marvel heavyweights who crop up - Fury, mutants, Fantastic Four, Ultimates - do so pretty much always in service of Spiderman's storyline, and while it feels like a definite power up when they share the action, they work alongside him to varying extents in a way that never feels crowbarred in.
It's a long read, and best taken at a run, but it's never les than fun, warm-hearted and willing to treat its youthful leads seriously.
April 24, 2016
Ultimate Spider-Man Omnibus Vol.1!!! I know, I know, I'm late to the news. Frankly, I'm not really much of a fan of Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Looking at my collection, I have more books on Venom, Carnage, Spider-Man (Octavius), heck, I even have 1 Spider-Man (Ben Reilly)(though unfortunately, I have yet to encounter a good collection of Spider-Man 2099). Anyway, I've been hearing such great reviews about Ultimate Spidey, and I found an Omnibus edition on sale some weeks back, so here we go! Being part of the Marvel Ultimate timeline, this is an updated re-telling of Parker's story. The Peter here is a 15-year-old nerd high school student, already best friends with MJ, and working as a IT/Tech-support for the Daily Bugle. We also get revamped origin stories for his menagerie of villains! Venom is a synthesized genetic suit, Kraven is a reality TV celebrity (a la Steve Irwin), and Doc Oct and Green Goblin were results in the same accident when they were trying to replicate Spidey's case on Norman Osborn. It all feels like a fun coming-of-age story for Peter, with a different perspective than what we were used to. You see him dealing with high school romance, living with Gwen Stacy (who's a punk girl, with daddy issues), getting a job to support Aunt May, or even just simply having problems escaping school to go save the day. Reading this series feels like reading an old favorite, yet finding something new with each page. It has good pacing that would have you continuously engaged or interested. But boy, Peter really doesn't get a break in this one. It's one event after another with him.
Ooohhh... Didn't know that this started the whole Ultimates series. Wonder if/when the 2nd volume will come out?
Ooohhh... Didn't know that this started the whole Ultimates series. Wonder if/when the 2nd volume will come out?
July 19, 2022
To me, this is one of the definitive runs of Spider-Man. This book gives the reader a fully fleshed out, multi-issued origin story leading up to Uncle Ben’s death that makes you fall in love with the character before he becomes the wall-crawler. The dynamic between Peter and his friends is also an amazing highlight here, not only do they force him to grow, but they also ground him to his teenage reality in the ways we come to expect in Spider-Man stories. However, here, the relationships felt so much more natural and the issues the characters faced within their personal lives felt much more realistic than some other comics. Maybe that’s because I was raised in the 2000s, which is time setting of this run, and it’s helped connect me to the story more, but for some reason this story just feels more grounded in reality than 616 Spider-Man to me. The dialogue is amazing and not corny and over the top, the art is beautiful, and there is a significant amount of content where one can see how Peter changes from this once timid, nerdy teenage boy, to a more cocky and risky young man looking to live up to the lesson Uncle Ben taught him. This is an amazing jumping on point for anyone looking to start reading Spider-Man comics, in fact, it’s probably the best jumping on point. I’d recommend this book to everyone, 10/10 for me!
August 1, 2017
4.5 overall (i love spidey so much it's unbelievable, also i really love the art and the writing. very ~comical~ but also heartwarming at times??)
5 (1,2)
super addictive, i really enjoy the characters and the spidey banter and such
really enjoyed kingpin as the villain and how peter gets beaten down a lot before actually winning (of course i dont want peter, who i adore so so so much, to lose...but it's more compelling to see him learn his powers than just being OP right off the bat).
4.5 (3+4)
adore everything about this version of peter and mj. spider-man's banter is A++++++. also peter being a little nerd is what i live for
4.3 (5,6)
i actually love all of these so much. however, the venom storyline wasn't as good as the others.
(june 2017 update - these are still my favourite comics of all time)
5 (1,2)
super addictive, i really enjoy the characters and the spidey banter and such
really enjoyed kingpin as the villain and how peter gets beaten down a lot before actually winning (of course i dont want peter, who i adore so so so much, to lose...but it's more compelling to see him learn his powers than just being OP right off the bat).
4.5 (3+4)
adore everything about this version of peter and mj. spider-man's banter is A++++++. also peter being a little nerd is what i live for
4.3 (5,6)
i actually love all of these so much. however, the venom storyline wasn't as good as the others.
(june 2017 update - these are still my favourite comics of all time)
March 10, 2015
This omnibus is really good. Great story arcs, phenomenal writing, and awesome art from start to finish.
This story essentially recreates spiderman within 21st century America. Bendis puts parker in somewhat more believable settings and circumstances for a 15 year old high school kid. The characters throughout have their own unique persona and traits which makes things really work well in this run. My only gripe is that there is not another continuing omnibus to complement this one. Ultimately though, Bendis has created something really special here.
This story essentially recreates spiderman within 21st century America. Bendis puts parker in somewhat more believable settings and circumstances for a 15 year old high school kid. The characters throughout have their own unique persona and traits which makes things really work well in this run. My only gripe is that there is not another continuing omnibus to complement this one. Ultimately though, Bendis has created something really special here.
March 11, 2015
I haven't read this in years, but when I was younger and received it as a gift one year I absolutely devoured it. I've read it multiple times and I love it. It is a re-imagining of the old Spider-Man comics (which I haven't read) and it is just so much fun. Peter is great, he's determined, witty, hilarious, and he gets the job done when he needs to. Reviewing this is making me want to retrieve it from its dusty resting place at my parents house. I had several of the volumes that followed these six as well and remember loving those as well. It is a series that I want to finish some day.
April 12, 2013
I've read and reread this massive collection so many times, I probably have it memorized. A wonderful reboot/new universe Spider-Man comic that makes Peter Parker a teenager again and gives him way too much to deal with, yet he rarely wavers. Plus, Brian Michael Bendis is an amazing writer and knows the characters intimately.
October 25, 2024
5/5⭐️
So so good! Genuinely brought back my love of comic-books and was one of the breeziest reads I’ve ever had. Even though this was released 1/4 century ago, it still feels new and fresh and has some of the finest Spider-Man art that I have ever seen. An instant favorite and can’t wait to read all 100 more issues because if they’re as good as this, then I’m really in for something special.
So so good! Genuinely brought back my love of comic-books and was one of the breeziest reads I’ve ever had. Even though this was released 1/4 century ago, it still feels new and fresh and has some of the finest Spider-Man art that I have ever seen. An instant favorite and can’t wait to read all 100 more issues because if they’re as good as this, then I’m really in for something special.
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