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Ultimate Spider-Man (Collected Editions) #1-2
Ultimate Spider-Man, Volume 1
High school, puberty, first dances - there are many pitfalls to being young. Compound these with intense personal tragedy and superhuman powers, and you can start to visualize the world of Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2002
52 people are currently reading
1219 people want to read
About the author
Brian Michael Bendis
4,417 books2,569 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews
October 27, 2022
Under new management in the year 2000, Marvel undertook something they had tried (and failed with) before, but this time with their own archetypal Marvel characters, a brand new Marvel Universe, the Ultimate Universe. This Brian Michael Bendis, Bill Jemas and Mark Bagley venture shut-down all the doubters, with a more realist super hero universe starting with the Ultimate Spider-Man, with all the pros and cons of being young... and having super spider powers a la Lee/Dikto! What we get includes an utterly hardcore iteration of the Green Goblin, a Dikto inspired drawn Spidey and an enchanting MJ. Collects Ultimate Spider-Man #1-13, 6 out of 12, as this book's impact lessened for me on rereading.
2022 read; 2017 read; 2011 read
2022 read; 2017 read; 2011 read
June 12, 2017
Yes it Is fresh and updated but this is ultimately a lot more faithful to normal Spiderman than a lot of the Ultimate Universe stuff.
April 28, 2020
SPOILERS
By the time when Brian Michael Bendis was hired by Marvel to write a Spider-Man comic that would not only reboot the publisher’s most iconic character for the millennial audience, but introduce the Ultimate Universe, Spidey was not selling well as the nineties were a troubling time for the industry, including Marvel, who had to sell the movie rights of their characters to make sure they’re still alive. Fortunately, it paid off as the nerdy science kid from Queens can be as relevant during the 21st century.
Based on the original story in Amazing Fantasy #15 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, which was only 11 pages long, Bendis's retelling of Spider-Man's origin is expanded in the first seven issues. During a school trip to Oscorp Industries, Peter Parker gets bitten by an experimental genetically-engineered spider, which leads to him manifesting various superhuman, arachnid-like powers. As Peter comes to terms with these powers and trying to find a purpose for them, Oscorp founder Norman Osborn – the father of Peter’s friend Harry – keeps an eye on the high schooler who will become your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man.
Given that the source material was essentially a short story in which the hero learns the meaning of responsibility through a tragedy, it is surprising how Bendis can expand this over seven issues, since everyone should know Spidey’s origin by now. However, Bendis expands on who Peter is as a high schooler who is constantly being bullied by the jock Flash Thompson, whilst receiving friendly comfort from his next-door neighbour Mary Jane Watson.
Although there was about forty years of history before the publication of Ultimate Spider-Man as we’ve seen the character age over the years, returning Peter to his teenage roots not only makes him relevant to younger readers, but shows how Peter has to learn his lessons, albeit through the hardest of circumstances. Obviously the murder of Uncle Ben shapes Peter in the path of “with great power comes great responsibility”, but even as Spider-Man, he is still learning as later in this volume, he faces organized crime, but his decisions as a vigilante does make him a public menace, much to the delight of The Daily Bugle’s J. Jonah Jameson.
As someone who thinks Spidey has the best rogues gallery in the Marvel universe, I found some of Mark Bagley’s redesigns of these classic villains to be problematic, such as the Shocker. Although Norman Osborn is a more intimating presence as he manipulates those, including his own son, to achieve his goals, but when he goes full Goblin, he is an uninteresting Hulk-like monster, hence the constant jokes of the Hulk attacking Midtown High School. Wow, never thought I would miss Steve Ditko’s glider-riding Halloween-wearing Goblin. The only villain that came visually unscathed is the Kingpin, who functions the same as his 616 counterpart, but despite his menacing obese figure, the amount of fat jokes Spidey comes up with are just hilarious.
Concluding this first year of the book is #13, which brings out the best in the Bendis/Bagley collaboration. What is essentially a conversation in which Peter comes out to Mary Jane, Bendis is spot-on in writing this friendship that could possibly lead to something more, while Mark Bagley (who has been drawing Spider-Man since the early nineties) does a good job at drawing a comic that is very dialogue-heavy as he makes his characters lively and expressive.
Clearly influenced the cinematic incarnations, Ultimate Spider-Man by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley is a terrific millennial revisit to the roots of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko’s most celebrated creation.
By the time when Brian Michael Bendis was hired by Marvel to write a Spider-Man comic that would not only reboot the publisher’s most iconic character for the millennial audience, but introduce the Ultimate Universe, Spidey was not selling well as the nineties were a troubling time for the industry, including Marvel, who had to sell the movie rights of their characters to make sure they’re still alive. Fortunately, it paid off as the nerdy science kid from Queens can be as relevant during the 21st century.
Based on the original story in Amazing Fantasy #15 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, which was only 11 pages long, Bendis's retelling of Spider-Man's origin is expanded in the first seven issues. During a school trip to Oscorp Industries, Peter Parker gets bitten by an experimental genetically-engineered spider, which leads to him manifesting various superhuman, arachnid-like powers. As Peter comes to terms with these powers and trying to find a purpose for them, Oscorp founder Norman Osborn – the father of Peter’s friend Harry – keeps an eye on the high schooler who will become your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man.
Given that the source material was essentially a short story in which the hero learns the meaning of responsibility through a tragedy, it is surprising how Bendis can expand this over seven issues, since everyone should know Spidey’s origin by now. However, Bendis expands on who Peter is as a high schooler who is constantly being bullied by the jock Flash Thompson, whilst receiving friendly comfort from his next-door neighbour Mary Jane Watson.
Although there was about forty years of history before the publication of Ultimate Spider-Man as we’ve seen the character age over the years, returning Peter to his teenage roots not only makes him relevant to younger readers, but shows how Peter has to learn his lessons, albeit through the hardest of circumstances. Obviously the murder of Uncle Ben shapes Peter in the path of “with great power comes great responsibility”, but even as Spider-Man, he is still learning as later in this volume, he faces organized crime, but his decisions as a vigilante does make him a public menace, much to the delight of The Daily Bugle’s J. Jonah Jameson.
As someone who thinks Spidey has the best rogues gallery in the Marvel universe, I found some of Mark Bagley’s redesigns of these classic villains to be problematic, such as the Shocker. Although Norman Osborn is a more intimating presence as he manipulates those, including his own son, to achieve his goals, but when he goes full Goblin, he is an uninteresting Hulk-like monster, hence the constant jokes of the Hulk attacking Midtown High School. Wow, never thought I would miss Steve Ditko’s glider-riding Halloween-wearing Goblin. The only villain that came visually unscathed is the Kingpin, who functions the same as his 616 counterpart, but despite his menacing obese figure, the amount of fat jokes Spidey comes up with are just hilarious.
Concluding this first year of the book is #13, which brings out the best in the Bendis/Bagley collaboration. What is essentially a conversation in which Peter comes out to Mary Jane, Bendis is spot-on in writing this friendship that could possibly lead to something more, while Mark Bagley (who has been drawing Spider-Man since the early nineties) does a good job at drawing a comic that is very dialogue-heavy as he makes his characters lively and expressive.
Clearly influenced the cinematic incarnations, Ultimate Spider-Man by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley is a terrific millennial revisit to the roots of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko’s most celebrated creation.
January 4, 2019
Marvel introduced the Ultimate Universe in an attempt to modernize their stories, reset their continuities and make them more accessible to new readers (i.e. make money and save themselves from bankruptcy). It all began with this Ultimate Spider-man series.
This is a retelling of Spidey's origin with a few updates. There's not a whole lot of new ground covered here but what is here is pretty well written with dynamic art fit for the web-slinger. I also love that Brian Michael Bendis has the patience to really develop Peter Parker as a believable high school student and to really flesh out his origin without rushing into everything.
With Spidey dealing with his newfound powers, high school, Mary Jane, his Uncle Ben, the Green Goblin, and the Kingpin, all in a more modern setting, this is a great place to start for anyone interested in reading a solid introduction to Spider-man.
This is a retelling of Spidey's origin with a few updates. There's not a whole lot of new ground covered here but what is here is pretty well written with dynamic art fit for the web-slinger. I also love that Brian Michael Bendis has the patience to really develop Peter Parker as a believable high school student and to really flesh out his origin without rushing into everything.
With Spidey dealing with his newfound powers, high school, Mary Jane, his Uncle Ben, the Green Goblin, and the Kingpin, all in a more modern setting, this is a great place to start for anyone interested in reading a solid introduction to Spider-man.
December 18, 2018
After finally caving in and seeing the latest Spider-Man movie I had to re-read the universe that started it all...well the universe that started the one that Miles Morales inherited. I enjoyed this re-read of these comics I grew up with, and enjoyed the way that Electro was rewritten almost as much as I hated the way that the Green Goblin was presented here. He's not some hulking beast, he's just a dude who dresses as a goblin and likes to fly around on his goblin glider and hurl around pumpkin bombs. Not a whole lot to over-analyze with that.
Regardless, I forgot how well crafted these stories were, and it was a fun treat to be reminded of that while also reading through these great early storylines. It's crazy to believe how long it's been since these came out, but I am happy to report that even now, these tales still stand the test of time.
Regardless, I forgot how well crafted these stories were, and it was a fun treat to be reminded of that while also reading through these great early storylines. It's crazy to believe how long it's been since these came out, but I am happy to report that even now, these tales still stand the test of time.
January 31, 2022
2,5/3. La verdad es que no me ha gustado demasiado, sobre todo por los dibujos. Si veo otra adolescente de 15 años de cuerpo imposible y cara de adulta, vomito. Y si encima al final del libro este trae un apéndice de bocetos y sale la misma adolescente de 15 años de cuerpo imposible con un tanga también imposible y semidesnuda, igual tengo que ir a pegarle al dibujante.
December 28, 2022
i ATE UP the early 2000s aesthetic
(p.s. team wilson forever <3)
(p.s. team wilson forever <3)
July 9, 2019
Хотілось чимось винятковим добити цифру в 200 прочитаних книг в goodreads, тому подумав, що це повинно бути щось особливе. І це виявився Ultimate Spider-Man котрого я уже вдруге перечитую і отримую задоволення від оновленої лінійки Людини-Павука. Це був мій перший комікс, який потрапив мені в руки з якогось рандомного номеру, давно-давно тому? коли я був дитиною. Той номер я читав багато разів, аж поки він мені не осточортів, зате бажання прочитати цілу серію не згасало і тому, рік назад, я почав насолоджуватись ось цією серію і продовжую отримувати задоволення від всесвіту Алтімейт, бо з нього все розпочалось і це дуже легкий старт для новачків, котрі не знають, звідки почати знайомство із супергероїкою.
І ось, для дипломної роботи мені прийшлось опрацювати перший том Павучка і врешті-решт міг спокійно завершити прочитання, зрозумівши, що більше задоволення я отримав від другого тому, де події вже починають набирати обертів.
Цей оріджин павука мені до вподоби більше, ніж оригінал Amazing Fantasy, котрий тут займає майже 7 номерів, але все одно він черпає натхнення з початків від Стена Лі та Стіва Дітко. Кайфую від малюнків Марка Баґлі, котрий чудово демонструє атмосферу і добре промальовані лиця та емоції персонажів. І в додатку показує Пітера Паркера дійсно як 15 річного підлітка, котрий не виглядає як Пітер-переросток у перших номерах The Amazing Spider-Man.
Історія схожа і власне всім відома, але вона орієнтована на більш молодіжний лад, та й Пітер в захваті від своїх нових здібностей, а його дядько виглядає як крутий чувак, із зав'язаним в хвостик довгим волоссям. Сюжет дозволяє пірнути у вир подій і чим далі- тим глибше. Досі є можливість ідентифікації і порівнянь з головним героєм тому, що без костюму це все ще звичайний підліток, у котрого ті ж життєві проблеми, котрі можуть статись у будь-кого з нас.
4 з 5, бо оріджин Людини-Павука на пам'ять знаю.
І ось, для дипломної роботи мені прийшлось опрацювати перший том Павучка і врешті-решт міг спокійно завершити прочитання, зрозумівши, що більше задоволення я отримав від другого тому, де події вже починають набирати обертів.
Цей оріджин павука мені до вподоби більше, ніж оригінал Amazing Fantasy, котрий тут займає майже 7 номерів, але все одно він черпає натхнення з початків від Стена Лі та Стіва Дітко. Кайфую від малюнків Марка Баґлі, котрий чудово демонструє атмосферу і добре промальовані лиця та емоції персонажів. І в додатку показує Пітера Паркера дійсно як 15 річного підлітка, котрий не виглядає як Пітер-переросток у перших номерах The Amazing Spider-Man.
Історія схожа і власне всім відома, але вона орієнтована на більш молодіжний лад, та й Пітер в захваті від своїх нових здібностей, а його дядько виглядає як крутий чувак, із зав'язаним в хвостик довгим волоссям. Сюжет дозволяє пірнути у вир подій і чим далі- тим глибше. Досі є можливість ідентифікації і порівнянь з головним героєм тому, що без костюму це все ще звичайний підліток, у котрого ті ж життєві проблеми, котрі можуть статись у будь-кого з нас.
4 з 5, бо оріджин Людини-Павука на пам'ять знаю.
December 15, 2025
Spider-Man es uno los superhéroes más reconocibles a nivel mundial, inclusive entre los no asiduos al mundo de los comics y este primer volumen de su versión "Ultimate" dio inicio a unos de los reboots más ambiciosos y exitosos de Marvel. Este primer volumen del universo "Ultimate" rebosa de dibujos dinámicos y una estructura de viñetas fluida, mientras nos presenta a un Peter Parker y una MJ adolescentes de principios del siglo XX verosímiles, envueltos en la tensión creciente entre los dos aspectos de la vida de nuestro héroe. Los encuentros con los villanos en sí resultan menos interesantes que la forma en que Peter Parker va dando sus primeros pasos como héroe y los conflictos que esto le acarrea y, en algunos casos, el estilo "fresco" de la época hace que algunos de los villanos físicamente más desproporcionados respecto de los otros personajes (King Pin y el Duende Verde) rayen en lo caricaturesco. Por lo demás, aunque uno de los puntos fuertes de estos primeros números era su lenguaje coloquial y "de onda", el tiempo no ha sido generoso con los modismo y las expresiones utilizados (o quizás es que se extraña una "tropicalización" de la versión editada en España).
October 16, 2018
C'est de la relecture, mais sur papier cette fois, et entre ça plus le fait qu'il ne me manque aucune issue contrairement à la dernière fois, je dois dire que j'ai plus apprécié ma lecture. Je ne suis toujours pas franchement fan des dessins mais par contre je trouve l'histoire top, particulièrement dans la deuxième moitié.
April 3, 2019
This was the first comic book I’ve ever read. It certainly won’t be my last. Thanks for the recommendation, Madison! :)
November 15, 2021
"The person I feel really bad about hitting is the Danny Rand guy. The guy with the glowing hand--because like me he was just trying to do something worthwhile--something helpful."
June 7, 2023
La historia de siempre con algunos cambios y una disposición de viñetas bastante conformista.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 2, 2024
Tomo 1 de la Ultimate Collection de Ultimate Spider-man, valga la redundancia.
Aúna los números 1 a 13, normalmente recopilados en dos volúmenes:
Chapter 1: Powerless
Chapter 2: Growing Pains
Chapter 3: Wannabe
Chapter 4: With Great Power
Chapter 5: Life Lessons
Chapter 6: Big Time Super Hero
Chapter 7: Revelations
Chapter 8: Working Stiff
Chapter 9: Meet the Enforcers
Chapter 10: The Worst Thing
Chapter 11: Discovery
Chapter 12: Battle Royal
Chapter 13: Confessions
Además, también incluye 23 páginas de bocetos y diseño de personajes.
Aúna los números 1 a 13, normalmente recopilados en dos volúmenes:
Chapter 1: Powerless
Chapter 2: Growing Pains
Chapter 3: Wannabe
Chapter 4: With Great Power
Chapter 5: Life Lessons
Chapter 6: Big Time Super Hero
Chapter 7: Revelations
Chapter 8: Working Stiff
Chapter 9: Meet the Enforcers
Chapter 10: The Worst Thing
Chapter 11: Discovery
Chapter 12: Battle Royal
Chapter 13: Confessions
Además, también incluye 23 páginas de bocetos y diseño de personajes.
February 10, 2012
This is a great retelling of Peter Parker's story... a great starter for book for anyone who has wanted to get into comics but has no clue where to start!
January 27, 2024
«With great power comes great responsibility» - Uncle Ben
Як на мене, автори вдало адаптували пригоди дружнього сусіда - Пітера Паркера так його альтер-его Spider-Man. На відміну від оригінальної серії, тут події відбуваються в більш сучасному світі нульових, де вже є DVD та інтернет, а Пітер влаштовується працювати веб-дизайнером. Мері Джейн сама залицяється до Пітера, а шістдесятирічні дядько Бен та тітка Мей доволі молодіжні і свого запалювали на Woodstock. Основною метою ж перезапуску було привернення уваги нової аудиторії, якій важко розібратись в понад 1000 випусків коміксу за минулі 40 років. В післямові автори також признають й іншу ціль - підняття продаж коміксів і суперництво з DC.
Починаютсья пригоди, як зазвичай, з укусу павука під час шкільної екскурсії новітньою лабораторією OsCorp. Очухавшись, починає користуватись новими здібностями, і отримує новий прикид на боях по реслінгу. Потім трішки боротьби з Зеленим Гобліном, в якого перетворився Норман Осборн. Далі ж, після втрати дядька Бена, Пітер в розшуках вбивці виходить на злочинного боса Вілсона Гранта Фіска, aka Kingpin. І тут все починається...
March 18, 2024
Фактично - Абсолютна класика. Якщо ви розумієте, про що я)
Прекрасний комікс, і я досі його пристрасно обожнюю. Цей комікс про 2000-х, про самий початок нового століття, а новому століттю й нова Людина Павук, на те вона і Ultmate. Він ще зовсім юний (і йому дійсно 15), його кусає радіоактивний павук і він стає на шлях з якого вже не зійти. Можу казати про цей комікс, про дану ітерацію ЛП тільки хороше, з рештою він такий милий у своїх спробах підкотити до Мері)
ХЕх, то вже лірика. У своїх найкращих формах, автор: Браян Майкл Бендіс (це на щастя не Громадянська Війна 2, і не checkmate і слава богу), художник: Марк Беґлі. Вони чудові, і саме їх представлення Людини-Павука я люблю найбільше, він такий рідний мені.
Що ж лише одне хочу, більше коміксів оригінального Ultimate, починаючи з Ultimates Міллара та Гітча, і продовжуючи без сумніву легендарним Ультиматумом *кричу*. Це саме ті комікси, які мають бути представлені на нашому ринку, звісно вже є новий Ultimate всесвіт 6160 але дамо пану Гікмену час і він спробує нам показати нові історії у вже осучасненому світі Ultimate.
#видайтеукраїнськоюUltimates2000
Прекрасний комікс, і я досі його пристрасно обожнюю. Цей комікс про 2000-х, про самий початок нового століття, а новому століттю й нова Людина Павук, на те вона і Ultmate. Він ще зовсім юний (і йому дійсно 15), його кусає радіоактивний павук і він стає на шлях з якого вже не зійти. Можу казати про цей комікс, про дану ітерацію ЛП тільки хороше, з рештою він такий милий у своїх спробах підкотити до Мері)
ХЕх, то вже лірика. У своїх найкращих формах, автор: Браян Майкл Бендіс (це на щастя не Громадянська Війна 2, і не checkmate і слава богу), художник: Марк Беґлі. Вони чудові, і саме їх представлення Людини-Павука я люблю найбільше, він такий рідний мені.
Що ж лише одне хочу, більше коміксів оригінального Ultimate, починаючи з Ultimates Міллара та Гітча, і продовжуючи без сумніву легендарним Ультиматумом *кричу*. Це саме ті комікси, які мають бути представлені на нашому ринку, звісно вже є новий Ultimate всесвіт 6160 але дамо пану Гікмену час і він спробує нам показати нові історії у вже осучасненому світі Ultimate.
#видайтеукраїнськоюUltimates2000
November 20, 2025
WOW. Now THIS is a gosh darn comic book!!!
They weren’t kidding when they named this the Ultimate Spider-Man. This Pete is Tobey, Andrew, and Josh all molded into one pitch perfect Spider-Man.
Bro gets his butt handed to him by Kingpin and comes back the next week with a list of fat jokes 😭😭😭
What I love about this Spidey is he’s a kid making mistakes with no one to fall back on. Get thrown out a building? No goblin glider or iron man suit swooping in to save the day.
Started out very slow but good golly this was amazing. Easily the best comic series I’ve ever read.
Volume 2 here I come baby!!!!
They weren’t kidding when they named this the Ultimate Spider-Man. This Pete is Tobey, Andrew, and Josh all molded into one pitch perfect Spider-Man.
Bro gets his butt handed to him by Kingpin and comes back the next week with a list of fat jokes 😭😭😭
What I love about this Spidey is he’s a kid making mistakes with no one to fall back on. Get thrown out a building? No goblin glider or iron man suit swooping in to save the day.
Started out very slow but good golly this was amazing. Easily the best comic series I’ve ever read.
Volume 2 here I come baby!!!!
April 7, 2020
Ultimate Spider-Man rules.
As far as reboots go, this one really does capture the spirit of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko’s original spidey origin. Peter Parker is perfect. Bendis (who pretty much always rules) does an expert job of capitalizing on the growth and development that makes Peter Parker such a compelling, relatable and iconic character.
The pacing and flow of these issues is on point. It moves like a movie. Also, this is some of Mark Bagley’s best work. So many iconic frames. It’s easy to see why Ultimate blew up into such a popular and vibrant universe.
As far as reboots go, this one really does capture the spirit of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko’s original spidey origin. Peter Parker is perfect. Bendis (who pretty much always rules) does an expert job of capitalizing on the growth and development that makes Peter Parker such a compelling, relatable and iconic character.
The pacing and flow of these issues is on point. It moves like a movie. Also, this is some of Mark Bagley’s best work. So many iconic frames. It’s easy to see why Ultimate blew up into such a popular and vibrant universe.
March 4, 2022
El primer tomo del Ultimate Spider-Man (sí, el que sacaron hace un mes a 4€ para enganchar a los usuarios a la colección de Salvat) es realmente entretenido. Son casi 400 páginas que te las puedes beber en una tarde porque tienen un ritmo endiablado. Parece mentira que saliese antes que la primera película de Spider-Man, porque parecen calcos. Quizás canse volver a encontrarse otra vez con los orígenes, pero desde luego una vez que se deshace de Tío Ben promete un carrusel de aventuras divertidísimas. Esto es puro Marvel. No tengo dudas de que continuaré, el cómo ya es otra intriga porque soy pobre.
November 26, 2024
Los cómics que empiezan desde el origen del superhéroe me gustan, porque soy una ignorante total de la historia de los personajes de Marvel. Va poniéndose más interesante a medida que van pasando las páginas.
Sobraba mucho el boceto de Mary Jane con un bikini de Spiderman (tiene 15 años, hermano).
Sobraba mucho el boceto de Mary Jane con un bikini de Spiderman (tiene 15 años, hermano).
May 6, 2021
*cries*
November 5, 2024
Peter is so ugly but as spider-man looks definitely better. MJ? Double smash.
December 3, 2024
Spider-Man is de beste superheld met een reden! En Bendis pakt hier alles van wat het personage zo geweldig maakt! Geweldige origin! Geweldige art! En natuurlijk, een geweldige Spider-Man! Kan niet wachten om volume 2 te lezen!
9/10⭐
9/10⭐
August 31, 2019
When I was a kid Ultimate Spider-Man was the first comic I got hooked on. There was no comic book store near me so I had a mail-order service through Marvel that would deliver the new issues monthly. I can still remember my excitement every time they would show up and how quickly I would devour the new episode in Peter Parker’s life. I never got a chance to read the entire series, however, so now I’m going back and doing just that.
In many respects, Ultimate Spider-Man represents the classic backstory and tale of Peter Parker but updated for the modern-day. Everything that you could expect back when the character was first published in the 60s, and in Sam Rami’s trilogy of movies, is in this series. Harry Osborne is Peter’s best friend, Flash Thompson is his bully, Mary Jane is his crush, and he’s the smartest kid in an otherwise bad school. What is interesting, however, is that much of the rest of the series is altered from the original in this update.
Many of the villains have been interpreted differently by Mr. Bendis and Mr. Bagley, most notably changing the Green Goblin into a monster and making Electro look much more modern. This update in style and interpretation of the villains is a welcome change, if you go back and look through the original rouge’s gallery for Spider-Man in the 60s you’ll most likely come to the conclusion that they would look rather dated in an update for the series. Another update in this new series is that Spider-Man becomes a much more quippy character, and the jokes that Mr. Bendis writes for him are genuinely funny, there’s a particularly hilarious set of jokes that Spider-Man lobs at Kingpin that genuinely made me laugh out loud. This humor was a big enough addition to the character that it has remained a part of Spider-Man to this day.
Mr. Bendis also does a great job writing of the backstory in this first volume, not only does he do an excellent job introducing new readers to the character but also in making Peter the sympathetic character that he is. There is an additional undercurrent of conflict between Peter and his aunt and uncle that I appreciated, it’s not only well written and realistic but it also adds to the devastation when Uncle Ben is eventually killed. Across the board, the characters and relationships are much better written and realized in this update than they were in the original run of the series.
I will say that the one shortfall of the series is the art, the style that Mr. Bagley illustrates in is very indicative of the period, during the 90s and early 2000s the type of art on display here was very popular. Since then the industry has largely moved in a more realistic direction which unfortunately makes Ultimate Spider-Man a book firmly set in that time period, and removes some of the timeless aspects of Peter Parker as a character. Additionally, it's very hard to see the characters as the age they’re supposed to be. Peter and his classmates are supposed to be fifteen but they’re drawn in a way that would suggest that they’re much older than that. It may seem like a minor point but it did make it difficult to connect the maturity of the characters and how they look with the age that they’re supposed to be.
Overall, Ultimate Spider-Man still holds up in quality to this day, and it's not difficult to understand why this particular series did a lot to save Marvel from bankruptcy. Mr. Bendis has a vision for the character that pays homage to its roots but he also isn’t afraid to change things in a very unique way, and it has an edge that makes the character much more interesting to read. If you’re looking for a good entry into reading one of Marvel’s cornerstone characters then you can't do much better than this.
In many respects, Ultimate Spider-Man represents the classic backstory and tale of Peter Parker but updated for the modern-day. Everything that you could expect back when the character was first published in the 60s, and in Sam Rami’s trilogy of movies, is in this series. Harry Osborne is Peter’s best friend, Flash Thompson is his bully, Mary Jane is his crush, and he’s the smartest kid in an otherwise bad school. What is interesting, however, is that much of the rest of the series is altered from the original in this update.
Many of the villains have been interpreted differently by Mr. Bendis and Mr. Bagley, most notably changing the Green Goblin into a monster and making Electro look much more modern. This update in style and interpretation of the villains is a welcome change, if you go back and look through the original rouge’s gallery for Spider-Man in the 60s you’ll most likely come to the conclusion that they would look rather dated in an update for the series. Another update in this new series is that Spider-Man becomes a much more quippy character, and the jokes that Mr. Bendis writes for him are genuinely funny, there’s a particularly hilarious set of jokes that Spider-Man lobs at Kingpin that genuinely made me laugh out loud. This humor was a big enough addition to the character that it has remained a part of Spider-Man to this day.
Mr. Bendis also does a great job writing of the backstory in this first volume, not only does he do an excellent job introducing new readers to the character but also in making Peter the sympathetic character that he is. There is an additional undercurrent of conflict between Peter and his aunt and uncle that I appreciated, it’s not only well written and realistic but it also adds to the devastation when Uncle Ben is eventually killed. Across the board, the characters and relationships are much better written and realized in this update than they were in the original run of the series.
I will say that the one shortfall of the series is the art, the style that Mr. Bagley illustrates in is very indicative of the period, during the 90s and early 2000s the type of art on display here was very popular. Since then the industry has largely moved in a more realistic direction which unfortunately makes Ultimate Spider-Man a book firmly set in that time period, and removes some of the timeless aspects of Peter Parker as a character. Additionally, it's very hard to see the characters as the age they’re supposed to be. Peter and his classmates are supposed to be fifteen but they’re drawn in a way that would suggest that they’re much older than that. It may seem like a minor point but it did make it difficult to connect the maturity of the characters and how they look with the age that they’re supposed to be.
Overall, Ultimate Spider-Man still holds up in quality to this day, and it's not difficult to understand why this particular series did a lot to save Marvel from bankruptcy. Mr. Bendis has a vision for the character that pays homage to its roots but he also isn’t afraid to change things in a very unique way, and it has an edge that makes the character much more interesting to read. If you’re looking for a good entry into reading one of Marvel’s cornerstone characters then you can't do much better than this.
July 2, 2010
A modern retelling of Spider-Man's origin, set in the early 2000s rather than the 1960s. The artwork is pretty good; a variety of colors, well-portrayed emotions, and dynamic action scenes. Unfortunately, the script falls short; it seems written for modern teenagers, who, apparently, have a much more limited vocabulary and greater use of slang than teens did in the 1960s (surprised?). I'd guess that only Spidey fans will enjoy this one.
I've been a Spider-Man fan since childhood, growing up on the 1990s cartoon and toys. I may have read a few of the comics at friends' houses, but they didn't interest me much. In the early 2000s, Marvel rewrote most popular comic books to take place in the present day. Ultimate Spider-Man was one of those comics.
I read a few issues in high school, because friends let me borrow them. When Marvel launched DotComics (a PC program for downloading and reading comics) in the early 2000s, I downloaded as many free comics as I could, many of them from the Ultimate line.
When I saw this book on the library shelf, I recognized the Ultimate Spider-Man title from a decade ago. Since I wasn't able to get every issue from friends or online back in the day, I checked it out.
I was somewhat disappointed. The trademark one-liners that Peter/Spider-Man is known for spewing during fights were mostly lame. The stories weren't particularly compelling. There's not a lot of character development for Harry Osborn or Liz Allan. Mary Jane was the worst; other than a few scenes of her studying, she's mostly represented as vapid eye candy.
The story is based on the original, but there are several changes; for example, Norman Osborn has Peter followed, and he discovers that Peter obtained his spider powers from the spider bite in his lab.
The Green Goblin and Kingpin are the main villains, but Electro and other minor ones appear as well.
One redeeming quality of this book came at the very end: a full-color reprint of the original Spider-Man comic book: Amazing Fantasy #15 from 1962, by Marvel legends Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.
I've been a Spider-Man fan since childhood, growing up on the 1990s cartoon and toys. I may have read a few of the comics at friends' houses, but they didn't interest me much. In the early 2000s, Marvel rewrote most popular comic books to take place in the present day. Ultimate Spider-Man was one of those comics.
I read a few issues in high school, because friends let me borrow them. When Marvel launched DotComics (a PC program for downloading and reading comics) in the early 2000s, I downloaded as many free comics as I could, many of them from the Ultimate line.
When I saw this book on the library shelf, I recognized the Ultimate Spider-Man title from a decade ago. Since I wasn't able to get every issue from friends or online back in the day, I checked it out.
I was somewhat disappointed. The trademark one-liners that Peter/Spider-Man is known for spewing during fights were mostly lame. The stories weren't particularly compelling. There's not a lot of character development for Harry Osborn or Liz Allan. Mary Jane was the worst; other than a few scenes of her studying, she's mostly represented as vapid eye candy.
The story is based on the original, but there are several changes; for example, Norman Osborn has Peter followed, and he discovers that Peter obtained his spider powers from the spider bite in his lab.
The Green Goblin and Kingpin are the main villains, but Electro and other minor ones appear as well.
One redeeming quality of this book came at the very end: a full-color reprint of the original Spider-Man comic book: Amazing Fantasy #15 from 1962, by Marvel legends Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.
November 22, 2013
Ultimate Spider-Man is a fictional comic that has been written over and over again for the last couple of decades. The story about Peter Parker, a nerd who is bitten by a scientific spider. That spider reverses his DNA and enhances his natural abilities. On top of that, he matures with his new powers as well. He lives his life by his uncle's motto: with great power comes great responsibility.
Since I have read Spider Man a lot, I am already familiar with it. However, I did not like this comic in particular. This book has details that I'm not at all familiar with. For one, it displays some characters as being totally off who they were previously portrayed as. In some aspects, this comic is not even accurate with details that happened in the comics or even in the movies. If you aren't familiar with Spider Man before, I would advise against reading this as a first comic. It will throw off your understanding off what actually happened. In addition, it was hard to follow the path of the story because at times, the characters would just stop talking. Then they would say some random thought that would throw me off at times.
Because Spider Man is a classic, some things can't be changed. The things that could be changed were changed completely. Few things in this story aligned with the classics or even with the movie.
Since I have read Spider Man a lot, I am already familiar with it. However, I did not like this comic in particular. This book has details that I'm not at all familiar with. For one, it displays some characters as being totally off who they were previously portrayed as. In some aspects, this comic is not even accurate with details that happened in the comics or even in the movies. If you aren't familiar with Spider Man before, I would advise against reading this as a first comic. It will throw off your understanding off what actually happened. In addition, it was hard to follow the path of the story because at times, the characters would just stop talking. Then they would say some random thought that would throw me off at times.
Because Spider Man is a classic, some things can't be changed. The things that could be changed were changed completely. Few things in this story aligned with the classics or even with the movie.
September 1, 2021
Actualización de la historia original de Spiderman desde su origen y conversión, Bendis cuenta los inicios de Peter Parker como superhéroe de una forma mucho más pausada que el original, centrándose en desarrollar los personajes en profundidad desde el principio e introduciendo alguna sorpresa por el camino para que no todo sea repetir los sucesos de los cómics originales ya que al ser parte del universo ultimate no es necesario que se ciña al canon.
Son aventuras entretenidas y frescas, con la densidad de dialogos que se puede esperar de un cómic de Bendis, pero que se leen con soltura. El dibujo de Bagley no es de los que más me gusta y a día de hoy se perciben los tics de la época, pero en todo caso cumple.
Son aventuras entretenidas y frescas, con la densidad de dialogos que se puede esperar de un cómic de Bendis, pero que se leen con soltura. El dibujo de Bagley no es de los que más me gusta y a día de hoy se perciben los tics de la época, pero en todo caso cumple.
January 9, 2015
I'd have given this 5-stars... but I am so beyond sick of hearing the Spider-Man origin story that it is impossible to enjoy anymore. It is over-examined and unnecessary. Even when I consider that the Ultimate line started in the early 2000's, before several movies and reboots, it still seems unnecessary to revisit every time. All that changed, even in an alternate universe, were minute details.
After the origin though - it gets great. It is the Spider-Man everyone loves - jokes, but serious. Semi-strong, but ultimately outsmarts and out-clevers his opponents. I am interested to see how the MJ thing plays out - THAT is what has me craving Vol 2.
After the origin though - it gets great. It is the Spider-Man everyone loves - jokes, but serious. Semi-strong, but ultimately outsmarts and out-clevers his opponents. I am interested to see how the MJ thing plays out - THAT is what has me craving Vol 2.
September 24, 2017
I'm self-aware of the fact that this seems to be the only review for this.
Bendis can write. This is clear from this volume and the fact that a familiar story can still affect me in such a way.
The presentation of Peter's issues in school and outside seem realistic and help give some depth to the character. It's a well-trodden road but still fun to read and can build on character relationships in a way that the films could never really do.
As for the art, in general it works, lots of exaggerations that help the action scenes more actiony. A little heavy on the inks for my taste, though.
Really good stuff. Check it out if you're interested in some Spidey fun.
Bendis can write. This is clear from this volume and the fact that a familiar story can still affect me in such a way.
The presentation of Peter's issues in school and outside seem realistic and help give some depth to the character. It's a well-trodden road but still fun to read and can build on character relationships in a way that the films could never really do.
As for the art, in general it works, lots of exaggerations that help the action scenes more actiony. A little heavy on the inks for my taste, though.
Really good stuff. Check it out if you're interested in some Spidey fun.
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