Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spider-Man, Book 1

Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spider-Man

by Brian Michael Bendis (Writer), Sara Pichelli (Artist), Chris Samnee (Artist)

Miles Morales takes up the mantle of the Ultimate Spider-Man! Before Peter Parker died, young Miles was poised to start the next chapter in his life in a new school. Then, a spider's bite granted the teenager incredible arachnid-like powers. Now, Miles has been thrust into a world he doesn't understand, with only gut instinct and a little thing called responsibility as his guides. Can he live up to Peter's legacy as Spider-Man? As Miles grapples with his new life, Miles' Uncle Aaron - a.k.a. the Prowler - learns his secret! He's got plans for his nephew, but little does he know that the Scorpion is on his tail! Spider-Man story! COLLECTING Ultimate Fallout 4, Ultimate Comics Spider-Man (2011) 1-12, Spider-Men 1-5

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

400 pages, Paperback

First published August 11, 2015

About the author

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brian Michael Bendis successfully reinvents Spider-Man again.

Marvel Comics came up with its Ultimate books as a way to drag its characters and their origin stories into the new millennium. The jewel in the Ultimate line crown has always been Bendis’ run on Spider-Man. At first it was Peter Parker; however, he’s dead.. What to do?

Enter thirteen year old Miles Morales.

Miles uncle, the Prowler, steals stuff from Osborn Labs and inadvertently takes a juiced up spider. The spider bites Miles and he’s endowed with the usual spider-abilities with the added bonus of a venom sting and chameleon abilities - he can blend into the background, seemingly invisible.

Cue the discovery and wonder of his new powers.

So who does a teenaged kid talk to about having cool new abilities? His nerdy best friend, Ganke:



Sadly, it’s not so easy delivering the goods on demand:



It needs some work, buddy.

Miles journey of discovery is loaded with action, humor and at times, it’ll leave a lump in your throat as well. We’ve seen the Spider-Man origin story before, but Bendis makes enough adjustments to give it a fresh rendering. Bendis is able to carve a believable identity and story for Miles.

Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, when they created the original Spider-Man, did the best they could capturing teen life, but Lee hadn’t seen puberty since the New Deal and it always had a hollow feel to it. Here, Bendis story and words have a fairly timeless quality; I’m guessing future readers won’t be wincing when they pick this up.

Bendis’ strong suit is his feel for the ebb and flow of natural dialogue. He proves that you don’t have to be current on trends and lingo to present honest, compelling and relatable conversation. This volume has pages of chats between Miles and his friends and family, yet it’s smooth and entertaining – not a chore to plow through.

This is a repackaged mega-edition that not only includes the entire saga with his uncle but a Spider-Men event as well.

It seems that the Ultimate Mysterio has somehow breached the “normal” Marvel timeline allowing Peter Parker’s Spider-Man to become trapped in the world of Miles Morales. Lots of fish-out-of-water moments, some humerous:





…some poignant.



Bottom line:



Awww!

[Terence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meet a new Spider-Man for a new era...Miles Morales. Miles has a near identical ultimate origin story to Peter Parker as he's bitten by an experimental Oscorp spider granting him spider powers. Miles is 13 and wants nothing to do with these new abilities, but writers have fate has an interesting way of making people step up. Peter Parker is killed and Miles just happens to get there in time to see him die. Miles acquires Peter's life mantra of great power comes great responsibility, but he has some difficulties in the beginning.

 

 

He does manage to get things together though...

 

...and he meets some interesting people...

  

I haven't read many comics in the ultimate line, but I've got to ask when did Omega Red become a Spider-Man villain and when did he start looking like this:



I have to say Scorpion looked and behaved in a terrifying way. No one would joke about this Scorpion.



Overall this was a fun comic even though Miles very existence seems like fan fiction. I have to say I'm glad I decided to check it out when I say it at my library.

[Shadowdenizen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a latecomer to the party, but I'm a convert! After reading this, I can absolutely see why Miles Morales has gained such a fervent fanbase (and a place in the "Main" Marvel Universe.)


Logically following the "Death of Spiderman" storyline, this is a heady mix of new-and-old, with the tried and true "Bit by radioactive spider" trope being played out in the modern-day, while Miles himself hearkens back to a young Peter Parker. Though this new SPider-Man is imbued with modern-day sensibilites and technology, he still manages to offers that wide-eyed innocence that was so charming about the 60's-era SPider Man.

As an aside, it's funny that [excluding the new spiderVerse titles which I'm not following], I seem to like EVERY iteration of Spider-Man {SpiderMan 2099, Ultimate SpiderMan, Mile MOrales, even Scarlet Spider!] better than the Peter Parker version of late!

A great start to this title gets a high-flying, web-swinging 5 stars from me; looking forard to Volume 2!

[kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS WAS SO GREAT.

That is all.
That’s the review.

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a odd collection. Why end it on a major turning point for miles only for it to go into Spider-men (Which is Peter for 616 and miles meeting) it's really stupid.

Regardless the origins of Miles is great. It talks to the fans in a way we understand. We get it, Peter will never be replaced. He will always be Spider-man. However, this change didn't feel forced or badly done. Infact Peter's death is one of my favorite deaths of comics of all time. So seeing Miles take up the mantel was great.

The best part is they made two villains no one cares about awesome. Got Scorpian being a actually scary Kingpin type and then you got Prowler, Miles' uncle going around stealing stuff and being a horrible influence on his newphew. Miles deals with both as well as his own family issues and best friend. It's a lot to take in and watching him try to work it all out is both interesting and fun.

Now we also get Spider-men in this collection and this isn't nearly as good. The meet up is silly, and the reasoning is stupid, even if getting to see Peter and Miles interact is fun. The actual background story is dumb and I don't think Bendis writes 616 Spider-man all that great. Love his Ultimate Peter but not this one as much. I also think the ending leaves a big "WHAT IS IT" but it never gets covered and never will cause Secret Wars has Miles in the main universe now.

The side story aside the origins is very much worth reading. I like Miles and he's funny but a different type of funny from Peter. If you want the old school Spider-man feel back I'd advise checking this out.

[Brittany McCann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly love the entire Miles Morales line of the Spiderverse, and it was great to delve into it some more about loving the movie. I can't wait to experience more of his line.

Loved the artistic style as well.

4 stars.

[Chelsea 🏳️‍🌈 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Update: 25 June 2023

I still enjoyed this, but I see where Ahmed expanded way more of Miles' world and his mindset. The humor in Bendis' books is more hit than miss for me and the "quips" just get aggravating after some time. I still resent that Miles' Uncle Ben type figure was so violent towards him and treated him horribly. These are some of the things the films improved on exponentially and that's part of why I'll say Miles is better in the fillms, while I would still recommend Ahmed's Miles Morales run to anyone interested in the character.

Also, I didn't like that this particular collection stops dead for a story where Miles encounters another Peter Parker. Reading this collection for Miles, that was a downer, tbh.

Original review:
This is probably my favorite of anything Bendis has written. I really like this book and while the second part with Peter didn't do as much for me, the rest of the book was incredibly strong.

I am not a fan of the Ultimates universe. I don't understand the need to take iconic characters like Steve Rogers and Bruce Banner and turn them into twisted, douchey, bigoted versions of themselves. (Looking at you Spencer). That being said, this stayed on the fringes of the Ultimates team and I liked that.

Miles is a great character. He's adorable, self-conscious and he just wants to be normal. You know the drill: he was bit by a radioactive spider and becomes spider-man. He decides to hide his powers and shortly after, Peter Parker dies. Overall, I think this is a pretty good way to pay tribute to Peter and create this new character. Peter felt guilt and decided to be a hero after he lost uncle Ben: Miles felt guilt and decides to be a hero after losing Peter.

Miles is so earnest! He really wants to help people and he cares for Ganke, his parents and his shitty uncle Aaron. Loved his relationship with Ganke, by the way.

The way his relationship with Aaron is portrayed is interesting. I questioned that decision a bit but the relationship between Aaron and Miles is complex. I actually wished I got a bit more of Miles' relationship with his father. I loved the dinner scene where his mother approves of Spidey and his father doesn't. This universe also seems to have more respect for supers than the 616 story.

I didn't love the Spider-Men story. It was good, I see the appeal for it but I just wanted more on Miles' world. This storyline was mainly to show Peter getting to talk to a version of Gwen Stacy and his aunt again. It makes me wonder how many times writers are going to dredge this up. We get it in House of M, The Amazing Spider-Man and Silk book, and countless others. There are more interesting things to talk about. I would've rather had a one shot from Mary Jane or Gwen's point of view for that.

Anyway, I love Miles, Scorpion was an intriguing villain. Not a lot of background on the city or what it was like for Miles to go to public school and hope to get into the Acadmey. Not as much on that as you'd get from series like Moon Girl Devil Dinosaur. It's a pretty solid book.

4 stars.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are not enough stars on this rating system for this graphic novel! Seriously, I am in shock with how much I loved this book! I adored Miles Morales!! I loved the supporting characters throughout this book as well, they are so well rounded! I loved the writing, the art, everything about it was beautiful! This tugged at my heart strings in such a powerful way, I was in love with these characters by the end of the first issue! I cannot wait to read more!!

Longer review coming soon! :)

[Rory Wilding · Rating 4 out of 5]

When it comes to superhero comics, there are no third acts as no superhero really dies, let alone stay that way forever as Superman and Batman had been through multiple demises, only to be resurrected in the next month, albeit through possible changes. Before Dan Slott killed off Marvel's most iconic character in his ongoing run of The Amazing Spider-Man, Brian Michael Bendis got there first as after one hundred and sixty issues of telling Peter Parker's story, Ultimate Spider-Man ended with the young hero sacrificing himself to save his beloved aunt.

However, Peter may be dead, but not Spider-Man as prior to his death, an Afro-Hispanic teenager named Miles Morales gets bitten by a spider that was genetically engineered by Peter's nemesis Norman Osborn in an attempt to duplicate those abilities. Unlike Peter Parker, Miles comes from a different background and possessing powers similar to those of the original Spider-Man, he was scared of them and hid them from everyone he knew, such as his parents and his criminal uncle Aaron Davis, except for his best friend Ganke Lee, who encourages him to use these powers.

Despite the initial issue's clever call-back to the very first issue of Ultimate Spider-Man, in which Norman Osborn once again tells the Greek myth of Arachne whilst creating a new spider, but through the perspective of Miles Morales, Bendis is able to find a fresh angle to an origin story that has been told many times. For starters, Miles' spider-like abilities differ from Peter's, including Camouflage and a Venom strike that can paralyze almost anyone with just a touch.

Now in a world where everyone knows who the original Spider-Man was and how he died to save the day, Morales can't simply put the OG Spidey costume on, which is in bad taste considering the recent tragedy as not only he does carry on the legacy of Peter Parker, but he has to forge his own identity, as he tries to balance his complicated family life, his studies at the Brooklyn Visions Academy and his duties as the new Spidey in a rocking new outfit.

As much as I have praised Bendis' original run in how he contemporises the story of Peter Parker and many changes are appropriately cosmetic, I've always felt the radical change of numerous classic Spidey villains were problematic and in the case of this volume, it introduces the Scorpion who is re-interpreted as a tattooed, Mexican mob boss with very resistant skin, which makes him a violently scary presence but not as visually interesting as his 616 counterpart.

Once again. Bendis' strength as a writer is the focus of the hero's domestic problems as with his uncle Aaron Davis – the Ultimate version of the Prowler as a tech-based cat burglar – becomes a prominent figure throughout the first twelve issues, forcing Miles' double life to cross over and causing him to make tough and personal decisions. At the end of this initial arc, Bendis maintains the classic Spidey scenario where the hero's actions could lead to a losing path for the alter-ego as it ends on a mighty cliffhanger.

Concluding this volume is the five-issue crossover Spider-Men, featuring Peter Parker from the original Marvel Universe, who in an attempt to foil Mysterio's dastardly plan, fails through a portal to the Ultimate Universe, where he meets the current Spider-Man there. Despite the bigger picture of stopping the villain with the assistance of SHIELD and the Ultimates, which is the least interesting thing about this miniseries, the real joy is the witty interactions between the two Spideys who have distinct personalities and the simplicity of them hanging out as oppose to fighting crime, which is Bendis at his wordy best.

As for the artists, there is Mile Morales co-creator Sara Pichelli who has a great attention to detail by illustrating realistic distinctions between characters via body language and expressions, whilst David Marquez maintains a similar sensibility as well as providing vibrant and well-crafted action sequences. However, Chris Samnee – who would go on to draw a great Daredevil run with Mark Waid – sticks out like a sore thumb as only doing two issues, his good enough but cartoony illustrations seem out of place with the rest of the book.

Peter Parker is dead, long live Spider-Man as Bendis literally injects new life to Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's iconic creation as Miles Morales is an instant fan-favourite and I look forward to reading his future adventures.

[DeanAmythe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lang geleden dat ik een stripboek heb gelezen, en volgens mij nog nooit eerder aan een superhelden comic toe gekomen. Weet niet in hoeverre dit een representatie kan zijn voor menig comic, maar het tempo waarmee hier door verschillende plotlijnen geraasd wordt was mij een tikkeltje te snel. Duidelijk wordt van de lezer verwacht bekend te zijn met de gang van zaken in een origin story (zelfs in het verhaal zelf begrijpt Miles Morales zijn nieuwe krachten door de lens van een eerdere Spider-Man) en daarbij komen ook nog verschillende slechteriken en facties (zoals de Avengers) langs, vaak met louter enkele pagina's besteed aan deze nieuwe figuren waardoor het verhaal een beetje verwarrend wordt -- hoeveel aandacht moet ik besteden aan de Avengers als ze bijna een cameo rol hebben? Dat gezegd hebbende ben ik, zoals de kids zeggen, 'hooked' en benieuwd waar de volgende volumes heen gaan.

[Ryan Lowery · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0/5.0

This collection includes the Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1-#12 and Spider-Men #1-#5. Full disclosure - my knowledge of and exposure to the Marvel Universe is based primarily on seeing a handful of movies. In other words - total rookie! That said, I enjoyed Spider-Men and absolutely loved the Ultimate Comics Spider-Man.

Starting with the Ultimate Comics Spider-Man, this collection was fantastic. Brian Michael Bendis writes terrific dialogue. In particular, the interactions between Miles Morales and his buddy Ganke perfectly capture the tone of two 13 year old boys. The overall story has a wonderful balance of adolescent humor and awe along with gritty, real world/high stakes action. I enjoyed watching Miles come to grips with his new power and particularly enjoyed how "monologuing" seemed to be an unavoidable consequence of having super powers. From an art standpoint, Sara Pichelli creates lush environments filled with highly expressive characters. The amount of energy she imbues in Miles is remarkable. I found myself staring at page after page, taking in all of the details.

The second 1/3 of this collection, Spider-Men, is a bit more "stereotypical" superhero stuff. As soon as the inter-dimensional element was introduced I thought I would be lost. This felt like it was catering more to hard-core Marvel fans with multiple heroes and a host of bad guys - many of whom I have no familiarity with whatsoever. To my surprise, the story remained fairly straightforward and easy to follow. I was intrigued by the idea of a "new" Peter Parker reuniting with his family and friends. The connection with Aunt May was especially touching. Having Peter Parker formally hand the mantle of Spider-Man to Miles was a nice touch.

Overall, a great read - looking forward to tackling more superhero stuff!

[Wealhtheow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miles is a thirteen year old who just wants to work hard, get into a good school, and make his parents proud. But then he's bitten by one of Oscorp's test spiders and gets his own spate of spider-based powers, many of them similar to Peter Parker's. After Peter is killed, Miles takes up the mantle of Spider-Man. He has both the usual problems that Spider-Man has (having to juggle a double life, coming from an underprivileged family, escaping from cops who aren't happy with vigilantes, fights with criminals) and new problems (like the fact that most of the public thinks wearing Spider-man's mask is in poor taste, or that his own uncle is blackmailing him). There are moments of exhilaration, friendship, bravery, and grief. I came away from this collection absolutely adoring Miles, who has such a good heart and such bad luck that I wanted to wrap him in blankets and feed him hot cocoa. And I loved the art, which is fantastic at conveying both facial expressions and fight scenes--a rare combination.

[David H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I sought this out because I loved the movie Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and thought I'd love to read more with Miles Morales. This "ultimate collection" collects Miles's beginning (with Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1-12) and a crossover with the normal(?) Spider-Man (in Spider-Men #1-5).

I'm always cautious with superhero comics because I feel like they rely too much on outside knowledge that I don't have (one reason I loved Wilson's Ms. Marvel comics). This one worked out for the most part, though I'm sure there are lots of nods to Spider-Man stuff I just simply didn't catch. But as an extremely casual fan of Spider-Man, I felt like I could keep up with almost everything. I'm very confused of what this Ultimate stuff is even supposed to be, but I don't really care.

In a lot of ways, a lot of the elements of this collection (including Spider-Men) show up in Into the Spider-Verse so it was like I was reading an alternate version of that movie (even though the movie came second). I'm hoping to enjoy the next collection as well.

[josie-faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

very cute
read for class
enjoyed but liked into spider verse better bc
movies lol

[Zack! Empire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me just begin by saying that I really don't know anything about the ultimate marvel universe. I read some of the Peter parker Spiderman and some of the ultimates, but my knowledge is pretty basic.
Having said that I want you to know that you really don't need to know anything about what happen previously to appreciate this book. Everything you need to know is explained pretty quick and in an organic way. So if you've been holding off on trying this book because it's outside the 616 universe: Don't.
To me spider-man will always be Peter parker. No one will ever replace him. But miles is coming pretty damn close. I loved the way he was written here. He is very unsure of the whole superhero thing. I mean he is lying to everyone he cares about doing something good. Shouldn't he be running up to them and telling them he is out there saving people? It's cool to him struggle with that part of being a hero. There is also an effort to show that he doesn't know what he is doing when he is out as spider-man. He is most getting lucky because his powers are so strong.
Speaking of which, I love that miles has different powers than Spider-Man. Well, he has the same powers, but he seems to have two more. It's great that they didn't just do a carbon copy spider-man, and simply change his name. I also like that miles doesn't use web shooters. That just adds to making this a different story than peter's.
The villains were pretty great. I like the ultimate version of the scorpion more than the 616 version. The tattoos and the chain with the hook, rather then a tail, were a cool touch. I also likes that the prowler was just raiding weapons left and right. It realm kept the surprises coming.
Bendis is one of my favorite writers and this book helped to strengthen that. I love how he is able to really give everyone a differs voice. You realm feel like he is seeing through the eyes of everyone so he can give them dialogue that feels genuine. Bendis seems to have a real talent for writing about peoples internal struggles.
The art was amazing as well. I loved all three artist who did work on this book. There is a real fluid look to all the action. I have to give it up for the colors as well. They reply pop and they do a good job of providing contrast for miles nearly all black suit.
Overall a totally great book. I read it in his two sittings. I see that there is two more of these collections coming out and I will be getting them for sure.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Von 2000 bis 2009 hatte Bendis im Ultimate Marvel Imprint bereits Peter Parker als Spider-Man und vor allem als Teenager modernisiert und ihn für eine neue Lesergeneration aufgepeppt.
Ab September 2011 begann Bendis, nun in der Reihe Ultimate Comics, einen zweiten Neustart. Peter Parker ist gestorben und Miles Morales übernimmt die vakante Rolle des Spinnenmenschen.
Dass im Marvel-Universum ständig neue alternative Welten und neue Origin-Stories geschaffen werden, ist verständlich; denn schließlich ist der Spider-Man-Mythos inzwischen über fünf Jahrzehnte alt und ununterbrochen fortgeschrieben worden. Da kann es schon zu Problemen mit der Kontinuität kommen, und Peter Parker wäre in Echtzeit schon im Rentenalter. Zudem gibt es bei Marvel zahlreiche Crossovers, so dass selbst die Autoren manchmal nicht wissen, wie der aktuelle Stand ist.
Den zweiten Neustart hat Bendis dazu genutzt, den ersten Schwarzen in das Spinnenkostüm zu stecken. Darin steckt viel Potenzial für gesellschaftskritische Betrachtungen, doch leider macht Bendis nicht viel daraus. Miles Morales ist als Teenager eine glaubwürdige Figur, aber er könnte genauso gut ein Weißer sein. Bendis vermittelt den Eindruck, als gebe es keine Rassenkonflikte mehr in den USA.
Bendis klebt sehr an der Ur-Geschichte, auch Morales wird von einer radioaktiven Spinne gebissen und hat vergleichbare Konflikte wie Peter Parker zu durchleben. Aber das waren vermutlich Vorgaben von Stan Lee, denn eine Erfolgsgeschichte ändert man nicht ohne Not.

Als Kreativteam haben mir Bendis / Bagley etwas besser gefallen als hier Bendis / Pichelli, die Artwork von Pichelli ist etwas klassischer und weniger kühn als die von Bagley.

Im Fazit hat sich Bendis mit dem zweiten Spider-Man-Neustart selbst Konkurrenz gemacht und und die hochgelegte Messlatte seines ersten Runs nicht noch einmal erreicht.

[Sonic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I blame previous reviews and comments that I might have made about Miles Morales on lame RE-PRINT happy editors…
This was excellent, this was the full picture, not fragmented (irresponsible) RE-PRINT greed.
Whatever the hell previous Miles Morales book I read, I was confused, and felt that major portions of the story were missing, .. guess what? They were!
I prefer to see myself as a reader, but I guess MARVEL just wants to treat me as a customer.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great character. I've read the novelization by Jason Reynolds and I much prefer this. I always need to remember to start at the origin.

As much fun as Into the Spiderverse, but different enough to keep me on the edge of my seat.

[Tim Nash · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few bits of context for this!

1. In 2001, Marvel released a whole suite of titled under the banner "Ultimate". It was a new, modern version of all their best loved characters, releasing creators from the limitations of decades of continuity.

2. A lot of it wasn't very good.

3. Ultimate Spider-Man by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley was VERY good.

4. 10 years on from the launch of Ultimate Spider-Man, Bendis and Sara Pichelli invented the character Miles Morales. A new Spider-Man.

This is volume one of three volumes collecting all the Miles Morales comics from the Ultimate Marvel era. (He has since been brought into regular continuity).

My love for Brian Michael Bendis is well documented, and I love him doing Spider-Man. Ultimate Spider-Man is one of my favourite runs, and he continues the good stuff right here in Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man. Also restarting this run, I was struck anew by just how good Sara Pichelli is.

It's not often that someone else takes over as a well known character, and actually stays as that character, and yes Miles gets an advantage by not being in proper continuity. But reading this I think it's plain to see why Miles has endured, and survived the return to the status quo that every other new version seems to cop.

BMB already showed that he knew what made Peter Parker such an enduring character when he launched Ultimate Spider-Man, updating him for modern audiences, now he gets a crack at a completely blank slate. What will make a character Spider-Man, without just repeating tropes?

I think one cool thing is that Miles, though not without his own struggles, isn't formed by the death of a loved one. He's also smart, but he's not another genius, keeping Spider-Man grounded, as he should be.

Miles first real villain, The Prowler, has familial ties, which is cool. The Ultimate version of this character isn't too different to the one we know, which is great, because that costumer is sick.

Anyway, it's grounded, relatable, and still fresh. Bravo Bendis!

The art, mostly provided by Sara Pichelli and David Marquez, is also really good - though a little inconsistent in places. Sara's pencils can be a little inconsistent at times. You can tell which issues or moments she prioritised. And David's, while always gorgeous, sometimes seem to miss a crucial panel in an action sequence, making the flow more difficult to understand.

Still, that's a small price to pay for a consistent writer/artist partnership!

[Alfit0 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter ha muerto y alguien debe tomar el manto de spiderman, la responsabilidad cae en Miles Morales quien sin ningún interés debe asumir el rol del difunto arácnido.

La historia termina siendo similar en varios sentidos, pero distintas en muchos otros. Tenemos una nueva araña de osborn que continúa con su obsesión de replicar lo de spiderman, un tío que de alguna manera lo termina convirtiendo en spiderman y una crianza muy apegada a los valores de la responsabilidad, hacer bien y la honestidad.

La historia es completamente dinámica y pareciera funcionar hasta como un universo alterno al ultimate, pero estamos en el mismo y ya no es Peter, es Miles quien al tratarse de otra araña obtiene distintos poderes.

Esta versión viene mucho más acompañada, mostrándonos como el universo y el mismo Miles se vieron afectados por la muerte de Spidey, sobre todo de un Fury, que entiende que es tan solo un niño al que debe apoyar.

El dibujo y los colores aportan al dinamismo y la juventud de la historia.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come, 5 stars. This was such an enjoyable start to Miles Morales becoming Spider-Man that I found myself reading it cover to cover. Miles is 13 years old and starting in a lottery drawn school, setting off in a different path than his father and uncle did, with his mama driving the decision. Uncle agrees that Miles is in a good space, but while Miles is over visiting, he gets bit by a spider with a number on it. And everything changes from there.

Definitely different trajectory of events from those who are only familiar with the movie, and I think it was a great intro while also bringing many familiar faces in the mix of Miles coming into his power and taking on big roles in the mix of many upheavals. I loved it, can't wait to dive into the second volume.

[Luisi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Estoy sorprendida. Empecé un poco desconfiada porque las ilustraciones eran muy distintas a las del cómic que había leído antes y no sabía si iba a poder acostumbrarme, pero por suerte lo hice y logré disfrutarlo muchísimo. Fue un muy buen libro, de verdad. El detalle del dibujo y los giros en la trama son increíbles, quedé con la boca abierta por el asombro una buena cantidad de veces. Además, la forma en que se entrelazan las historias, cómo se van desvelando las respuestas y apareciendo otras preguntas te dejan pendiente hasta al final, incapaz de aburrirte ni siquiera un segundo. Totalmente recomendado si querés leer algo rápido y entretenido.

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't want to like Miles Morales when I first heard of him. The world needed better Spider-Man stories and not more spider-characters, I believed. I thought Miles was going to be the New Coke of the Marvel Universe.

I was hugely, vastly wrong. This is the introduction of the best new Marvel character in the last decade. And this is writer Brian Michael Bendis, along with a cadre of artists, doing career-best work. If Marvel is truly capable of creating a bold new future for itself then the blueprint is right here.

[Agnol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t initially a fan of Miles, but he’s grown on me in recent years, and with the new movie out I decided it was worth revisiting his origin. And it still holds up. It’s a great story, and a great origin. About the only real complaint I have is that it could have been told in fewer issues. There aren’t many, but some parts do feel a bit drawn out.

Also included in this volume is Spider-Men, which remains one of the funniest stories I’ve ever read. It’s worth reading this for that alone.

[Mercedes McLean-Wheeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been hesitant to read Ultimate universe stuff (I already feel overwhelmed trying to keep up with “normal” Marvel universe stuff) but this series finally got me to branch out. Miles is great and I love seeing him interact with Genke, his parents, and his uncle. Really turns some Spider-Man tropes on their ear while still probing the same issues and values.

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gosh, Bendis is SUCH a good writer for comic books. This wasn't a blockbuster action page nonsense fest. This was a well thought out and poignant story about growing up. So good. I've been missing out on Miles Morales!

Also, the Spider-Men arc was AMAZING. Super fun and emotional and is now one of my favorite moments in comics history. Miles and Peter are a great team!

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I REALLY enjoyed this comic collection. It felt very similar, if not better, than the Spider Verse movie. I feel like Miles as a character is a lot more relatable and I honestly found the plot intriguing and it was paced very well. The second half of the collection was great as well because it tied it all together and overall this was a very fun amazing read.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book! I still have a hard time with reading action scenes in graphic novels but that Miles Morales is adorable! Then halfway through you get the Spider-Men issues where original Peter meets alternate universe Miles and sigh...there are some good feels! Bring on Book 2!

[Trike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fair warning: this review is less about the book than the stuff surrounding the book.

Back at the turn of the century -- which is a funny phrase for anyone my age -- the Ultimate Spider-man got me back into reading mainstream comics. I always kinda-sorta kept reading (Astro City and whatnot) but not of the Big Two. Bendis and Bagley's awesome re-imagining of Peter Parker changed that. USM was the best superhero comic I'd read in a very long time.

For a time it seemed like the Ultimate universe was going to coexist happily alongside the regular Marvel universe. Then sales fizzled out for some reason, even while USM was still busy being awesome. Bendis and Bagley went on to have the longest run on any comic in history at 133 issues.

So to shake up ratings and renew interest, they killed off Peter Parker.

He died heroically, of course, receiving a proper send-off. Then the reboot came which included a retcon of there being a kid, named Miles Morales, who also got super powers from the bite of a genetically-engineered spider.



Since sales were down, they had nothing to lose. So Miles was half black and half Latino. And then the greatest thing ever happened: the conservatives in America LOST THEIR FREAKING MINDS.

Their racism came out full force. Leading the charge was massive assclown Lou Dobbs, who, it was pretty evident, had no idea that Spider-man's secret identity was Peter Parker. He was so racist that he needed to give an opinion on a geeky subject he would never have bothered with in a million years before.

As Jon Stewart said at the time, "The new multiracial Spider-man appears in the comic Ultimate Spider-man, which is actually set in a different, alternate universe than that of the real Spider-man, who still exists and is still Caucasian. And also: is not real."

At some point in all of this, someone on social media proposed that actor/comedian/nerd Donald Glover could play the new Spider-man in the movies. Which set off a whole other racist crap-storm, because there are a lot of people who are simply terrible. I mean, look at how many people voted for Donald Trump in the New Hampshire primaries, which was two days ago as I write this. *I* live in New Hampshire and it distresses me that my neighbors are that stupid and racist, but it doesn't surprise me. Twitter exploded when the Hunger Games movie cast a black girl to play Rue, who was BLACK IN THE BOOK.

People. Terrible.

Here's what Glover said about that.

There is an Irish toast that goes,

May those who love us, love us,
May God turn the hearts of those who don't.
And if not their hearts, then their ankles
So we may know them by their limping.

So now we know who the racists are, because things like this drive them insane and they can't help but be big loud douchenozzles about it. They don't even care about the quality of the work in question, just about racial purity.

The work here is excellent. Bendis has written some of my favorite books this century. He has a knack for dialogue that sounds real, even if sometimes it can be difficult to read. It's distinctive and manages to convey a ton of information in a little amount of space as well as feeling like something people would really say.

Artists David Marquez and Sarah Pichelli routinely knock it out of the park. There are some pages and covers that would look great as posters.

The very first comic book I ever bought with "my own money" was an issue of Spider-man back in 1972. I identified with Peter Parker and it never occurred to me that there was almost no representation for anyone who wasn't a white boy. A few years later I started reading Luke Cage, who quickly became one of my favorite characters, so racism was never a thing that infected me, and it certainly never occurred to me whether to read or not read a comic as a result of it. That was a silly idea then and even more so now. So black kids like Donald Glover also gravitated to Spider-man because anyone could be under that mask.

Interestingly, Andrew Garfield, who actually got the job as the second movie Spider-man, and is also a huge Spider-man fanboy, had a similar reaction that we all did:



Yeah! Why not?

Sadly, now that Marvel has worked out a deal with Sony to get Spider-man back in their movie universe, they are going with Peter Parker again instead of Miles Morales. Now many of us are asking, "Seriously Marvel, why not?" Miles is basically the same as Peter. He's nerdy, he's smart, he's big-hearted and trying to do the right thing despite insurmountable odds. They could have given a whole new group of kids someone to identify with, just as I had so many decades ago.

Fortunately they have this excellent book to read, which I highly recommend.

[Zach Zook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spectacular, Spider-Man.