Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #22 – Review

By: Brian Michael Bendis (Writer), Sara Pichelli (Art), Justin Ponsor (Colors), VC’s Cory Petit (Letterer)

The Review: You may not have noticed but Bendis is putting out another event book at the moment, a small indie title called Age of Ultron about a robot looking for love in all the wrong places. It’s pretty cool, and I recommend you check it out if you’ve not already done so. But away from that side-project, Venom War rages on in the pages of Ultimate Comics Spider-Man; and it’s awesome. While it remains to be seen just how much of an impact AoU will have on its universe, Venom War marches confidently ahead, creating several key moments which are sure to echo down the halls of Ultimate Spider-Man continuity for an eternity. Or maybe not. After all, this issue does end with Miles’ tearing his costume to pieces and shouting “No more!”

Is that a spoiler? Not really. This aspect of future issues has been relatively well publicized by the cover to next month’s issue, a homage to the classic Romita ‘costume in a trashcan’ image from Amazing Spider-Man #50. And as interesting as that destination is, the more interesting thing is the action-packed, heart-wrenching journey that gets us there.

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #20 – Review

By: Brian Michael Bendis (Writer), Sara Pichelli (Artist), Justin Ponsor (Colors), Cory Petit (Lettering)

Review: When I look at the triumvirate of titles that currently makes up the Ultimate universe I can’t help but give thanks for Ultimate Comics Spider-Man. Brian Wood’s Ultimate Comics X-Men has me somewhat on the fence; on one hand I admire the courage taken in burdening its cast with such a dour outlook, but on the other I find it exasperating waiting for something – anything- truly exciting to happen. As for Sam Humpries’ Ultimate Comics Ultimates…well, the less said about that the better; alas, I’m down with the 1610 ‘til it – or I – suffer an inevitably gore-soaked death, and will plod along by its side loyally until then.

But Ultimate Comics Spider-Man is a different beast altogether. Brilliantly scripted by a revitalised Bendis and illustrated by a small rotating cast of top-flight artists, I’m hard-pressed to remember a time when a comic from The Big Two has consistently delivered the goods for this long.