Ultimate Comics Spider-Man, Vol. 1 Paperback – August 14, 2012

I was seriously gutted when they killed off the Ultimate universe's Peter Parker, and I was predisposed to detest his replacement. But Miles Morales, who looks to be even younger than Peter when he started, has won me over. And so for now I'm very much on board with this newest (and most reluctant) incarnation of Spider-Man.Brian Michael Bendis has been up and down in his stint at writing them various Avengers titles. But I think he was born to write Spider-Man, or at least the Ultimate versions of him. But if you were anticipating a fresh new origin for this webspinner (who, by the way, has yet to spin webs), you'd be not right, sir.This is another instance of the media and the Internet letting the cat out of the bag, thus depriving the readers that awesome "What the--?!" moment when the comic book actually does unveil its big reveal. It's a controversial decision, I guess, opting to have a minority character fill in the shoes of Marvel's flagship superhero. Except that Bendis writes Miles Morales so well and so sensitively that you're immediately drawn to the kid.Miles Morales is half-Latin, half-black. Bendis, without making a big deal of it, is able to express the challenges posed to a minority family. Miles has a good heart. When he wins the academic lottery and is selected to a prestigious charter school, he feels awful for the kids whose names weren't called. Miles' parents are loving people, and yet there's deep dissension between Miles' father and his cool but shady uncle, his uncle who happens to be a halfway recognizable minor villain in Spidey lore. It's in his uncle's apartment that Miles is bitten by a runaway genetically-mutated spider.Bendis' slow burn decompression style works perfectly in this introductory arc. He takes the time to develop Miles, and we're rewarded with a marvelously three-dimensional fledgling hero. The parallels between Peter Parker and Miles are obvious. Both are sensitive and shy. And while Peter seems to have Miles beat in the I.Q. department, it's both in their DNA to do the right thing. And, in costume, the snark comes out from both. Miles seems to doubt himself more (his best friend, Ganke, is more excited at Miles' having gained powers than Miles himself). Where Miles and Peter clearly differentiate lies more in the area of their fighting prowess and power sets. Miles' arachnid attributes don't quite mimic Peter's. Bendis presents a neat swerve or two...This volume delivers moments which are extremely moving. As a tremendous fan of Peter, I appreciate Bendis' attempts to integrate Miles into Peter's world to some measure. In a sequence that unfolds organically, Miles, already spider-bit, witnesses Peter's last stand from afar and is compelled to know more about his predecessor. At Peter's massively attended funeral, there's an emotional scene in which Miles is made privy to Uncle Ben's mantra. Bendis gives us a telling and emotional exchange between Miles and Gwen, with Gwen pretty much breaking down the sum of Peter Parker. She ends up with the last word and draws a smile from me.- Miles: "Why'd he wear a mask though?"- Gwen: "Because he didn't need anyone to know who he was to be a hero. And it looked @#$@ cool."That's Bendis and his knack for character dialogue.Based on how artist Sara Pichelli is simply killing it in these pages, I need to reevaluate her stuff in the PIXIE STRIKES BACK mini-series. Sara Pichelli's art is amazing here, and how she depicts Miles Morales plays a big factor in making him such an appealing character. It's not the easiest thing, being able to draw kids convincingly. John Byrne never could do it. Pichelli makes it look effortless. Her graceful lines flow with dynamism, whether during the big fighty fights or during those inescapable talking head panels. She draws the best facial expressions...I think Bendis means to stick with Miles Morales. This doesn't feel like a gimmick, like a marketing ploy. His writing is too good. It feels like he's so invested in this. I miss Ultimate Peter Parker. But I'm looking forward to following this new and untested wallcrawler as he strives to live up to Peter's legacy. And his Spidey suit looks really cool.ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN Vol. 1 collects issues #1-5, plus ULTIMATE COMICS FALLOUT #4. ULTIMATE COMICS FALLOUT #4 is an anthology issue which contains the lead story featuring Miles' first appearance (except that this segment - which has Miles tangling with Kangaroo - is also incorporated in ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #4). Since I haven't kept up with any Ultimate title but this one, I don't really know what's going on with the other two stories. The second story focuses on Ultimate Reed Richards who apparently has turned eeeeevil. The third story features a lunch conversation between two women (one of them Valerie Cooper) which apparently leads to a media exposé accusing the American government of having created mutants. Except I don't really care.

It quit a short book it only took me less then a day to finish it so I recommend buying some more comics to go with it because it re ally short. One of my problems with it is that the story not clear enough and kinda confusing like miles is like this young boy who at first doesn’t seem like he wants to go to his charter school but later on wants to go and then he thinks he a mutant stuff like that but yea he kinda a hard person to know plus his motives not clear enough but overall it a good book

Marvel Graphic Novel Review (10/10) “Masterpiece”Ultimate Comics Spider-Man by Brian Michael Bendis Vol. 1 (Collects Ultimate Comics Spider-Man 1-5 & Ultimate Comics Fallout #4)Writer: Brian Michael BendisArtist: Sara PichelliSynopsis (from Marvel): Miles Morales IS the new Spider-Man! What's the secret behind his powers, and how will he master them? What new and familiar enemies will rise to challenge this all-new Spider-Man? And will Miles live up to Peter Parker's legacy?Analysis: This is one of the best Spider-Man stories that I have read in a LONG time. I haven’t read a Spider-Man comic since Bendis’ launch of “Ultimate Spider-Man” (2000), which I considered a very good reboot, and I have to say that this is probably up there with me in terms of Spider-Man stories “Death of Gwen Stacy,” “The Clone Story Line,” and the “Death of Peter Parker.” In essence this is an expanded What If story, because it talks about what if another radioactive spider from Dr. Norman Osbourne’s laboratory bit another child from high risk neighborhood, but a what if story that also melds with the current Marvel Ultimates Universe. In this story though the student is NOT a high school student, but a middle school student and Bendis does a great job making the character of Miles Morales a believable middle schooler.Miles is overly sensitive, easily frightened, but very intelligent for a middle school student. What also makes this story more interesting is that Miles is a black character, and lives in a high risk neighborhood with crime, and lower living standards when compared to the sunny, white suburbs that Peter Parker grew up in. Thus it makes sense why Morales would be a sensitive kid, as he is constantly surrounded by risky situations, and to make matters worse, mutant registration and the decrying of meta-human activity is on the rise - putting a fearful child who discovers he has powers on a heightened edge. For the first time in a long time, it felt that a Spider-Man was at a big disadvantage and usually the best Spider-Man stories came about when Spider-Man felt like the underdog of the story. With Spider-Man being an official member of the Avengers as well as Slott’s run of “The Amazing Spider-Man” (2014) run where Peter Parker was the CEO of Parker Industries, it felt refreshing (and even reminiscent of Stan Lee/ Steve Ditko’s run of the original Amazing Spider-Man from the 60s) to see a Spider-Man was out of his element and in need of help and guidance.There are also plenty of interactions with heroes such as Captain America, Spider-Woman, and Nick Fury, to make this story feel like it is a part of the Ultimate universe, but at the same time I loved out how the main focus was on the character of Miles Morales and weight on his shoulders of taking on the mantel of Spider-Man. You can see that “Spider-Man: Homecoming’s” (2017) story and concept was also borrowing ideas from this graphic novel (Genke feels like the Ned of this universe). Truly a wonderful new addition to the Spider-Man mythos, as well as great read – by the way, I finished this graphic novel in one sitting, because it was THAT good.

After killing off Ultimate Peter Parker, Marvel introduced Miles Morales back in 2011. People had mixed reactions at first, and if I'm being honest, so did I. But Miles has ended up growing on me, and this isn't one of those cases where the replacement character is basically just a clone of the original. Miles has his own strengths and personal issues to work through.Art, dialogue and overall story are fantastic. Only thing that keeps the book from being amazing is the overtly chummy view of charter schools. May seem a weird thing to get hung up on, but I have a problem with them. Other than that, it's a great book. I encourage you to try it out.

I finally got the chance to read Miles Morales debut solo run as Spider-Man and it has not disappointed so far. Volume 1 is so good, I've already ordered Vol. 2!!Having never read a Spider-Man comic before, I feel I am not entirely best placed to offer comparisons to earlier offerings in the Spider-Verse, but I can compare it and critique it against comics I've read in other properties, such as X-Men, Deadpool/Cable, Snowpiercer and Heroes. The first thing that really impresses me is the artwork, it is genuinely unlike anything I've seen in my comic reading, and one thing that particularly stands out is Pichelli's use of characters eyes and facial expressions to really pull the reader in. Now, generally I find myself paying attention to the visual art of a comic, sometimes I can be reading a below par story/dialogue but still appreciate the artwork (see some Deadpool/Cable early issues), but this book has not only sublime visual depth but also an engaging and gripping plot.As introductions to superheroes go, it is simply wonderful. Mile's first appears briefly in Ultimate Comics Fallout, but when he then gets a full introduction to us in this book, we meet him with his family (mum and dad, plus a mysterious uncle), his friends (Ganke in particular is my new fave secondary character) and we get some Director Fury thrown in there too. As a 28 year old man, I find myself confused as to why I relate to where Mile's is at in his life and why I'm so excited to read this teenagers tales in high school and as a young hero. It's a little different to my usual comic reading habits to tell you the truth but as I alluded to earlier it has been a pleasant surprise. In the past I have steered clear of Spider-Man comics, because my impression is it's predominantly focused on high school and a teenager flying round wisecracking and defeating animal based villains, and it has never appealed to me in terms of reading (movies is different).What I'd heard about Miles Morales over the years, meant it was very intriguing to me and its groundbreaking place in comics history lead me to finally get round to reading it. It is in no way 'teenage' or 'childish', by my reckoning (and in agreement with the blurb on the back of the book) it can appeal to all ages and either regular comics readers or newcomers. It's a must read!!

Good comic.

Big spiderman fan, and really like the miles morales story line.

Miles Morales is a great addition to the Spider-man mythos

Great comic for collectors