Weekly Comic Book Review

By: Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Chris Samnee (art), Justin Ponsor (colors),

The Story: Uncle Aaron learns not to trust other criminals, and Miles stops his first mugging. They grow up so fast!

The Review: When I first started reading comics, Ultimate Spider-Man was the first Marvel book I picked up. The promise of fresh stories not mired by decades of continuity drew me in, but it was the quality and charm of that book hooked me. I have been a fan of the series all the way through its run, and have really appreciated how classy and mature Marvel has been about the death and replacement of Peter Parker with Miles Morales. I eagerly awaited each issue of our new hero’s introductory arc, and savored each one. However, after reading Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #6, oddly, I am beginning to miss Peter.

Before we get to that though, let’s talk about the issue on its own merits. Honestly, it’s pretty good. While I miss the absolutely gorgeous work of Sara Pichelli, Chris Samnee does a fine job as fill-in artist. His style is far more cartoony than Pichelli’s, but he misses none of the nuance in the script, he gives the action great fluidity, and really captures Miles as still a kid figuring out the whole super-hero gig. Samnee also manages to give intensity to the more serious parts of the story, like Uncle Aaron’s encounter with the new Scorpion and Miles’ confrontation with his Mom about his family’s troubles with the law. There are some minor flaws, however; in a few panels, Miles appears to be about forty rather than thirteen, and for some reason when we see an image of Peter Parker, the spider symbol on his costume is upside down.

I’m also conflicted about the colors, courtesy of Justin Ponsor. Personally, I don’t care for such flat colors in this title. I can’t help but feel that more vibrant choices would have better matched both the inks and the tone of the story. But to be fair, Ponsor does succeed in producing an urban vibe in this issue, allowing the tones of concrete and brick to dominate the page. Also, this dull quality is actually pretty effective in Aaron’s scenes, helping Samnee’s art communicate a more sinister and unwelcoming atmosphere.

The story is good, and even has some genuinely charming moments. Coming from Bendis, it’s positively packed with plot, managing show us Miles on his first patrol, introduce a new villain, get some face time with Momma Morales and Ganke, and check in on the daily bugle. All the characters, Miles especially, are well developed and complex. But yet, this story is still missing a significant spark. And now we arrive at my problem with this issue and this comic as a whole.

In my opinion, this book’s biggest selling point in Peter’s era was his manic, adolescent passion. He was never just happy—he was thrilled. He was never just concerned—he was outright neurotic. He was quirky, shameless, and a blast to watch. Given Bendis’ signature decompressed storytelling style, this exuberance helped prevent the book from ever feeling slow, and in many ways drove the entire series’ momentum. Miles, in stark contrast to Peter, is an introvert. His doubts are well thought out, yet seldom spoken aloud. He’s guarded, cautious, and contemplative. It’s hard to believe sometimes that he’s only supposed to be thirteen. And while this makes Miles admirable and complex, it also means he lacks the wild charisma of his predecessor. I genuinely like Miles Morales, and I like reading about him. But I also am concerned there’s an element missing needed to give this title the same vitality it had before.

Conclusion: Despite my concerns, I still enjoyed and recommend this title and this issue. I just hope that as the series goes on, the pace picks up, and that Miles begins being more proactive.

Jumping on point?: Definitely. You may be a little confused about Aaron’s role in all of this, but otherwise this is an easily accessible book.

Grade: B

A Musing: -Is there a mandate at Marvel which says that all the covers for Ultimate Comics must be boring? Seriously. They’re not all bad, but Lord, they are so bland. Please, please stop this, Marvel

Filed under: Marvel Comics, Reviews Tagged: | Brian Michael Bendis, Chris Samnee, Comic Book Reviews, Jim Middleton, Justin Ponsor, Marvel Comics, MIles Morales, review, The Prowler, The Scorpion, Ultimate Comics, Ultimate Comics Spider-Man, Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #5, Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #5 review, Ultimate Spider-Man, WCBR, Weekly Comic Book Review