Artist: Mark Bagley
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis

Raised by his Aunt May and Uncle Ben, Peter Parker is a kind-hearted 15-year-old who tries to make it through every day of his high school career without getting picked on too badly. But Peter has a secret: at night, he sheds his studious trappings and dons the garb of the city's mysterious new protector: Spider-Man!

Peter Parker is once again a high school sophomore who gets picked on because he's not in with the in crowd. Basically, he leads a life exactly like the rest of us. As the story opens, we find Peter sitting at the mall Food Court, poring through a science book while doing his level best to ignore the food that the bullies at the next table are throwing at him. An inauspicious start to the career of a great hero, but a wonderful introduction to the life that this boy leads.

Through the rest of the first chapter, "Powerless," we are introduced to the major players in Peter's life--jocks Flash and Kong, cool kid Harry Osborne and his scientist father Norman, sweet and smart Mary Jane--and learn that his parents died in a plane crash, leaving him in the care of his aunt and uncle. He has his fateful run-in with the deus ex arachnia and begins exploring the boundaries of his new life.

Despite now having the power to thoroughly trounce any bully who bothers him, Peter finds that life still isn't all wine and roses--in fact, things may be getting worse. His school day is still hell, his family's having money problems, and he's getting in more fights in both places. His first attempt at finding a career that would allow him to utilize his proportionate strength and agility goes less than well, and things get even worse at home. In a fit of genetic modification gone awry, the Green Goblin shows up and attacks Peter's high school. Spider-Man lures him away and fights him high above the borough, simultaneously becoming a hero to his classmates and a fugitive from the police; even at the best times in his life, Peter's got problems. Problems that make him human, keep him grounded and approachable as a character. And all that in only the first story!

The second half of the book sees Peter becoming more comfortable with who he's suddenly become. He lands a great job at The Daily Bugle, working the website. Sitting by the police scanner and in charge of inputting breaking news, Peter has almost instantaneous knowledge of what's going on in the city, giving Spider-Man plenty of opportunity to swing into action.

Doing some research, Peter learns about Wilson Fisk, the so-called Kingpin of Crime. Outraged that the police and the authorities know of Fisk's illegal dealings, yet sit idly by, he decides to take matters into his own hands. After nearly getting himself killed, Peter finds that he's wanted on murder charges. Though he handled the Green Goblin through blind luck alone, Peter comes to realize that not all problems will be so easy to tackle; he needs to start using his brain as much as his fists.

The book is capped off by one of the best Spider-Man stories ever told, the standalone "Confession." Filling one issue of the monthly comic (and thus one chapter in the book), there's almost no Spider-Man action to be found. Opting instead to focus on Peter Parker, we're reminded of the human part of "superhuman."

It's not until Peter decides to use his power to help others that his life starts to turn around, giving us the moral lesson of Spider-Man; not just that "with great power comes great responsibility," but also "with great responsibility comes great opportunity." No matter how crappy Peter's life may be at any given time, he feels better when he turns his attention to the world beyond himself.

As written by Brian Michael Bendis, Ultimate Spider-Man unfolds more slowly than its predecessor; the story that fills five chapters today was covered in one issue in 1963. This pace allows for more well-rounded characters: We see that Flash Thompson might be a pain, but he's not just a bully; his friends give him his fair share of ribbing and he gets in trouble with teachers and coaches. Aunt May and Uncle Ben are more than cipherous caretakers, forever fretting that their charge isn't eating enough or that he may have a cold; they were happily married, with no children, when one suddenly dropped into their laps. Peter himself isn't simply a shy bookworm/supergenius, but instead uses research and study to feel a connection with his absent father.

Pick up a copy and see what the fuss is all about

Cover Price US$14.95 Lotsofcomics Price TT$120.00