Ultimate Spider-Man #112 - Mobile Edition

Marvel Comics
Ultimate Spider-Man #112
By Zak Edwards
August 22, 2007 - 14:01

Marvel Comics
Writer(s): Brian Michael Bendis
Penciller(s): Stuart Immonen
Cover Artist(s): Stuart Immonen

Ultimate Spider-Man #112

Three in a row and still going more than just strong, Ultimate Spider-Man is back to it’s glory days. I think I can say with confidence that this title is on one of its biggest highs since its inception. The story doesn’t focus on ‘Ultimizing’ characters to attract attention, it doesn’t reuse older stories like many Ultimate arcs have and are continuing to do. Rather it simply uses Bendis’ ability to create a character driven plot utilizing his amazing cast he has created almost from the ground up. Another exciting part of this issue is that this is officially Stuart Immonen’s first full issue after Mark Bagley split the responsibility for #111.

Bendis plays Ultimate Spider-Man’s main strength this episode: Peter Parker. A bit of teen drama has done nothing but help this series. Now with ‘kinda, sorta ex-girlfriend’ Kitty Pryde attending Midtown High; the ‘kinda, sorta, maybe dating again’ Mary-Jane and Peter Parker, things are getting even better. The comedy used in this issue kept the tone light after some heavy stories recently, with great lines like, “He just stole the mother of my child.” Unfortunately, Bendis prepares us for the coming conflict with Norman Osbourne, again, with some very unoriginal material. This doesn’t take up more than it has to, a little dialogue and explosions, and we are back into Peter’s high school life. With characters like Flash, Kong, and all the rest being missing for quite a while now, it’s cool to see them back. There is even time for some character development for the supporting cast. It would be exciting to get a story almost fully focusing on Peter’s life again, and this arc seems to be heading that direction.

This is the first time we get to see Stuart Immonen draw Peter Parker as he only did the Spider-Man stuff in the last issue. Seeing the new look of the mask-less cast was a lot more jarring than seeing the Spider-Man, which is unsurprising. While I enjoy Immonen’s style and a new take on the series, I find myself missing Mark Bagley. This was inevitable, of course. One-hundred and ten and a half issues is bound to leave an impression in your mind for what all the characters should look like. That being said, Immonen is more than capable of taking over, being a talented artist, it’s just going to be different. Bendis supplied Immonen with plenty of room for showing off. There’s a little of everything in this issue, from car chases to dream sequences, so the new artist has flexed his muscles a little bit. He done a brave thing picking up where Bagley left off.

8.5/10 Art is jarring but very good, and the return to Peter Parker’s life is great.