It’s that time of the month again where I get my hands on a copy of Ultimate Spider-Man and go on and on about how fucking good it is. This month is an Ultimatum tie in. That being said, this is the only book in the Ultimate Universe who has a tie in to the big event that doesn’t actually suck ass.
Last issue some big shit was starting to go down; people are starting to piece together that Peter is Spider-Man due to all the S.H.I.E.L.D. shenanigans that seem to take place on the Parker family lawn and the Goblin attack at Midtown High as well as the sudden return of Gwen Stacy. The issue concluded with Peter, MJ, Gwen, Kitty and Kenny heading downtown and Aunt May being arrested for aiding and abetting Spidey.
This issue picks up with Aunt May hauled off to the local prescient in police custody, amidst the chaos of Ultimatum taking place. If you’ve been keeping up with the going on’s of Ultimatum the suspense is harrowing. Anyone who knows how Brian Michael Bendis thinks, no one is at all safe, Aunt May included. After a raging tsunami decimates Manhattan our heroes are left in the midst of a massive disaster. Peter swings above the mess trying to save as many as he can while MJ, Gwen, Kitty and Kenny are stuck in a subway.
Bendis as always drags us into this world kicking and screaming as Peter tries to grasp the magnitude of the disaster. I don’t know what’s scarier, the fact that we are sucked into the inner thoughts of a 15 year-old forced to comprehend the humanity of the lives lost or the fact that a 15 year-old is thrown into a position where he has to deal with this situation first hand. Stuart Immonen continues his tenure, gorgeously illustrating the story; Bendis is the brains, Immonen is the brawn. Attentive to detail, his art enhances Bendis’ incredible storytelling. He is one step above the legendary Mark Bagley who helped get this book off the ground.
The issue leaves us with Peter with a telepathic message from Professor Xavier emploring him to join the ranks against Magneto, Aunt May being saved by Jessica Drew, the only surviving Peter Parker clone from about 30 issues back, MJ, Gwen, Kitty and Kenny are stuck in the outskirts of Manhattan and Peter is pitted against Hulk. Uh oh, looks like we’ll have to be picking up next month’s issue.