Last month I did a less than favorable write up of the first installment of Ultimate Spider-Man: Requiem #1 and how it was just a ploy for writer Brian Michael Bendis to rehash some unused USM leftovers from a years back. Unfortunately issue 2 isn’t any better. Book one left off on a great cliffhanger, Robbie Robertson informing reformed Spidey basher, J. Jonah Jameson that he is going to write his eulogy. If there is one thing Bendis is good at it’s writing the layers of a character. An you’d think this gives Bendis plenty of room to add more to a character he’s already developed from what was a 2 dimensional webhead-hater to a complicated individual.
Well, it starts off that way. The book segues from JJJ’s eulogy to a pretty good Spidey meets Hulk story; but like the last issue, it’s a leftover that would have been good as it’s own 32 page story, and doesn’t really fit into what USM Requiem is trying to do or supposed to do. The book isn’t a total loss; when Bendis actually has JJJ pound out the Spider-Man eulogy the book is amazing: it’s heartfelt and wonderfully written. Issue two is less a requiem for the character and more the book, allowing Bendis to gush over Spidey as Jameson while highlighting art from series regulars Mark Bagley and Stuart Immonen and Ultimate Six artist Trevor Hairsine. Though, the icing on the cake is the last page when amongst the debris and ruins of Manhattan, Captain America and Iron Man find Peter Parker’s body buried. When they dig him out of the ruble, Peter opens his eyes.
Earth 1610’s Spider-Man’s adventures will continue in Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man written by Brian Michael Bendis (woo!) and illustrated by David LaFuente (ugh). Look for it on shelves August 12th.