Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #20 Review

I have been eagerly anticipating this issue since the last page of #19; and it has really felt like a massive amount of time since I saw that last page. Yes, Venom is back in the Ultimate universe, and he looks as great as he ever has. It is one of the best depictions of the character that I have seen for quite some time, which means that Sara Pichelli is doing such a fantastic job on this issue as always. However, it looks like Miles may have bitten off a bit more than he can chew this time around.

The whole of this issue was pretty much made up of a fight between Venom and Miles, and let me tell you; there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. What we got was a great little battle, which Miles spent most of trying to figure out just how he was going to beat the villain  This is what is great about this book in general; the fact that Miles is still trying to figure out how to be Spider-Man. He has never faced Venom before, which makes battles like this even more intriguing as he is trying to feel out his opponent.

Bendis still includes some humorous touches in this issue, as he has been doing the whole of the series. There was one particular moment when Miles attempted to use the webbing that Ganke had just supplied him with that made me laugh out loud. What really helps with this is just how accurate Pichelli can draw human emotions, which sees the humour just pour off the pages.

The only downside to this book is the fact that we are still waiting for more development of Miles. He has been the new Spider-Man in the ultimate universe for 20 issues now, and he is still a complete rookie. I do not want him to become a vet over night, however it would be nice if he was a bit more polished and a bit more sure of himself; considering everything he has already fought during the series. This is a minor gripe, as I'm sure many people would argue "but we are only 20 issues in". What Bendis is doing here with this series really helps you to overlook a gripe such as this one.

If you have not experiences the Ultimate Spider-Man universe yet for whatever reason, then get involved in this issue. It is a great jumping on point, and I am sure many old school fans will just fall in love with this version of Venom. I really can't wait to see more of him in this series, and how Miles is going to overcome such a strong bad guy. It is also going to be interesting to see just who this new Venom is, as he seems to know a lot about how Miles has become this new Spider-Man. One thing is for sure; the 20th March feels a very long way off.

Rating: 8 / 10

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Ultimate Spider-Man #19 Review

This is my second Brian Michael Bendis book this week, which means that this has been a good week for comic book fans. In the Ultimate universe, the major "United We Stand" crossover event is finally over, so BMB can carry on where he left off with Mile Morales et al. I didn't hate the crossover event, but this is the only Ultimate range book I buy so I felt like it was stopping this series from being what I wanted it to continue being; which has been one hell of a ride.

The first third of this issue focuses on Miles, as he is back to his everyday life as a teenager. These are always my favorite parts of the series, as Miles is such a great character to read about. I am probably about 8 or 9 years older than him, but I love seeing what he gets up to while he is not being Spider Man. He is just a very likeable character.
Saying that, we saw a great scene where Miles was trying to use his web shooters so he could fly through the city. I have missed these comedic moments, and you can tell  that Bendis just loves writing them. I keep forgetting that Miles has not been under the mask too long, so when a scene like this pops up it really helps to put everything into perspective progress wise. He still has a long way to go, but he is doing just fine so far.

There was a big character moment in this issue that came kind of out of the blue for me. I did not read the last issues of Peter Parker as Spider Man in this series so I was not sure how JJJ felt about him. Needless to say, the explanation he gave in this issue for not printing a news story regarding the identity of the new Spider Man was very touching indeed. I also thought the art in this scene was the best in the issue; especially some of the facial expressions. You could tell from Maria Hill's face that she could feel the pain and anguish coming off JJJ.
Another great character moment was Miles' dad, and his reaction to be deemed a superhero by the press. His story seems to be getting deeper and deeper, and it is something I am really enjoying. Bendis is fantastic at adding depth to characters that you thought you had no interest in and making you care, so I am more than happy to go along for the ride on this one.

Of course this issue saw the grand return of Venom to USM. This issue was mainly teaser until the last panel, so it looks like we will be seeing a lot of more him next issue; which is just fine by me.  BMB knows what he is doing, and so does Sara Pichelli on art duties. These two are becoming a lethal combination, which makes me have no doubt at all that this Venom story is going to be something rather special. Bring on issue #20.


Rating: 9 / 10


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