For those of you not accustomed with the Ultimate Universe the following is a very short explanation of what is going on - it’s not a re-telling, it’s not a re-boot and it’s not a mistake; it’s an update. One of the hottest selling series since its debut, Ultimate Spider-Man gives Bendis full-reign of updating Spider-Man, from his origin, for a new generation of Spider-fans. It behaves in its own continuity, has no connection with the Marvel Universe and (along with The Ultimates, Ultimate X-Men, Ultimate Fantastic Four, two Ultimate Elektra mini-series’ a few crossovers and some Ultimate Team-Ups) plays with tradition, the modern world and one hell of a creative team.

So far Ultimate versions of The Green Goblin, Kingpin, Doctor Octopus, Kraven the Hunter, Rhino, Shocker, Venom, Black Cat, Mysterio, Carnage, Doctor Strange, Hobgoblin and Moon Knight, Vulture, Deadpool, Silver Sable, Blade, Morbius, clones and Amazing Friends have been produced.

Issue highlight - Issue #7 (Revelations) is the epitome of high class quality. This is a faultless issue which catapulted the team of Bendis, Bagley and Ultimate Spider-Man into the history books. Full of power, energy and stunning pencils, someone try and prove me wrong!

Volume highlight - Power and Responsibility, Double Trouble and Silver Sable. The volume that sowed the seed, set the tone and sparked it all, Double Trouble which managed to build up a convincing and gripping story over many issues and balance action, intrigue, character plot and driven emotion throughout and Silver Sable which is a good simple story with some fabulous twists and the art has never been as good! But you really have to get them all

Volume One - Power and Responsibility- Issues 1-7
Powerless, Growing Pains, Wannabe, With Great Power, Life Lessons, Big Time Super Hero & Revelations
Geek Peter Parker lives with his Aunt May and Uncle Ban. He also loves the girl next door but won’t do anything about it. He is a brilliant academic student. He also gets bitten by a genetically enhanced spider giving him some amazing powers. He walks on walls, has the proportional strength, speed and agility of a spider and is able to determine danger with a spider-sense. He soon gets arrogant, showing off for a local wrestling company. As his personality changes he gets in trouble with his teachers, his friends and his guardians. This leads him to let a store thief escape, a thief who later shoots and kills his Uncle Ben. Stricken with grief he beats down the killer and realises that he now has a duty - with great power must come great responsibility. Meanwhile, Norman Osborn attempts to recreate the affects of the spider-bite by testing the Oz formula on himself. A horrific accident turns presumed-dead-Norman into the Green Goblin, a being who is obsessed with killing his son, Harry. When he pursues Harry at school, Peter Parker Spider-Man intervenes and the battle commences. Peter learns that the Green Goblin knows who he is but before he can find any answers, the police take him out. The Green Goblin is seemingly drowned in the river. Rating 4½ / 5

Volume Two - Learning Curve - Issues 8-13
Working Stiff, Meet The Enforcers, The Worst Thing, Discovery, Battle Royal & Confessions
Whilst working at the Bugle, Peter Parker learns about Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, and how no-one can take him down. Peter decides it is time Spider-Man had a go and tries to dig up some information on him. Here he encounters The Enforcers, who work for the Kingpin, who lead him to Fisk Towers. Here he is easily defeated by The Kingpin and thrown from the building. He survives to fight another day and seizes data disks from the Kingpin’s HQ, defeating and humiliating The Enforcers, Electro (who is also working for Fisk) and the Kingpin himself. These discs incriminate Fisk, showing the murder of the Big Man, and he is forced to flee the country. Peter decides to tell MJ that he is Spider-Man, and their relationship grows. Rating 5 / 5

Volume Three - Double Trouble - Issues 14-21
Doctor Octopus, Confrontations, Kraven The Hunter, Taking Advantage, The Cycle, Piece Of Work, Live & Hunted
Peter really does get into double trouble when Doctor Otto Octavius, after recovering from the Osborn explosion in Power and Responsibility, finds his metallic arms fused to his body and vows vengeance on those who studied him and Sergei Kravinoff, Kraven the Hunter, a television celebrity with an acute sense of smell and jungle-like attributes, decides that Spider-Man will be his next subject of prey. Spider-Man tails and investigates Justin Hammond, the man who studied Ock after the accident and who also performs genetic experiments upon unsuspecting volunteers (the Sandman being one) and confronts Ock, evades SHIELD custody and manages to track Ock down again as he attacks Hammond. Spidey defeats Ock in front of the world’s media. Unfortunately, Hammond dies during the attack. Once Ock is defeated, Kraven makes his move but is taken down with one punch. Peter returns home, happy and liked, only to be grounded indefinitely for being out late. Rating 5 / 5

Volume Four - Legacy - Issues 21-27
Reflections Of…, Responsibility, Ultimatum, Plasmids, Circles & Illegal
When Harry Osborn returns to school, Peter little expects to soon become entangled with his father, Norman, who now can purposefully change himself into the Green Goblin. Norman has Harry’s mind under control so that he cannot remember the events of Power and Responsibility. Norman gives Peter an ultimatum - join him or die! To push things along, Norman abducts MJ and drops her from the Washington Bridge. Peter manages to save her and pursues Norman back to his penthouse. During these events we learn that Norman’s state of mind is poisoned by the Oz, to which he is now addicted. As Peter battles a now humongous Green Goblin, Harry interferes and stabs his father in the back with a metal spike, bringing him down. SHIELD appears and apprehends Osborn. Harry once again disappears. Rating 4½ / 5

Volume Five - Public Scrutiny - Issues 28-32
Sidetracked, Stolen Identity, Emergency, Black Van & Just A Guy
Ultimate Rhino runs riot in downtown NYC but is apprehended by Iron Man well before Spidey can appear on the scene. Meanwhile, someone in a Spider-Man costume is committing crimes left right and centre. When the real Spider-Man appears he is shot by the police and forced to call MJ for help. A few days later, in an attempted apprehension of the fake Spider-Man, Captain Stacy sacrifices his life for that of a young boy. A guilt-ridden Spider-Man, having to deal with the emotions of Gwen, tracks down the impostor and beats him to a bloody pulp. This fake is just a guy. As a result of the bridge incident and the shooting, MJ decides to break up with Peter. Gwen now lives with Peter and May. Rating 4 / 5

Volume Six - Venom - Issues 33-39
Origins, Inheritance, Legacy, Today, Still, Father’s Pride & Therapy
Peter discovers some of his father’s old research in the attack, research that was carried out with the father of Eddie Brock. This research proposed a cure for cancer - a suit that adapted to the human immune system and attacked the sources of illness. Tests only reached a certain stage when contract negotiations went wrong and the two scientists became involved in a legal battle to actually control their own research. Peter tracks down Eddie Brock and rightfully shares all of the research and sample with him. Peter, watching a tape of his father, suddenly decides that the sample should be his and attempts to remove it from the Empire State University lab. In doing so, he inadvertently touches it and it moulds onto his body, enhancing all of his powers. The suit begins to take over and, once Peter has expelled it, Eddie takes it upon himself. He is unable to control it and turns into Venom. Spider-Man and Venom then battle but during the battle, Venom vanishes. Peter then meets Curt Connors (aka The Lizard), Eddie’s ESU professor who determines he is Spider-Man. Rating 4½ / 5

Volume Seven - Irresponsible - Issues 40-45
Average Bear, The Letter, Temptations, Help, Tampered & Guilty
Peter and MJ soon get back together, after she writes him a beautiful letter. At a party, Geldoff, a boy with powers which allow him to concentrate on something so hard it explodes, fails to impress Peter. Later, as Spider-Man, he confronts Geldoff, asking whether or not he is a mutant. Geldoff freaks at him and then tries to help when Spidey prevents a bank-job. He messes up and is confronted by the X-women - Marvel Girl, Shadowcat and Storm. Spidey flirts big-style with Kitty (Shadowcat) and is taken aboard the Blackbird with Geldoff. After a hair-raising journey, in which Spidey is saved from certain death after he is sucked out of the jet, they both wake up at the Xavier Institute. Professor X determines that Geldoff is not a mutant but has had his genetic structure tampered with when he was a child. Spidey gets a lift home to be confronted by Aunt May. May has been in therapy over Peter’s safety and her fear of Spider-Man. She talks to her therapist, then to Peter and the two end up becoming close once more. Rating 2½ / 5

Volume Eight - Cats And Kings - Issues 47-53
Men Of Influence, Suspended, Hero, Black Cat, Shadow Puppets, Cat Fight & Daughters
When Wilson Fisk returns from overseas, somehow exonerated from murdering the Big Man Peter Parker freaks out and argues against all establishments. He manages to get fired from the Bugle and expelled from school. When he tries, once again to investigate and bring down the Kingpin, he ends up saving JJJ’s life from the Enforcers. JJJ then goes to Peter’s house and offers an explanation for his behaviour and talks to him about people like Fisk, his own son John and how he does his best in a world going mad! As we reach the 50 issue mark, Ultimate Black-Cat makes an appearance and does some brilliant flirting with Peter. She becomes embroiled in a plot to bring down the Kingpin, and hired assassin Elektra, over the framing of her father - the Cat - and a mystical ancient tablet with unknown powers. Peter quickly determines the Black Cat’s identity and comes rushing to her rescue. Unfortunately he is too late and she is stabbed by Elektra. Cat and tablet end up disappearing beneath the NYC dock water. It turns out that Fisk wanted the tablet to cure his comatose wife. Rating 3½ / 5

Volume Nine - Ultimate Six - Issue 46 & Ultimate Six Issues 1-7
Afterwards… & Ultimate Six (Parts 1-7)
Norman Osborn (The Green Goblin), Max Dillon (Electro), Otto Octavius (Doctor Octopus), a now genetically enhanced Sergei Kravinoff (Kraven the Hunter) and Flint Marko (the Sandman) all manage to escape SHIELD custody and establish a plan to avoid prison for good. Osborn orchestrates the others into manipulating the White House staff and Peter Parker, whom he now refers to as his boy. The Ultimates are called in to take out the Ultimate Six villains, now joined by a blackmailed and threatened Peter Parker and the battle commences on the White House lawn. The tides are only turned when Harry Osborn appears and distracts his father. As SHIELD and the Ultimates take them all back into custody, Harry Osborn promises to kill them all... Rating 3½ / 5

Volume Ten - Hollywood - Issues 54-59
Hollywood (Parts 1-6)
As a Spider-Man film is announced, featuring Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus, the good Doctor (back in prison) decides to escape and wreak havoc on the set. The real Spider-Man, watching the proceedings anyway, battle Ock but is knocked unconscious. He wakes on a plane bound for an unknown destination. Peter learns of Ock’s plans, his feelings of failures and the plague of trouble and disaster that he has brought upon the six-armed man. Once the plane lands, Peter and Ock battle once again and Ock is quickly brought to justice. As Peter desperately attempts to get home before Aunt May, hitching multiple plane rides and freeway rides, little does he know that Gwen has found something out. Peter Parker is Spider-Man. He convinces her not to shoot him and that he was not responsible for her father’s death. Once Ock is back in SHIELD custody, Fury takes no chances and destroys Ock’s arms. Rating 4 / 5

Volume Eleven - Carnage - Issues 60-65
Carnage (Parts 1-5) & Detention
Doc Connors studies a sample of Peter’s blood and asks permission to run some experiments on it. Peter agrees. Months later Connors creates a living organism, with the help of Ben Reilly, one which escapes its containment and goes on a murderous killing spree. Everyone it kills, it sucks the life out of and continues to grow. It sees flashbacks of Peter’s life, and behaves in much the same way as he does as Spider-Man. Following familiar memories it swings to the Parker residence where it kills Gwen Stacy. When May and Peter discover this horrific death, Peter becomes enraged and learns that Connors is responsible for her death. Just as he confronts Connors, the now fully grown Carnage attacks. Peter succeeds in destroying it in the same smoke stacks as in Venom, but not before it turns into a mutated, grotesque copy of his father. Connors turns himself in, Peter vows to quit as Spider-Man and Ben Reilly makes off with another of Peter’s blood samples...
- In detention a few days later, Peter berates Flash and leaves when MJ questions him about Spider-Man. He saves a girl’s life and then apologises to Gwen. Rating 4 / 5

Volume Twelve - Superstars - Issues 66-71
Even We Don’t Believe This, Jump The Shark, Popular, Meet Me and Strange (Parts 1-2)
- Peter Parker wakes up in the body of Ultimate X-Man Wolverine. Ultimate X-Man Wolverine wakes up in the body of Peter Parker, Spider-Man. Hilarity ensues as the two have to cope with a morning of each others’ lives. It turns out Jean Grey, Marvel Girl, did a mind job on Wolvie because of his drunken flirtations and his head wound up inside the worst place it could think of - Peters’!
- Johnny Storm, The Human Torch, goes back to high school, Peter’s high school, and becomes instantly attracted to Liz Allen. As the two get together at the beach, with MJ, Pete, Kong and some others, Johnny puts his hand in a fire and the secret of his powers comes out. Liz freaks and MJ thinks that Spider-man is the man to help him get over it. Pete dons his costume and the two begin an understanding friendship.
- On his first Bugle assignment, Peter meets Wong and Doctor Strange. Thinking they are in trouble, he dives in through the window and is attacked by Nightmare, a mythical creature that brings nightmares to life in ones mind and drains the body. Strange succeeds in freeing Spidey but not until the emotional damage has been done. Rating 3½ / 5

Volume Thirteen - Hobgoblin - Issues 72-78
Hobgoblin (Parts 1-5) & Dumped
- To everyone’s surprise, Nick Fury decides that Harry Osborn is fit enough to return to school. He has been modified to forget most of the unfortunate events regarding his father but retains the knowledge that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. At his appearance, Peter asks MJ to stay well out of Harry’s way and upon learning that MJ and Harry once dated the two grow further apart. This all goes wrong even further when a figment of Harry’s subconscious triggers Harry’s hidden memories and he ends up discovering his fathers past and transforming himself into the Hobgoblin. It turns out Harry was affected by the Oz formula in the explosion way back in #1. Spidey tries to subdue Hobgoblin but SHIELD is called in and take him down, and into custody, with force. Spidey socks Fury in rage, and Fury tells his crew that is about time Peter lost his powers… As a result of MJ’s refusal to take Peter’s warnings seriously, Peter breaks up with telling her that he doesn’t want her to die.
- MJ tires to get on with her life without Peter and it takes a romantic encounter with Mark Raxton for her to realise that the “special” thing about Peter Parker is ‘everything’. She vows to earn his trust again. Rating 4 / 5

Volume Fourteen - Warriors - Issues 79-85
Warriors (Parts 1-7)
Hammerhead, returning from the pages of Ultimate X-Men (he appears to be a mutant you just can’t shoot in the head!) decides to take Kingpin’s place as crime lord so employs The Enforcers and goes around claiming the city as his. He does this with far too much noise and attracts the attention of Moon Knight, Spider-man, Iron Fist, Shang-Chi and the original Kingpin. Kingpin hires Elektra to put the heat back on Hammerhead and gives Spidey Hammerhead’s address in order for him to do the dirty work. Spidey goes to Captain Jeanne De Wolfe for advice and she tells him to get him! Black cat soon arrives on the scene, determined to continue her vendetta against Kingpin. Meanwhile, MJ and Peter continue to fight and avoid each other. The violent situation comes to a head when all of the combatants fight in Hammerhead’s apartment. Elektra, Moon Knight and hammerhead all end up in comas, Black Cat gets over her Spider-Man crush and it is revealed that Spidey’s confidante, De Wolfe, is working for Kingpin! Rating 4½ / 5

Volume Fifteen - Silver Sable – Annual #1 & Issues 86-90
Ultimate Spider-Man Annual #1 & Silver Sable (Parts 1-5)
- Peter and Kitty are miserable as they both feel outcast from high school and the X-Men respectively. Kitty decides that it is time she did something about it and arranges to meet Peter after school. They hang out and Peter talks to her about breaking up with MJ and being unable to look after her all of the time. Kitty says that she can take care of herself and then proves it when they both go and take down the hapless Shocker. Back on the rooftop, Peter removes his mask and the two kiss!
- Roxxon Industries becomes under attack by Omega Red. Spidey takes him out but is linked to the attacks on Roxxon by the Roxxon chairman, Donald. He hires the mercenary group The Wolfpack who is led by Silver Sable. They track Spider-Man down to a High School and apprehend him. They accidentally kidnap Flash Thompson who escapes and sells his story to the press. The Pack eventually captures the real Spider-Man. When he wakes up at Roxxon, he tells the chairman that he has no idea what’s going on and everyone starts to panic. As Sable and Donald argue, Spidey escapes and the Pack becomes aware that SHIELD has triangulated their position. An explosion rocks the office and Spidey swings in to save Donald. Webbing him to the building Spidey swings up to take down their attacker… The Vulture! Vulture is ex-SHIELD and employed by an ex-Roxxon employee who wants revenge on Donald. Spidey, with Sable’s help, takes down Vulture and SHILED locate the man who hired Omega Red and Vulture and employ him… as a Tinkerer, who just so happens to have a machine called a Slayer! Rating 4½ / 5

Volume Sixteen – Deadpool & Morbius – Issues 91-96
Deadpool (Parts 1-4) & Morbius (Parts 1-2)
- As Peter and Kitty’s relationship blossoms the X-Mansion is attacked by Deadpool and his Reavers! Kitty gets Peter to come to the mansion before she is attacked and he ends up soon attacked himself and joining the X-Men as they are transported unconscious to the island of Krakoa. Once there they are hunted by Deadpool and the robotically enhanced Reavers live on television as part of Mojo’s broadcast. Spidey is influential in swaying the tide of battle and the X-Men manage to escape. During the fighting however, it is revealed that Spider-man and Kitty are an item! Arriving home and ready to tell Aunt May that he is Spidey to explain where he has been, he finds that she had not returned from her date… with Miles Warren!
- Months ago, Spidey has an encounter with a vampire and Blade! Now, MJ reacts badly to learning about Peter’s new girlfriend. At the Bugle Peter learns that Ben Urich, researching a story on vampires, has gone missing. Peter gets the address of Urich’s contact and swings over to investigate. There he finds Urich with bite wounds, a wolf, Urich’s contact, who is now a vampire, and Morbius and the fight rages! Spidey takes Urich to a hospital and then confronts Morbius when he returns to try to save him. Vampires suddenly attack Spidey and bite him but Morbius saves him and tells him that his blood is impure and he will live. Morbius cures Urich and vanishes!
- Moon Knight wakes up from his coma. When he comes to her for help Captain Jeanne De Wolfe coerces Spidey to take out Frank Oliver - The Kangaroo – a mobster who is taking control of the underworld (and someone Kingpin needs out of the way). When Spidey gets to address he finds Daredevil already fighting! Then The Punisher turns up and starts shooting (having escaped prison the day before and having a personal vendetta against Kangaroo)! Then Moon Knight turns up (who awoke from his coma, returned to his girlfriend and his mission!) and starts fighting Punisher! As everyone kicks off the police arrive lead by De Wolfe. Punisher kills De Wolfe and, when Spidey starts hitting him, tells him that she is a dirty cop and has been controlling him for The Kingpin! Punisher is arrested. Later, Daredevil approaches Moon Knight with a proposition – take down The Kingpin! Rating 3 / 5

Volume Seventeen - Clone Saga – Issues 97-105
Clone Saga (Parts 1-7) & Clone Saga Epilogue
- When Peter discovers a clone of himself running around as The Scorpion, he takes it to The Fantastic Four for study. In the meantime, MJ is kidnapped by another clone – this one disfigured who imprisons her at Oscorp and claims he can protect her. Peter, looking for MJ, finds another clone, this time Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew)! After a brief altercation he goes home to find Gwen Stacy (who also turns out to be a clone/incarnation of Carnage!). When Aunt May enters the scene, Peter is so freaked out that he is forced to tell her about his secret identity! Seconds later, his presumed-dead father walks in through the door (also a clone!). Nick Fury, realising that Carnage is on the loose, dispatches a team of Spider-Slayers to the Parker house. Richard Parker explains that he did not get on the plane that exploded and was secretly drafted by the CIA to work on reproducing Peter’s abilities! Meanwhile at Oscorp another six-armed clone tries to free MJ! SHIELD suddenly arrive at the Parker house and Gwen transforms and rages a battle with SHIELD until The FF arrive and Gwen is restored. Aunt May suddenly suffers a heart attack and Sue Storm takes her and Richard to a hospital as Peter escapes custody and is led to Oscorp by Spider-Woman. There they find MJ, who has been injected with Oz by the deformed clone, transformed into a massive red beast! At the hospital, Sue discovers that Richard is a clone. The real Peter manages to calm MJ down so that she reverts and, when SHIELD arrive, demands some answers from Fury. He gets them in the shape of the man who works for the CIA, and above Fury, and who really created the clones… Otto Octavius - Doctor Octopus! MJ is taken by Reed Richards and Fury lets the clones have Octavius! The battle rages as Octavius reveals that he has the ability to not just control his metal arms but the metal itself! Back in the hospital, Richard grows weak and dies. In the fight the six-armed clone and disfigured clone die but Peter and Spider-Woman knock Octavius out and hand him over to SHIELD. Peter confronts the man who recruited Octavius, Henry Gyrich, but is rushed off to see MJ by Johnny Storm. At The Baxter Building, MJ is cured and Reed reveals that he can counter the effects of Oz in Peter… he doesn’t have to be Spider-Man anymore!
- Kitty, who has learned of the attack on her boyfriend’s home, intervenes in the hospital and tries to get Xavier to make May forget that she knows Peter is Spider-Man. He refuses and she leaves. Peter, having spoken to Fury, turns down Reed’s offer and returns to his Aunt and then his home. He has a brief encounter with Spider-Woman, who goes to live elsewhere, and then gets back with MJ. As they kiss, Kitty looks on… In SHIELD they start working on The Scorpion and Carnage/Gwen… And later MJ starts to show signs that she may not be completely cured…! Rating 4½ / 5

Volume Eighteen- Ultimate Warriors – Issues 106-111
Ultimate Kinghts (Parts 1-5) & The Talk
- Daredevil puts together a group of heroes to take down The Kingpin once and for all. Daredevil, Shang Chi, Danny Rand, Moon Knight & Doctor Strange are joined by Spider-Man when Daredevil goes out of his way to find him. Moon Knight is assigned to go undercover as Ronin but his mental illness means that he looses sight of who he is and attacks Peter's school! He fights Ronin as Spider-Man but gets defeated and dragged before The Kingpin! Kingpin releases him to send a message to the rest of his group, but not before he tells him that he now owns the merchandising rights to Spider-Man! Kingpin learns (though Danny Rand who is working undercover for him) that Moon Night is undercover and has him shot! In retaliation, Daredevil and Spidey threaten Vanessa (Kingpin's wife) and demand that he leave the country. Meanwhile, Moon Night comes round and reveals his identity in order to testify against Kingpin, who is arrested before he can leave! With Kingpin in jail, the group disbands and Spidey is left making money for the Kingpin every time he appears in public...!
- Peter and Aunt May finally talk about his life as Spider-Man. He discusses the events of the day, where he had to handle a man covered in moving portals (Spot). The conversation turns to Uncle Ben and how Peter is responsible. Aunt May believes she is responsible and eventually realises how proud she is of Peter but how difficult knowing what he does now is. Rating 4½ / 5

Reviewed by Adam Rivett

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