A Spider-Man Podcast

Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man #2 – REVIEW

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Peter Parker and his journey as Spider-Man was arguably the heart of Marvel’s Ultimate Universe. His death cast a long shadow, as he was the most “ordinary” of extraordinary superheroes. He was the underdog, the one who always rose to the challenge and kept at it out a deep-rooted sense of personal responsibility to do the right thing.

Over the past few years, Miles Morales has worked really hard to live up to the legacy of Spider-Man, while figuring out how to make it his own. He didn’t realize that a big part of carrying the mantle is an endless parade of complicated personal problems. And this latest one is pretty tricky.

IMG_0754Yes, Peter Parker is somehow back from the dead. Not only that, he’s ready to be Spider-Man again. So, beyond the prospect of having to give back his web shooters (both figuratively and literally) what does this mean for Miles – especially in the second issue of his self-titled series?

Bendis playfully has Miles voice the readers’ natural skepticism of resurrecting the original Spider-Man and carries this throughout the issue, flirting with the fourth wall right to the point of knocking it down. C’mon, how can this *really* be Peter? There was a funeral! His body was buried! What would his return do to his family and friends? He HAS to be a clone…right? Or maybe he’s from another dimension?

Longtime readers know that both are possibilities. There have been a number of Peter Parker clones, with at least one still unaccounted for. Even Miles’ teammate Black Widow is a Peter clone (much to Ganke’s amusing surprise). Miles had also met the original 616-Universe version of Peter in the Spider-Men miniseries. Resurrection is another matter altogether. The Ultimate universe exists in a different continuity, with one of its major conceits being that dead characters stay dead.

But as Ganke points out, things have changed. This is now a universe where the planet was almost destroyed by an inter-dimensional death machine. Is surviving death really that far-fetched anymore? It’s a bold move to rename the book after “the new guy” and then bring the old one back right away. It’s a bolder move to then tease the audience by directly acknowledging fan theories and assumptions about what’s really going on. Bendis is setting up an interesting high stakes mystery and raising expectations in the process, so I can only hope that the payoff is more successful than Superior Spider-Man’s lackluster resolution.

One of the joys of Bendis’ series since it began in 2000 (and what sets it apart from other Spider-Man titles) is the decompressed pacing of the storytelling. Issues make plenty of time for conversation. Character development is just as important in this title as action scenes, with each strengthening the impact of the other. So when Spider-Man throws a punch, it’s not always solely for the sake of visual appeal – it can be a payoff to emotional buildup, making the moment resonate on a more significant level.

IMG_0753Which leads me to Peter. It seems as if we should be happy to see him return, but Bendis deliberately keeps things off-balance by depicting him as frustrated and surprisingly hot-tempered – a far cry from the warm and easygoing character we’d grown to love in the original series. His hostility towards Miles is extreme, but given his supposed circumstances, it doesn’t seem entirely unreasonable. How would you feel, discovering that a complete stranger has taken over your identity, and to an extent, your family? It’s startling to see Peter older, angry and bitter. It doesn’t sit right and Bendis uses this uncomfortable dynamic to throw Miles into a slight tailspin. Miles’ response culminates in a cliffhanger that should be more dramatic than it actually is, but that’s solely down to its dependence on a strangely underdeveloped character.

Meanwhile, other elements are moved further into play. Norman Osborn is also back from the dead. Fully rejuvenated, he silently returns to the setting where the whole story began and unlocks a secret arsenal with at least one major surprise. Elsewhere, the “Spider-Twins” continue their crime spree (and their arguing) from issue #1, with little new information as to what they are up to. David Marquez’s semi-armored costume design is sleek and interesting, but with no strong visual cue (such as a spider logo or web shooters) it’s still not quite clear as to why the public is immediately associating these acrobatic and argumentative characters with Spider-Man. Then again, this is only the second issue and story elements are still coming together. Bendis has never been one to spell it all out right away.

IMG_0752The art and coloring maintain the high bar set in the initial issue, with some remarkable framing and staging. The Spider-Twins are given a dynamic two-page spread that uses an interesting tiling pattern to great effect. Then there’s Miles and Peter’s initial encounter, which includes two pages of virtually the same expression. I get that it’s a moment of shock and while it’s funny in context, it initially seemed a bit wasteful, given that the book is $3.99 for 20 pages. But pacing is everything, and the scene pays off as the tension escalates. Ganke (who might be my all-time favorite supporting character) gets a chance to shine as Miles turns to him to talk through recent events, and their always entertaining and believable rapport easily erased my earlier feelings about value for money. Quiet moments like these are the great strength of this series and keep me coming back for more.

David Marquez provides my favorite and most meaningful cover of the series to date. The image speaks volumes: Miles didn’t jump into the role of Spider-Man; he needed encouragement. A lot of it. As Miles explains, almost everyone that knew Peter had asked him to continue his work. Marquez’s image eloquently conveys the conflict of aspiring to someone else’s extraordinary level of success while trying to strike out as an individual. That’s not an easy road to walk, but I’m rooting for Miles because if anyone can rise to meet a challenge, it’s Spider-Man.

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