The media has been all over Miles Morales ever since the new Spider-Man was first teased by the House of Ideas. Everyone from Bill O’Reilly to Donald Glover has weighed in on why the time was right or wrong for a minority Spider-Man. Regardless of whether you’re a supporter or a naysayer, what’s undeniable is that Brian Michael Bendis is under extreme pressure to deliver. The new Spider-Man is will not only face the Green Goblin but he’ll also go head to head with a slew of other legendary icons undergoing their own pseudo reinvention (speaking of which, go read Detective Comics #1, right now). But enough about all the intangibles lets jump into the review.
The very first pages of Ultimate Spider-Man present us with the one and only, Norman Osborn. Norman is downright…..”Norman”. By that, I mean he’s perfectly sane and then flips out without warning. It’s truly disturbing and also flippin’ cool. Bendis captures Norman perfectly. The character of Norman Osborn has indeed surpassed that of his green alter ego and it’s really fun to read. Even though Norman is only featured briefly, and the comic is about the debut of Miles Morales, it’s Norman Osborn that steals the show. Sadly, from the moment that Osborn leaves us, the comic becomes a “safe”, formulaic superhero introduction.
What’s a positive though, is that right away, it’s obvious that while this isn’t Peter Parker, the same themes and strengths found in his stories (namely, the supporting cast), will be paramount in Miles’ story as well. Bendis has teased the reader with just enough to rope you back to find out more details in Ultimate Spider-Man #2. Judging the debut based solely on the writing and the initial hints of the plot, I would say that this was a very good, albeit safe introduction for a new character. Unfortunately, I found the art of Sara Pichelli to be a little flat. It’s not bad but it’s not ground-breaking either. If Pichelli decides to continue playing it safe, it will be up to Bendis to carry the title. Lucky for Marvel, Bendis can probably do it.
I rate Ultimate Spider-Man and the debut of Miles Morales 3.5 out of 5 stars (though with a stronger artist it would be a solid 4).
Miles Morales is a fictional comic book superhero published by Marvel Comics. A teenager of African American and Latino descent, Miles is the second character to go by the name of Spider-Man in Marvel Comics' Ultimate Marvel line of books. First introduced following the death of Peter Parker, the original Spider-Man, Miles will be the star of the new Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man title in September 2011.[1] Despite Miles portraying Ultimate Spider-Man in the comic book series, he will not be the lead for Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man animated series in 2012 on Disney XD.
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