Ultimate Spider-Man

For the video game, see Ultimate Spider-Man (video game). For the relaunch, see Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man. For the animated TV series, see Ultimate Spider-Man (TV series).
Ultimate Spider-Man.

Variant of Ultimate Spider-Man #100. This image is homage to the cover of Amazing Spider-Man #100.
Publication information
Publisher Marvel Comics
(Ultimate Imprint)
Schedule Monthly
Format Ended
Publication date October 2000 – June 2011
Number of issues 200 (as of April 2014)
Main character(s) Peter Parker/Spider-Man
Creative team
Writer(s) Brian Michael Bendis from original material by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko
Penciller(s) Mark Bagley
Stuart Immonen

Ultimate Spider-Man is a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2009. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Spider-Man comic book franchise as part of its Ultimate Marvel imprint. Ultimate Spider-Man exists alongside other revamped Marvel characters in Ultimate Marvel titles including Ultimate X-Men, Ultimate Fantastic Four, and The Ultimates.

Peter Parker is a teenaged science prodigy who lives in Queens, New York. He is bitten by a genetically altered spider and inherits its powers, including enhanced strength, agility and reflexes. When an armed thief, whom Peter had a chance to stop earlier but did not, kills his Uncle Ben, he feels guilty and dedicates his life to fighting crime as the costumed vigilante Spider-Man. Peter tries to balance school, a job, a girlfriend, his family life with his widowed aunt May, and his activities as Spider-Man.

Ultimate Spider-Man first saw print in 2000 under veteran Spider-Man artist Mark Bagley and writer Brian Michael Bendis, who expanded the original 11-page origin story into a 180-page, seven issue story arc. This duo continued to collaborate until issue #111, when Mark Bagley left the book and was replaced by Stuart Immonen.[1][2]

Bendis and Bagley's run on Ultimate Spider-Man set the record for longest continual run on a Marvel Comics series by two people, an honor previously held by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby on Fantastic Four. After issue #133, the series was relaunched, still written by Brian Michael Bendis with art provided by David Lafuente. This relaunch was short-lived. It resumed the Ultimate Spider-Man title with issue #3 and continued with the original numbering the 16th issue (#150) even though the series was again cancelled with #160. It relaunched as Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man and features Miles Morales and a new artist named Sara Pichelli. The direct edition of Ultimate Spider-Man #1 is a highly sought after comic book and considered to be one of the most valuable comic books of the Modern Age.[3]

History

Ultimate Spider-Man was the first series to be published in the Ultimate Marvel line. Publisher Bill Jemas wanted to reinvent the Marvel Universe because he felt that, with over 40 years of back-story, it had become inaccessible to new readers, and he wanted to start with a reinvented Spider-Man. Initially, Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada was skeptical because 1998's Spider-Man: Chapter One, a previous attempt at re-envisioning Spider-Man's early adventures, had failed both critically and commercially.[4]

Though Spider-Man's original origin story in Amazing Fantasy #15 was only 11 pages long, Bendis's retelling of Spider-Man's origin was seven issues long. Bagley was at first wary of Bendis' notoriously slow pace in advancing plot, describing it as a "real shock" at first.[4] Previously, Jemas intended the comic to feature single-issue stories only, but Bendis chose to make each story roughly six issues long.[5]

The first several issues were greeted with enthusiasm from fans and critics, sold well, and gave Ultimate Marvel a boost in credibility. After the release of Ultimate Spider-Man (along with Ultimate X-Men), Quesada and Jemas broadened the Ultimate Marvel line with The Ultimates (a re-imagining of the Avengers) and Ultimate Fantastic Four. Ultimate Spider-Man #1 was voted the "ninth-greatest Marvel Comic of All Time" in 2001 by readers of Wizard: The Guide to Comics. In addition to critical success, Ultimate Spider-Man grew to outsell the flagship Spider-Man title, Amazing Spider-Man.[6] Bendis would later describe issue #13, in which Peter tells Mary Jane his secret identity, as his favorite issue because it showed the trust that the Marvel editorial had in him.[7]

As the series progressed within the next two years, reception and sales stayed strong, helped by the fact that Bendis and Bagley quickly found chemistry and enjoyed working together.[4] Over the years, many 'mainstream' characters were introduced, often with different origins, costumes, or personalities.

On August 16, 2006, Mark Bagley announced he would be leaving the book as of Ultimate Spider-Man #110. Bagley and writer Brian Michael Bendis had worked on the series together since it began. Artist Stuart Immonen, already familiar with the Ultimate Universe from his work on Ultimate Fantastic Four and Ultimate X-Men, took over after Bagley. Issue #111, named "The Talk", featured Immonen's art for the first time. The issue was divided into two parts, with Bagley covering the art for one section, and Immonen doing the other. Issue #133 was the final issue of the series before a two-issue follow-up entitled Ultimatum: Spider-Man Requiem was released, revealing the status of the title's characters after the events of the "Ultimatum" storyline. Despite the book's apparent cancellation, in August 2009 Ultimate Spider-Man was relaunched with Brian Michael Bendis returning as writer and David Lafuente as artist.[8] The book finished its run with #160 and subsequently was relaunched as Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man with art by Sara Pichelli.

Issue numbering

Characters

Villains

In other media

Television

An Ultimate Spider-Man animated series aired in the United States on Disney XD on April 1, 2012. Despite the same name, the story-lines are different. The TV series is currently in its fourth season.[29][30]

Video games

Bibliography

See also

References

  1. " Sneak Peak at Stuart Immonen's work on Ultimate Spider-Man". Marvel.com. July 30, 2007.
  2. Cronin, Brian (August 16, 2007). "Thoughts on Stuart Immonen’s Ultimate Spider-Man". Comic Book Resources.
  3. "The Top 10 Rare Comics". Cover Browser. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 "An Ultimate Fifth – Bagley On Ultimate Spider-Man". Newsarama. Archived from the original on 2006-02-07.
  5. "An Ultimate Fifth – Quesada On The Early, Ultimate Days". Newsarama. Archived from the original on 2007-10-11.
  6. "ICv2's Top 300 Comics & Top 100 GN's Index". ICv2
  7. "NYCC: Marvel – The Ultimate Universe Panel". Newsarama. Archived from the original on 2007-10-11.
  8. Ching, Albert (February 7, 2009). "NYCC '09 – Marvel's Cup 'O Joe Panel". Newsarama. Archived from the original on 2012-09-10.
  9. Richards, Dave (September 30, 2011). "COMMENTARY TRACK: Bendis on "Ultimate Comics Spider-Man" #2". Comic Book Resources.
  10. Brucie, Dylan (March 2007). "Ultimate Spider-Man". Wizard Xtra!. p. 110.
  11. Bendis, Brian M. Ultimate Origins. Marvel Publishing, Inc., August 2008 to December 2008.
  12. Bendis, Brian M. Ultimate Spider-Man #6. Marvel Comics, April 2001.
  13. Brady, Matt (2006). "NYCC: MARVEL – THE ULTIMATE UNIVERSE PANEL". Newsarama. Archived from the original on June 26, 2006. Retrieved August 30, 2006.
  14. George, Richard (2006). "Ultimate Spider-Man #102 First Look". IGN. Retrieved November 11, 2006.
  15. 1 2 Ultimate Spider-Man #104
  16. Bendis, Brian M. Ultimate Doom #4. Marvel Worldwide, Inc., May 2011.
  17. 1 2 3 Brucie, Dylan (March 2007). "Ultimate Spider-Man". Wizard Xtra!. p. 117.
  18. Ultimate Spider-Man #101
  19. Ultimate Spider-Man #105
  20. The Ultimates vol. 2 #12
  21. Ultimate Avengers #5
  22. Ultimate Avengers #6
  23. Ultimate Spider-Man #91
  24. Ultimate Spider-Man #150
  25. Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #8
  26. Ultimate Spider-Man #9
  27. Ultimate Spider-Man #10
  28. Ultimate Comics: Fallout #1
  29. "Disney XD Orders More Spider-Man & Avengers — With Some New Bad Guys". Deadline. June 1, 2015. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
  30. "Avengers Assemble and Ultimate Spider-Man Renewed and Re-Titled". IGN. June 1, 2015. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
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