Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #157, It is the shot heard around the world. Witness the issue comic fans be talking about all year. leave your cynicism at the door… this is the real deal. The Death of Spider-Man. Bendis and Bagley reunited for this historic Spider-Man event a decade in the making. Though this storyline is still unfolding in the current volume of USM, readers have been given plenty of teases and hints that Ultimate Peter Parker will, in fact, be dying by the end. Bendis admitted to feeling the pressure of the story. “I’m nervous as we’re saying these things out loud. It’s one of the most nerve-wracking initiatives I’ve ever been a part of. It’s actually more scary than when we first started the Ultimate Universe as far as the chances we’re taking and where we’re going with the Spider-Man legend. We’ve dedicated ourselves to go in and try things with Spider-Man that have never been done before.”
When asked to describe what the relaunch means for the Ultimate Universe as a whole, Bendis said, “It’s new. Everything that John [Hickman] and Nick [Spencer] have planned are stories we’ve never seen told before. Everything happening in Ultimate Spider-Man has never been told before. ” He elaborated that “it’s not for shock value. It’s new characters and new ideas and a new landscape in which to explore the Marvel Universe.” This vision of the Ultimate Universe is intended to be “completely unique, completely different, and one that speaks to the world we live in right now in ways that no other comic book universe does.”
Moving to the new Spider-Man himself, Bendis was reluctant to reveal much before “Death of Spider-Man” has wrapped up. He said “the new Spider-Man’s view of the world is very unique and his perspective is very unique.” But while the new hero may be different, Bendis was quick to point out that “there are obviously some truths to the world of Spider-Man that, if you take them away, it’s just not Spider-Man anymore. They’re even more important than Peter Parker. Those elements of what Spider-Man means and what he stands for and what he lives by will continue into the new series.”
The character will have new powers in addition to the new costume, and Bendis revealed that these powers are based on his recent scientific readings. The costume itself was a collaborative effort from Pichelli and Joe Quesada. Bendis wasn’t able to reveal much about the book’s supporting cast, either, but he did hint that some characters will be returning. Gwen Stacy was singled out as a character who will have “a big year” in 2011. Bendis also told fans to keep an eye out for groups like the Fantastic Four in the various new series. “There are quite a few characters we put a lot of time and effort into, particularly the Fantastic Four in the Ultimate Enemy trilogy. A lot of those characters will find their way into the books, between Jonathan and me particularly. I have a lot of affinity for those characters, and when the time is right they’ll make themselves known. Particularly in Ultimate Spider-Man, there’s so much new going on that bringing in these characters to react to the new is kind of gold for a writer.”
Looks like Bendis and company are changing everything and he has wanted to do this for a while to unlock a universe where he can have control and go in directions the main Marvel universe never has been. He will get criticism and praises I am sure. Let me know if you are an Ultimate Fan how you feel. Thanks to IGN Comics for most of the breaking news about the New Ultimate Universe. Ultimate readers can look for Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #160 to ship in June, with Ultimate Fallout following in July. Stay tuned comic faithful for more. 🙂 Walt
It’s about time!