Spider-men Issue 2 Review

Well folks, I’m a bit behind on things but figured I should probably start somewhere. Seeing as Spider-men #3 is already out I figured I’d probably get my review for number 2 up and running before I fall way behind. That said, this story arc is still shaping up to be one of the biggest things to happen in either Peter Parker or Miles Morales life! Although things in this issue don’t really hit any of those huge emotional moments that I’m sure a lot of readers like me are hoping for, this was still an important issue for helping brings Peter Parker (and readers) into the fold of the Ultimate Universe.

Oh! And if you missed my review of issue number 1, you’re in luck! It’s right here waiting to be read…

Introduction

Issue number 2 starts with Mysterio waking up and realizing that he got his butt kicked by Spider-man. Being the shallow and vengeful man that he is, he then boots up one of his avatar suits and sends it into the portal that transferred Peter into the Ultimate Universe. Why do we care? Well because it solidifies the fact that the “Ultimate Mysterio” that has shown up in past issues of Ultimate Spider-man is, in fact, the original Mysterio from the 616 Universe.

Apparently the x-stuntman turned super villain has been using the Ultimate Universe as his own personal playground for a while now, and is technically the first known character to cross over from one universe to the other (with the minor exception of a few others who don’t really count). It’s a nice little wink at long time readers like me, as it gives us more depth and back-story to one of the more (pardon the pun) mysterious new villains to show up in the Ultimate Universe. Some people say it’s a cop-out. I say, let Bendis write it how he wants. And frankly, I like the idea of one of the re-made “Ultimate versions” of a long time Spider-man villain actually just being the original villain re-inventing himself in a new universe. That’s an idea I don’t really think has been explored before. I mean, what if other villains caught on and joined in on a chance to terrorize a world without Peter Parker? I know I’d read a book like that.

Highlights

Anyway, from there we jump to Peter and Miles having a heart-to-heart, and by heart-to-heart I mean Peter gets freaked out, attacks Miles, and the two of them duke it out for a bit. Miles turns out to be a decent match for the old web-head, with Peter having no idea about Miles’ spider-sting or that he can turn invisible. Of course, Peter is a little too confused to be on his A-game and Miles is still new to the super hero gig, so it doesn’t really matter in the end. What does matter, is that by the end of it Peter is left stunned by Miles’ spider-sting and brought in to see Nick Fury at SHIELD.

Nick Fury, being the BA that he is in the Ultimate Universe, not only believes Peter Parker’s wild tale but decides that the best thing to do is to just let things run their course a bit. After all, one of the few people who truly had Fury’s trust in the Ultimate Universe was their Peter Parker. So it stands to reason that Fury would step aside for a bit and let things play out. He is, after all, a “big picture” kinda guy. And he knows that nothing good has ever come from keeping a Parker from doing what they do best. This part of the comic also serves as yet another reminder to new readers of how things are a bit different in the Ultimate Universe compared to the regular 616 Universe. And come on, who can argue with more Nick Fury Page time?

Review recap

Other than the fight between the two Spider-men and Parker’s meeting with Fury, nothing of substance really happens in the issue. It has some action, some great Spidey dialogue, and the same great art that the last issue had. But it hasn’t delivered on any of the emotional stuff yet. Having read issue 3 already though, I can tell you that the story is getting there, soon. Issue 2 simply serves as an additional set-up alongside Issue 1 for a greater story. We just haven’t really got there yet… Which is why I’m only giving this issue a solid 4 out of 5. Great art, great writing, and great characters; but still only the beginning hints of a truly touching story. Do I wish they’d move things a little quicker? You bet. But I feel like being left wanting more isn’t a good enough reason to subtract from a score, if anything I should add to it for that. But I won’t.

Oh, and they got attacked my Mysterio at the end of this issue. That’ll be kinda important to know going into issue 3. haha.

Be sure to check out my review of issue #3!