Thursday, November 24, 2011

I Reads You Review: ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #3

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #3
MARVEL COMICS

WRITER: Brian Michael Bendis
ARTIST: Sara Pichelli
COLORS: Justin Ponsor
LETTERS: VC’s Cory Petit
COVER: Kaare Andrews
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S.
Rated T+

In Ultimate Spider-Man #3 (AKA Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #3), Miles Morales has decided to ignore the powers he got after the strange spider bit him, but his best friend Ganke won’t let him. Even after a heroic act, Miles chooses normal because he is happy to let Spider-Man (who is still alive at this point) be Spider-Man. As Miles settles into his new school, Brooklyn Visions Academy, fate deals him a blow.

At this point in the new Ultimate Spider-Man series, writer Brian Michael Bendis is telling a story driven by characters not living or doing the superhero thing. This is a recognizable story: a teen boy wants to go to school and be normal. Circumstances exist, however, which means that regardless of how hard he tries or works, normalcy simply is not. This issue reminds me of the early issues of The Amazing Spider-Man which featured scenes of Peter Parker finding his way in the world in which his powers placed him, but wanting to be just one of the guys.

The clean drawing style of artist Sara Pichelli deftly visualizes Bendis’ character drama-style story in a way that makes it as exciting as a depiction of super powers. Perhaps, that is why the scenes in which Miles uses his powers seem so fresh, new, and exciting. It’s as if both Miles and the readers were seeing superhero supernatural for the first time.

A

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