So, normally I love Spider-Man, but every time someone had a closeup in this, they looked like villains. And it was creeping me out to think that sweet Aunt May wanted Peter dead every time the artist tried to show a closeup of her smiling.
And that doesn't even get into the dialogue. ( )

Likes: new view on the origin of Spider-Man.
Dislikes: The artwork didn't do it for me, different Uncle Ben story didn't quite feel right (too convenient/hard to swallow even with suspension of disbelief)
Read alikes: Any other Spider-Man title (amazing, spectacular, ultimate comics presents, etc...) ( )

The first 13 issues from the Ultimate relaunch of Spider-Man - probably the Marvel superhero that I like the least. But I am reading the whole Ultimate line - so I am reading the Peter Parker's adventures as well.

It is a good start for new readers (and if you are familiar with the character, it is far more interesting to search for the differences between this version and the regular Earth 616 version than to read the same story again). Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man and tries to get used to that and to the double life he is leading now. Enjoyable in a strange way - I actually liked it a lot more than I thought I will - Peter seems a lot more normal in this incarnation than he ever was in the mainstream reality (with the required suspension of disbelieve needed to be able to read superhero comics).

We have the Green Goblin andthe Kingpin; Mary Jane and aunt May (and uncle Ben); the work at the newspaper (upgraded for a new century). And we have the public that is not sure if he is a hero or a villain. And we have the beginning of a love story.

There are only two times when the whole Ultimate Marvel Universe is even hinted at - when Peter asks Electro if he is a mutant (so obviously the world knows about them) and when the Kingpin is helping restore part of New York that had been destructed (and I suspect this happens in one of the other books... or not).

Overall - enjoyable even if it did not make me really care about Peter. But then as I said - I had never been a big fan. ( )

Ultimate Spider-Man is a retelling of the classic Spiderman story set in the 21st century. Peter Parker is still bitten by a spider in a lab that gives him his powers, and all of the other characters are pretty much the same, but instead of working as a freelance photographer for the Daily Bugle, Peter troubleshoots their webpage. The Green Goblin is more monstrous, Uncle Ben and Aunt May are much cooler, and the biggest difference is that Peter tells Mary Jane his secret.
This graphic novel is a great read for people unfamiliar with the Spiderman story, but it will not disappoint the long-time Spiderman readers, either. ( )