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Ultimate Spider-Man #101

By Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley (artist)

MARVEL COMICS

I dread the day that Mark Bagley leaves “Ultimate Spider-Man.” Bagley’s pencils along with Brian Michael Bendis’ words have, for 101 issues, served up some of the most consistent, exciting and unique storytelling on the racks today.

Retelling the story of how Peter Parker became Spider-Man and detailing the romantic troubles and conflicts that are so familiar to fans should have been a difficult task. The story has been told a hundred times over in comics, film and television. The series certainly shouldn’t have been as good as it turned out, nor lasted this long.

Thank God it did.

Luckily, Mark Bagley was along for the ride. A break-out artist on “Thunderbolts” and before that, “Amazing Spider-Man,” his art had a loose, manga-like style that has become polished and nuanced during his tenure on Ultimate Spider-Man. Bagley conveys both action and emotion with deft style that never short-changes Bendis’ script, and this consistency over 100 issues is welcome.

“Ultimate Spider-Man” reads like a weekly television series, and a good one at that. Each issue not only moves the plot along, but the character arcs as well. The Peter Parker in issue 101 isn’t the same Peter Parker from issue 100, just as he bares little resemblance the Peter Parker from the very first issue. Bendis makes sure that Peter and his friends grow with each issue, and the growth is at once organic and startling.

Bendis has managed to do what various other Ultimates titles have failed at: He made the material fresh again. Instead of slavishly devoting himself to the original plot, Bendis seems to enjoy confounding expectations. Issue 101 is a perfect example of Bendis warping old continuity with something fresh and interesting, and he revels in looking at the absurd superhero situations with a humanistic eye. That Bendis is able to take the unpopular “Clone Saga” story arc and turn it into something not only readable, but worth reading, cannot be overlooked.

This issue showcases what the entire series does so well: change. With a guest appearance by Ultimate Fantastic Four, revelations are made about Peter’s genetics as well as a shocking transformation of Mary Jane that sets the stage for a climactic conclusion to the storyline.

If you aren’t reading this series, you’d better start – there is no finer monthly comic that delivers such a consistently good read on the shelves now. There are nine volumes waiting for you at your local comic store (and bookstore!). Don’t keep them waiting.

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