Waiting for the Trade - Death of Spider-man

Waiting for the Trade

By Bill Miller

Ultimate Spider-man: Death of Spider-man

by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley
collects Ultimate Comics Spider-man 156-160

 

Why I Bought This: While the Ultimate universe isn’t really my cup of tea, this was on sale for $10 at a local bookstore and is supposed to be the biggest story in the history of the Ultimate line; so at that price why not?

 

The Plot: The Sinister Six escape from prison, led by the Green Goblin. Norman knows Peter’s identity and so he takes them to Aunt May’s house (Peter is still a teen in this universe) and challenges Peter to a fight on his front lawn.

Spoilers follow after the break.

 

Chapter 1 – We see Norman in SHIELD custody. He apparently died in his last appearance but they revived him and are holding for genetic testing. Meanwhile Peter and MJ have gotten back together after a long breakup. They are having lunch when Captain America arrives and pulls Pete away. SHIELD foolishly thought Norman had lost his powers so when he bursts into flames he easily escapes prison and takes Electro, Kraven, Sandman, Dr. Octopus and Vulture with him. (For those who don’t know Ultimate Green Goblin looks like the Abomination with flaming hands and doesn’t have the costume or  weapons of the traditional Green Goblin.) Meanwhile Cap tells Spidey he doesn’t think Spidey is a very good superhero but that he was outvoted by Thor and Iron Man on offering him Avengers membership; Cap is only willing to take him on the team if he can train Spidey to be a smarter fighter. In the middle of this dressing down Cap gets an Avengers alert and he goes to investigate it without Spidey but Spidey follows him anyway. Whatever the Avengers are doing results in the Brooklyn Bridge blowing up and the Sinister Six see it on TV and feel this is perfect since all the other superheroes will be too busy to help when they attack Spidey. MJ calls Peter with the news that Norman has escaped prison and urges him to get Aunt May to safety.

 Chapter 2 – Ock tells the others he has no interest in revenge and that if the heroes are busy he wants to use this chance to escape to Europe. Norman doesn’t take “no” well and kills Ock. Peter gets home and tells home Aunt May and Gwen to leave the city and hugs them goodbye. Goblin’s killing of Ock makes the news and Peter goes to investigate. He realizes how serious Norman must be this time and decides to recruit the Avengers for help. Spidey gets to the bridge where Cap is standing over Nick Fury. Punisher is about to assassinate Cap and Spidey jumps in the way taking a bullet in the side.

Chapter 3 – Spidey wakes up alone and wonders why the other heroes would leave his body behind. He webs up his wound and ponders going to the hospital, realizing it will mean the end of his secret identity if he goes. Then he sees the Sinister Six fly over head. Iceman and Human Torch are coming home to Aunt May’s for a movie (because they are teens and live with Aunt May in this universe for some reason). They find the place empty with a note saying “get to a safe place” and when they walk outside the Sinister Six are there. The Six threaten the teens not knowing who they are. Torch flames on and takes down Norman. Sandman wipes out Torch’s flame. Iceman jumps into the fight but Electro defeats him with ease.  And then Spider-man arrives unmasked and challenges them in a well drawn panel. He defeats Vulture in seconds and asks, “Who’s next.”

Chapter 4 – Spidey tries to bluff that the Avengers are right behind him but the villains notice his gunshot wound and attack. Spidey uses a fire hydrant to get Electro to short out all his teammates then asks his neighbors to call an ambulance. Sandman recovers and pummels Spidey. Vulture makes a comeback throwing handgrenades at him and things look bleak. Aunt May gets a phone call from one her neighbors about how Peter is getting killed in front of everyone on her lawn and turns the car around. Electro has now recovered and wants the killshot when Aunt May arrives and shoots him in the chest with a handgun, presumably killing him, and the resultant explosion again wipes out his teammates.  Peter collapses into May’s arms and then Norman wakes up.

 Chapter 5 – Pete pulls May and Gwen to safety and orders Gwen to get Aunt May to safety. He hits Norman as hard as he can and then wakes up Torch. Torch attacks but this time Norman absorbs all his flame. Spidey is dodging fireballs and manages to throw him into a fire hydrant. Norman keeps coming and Pete has nothing left. Then MJ arrives having stolen a truck and runs Norman over, totaling the truck in the process. Pete and MJ share a kiss and then Pete tosses her to safety. He picks up the truck and hits Norman with it. Norman vows to kill Pete’s family when he is done with him, and Peter slams the truck down on Norman’s head presumably killing him. However the truck explodes (or maybe Norman’s fire powers blow it up as the art is a little unclear) and Pete is caught in the explosion. He then dies in MJs and Aunt May’s arms. In the final panels the camera pans to Norman’s bleeding body and he smiles.

 

Critical Thoughts: This was really good. I have I think five other Ultimate Spidey trades and I really only mildly enjoyed one of them (which also involved the Sinister Six, who in general are portrayed as a much more A-level style threat in this universe). This story is short and to the point without Bendis’s usual padding. The Six escape, they come for Spidey and we get almost three straight issues of fighting—and a good fight it is since Mark Bagley is drawing it.

Most of all despite it being a big fight scene I thought the supporting cast was portrayed really well. Yes, Aunt May pulling a gun on Electro is extreme but believable in the circumstances. And then her reaction to Peter’s death is heartbreaking. MJ also has some good moments in this story.

The other big pro is Peter goes out as a worthy hero. Things keep getting worse and worse but he just keeps fighting and fighting. Both the scene where he challenges the Six and then the scene where he thinks Norman has his number and he continues to stand up to him are excellent. Even moments that could stretch believability like Pete picking up a truck (which I don’t think adult Pete could do normally let alone wounded teen Pete) work because the action leading up to it has escalated so much that we buy it as his last ditch adrenaline surge to save his family.

 

Grade A. For a book I had not intention of picking up I was very impressed. This is easily the best Ultimate Spider-man book I’ve read and one of the few times the character reads like the hero the true Spider-man is.