234. Ultimate Spider Man vol 1 #10 ... Marvel ... Bagley, Bendis

Right now as we are typing this review, in the Marvel U, there is a replacement in the Ultimate Comics for Peter. Because you see, in the Ultimate-verse, nothing is static and even key characters can die. While this is good, this means that unless the Western comics are willing to follow anime/ manga style with endings in mind and new series, they will run into trouble i.e. if a comic is really good, the sales are good and which company is willing to risk introducing a new replacement and alienating existing readers?

Then again, if the new stuff is good, it can garner new readers not just comics completists, right?

So far, from our perspective, the sad thing is Western Comics i.e. Marvel and DC seem to be losing this battle. If not for the movies, they would have lost an even bigger chunk. So thank you o movie going public for saving us from the end of comic-dom

Now why are we ranting about this?

Because after Peter is killed, they replaced him with a new kid, a "coloured" kid and I guess this is in a way deliberate to diversify the Ultimate-verse! Sigh! Honestly I tried and flicked through the first TPB but gave up ... and as sales will show, it is not doing that well anyway ... so ...

Spider-Man is not just about a guy with Spider powers, it is the story of a person and his growth from teen-hood into a young man, subsequently marrying his childhood sweetheart! That for me is Spider-Man and that for me is why the first volume of Ultimate Spider-Man works because I get to follow this journey whereas in the regular Marvel U, I came upon it too late when he is already a working bloke and when buying back issues, well, somehow the dated feel makes me feel like I am reading for the sake of being a completist!

Right - so for those of you reading this, you must be bored, eh? Hehehe!

If you are still with me, let's move on to the comics. Basically this continues right on the heels of 9 with Peter confronting the Kingpin and in these flimsy 22-pages so much happens, that you just wouldn't believe that the arc is 6-issues. So who said Bendis, writer is all about padding? In this issue, he shows us how assume he can be. Here's a run-down (SPOILER ALERT) for those keeping score:

1. Peter's big fight with the Kingpin
2. Electro enters the fray and Peter gets sent packing
3. Peter and Aunt May's big emotional scene about Uncle Ben
4. Peter having to cancel with Mary Jane
5. Mary Jane and Peter having a tough time
6. Kingpin rounding up his forces and showing that he can get his hands dirty
7. Peter realizing that whatever he touched upon, he needs to do more to close the chapter

See? Lots happen

Ratings: 8/10