It’s issues like this where patience pays off! Brian Michael Bendis has been building to something good, and this is it! This is the battle, these are the confrontations, this is what we’ve been waiting for! Miles Morales vs. the Green Goblin! The truth about Peter Parker! Even more exciting stuff! The last issue was all about transitioning us into this stellar adventure, and I’m all the more glad for it. I’ve almost always been a fan of Bendis’ decompressed storytelling. I like that he takes the time to build a scene, or build up to a moment, because we get pay offs like this issue.

Ultimate Spider-Man #6

Ultimate Spider-Man #6 is one of the richest, most confident and exciting comics in Miles Morales’ short career.

Comic Rating: 10/10 – Fantastic!

Yep, a perfect score. I don’t do that very often, but if I don’t do it for an issue like this one, then what am I saving it for? Ultimate Spider-Man #6 has it all, and almost all of it is satisfyingly good. This is a big moment for Miles and for the series. Our young hero fully embraces his role. He stands tall as a true Spider-Man, and has more than a few great moments, while his predecessor looks on.

Speaking of Peter Parker…could this really be him? Before now, I was pretty sure this was just some storyline Bendis has been working on. Miles voices the obvious option: he’s a clone. But with this issue, Bendis provides a somewhat reasonable explanation for how Peter could be back from the dead. On top of that, what’s to stop Bendis from bringing Ultimate Peter Parker back from the dead? The latest Ultimate Universe relaunch failed spectacularly. Both All New Ultimates and whatever they called the Ultimate Fantastic Four have been cancelled. The Ultimate Universe is probably on its last legs, with only Ultimate Spider-Man really kicking along.

So why not bring Ultimate Peter Parker back from the dead? Why not give him, his family and this series a happy ending? Leave Miles as the one-true Ultimate Spider-Man and just shuffle a resurrected Peter off to the side. It makes about as much sense as any resurrection in comics. And the reason it hasn’t gotten a lot of attention is because nobody really cares about Ultimate Spider-Man anymore.

I think this twist would be pretty awesome. Because considering what Bendis does with Peter Parker and his family in this issue, it would be even more cruel if Peter was revealed to be a fake.

But hey, maybe Bendis is a cruel man.

Join me after the jump for the full synopsis and more review!

The issue picks up where the last one left off, with J. Jonah Jameson having just shot Norman Osborn dead in his penthouse apartment! Unfortunately, that’s not where the issue ends. I love Ultimate Jameson. He’s a badass in ways that his normal counterpart never achieves. But this isn’t his finest hour – the shooting was, obviously, but this aftermath isn’t. Jameson calls reporter Ben Urich instead of the police, and he frets to Urich about what he’s done. Behind him, Norman wakes back up, turns into the Goblin and proceeds to probably kill Jameson.

Boo! Hiss!

From there we cut to Mary Jane’s house, where Miles demands answers from the apparently resurrected Peter Parker. Miles still thinks he might be a clone, but Mary Jane is convinced that he’s the real Peter. Peter explains that he can remember his entire life, including his death. He also remembers simply waking up in an abandoned laboratory in the south sometime later. He just woke up, lying on a table, and discovered the lab had been evacuated, leaving him all alone.

We’ve all been there

Peter explains that he hitched on the top of buses all the way back up to New York, and he immediately tracked down Mary Jane for a reconciliation – they even went to the cemetery to dig up his grave, and found his coffin empty! But now Peter believes returning to New York was a bad idea. He doesn’t want to put Mary Jane or Aunt May or Gwen through the heartbreak of his coming back.

Of course, after having seen him on the news, Aunt May and Gwen knew right where to find him.

Don’t take this away from us, Bendis!

But the happy reunion is interrupted by the arrival of the Green Goblin on the front lawn!

Norman is ready to fight, but Miles steps up in a big damn heroic way.

Heeey, Detective Hill loaned you that shirt…

Seriously, that’s a high point of the entire series right there. Miles has got this!

For the next few pages, Miles proceeds to just kick the Green Goblin’s ass! He’s fast, he’s smart, he’s funny, and he knows exactly how to take the big, green idiot down. Miles uses his Venom Blast like a pro, zapping the Goblin again and again until he’s finally down for the count.

Then Miles gives him something extra!

Shaka-laka!

The issue ends with Norman Osborn on the front lawn, looking up at Miles and taunting that he knows Miles’ true origins, he knows the truth about Miles’ father!

Which is kind of bogus, frankly. Does Miles Morales really need some secret origin with his dad? I don’t think so, especially not if it’s tied with Norman Osborn. That guy needs to be put down for good.

I’m also very disappointed that he probably killed Ultimate Jameson. That guy was legendary.

But beyond that, this issue was just plain awesome! Miles kicked all kinds of butt! First he rises to the heroic challenge, telling the previous Spider-Man to take care of his people while Miles handles the Goblin. That’s beautiful stuff! I got excited! And then Miles’ takedown of the Green Goblin is pretty sweet. It was over with rather quickly, but I’m OK with that. Miles was still the hero and the day was saved! And, of course, the art by David Marquez was just stellar. The guy is a true gem on this title. His Spider-Men are distinct and full of life, and his Green Goblin is a force of nature.

As for Peter Parker, I would definitely be in favor of this being the real Peter. I always thought he’d died too soon and too suddenly. This explanation is as good as any other that Bendis could come up with, and like I said, the Ultimate Universe isn’t exactly in a great place anymore. So quietly, under the radar, why not just give Peter Parker and his family a happy ending? Let the Osborn serum that gave Peter his powers really be the reason for his resurrection and let him ride off into the sunset with Mary Jane and Aunt May.

It would be so simple and so beautiful. But this is real life. Is that sort of thing even possible?

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