The classic Bendis ‘talking heads’ issue is back, and it is glorious! Though I kind of wish there were more characters and their relationships were a little better defined so that the issue could be even better…but this is still good comics. Writer Brian Michael Bendis is renowned for his skill with dialogue. It’s what made the early issues of the original Ultimate Spider-Man so good. His characters were so rich, their scenes together so much fun, that the book couldn’t help but be a hit. Well in this new issue. Bendis slows things down and gives new protagonist Miles Morales a chance to just hang out with his friends and family and be himself.

Ultimate Spider-Man #15

And if they had something a little more substantial to talk about, this issue would be perfect.

Comic rating: 4/5: Good!

Here is another example of me wishing I used decimals or fractions. The writing in this issue is top notch as Miles, his best friend Ganke, and his parents react and respond to the various big events that have occurred over the past few issues. His parents have to deal with the police investigation into Uncle Aaron’s death, and Ganke gets to geek out over Miles’ new web-shooters. This is top notch stuff and very entertaining. But there’s also a…shallowness to it. Several school officials appear, but we don’t know their names, so they don’t really matter. We finally learn Miles’ father’s name, which goes to show you how deep a character he is. And we get to meet Ultimate Maria Hill! But all of it remains kind of skin deep, I’m afraid.

At least the ending is pretty awesome. Though I still contend that this series would be much better without the need to squeeze the ‘Divided We Fall/United We Stand’ nonsense into the book. Did you guys here that Ultimate Captain America is going to become President? I love when the mainstream media reports on these events from the Ultimate Universe, because I have a hard time imagining a non-comics fan trying to distinguish between the Ultimate characters and the ‘real’ characters.

Either way, join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review!

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Yep, Brian Michael Bendis wants absolutely nothing to do with the ‘Divided We Fall’ crossover taking place in the rest of the Ultimate Universe. The crossover banner may be emblazoned on the cover, there may be a map in the beginning of the comic detailing the current chaotic state of the country, but you wouldn’t have any idea what the heck is going on based on this issue of Ultimate Spider-Man. This is entirely self-contained. Honestly, reading Ultimate Spider-Man #14, it’s as if nothing has changed anywhere else in the Ultimate Universe.

Ultimate Spider-Man #14

And I am perfectly fine with that! To hell with the rest of the Ultimate Universe and its stupid crossover!

Comic rating: 4/5: Good!

Apparently Captain America went into hiding in the wake of Peter Parker’s death. You wouldn’t know it based on this comic. Cap is a major guest star this issue, but there’s no indication that he left or that his return is a big deal. He’s written exactly as he would have been written had he not taken a major sabbatical. And better yet, Aunt May, Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane Watson are all written the same too. Nobody seems to know or care that the United States doesn’t exist anymore, and that’s great! As long as Miles Morales’ fantastic story isn’t disrupted due to the rest of that crap, I couldn’t be happier. Bendis is writing good comics here. The origin and early adventures of Miles Morales are going to be important for a long time. ‘Divided We Fall’ isn’t even flavor of the month. Nobody’s talking about it. Nobody cares. It’s a dying gasp from a past-its-prime universe.

Give me more of this issue, where Miles finally has a real heart-to-heart with Peter Parker’s supporting cast. Give me dialogue and characterization like this. I’ll take the story of Miles’ first attempt at web-swinging over some dumb, overblown crossover any day of the week.

Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review! And Miles’ first web-swinging!

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The dreaded crossover has come to Ultimate Spider-Man, and the issue is worse off for it. Fortunately, writer Brian Michael Bendis does his best to shrug through this inane ‘Divided We Fall’ storyline so that he can keep telling the Miles Morales story he wants to tell. Seriously though, Bendis has had to deal with so much editorial bunk on this title. They force him to kill off Ultimate Peter Parker, and now barely a year into his new series, they force him to play along with the craziness of the rest of the Ultimate Universe. It’s a sad shame.

Ultimate Spider-Man #13

But like I said, Bendis mostly just offers a little lip service to Divided We Fall. He focuses much more on Miles than on the larger universe stuff, though a few odd story choices keep this issue from being too stellar.

And the random Batroc the Leaper cameo doesn’t help – though it also doesn’t hurt.

Comic rating: 4/5: Good.

Quite honestly, the Divided We Fall storyline is completely at odds with the Ultimate Spider-Man storyline. So much so that there is at least one scene where the characters literally point out the silliness of trying to tell this serious Spider-Man story alongside the larger Ultimate Universe crossover. The two just clash, and awkwardly at that. So it makes for a stunted issue of Ultimate Spider-Man. When we focus on the non-Divided We Fall stuff, the story is OK. Miles is once again going through all manner of inner crisis as he once again balances being Spider-Man with living his life, and that always makes for good storytelling.

Unfortunately, the best stuff, a meeting between Miles and Aunt May, appears to be being saved for next issue. Instead, Bendis pads out this tale with yet another fight with a silly super-villain. Batroc is the same as Omega Red and the Ringer, just a silly bad guy for Spidey to pummel and take up page space. It’s kind of odd that Bendis has gone back to this well so often…

Anyway, join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review!

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The epic battle between nephew and uncle comes to a grim conclusion this issue, and unfortunately, it’s just not as strong a story as the last two issues. That’s not to say this is a bad issue, by any means, but Ultimate Spider-Man #12 just doesn’t pack the same cerebral or physical wallop that issues #10 and #11 did respectively. The fight between the new Spider-Man and his uncle the Prowler is quite awesome, with one or two cool moments. But there are a couple odd story choices that I think weigh down the overall comic.

I also think this was a less than stellar way to end the battle between Miles and his uncle. Aaron loses all of the moral ambiguity he seemed to have and turns into a total super-villain. Though at least Miles maintains some of that family love.

Comic rating: 4/5: Good!

I can’t put my finger on it, but this final battle between Spider-Man and Prowler didn’t feel as powerful as it should have. The stories leading up to this confrontation have been great. I’d even go so far as to say Miles’ second story arc is better than his first. But this fight just doesn’t have enough oomph behind it. The two men duke it out on a rooftop, with Aaron going full-blown villain. In past issues, I’ve loved that Aaron still seemed to have an interest in Miles’ well-being, because they’re family. The flashbacks to the two of them in better times were enjoyable. I really got the sense that Aaron was the ‘cool uncle’. Even after finding out that Miles was Spider-Man, Aaron still had little traces of good intent in him.

But when you tell your nephew that you’re going to drop his corpse in his father’s lap, you’re definitely not being invited to Thanksgiving dinner anymore. And that’s probably what disappointed me the most. Uncle Aaron is lost to us in this issue, in more ways than one.

Click the jump for a full synopsis and more review.

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