Comics / Comic Reviews / Marvel Comics

Ultimate Spider-Man #158

By Zak Edwards
May 26, 2011 - 17:04

Maybe it’s the past six months of “Death of Spider-Man” being plastered in every Marvel Comic and on the cover of every Ultimate book, or maybe the failure for the Rapture to happen last weekend is compounding my impatience for promises not lived up to, but this whole Death of Spider-Man arc has gone on long enough.  The story is exhausted, there is nothing else to say, no other grand revelation before the climax of the story and the title’s namesake event.  The Rapture has now been classified as a 'spiritual' Rapture, a prelude, and this issue just feels like the space between, except, you know, actually exists.  But even still, we have another issue of UC: Spider-Man, and another after this, before the inevitable explanation of the technical meanings of ‘death’ and ‘Spider-Man’ are used to aid in an anti-climax.  Mark Miller’s title this week had the good sense to mostly abandon the Spider-Man crossover, but Bendis is holding out for issue #160, a nice, round number, to aid in things going back to a number one, for the sales spike, and a little bit of restructuring.  The last restructuring worked out wonderfully, I would argue, and maybe this one will too, but just do it already!  Me and my soul are weary and in need of some promises being delivered on!

As I have said, this issue seems to mostly waste time: tons of action sequences and decompressed moments of Spider-Man standing up and the Human Torch and Iceman discussing the finer points of a sticky note help fill out a page count.  Other than that, and I say this as a long-time fan of this series, the issue is completely pointless.  Spider-Man stands up, hits Vulture in the face with some web, and tells the other gathered villains to take a number to kick the crap out of him.  Yes, Johnny Storm and Bobby Drake, the Human Torch and Iceman respectively, do make some ruckus, but for no real outcome or reason.  It’s unfortunate, the whole story has been told and now we must wait.  Bendis’ expanded approach to Ultimate Spider-Man has served him well over the book’s ten years, and artist Mark Bagley’s beautiful double-page spreads and constructions have certainly aided the book creatively (a practice mimicked by subsequent artists, most effectively by Stuart Immonen), but the stringing along of this story is getting ridiculous, and I have lost interest in the next issue.  Of course I’ll read it, and probably write about it, but I hardly think I’ll have anything interesting to say other than "Wow, look at what almost happened, next issue it actually will!"

The saving grace of this book is Bendis’ bringing back all the classic villains for Mark Bagley to draw again.  His designs for Ultimate versions of the rogues gallery in Ultimate Spider-Man was a huge draw early on, and seeing Bagley back with these characters is wonderful.  His layouts are incredible and almost disguise the lackluster script at key moments, including the pages dedicated to Spider-Man simply standing up.  Bagley brings an intensity to these moments that made me enjoy the book simply because Bagley’s back and at his best.  Bendis and Bagley worked together on 110 issues of this book together and their team-up again does usher in a feeling of when this book was fresh and exciting and something new.  Unfortunately, Bagley’s art can’t completely make up for such terrible pacing choices.

Grade: C    Not the best effort by Bendis, this story needs to wrap up, and quickly.

Last Updated: January 1, 2026 - 11:07