Ultimate Spider-man #78 - Mobile Edition

Marvel Comics
Ultimate Spider-man #78
By Kevin Scott
June 26, 2005 - 17:15

Marvel Comics
Writer(s): Brian Michael Bendis
Penciller(s): Mark Bagley
Inker(s): Scott Hanna
Cover Artist(s): Mark Bagley

Is the world going to end! Well that’s how it feels for a certain young lady. As she deals with the ramifactions of one of the most impactful incidents of her life. Mary Jane has been dumped and the scars run deep. Plus, the introduction of a new character into the Ult. Spideyverse—Mark Raxton—friend or foe?

Recently, I’ve had fears that maybe Bendis had reached his time on this book. But after the disappointing arc, he’d hit you with something that oozed the true essence of this title. With this issue, he’s shown that he still hasn’t lost the vibe (not that Hobgoblin was completely bad). This is a stand alone story, which looks at the end of Peter and Mary Jane’s relationship, from MJ’s perspective. It moves and flows with a natural pace, that exhumes youthful heartache. And it’s easy for the reader to empathies with what’s going on. This really is a great nod to Bendis talent.

Bagley was built for these types of stories! He really knows how to punch those moments. And he creates a visual connection with the reader, which draws you in, to the stories emotional core. They say, a picture can speak a thousand words. And this is so true, as we get a wordless (well there’s one small balloon, but that’s it) page near the end. Where you can read all you need to know, from the eyes and facial expressions. The cover also does a good job at reflecting the sentiment of the issue – Mary Jane’s feelings of smallness to Peter’s world.

Rating: B/10