Here starts Stuart Immonen’s run on USM and I couldn’t have asked for a better successor to Mark Bagley. Immonen has his own style which is different from Bagley’s, but at the same time it looks different than his recent work on Ultimate X-Men.
His first arc is Death of the Goblin (#112-117) which is exactly what it sounds like. I like the way Osborn almost gets away with it using the media, which has always been a theme for Spider-Man. The power of the media. I was a bit confused about Fury’s absense, did I read what happened to him? The end of the Osborns seem definitive, and after 117 issues I think we need to move on.
The next arc (118-120) is a familiar story of a teenager finding out she’s a mutant. The difference here is that it’s about Liz Allen, whose subplot has been going on for a while. I liked seeing the X-Men and Johnny Storm, they always make for great supporting characters, just like Kitty Pride who shines in 121, a single issue with Omega Red. She’s just a great addition to Peter’s life, even if it’s just as an ex-girlfriend. But I can see her becoming very close to both Peter and MJ. That can already be seen in issue 122, another single issue story where Shocker kidnaps Spider-Man.
Bendis seems to be wrapping up some of the long standing subplots of the series, first with the Osborns, then with Liz Allen, and now with the symbiotes. This arc is told in different timelines, so it jumps back and forth between past and present. The past is only a few weeks ago, when Osborn escaped from prison. Eddie Brock and the Gwen clone containing Carnage have a huge battle at the end of this arc, culminating in Venom absorbing Carnage and leaving a healthy Gwen. I am happy about this, I thought Gwen was a great character and I am glad she’s back. But the end of the arc brings us to Ultimatum, with the Beetle capturing Venom and bringing him to Latveria.
The third annual is another self contained story that is important in the personal life of Peter. The subject of sex is discussed by the young couple, and as usual is dealt with class by Bendis. But there’s also the introduction of an important new villain, Mysterio. I have a feeling we’ll hear more from him in the future. David Lafuente is the artist, and he brings a very youthful style to the book.
USM is definitely the best Ultimate title, and it’s also my favorite Bendis superhero title (not counting Daredevil, which is more urban crime).