This is just a damn smart issue. Bendis accomplishes so much here that it's staggering. On the surface, this is a setup issue (and well-timed marketing stunt) for the upcoming Ultimate Six limited series, but it's more than that as well. Bendis brings another classic Spider-Man villain into the Ultimate Universe, and once again, he updates him for the 21st century. On top of that we get to know the character of Sharon Carter much better, and I like what I learn about her here. But most importantly, Bendis explores the notion that these weird bad guys who take on the title character aren't villains, but monsters. They're not criminals, but creatures of incredible horror.
Two months ago, Spider-Man stopped a madman with four mechanical arms in the middle of a killing spree and quest for revenge. But there is more to the story, and S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Sharon Carter has to tell the story in her mission report to her superiors. She tells of another freak that was discovered at the New Jersey facility where Otto Octavius led reporters. She tells of how that second freak was awakened, and how his powers were even more frightening and bizarre than the man with the robotic limbs. Carter tells her story, and she warns those she works for about the dangerous path that lies ahead of them.
Bagley and Thibert do it again. This issue is an action-oriented one, and they bring the title characters awkward agility to life, as well as the overwhelming surreal nature of the new antagonist's powers. Computer coloring effects really help the artist to convey the nasty and intense nature of his powers, but the artists convince the reader of the villain's corrupt heart with their depiction of his steely, unfeeling gaze.
Sharon Carter is the main protagonist of this issue, which is a surprising and novel change, bringing this character from the world of Captain America into the very different one of Spider-Man. Carter's confidence and independence make her instantly likable and admirable. Those qualities pay on her climactic appeal to her bosses, and I also have to respect her cynicism, her disappointment but lack of surprise that her warnings are going unheeded.
The antagonist's powers here make him a monster, yes, but that's not all. The most chilling thing about the character is his emotional distance from those around him. It's a radical departure from the character's mainstream-continuity counterpart. He's a sociopath, completely ambivalent to everyone around him. They're not people, they're obstacles.
