As I read this arc of Ultimate Spider-Man, I'm beginning to experience that same sort of enjoyable dread that one gets from a good horror movie. Bendis is telling a new story of Spidey's second encounter with the Green Goblin, complete with some off-beat and unpredictable allies, but he is also grounding it in the familiar, giving the book a nod to one of the most infamous Green Goblin stories there is and making many of the readers, including me, worry about the fate of a favorite supporting character. For Peter Parker, the danger that Goblin represents is less physical and more psychological, and it's interesting to see him placed in such a no-win situation, as we wonder what both the main players will do next, and who will get hurt in the bargain.
Last issue ended with a big cliffhanger, and this issue picks right up where the creators left off with the revelation of who was in the room with Peter. This is a spoiler for those who haven't figured it out already, but I can't really talk about the book without revealing it, so consider yourself warned and skip the review if you don't want to know.
So SHIELD, huh? I'm really enjoying the Ultimate take on Nick Fury and his organization, and tying them into the origin of Spider-Man a little more deeply has a lot of interesting potential. I also love that Fury showing up actually complicates Spidey's life more, rather than less. Just as in the classic Spider-Man tales, though Peter is surrounded by potential allies in the Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, etc. they tend to not be of much help to him when it counts. Bendis makes the most of this, showing off Peter's frustration with SHIELD and the Goblin with dialogue that is often very funny, but is also very honest. Many of us have been frustrated when other people can't help us when it seems so clear to us what they should do, and so it's easy to relate.
The pacing on this arc reminds me of the first one, slower than you'd find in an average comic but absolutely perfect. The slow build of the Goblin's return and the effects it has on Peter's life, spending several pages on interaction with Nick Fury or a talk with Aunt May, helps to establish Peter and the rest as more real characters, which is really the biggest strength that the Ultimate Spider-Man book has.
In terms of artwork, the book remains one of the less impressive of the Ultimate titles, but that's due more to intense competition from Bryan Hitch and the Kuberts than any failings on Bagley's part. The storytelling and the expressiveness of the characters is still very strong, and Bagley continues to draw a lithe and distinctive Spidey and a creepy looking Green Goblin. I wasn't quite as impressed with his take on Nick Fury, who sometimes looks more like Jesse L. Martin than Samuel L. Jackson and whose constantly shifting facial features were a little distracting, but in general I'm willing to forgive those little inconsistencies in the name of the solid storytelling skills that Bagley brings to the table.
Coming off the Spider-Man movie, there are probably a few new readers who are looking for a good Spider-Man tale in comics. I imagine that those of them who pick up Ultimate Spider-Man are pleased to find a story that not only succeeds as well as the movie did, but in some regards actually surpasses it.
