Though I've lost some of my enthusiasm for Ultimate Spider-Man overall, it remains my favorite of the ongoing Spider-Man titles and every so often manages to connect with me in the same way that it used to. This issue is a great example, a self-contained story that reads like a modern update of a Stan Lee classic, as Peter tries desperately to escape the complications of life in order to do his hero thing, but finds himself blocked by mundane obstacles that slow him down. It could be played for laughs, but it's not... not entirely. It could also be played for melodrama, but again, that's not entirely what it's about either. Instead, it's a balance of fun and serious, a good look at the basics of being Spider-Man and being Peter Parker.
Though Bagley gets a bad rap as something of a workmanlike artist, and I can't deny that I'm sometimes a bigger fan of his storytelling than his actual style, he does knock them out of the park now and then. Case in point, the redesign of the Rhino, which makes him look just monstrously huge and high-tech, less the buffoon he's become in modern continuity and more an impressive force of nature that can fight Spidey to a standstill. The storytelling throughout is great, actually, whether it's the quick chase of Peter by the entire football team, the visual sense of Peter being distracted during the parent-teacher conference or the final panel, which gives us an ironic conclusion.
However, while the Rhino is introduced in this issue, and gets a big double-page splash, he's essentially a bit player. The conflict this issue is not Spidey versus a super-villain, but Spidey versus his own secret identity. The way he keeps running into complications is absolutely true to life; it always seems like when we're in a hurry, that's when everything in the universe is blocking our way. I like that Bendis varies it, from the mildly comical (his aunt happens to catch him ditching) to the serious (having to run off on a friend who needs him, and not being able to explain why), and so this doesn't feel as over-the-top as it probably would if it were in fact a Stan Lee story, and not one done in that style.
I do miss some of the tension that has been introduced into Peter's relationships, as both Mary Jane and Aunt May seem to have forgiven and forgotten completely the fights that they've had with Peter recently, but I suppose that was a streamlining to avoid extra conflicts in an issue that already has a strong through-line. This is a thoroughly accessible issue, as the supporting cast and the role they play in Peter's life is introduced, and we get a pretty good sense of who he is throughout.
If you haven't been reading Ultimate Spider-Man, this is a good jumping-on point. I like that Bendis continues to put these standalones into the book between the arcs, as they provide not just an accessible story for new readers but a nice breather between the more intense action arcs for regular readers.
