Rating: 
Summary: Refreshing update to an old favorite
Review: Spider-Man has always been one of my favorite super-hero characters of all time. Somehow, though, I lost track of him after heading into college, marrage and a career. Then, a few weeks ago, a friend mentioned that he had started to collect "the new Spider-Man." "New" Spider-Man? I thought. How could this be? My friend lent me his first few issues, and although I was skeptical, I gave them a read. It did not take me more than a few pages to get completely hooked. All of the original themes and characters are there, but have been cleverly updated to appeal to our modern taste. I must admit, if Spidey had been closer to my age when I was in high school, I might not have stopped reading in the first place! In any event, the revamp of the series is exceptional, and the artwork is impressive by any standard. Watching Peter deal with growing up AND having those super powers has been a twist I did not expect, but have enjoyed immensely. You will want to note that this edition only covers the first seven issues. I am now eagerly waiting publication of the second collection, due out December 2001.
Rating:
Summary: The birth of a Spider-Man for the 21st Century
Review: Stan Lee and Steve Ditko told this story in one issue of Amazing Fantasy in 1963. In Power and Responsibility, Brian Bendis and Bill Jemas have revised and expanded the tale as the launching point for the Ultimate Spider-Man series. The extra space is spent on a few new plot touches, but mostly it gives us a longer, deeper look at these characters. We see the pain of Peter's adolescence, compounded by his problems fitting in at school and the loss of his parents; we see the joy that his newfound abilities give him; we see the pressure of adjusting to the changes in his life that result. Peter spends a great deal of time in a basement lab, studying a set of equations left behind by his father. The one sided conversations he has with the blackboard are great character moments, filled with loneliness and determination. Peter also spends a great deal of time with his father figure, Uncle Ben, and here is one of Bendis' greatest touches - the extra time spent with Ben show that he's just the kind of caring, involved, lighthearted, generous sort we all wish we could have in a father, which makes his death hit that much harder. The art is also strong here -- good character expressions, appealing design work, and nice action sequences. Combined with Bendis' strong dialogue and characterization, this book conveys the essence of the character, and quite frankly the upcoming movie has a lot to live up to top this story. Power and Responsibility is an excellent introduction to the character for kids and other readers who may not be familiar with his published adventures. It also should entertain longtime Spider-Man fans who are ready to see the character stripped down to its basics and rebuilt again. (Although those familiar readers may rate the book slightly lower, given their familiarity with the story. I myself am looking forward to where Bendis will take Ultimate Spider-Man now that the origin is out of the way.)
Rating: 
Summary: This one's the best.... but still far from "Ultimate"
Review: The first storyarc in the rather poor Ultimate Spider-man series is the enevitable origin storyarc. Peter Parker is bitten by a genetically altered spider. Eventually, he soon dons the guise of Spider-man to cash in on fame and fortune. But when a horrible tragedy strikes..... You've read it before, and you're going to read it again. Yes, it has, "mondern," stuff like the internet, but still, it has "R-I-P-O-F-F," written all over it. At least the story is slightly touched upon a bit more between Peter's relationships with Aunt May and Uncle Ben(who, dare I say it, has been redesigned into a hippy. Deny it all you want, its true) before the uncle has the fateful encounter with the burglar, leading to Spider-man's true birth as a superhero. But other than that, it's best to just browse. The entire battle with the Green Goblin afterwards is pointless and doesn't serve much purpose to the story afterwards. Something tells me another 40 years from now, Bendis will most likely have been forgotten from the other Spider-man authors, simply because of the unoriginality his stories contain. Still, if you simply must pick up an "Ultimate" book, this one is probably your best bet.
Rating:
Summary: This one's the best.... but still far from "Ultimate"
Review: The first storyarc in the rather poor Ultimate Spider-man series is the enevitable origin storyarc. Peter Parker is bitten by a genetically altered spider. Eventually, he soon dons the guise of Spider-man to cash in on fame and fortune. But when a horrible tragedy strikes..... You've read it before, and you're going to read it again. Yes, it has, "mondern," stuff like the internet, but still, it has "R-I-P-O-F-F," written all over it. At least the story is slightly touched upon a bit more between Peter's relationships with Aunt May and Uncle Ben(who, dare I say it, has been redesigned into a hippy. Deny it all you want, its true) before the uncle has the fateful encounter with the burglar, leading to Spider-man's true birth as a superhero. But other than that, it's best to just browse. The entire battle with the Green Goblin afterwards is pointless and doesn't serve much purpose to the story afterwards. Something tells me another 40 years from now, Bendis will most likely have been forgotten from the other Spider-man authors, simply because of the unoriginality his stories contain. Still, if you simply must pick up an "Ultimate" book, this one is probably your best bet.
Rating:
Summary: An Active and Exciting Retelling of Spider-Man
Review: The Ultimate Spider-Man is a new and excellent retelling of the legend of Spider-Man. Even the different appearances of the characters including Peter Parker is great. I love the story-telling, the new characters and the old character with new personalities. This new Ultimate line for Spider-Man is magnificent. Even when the cruel Norman Osborn transforms into the new hulky Green Goblin is great. I love the new Green Goblin with his new hulky appearance and his new powers. The Ultimate Spider-Man book is a great new comic being added into the Marvel Universe.
Rating:
Summary: The ULTIMATE Spider-man TPB
Review: This book is a must have for Spider-man fans and trade paperback collectors. The origin of Spider-man is retold without sacrificing the original story. Staying true to the Stan Lee hero first introduced in Amazing Fantasy #15, this contemporary update is a classic in its own right. The pace of Ultimate Spider-man is considerably slower, but characters are given added depth and the artwork is fantastic. I showed this book to my wife, who always made fun of me for reading comic books, and now she's hooked and wants to read every new Ultimate Spider-man comic as soon as its printed. My only complaint is what they've done with the Green Goblin. I prefer how he looks in the original Spider-man comic books. Anyway, the book is a must have. And for those who want to see a great online comic, check out Q-balls.com, which is free and updated every week.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: This is a great book. i've been a longtime Spidey reader, and I think this is a great way to revamp the mythos and the legend. The artwork is incredible, and Brian Michael Bendis is the best writer!
Rating:
Summary: Better than the originals
Review: This is a very adaption of the orginals and has everything from comedy to having your school blown up by a rampageous villain named...
Rating: 
Summary: Ultimate Spider-Man
Review: This is an interesting re-telling of the Spider-Man origin. A lot better than the recent John Byrne reboot, it is updated to the 21st century, with new slang, fashions, and fads. The best update is Uncle Ben, who appears to be a leftover from the Woodstock generation. There's a lot more depth to Uncle Ben on this go round and his death hits harder than in the original telling. A couple of problems. Norman Osborn isn't very well handled. He becomes a monster and is much more out of control than the Green Goblin in the original telling. The second problem is Mary Jane. Introducing her as a high school character is an interesting touch, but her presence makes Peter less of a 'loser'. All in all a good re-telling, and highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Bendis is a master of writing
Review: This is the best new Spidey title in sometime and that credit has to go to Bendis and Jemas on art. The story is great. This takes you back to Spidey's origin in a new way, introduces the old characters but with a slight twist of today. If you want to catch up on one of the best selling comics of all time then this is for you.
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