Ultimate Spider-Man was an awesome book. It was built on it's creative revisit to Peter Parker's teen years in Midtown High and his relationships with his friends and his predictable Parker luck. It was in essence a revamped version of the formula that made Spidey popular in the first place.

Bendis and Bagley had it down cold. Great characterization and character development and honest to goodness enjoyable reads.

The stories are okay now but they're empty. The art is good. It's just not as good as it used to be. I keep thinking Bendis lost his way or he's like this guy I work with who comes to work everyday to have a job but not to actually accomplish anything. He just lacks pride in what he does. Because that's the problem now I don't see a plan for the Ultimate Spider-Man. He's just phoning it in. Where's the heart?

It's like he gave up.

I feel like I'm reading a prequel to the Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends cartoon from the early 80's. It's Pete and Bobby and standing in for Angelica "Firestar" Jones is Johnny Storm?!? Does this make Gwen Stacy or Mary Jane Ms. Lion? Um, I don't know. 

The original series also had a great supporting character in Kenny "Kong" who seems notably down played or completely absent. The overweight seemingly dumb yet smart enough guy to connect that Peter was his hero Spiderman. The book just seems to be a series of events with no real direction.

This issue decided to pick up on a moment from Ultimate Origins #5 a book published in 2008. Mind you a limited series that had a heavy subplot builing up on the mystique of what "The Watchers" were. Ultimately they speak through Susan Storm saying they've selected someone as their herald. 

I'm telling you the Ultimate Universe is ocassionally good and sometimes it's just … wacky. That series had a teenaged Rick Jones screaming in agony glowing with power seemingly the chosen herald and that was it. A moment so big you had to get people pumped up for it and then ….

Do nothing with it for more then a year.

Oh by the way Marvel also decided to finally publish Eye of The Camera #6, 10 months after the release of issue 5. Sorry this is a tangent but strangely connected by the ocassional lack of delivery and follow through of Marvel.

So Rick Jones is back. Ultimate Spiderman was the place you had to look for this story to be picked up. I mean there is no more Ultimate Fantastic Four. There's just Johnny unless you're reading the uneventful Ultimate Enemy. Bleh!

Also even though I'd say 616 Rick is most associated with the Avengers, in a world where "watcher(s)" recruit hearlds and Galactus is a fleet of ships that can't even make it to earth due to a psychic attack from Charles Xavier and Jean Grey anything is possible in a medicocre way that fails to satisfy.You just have to accept that sometimes BMB must think he's more clever then he really is.

The rundown:

MJ and Pete talk. Gwen and Aunt May talk. 2 Flashbacks to Ultimate Origins, Aunt May gives someone leftovers and should really stop spreading rumors and mind her own damn business. Aunt May has a house meeting, teenager heroes do stupid stuff and Rick Jones is a mess. Michigan needs Damage Control Insurance back to Queens and that's a wrap Tune in next issue to find out what Rick does next.

It's just lacking anything compelling.

I don't care about Ultimate Gwen anymore. Not since she was revealed to be carnage?!? sort of. I think that's what they did. I read that story back then but it's cool cause drunk Tony Stark said she was fine and normal as normal Carnages go and all.

I miss Pete and MJ as a couple. Not sure when Ultimate MJ became so whiny and her vision got worse and then she needed glasses.

I miss Kong!! Bring him back too.

Instead we have super powered squatters, Aunt May fighting off empty nest syndrome in one wacky way, directionless heroes written by a possibly directionless writer and Rick Jones. We needed more troubled teenagers. 3 more issues and they should just call it Ultimate New Warriors or The Ultimate Real World: Marvel or Forest Hills.

It's not working.

Bendis please bring it back. We miss the way it was. If you start caring again we may care again too. It starts with you. We're waiting but only for so long.

I guess they can't all be Geoff Johns (ouch!)

ComicsOnline gives Ultimate Comics Spider-Man 2 out of 5 squatters.