Ultimate Spider-Man, Volume 5: Public Scrutiny

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN, VOL. 1 by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS ★★★★★My first introduction to Spider-Man was Sam Raimi's 2002 film, appropriately named Spider-Man. It was as great as a superhero film could be in the early 2000s, but it hooked me into the webslinger's story and made me a fan. But even with the movies, it never occurred to me that I could be reading the comic books. So I took it as an opportunity to catch up on old times. In this first volume, Bendis takes the classic story and revitalizes it, breathing fresh life into it and presenting it to an audience of a new generation. As a kid just starting out in elementary school, this would've been perfect for me. And the story doesn't disappoint. Peter Parker is still Peter Parker–somewhat nerdy but brainy, not so smooth with the ladies, the butt of a jock's jokes–and his supporting cast is almost the same, minus the subtle differences (the book takes place in the Ultimate universe, a separate continuity for the main Marvel universe...it can get complicated, but that's the basic idea), but the story, while the same at its core, feels new. It's almost as if there's more to Peter's story that we're just now learning; or better yet, the same story with new angles and twists. It's a feel-good story that's sure to win the hearts of fans across the board. Everything you know about Peter's early days as Spider-Man, from the accident, to his relationship with his aunt and uncle, to the famous words, “With great power comes great responsibility,” Ultimate Spider-Man, Vol. 1 is an absolute must-read for diehard fans and newcomers alike.