What is 42? Well according to the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy it’s the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything. The number 42 has a lot of meanings depending on your background. Are you French? Then maybe you relate it to the Loire Department. Fan of Lewis Carroll? Well then maybe you would know that he is a fan of referencing the number 42 in his literary works. If you’re a chemist than you would recognize it as the atomic weight of the popular element Molybdenum. Perhaps your iPod is filled with songs by the English pop band, Level 42. Or, maybe, just maybe, it’s the answer to who can fill in for Peter Parker as the next Ultimate Spider-Man. Read on to find out more about this magical number and its meaning.
Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #1
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Sara Pichelli
Colorist: Justin Ponsor
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Cover Art: Kaare Andrews
Variant Covers: Sara Pichelli & Justin Ponsor
Plot: Eleven months ago, Norman Osborn met with his newest scientist, Dr. Markus. Osborn related the Greek tale of the goddess Athena and the spinstress Arachne. Osborn then admitted that he created Spider-Man and charged Dr. Markus with recreating the procedure. Norman ended his conversation with Dr. Markus by telling him that if any of this information were to go public, he would beat the scientist to death with his bare hands. Dr. Markus is overwhelmed and does not realize that the spider the two men had been studying – the 42nd test subject – is free from its container.
Sometime later, Osborn Industries is shut down following the revelation that Osborn turned himself into the monster known as the Green Goblin. The Prowler, a tech-savvy burglar, breaks into an abandoned OI facility. The thief empties a safe of all its money and a mysterious red box. Unbeknownst to the Prowler, a spider with the number 42 on its abdomen climbs into the bag of loot.
In Brooklyn, New York, a young Miles Morales attends an event with his parents. A handful of randomly selected children will be chosen to attend the prestigious Brooklyn Visions Academy. After sitting through a lottery for admission to the school, Miles is the last one selected. His parents are thrilled, but Miles feels bad for all the children who were not selected.
Miles visits his Uncle Aaron later without his parent’s knowledge. On his uncle’s coffee table is a familiar red box, and on the couch is Aaron’s duffle bag. Miles tells his uncle that he was accepted to the school. When Aaron offers to help anyway he can, Miles says his parents would never allow it since they don’t even like it when the boy visits his uncle. Miles sits down on the couch beside the bag, and out crawls a familiar arachnid. Miles passes out after the spider crawls onto his hand and bites him.
Aaron eventually revives his nephew after calling his brother to tell him about the accident. Miles’ father busts into the apartment and demands to know what Aaron has done to his son. The two argue about Miles and do not realize that the youth has left the apartment. Miles’ dad races to the streets to look for his child, but cannot find him. When Miles stands up to call out to his father, he is shocked to discover that he is transparent and his dad cannot see him.
*
Meet Miles Morales: We don’t know a lot about Miles after this first issue, except that he is a soft spoken middle-schooler. He’s also apparently the luckiest kid in the world, depending on your definition of the word ‘lucky.’ Bendis will most likely draw Miles’ origin story out over the first few issues of the new Ultimate line, but so far there doesn’t seem to be anything heroic about this new character. Whether it’s miraculously getting selected for an exclusive charter school, or having a genetically-altered spider find its way from the floor of a science lab to a Brooklyn apartment, things just seem to fall in place for him. I don’t necessarily require a tragic death in Miles’ life, but so far his origin just seems a bit too convenient and uninteresting.
Is there some special force that is bringing all these things together? Why is it so important that Miles be accepted to this particular school? What is the special meaning behind the number 42? Not only was the spider the 42nd test subject, but it was also Miles’ lucky number in the lottery. If you’re a baseball fan, you may know that the number 42 is synonymous with Jackie Robinson, the first black player to play in the major leagues. Is this a reference to Miles breaking the Spider-Man color barrier? Maybe I’m reading too much into it and maybe it’s just a random number Bendis plucked out of thin air, but like the rest of this origin story, everything seems a bit too contrived to me.
I’m not a fan of the way Miles acquired his powers, either. The only difference between this origin and Peter Parker’s is that Miles wasn’t in a lab at the time of the accident. Having this occur in a lab makes a lot more sense than having it occur because the spider happened to crawl into a bag that Miles would be sitting next to. Miles’ new power of stealth is interesting, but its use at the end of this issue makes no sense. How is it possible for the clothing to vanish as well? Is Miles bending the light around his outfit? It seems to me that the stealth power should really only affect his body but I’m willing to let it slide for the sake of comic book science.
*
New Directions: So in addition to the new hero and the new ability, what else is new that will make this different from Peter Parker’s Spider-Man? We’re introduced to a new supporting cast in Miles’ family. We don’t know much about them yet, except that his mom wants the best for her son, and his father does not have the best relationship with his brother, Miles’ Uncle Aaron. They seem like caring and loving parents, but I’m not sure that letting a fourteen-year-old run around Brooklyn by himself is the best parenting.
Bendis does a good job setting up future storylines, the main one so far being Uncle Aaron as the Prowler. It will be interesting to see how the dual identity of Miles’ favorite uncle plays out when Miles turns to the superhero lifestyle. Will they be allies or will Miles prove his father right and learn that his uncle is not a good role model? The little red box that the Prowler stole from Osborn Industries will be an intriguing plot development as well.
*
The Same Old Song and Dance: Pichelli is not a completely new addition to the creative team, having worked on Ultimate Spider-Man before the Death of Spider-Man ended Peter’s run behind the mask. She takes over art duties once again from Mark Bagley and she does a good job keeping up the high level of art that the Ultimate comics have received. Ponsor returns as well to color Pichelli’s art and he remains a consistent plus. His color palette has changed with the relaunch as he is using a lot more greens and muted yellows and browns.
Bendis’ writing is a consistent carryover. Norman’s comparison of the Greek myth is a clever idea but the parallels he tries to draw between that and the Spider-Man mythos doesn’t seem to correlate that well. None of the characters seem to have a clear voice which is often an issue with Bendis’ work. One of the worst examples was when Miles answers his father’s question about how long his mother has acted a certain way with the phrase “since birth.” I don’t picture a middle-schooler speaking that way.
The only Peter Parker-related character to appear in this issue is Norman Osborn. I liked the use of the Daily Bugle article to recap Norman’s incarceration for being the Green Goblin. It helps place this story in the time line of the Ultimate universe. It’ll be interesting to see how they handle the Death of Spider-Man from Miles’ perspective, and I’m hoping that we see Norman rise again to see how a young and untested hero such as Miles can handle a vicious villain.
*
Rating: Good, art. Meh, characterization. Poor, story and writing. Bad, action. 2/5 Genetically-Altered Spiders
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Thanks, Brian. I should have read your (awesome) review after I had my coffee! Yes… 42 is a great number for geeks (like me)… and baseball fans alike. Even the show LOST used it enough to drive me crazy. As far as people hating on the death of Peter, I understand. But remember- this is “The Ultimate U”… Parker is still alive… and shooting his web in the original Marvel world. This is a cool little spin-off…. and I wish them 100 issues plus.
21 alright pages
To be honest I’m still reeling from the death of Peter parker and ad good as an issue I thought this was it also left me with a bad taste in my mouth when I started reading ultimate spider man I felt a rapor with the Peter Peter bendis gave us. Seeing a new lead only reminds me how much I missed the Peter Parker character. I will stick with the book for a while though
@17 JD… and i agree, I liked the suspicious reaction Uncle Aaron had when answering the door and seeing how nice of a place he had, most likely due to his night time activities. I wonder if we’ll be seeing Ultimate Black Cat and Prowler meet up at some point while burglaring. That could present an interesting story and seeing her reaction to the new Spider-Man may be cool.
@17 JD… very true about the differences between 616 May and Ultimate May. Should be interesting to see how May handles herself without Peter in this Ultimate universe when she gets back from France. Your point about his concern for his aunt taking a back seat to his super heroics is a plus in my book though. One of my issues with the latest Fear Itself comic (review coming soon) is how Peter left to go find May, just didn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the story. I love May and Peter’s sense of responsibility to her, but him constantly worrying about her can detract from the story at times. In Ultimate he always seemed more worried about how she would respond to him missing a curfew instead of her safety. I was not a fan of Ultimate May slapping Cap, but she was obviously in hysterics so can’t blame her I guess.
@18 spideytracer… (and @12 parabolee)… I’ve actually never read Hitchhikers Guide… just saw the movie, and I’ve been told that the book is a hundred times better. May need to add it to my ‘read’ pile when I get back on a sci-fi kick, recently it’s been more fantasy based novels. you’re not the only one who wants to leave the spideyverse it seems though, tracer, but all things happen in cycles, so keep hoping that something good comes along that will bring you back to your beloved character.
@Brian,
According to The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy, the number 42 is the answer to the meaning of life!!! Whether this means something to our new Webhead only remains to be seen. The review was spot-on in my opinion, and personally I don’t think I’ll be reading this title for long. I’m so disilliusioned with what Marvel has done to Spider-Man in all his current titles that I may just abandon the Spideyverse altogether, and I’ve been reading his stories for 40 years now.
Kinda makes you yearn for the Clone Saga.
@16 Brian – True, but I never got the sense of pressure with UPP that I did with 616-PP. Ultimate Aunt May would have been okay without Peter while 616 Aunt May seemed to be on the verge of death since Lyndon Johnson was sworn in. 616 Aunt May certainly wouldn’t have slapped Captain America, for example. I think that looming burden of responsibility took a back seat to tackling super-villains.
I definitely agree about the family dynamics, and one of the best aspects of the book (IMO) was how well it was told visually. Miles’ uncle welcomes him in and you see a pretty spartan hallway, the uncle gives a quick, suspicious look around so we know he’s shady, and then we see the interior of the apartment with a TV the size of the wall. Just great visual storytelling there.
@15 JD… Those two issues aren’t anything really new. Peter still felt responsible as the man of the family after Uncle Ben died and tried to find a way to make money to help pay the bills. He also had to worry about his grades slipping. Just because he was a really bright kid didn’t mean that his attendance and grades weren’t affected when he would leave school. Miles may not be as smart as Peter, but we don’t know that yet. He could be really smart as well. I am really interested to see the relationship between Uncle Aaron and Miles’ father play out, and to learn why he doesn’t trust Aaron. Maybe he knows its because he’s a thief or maybe there’s something much deeper that goes back to their childhood.
Loved the first issue. I think Bendis has already done a better job setting up Miles’ burden of responsibility than he ever did with Ultimate Peter Parker. In making Aunt May younger and stronger, Bendis lost that looming problem of Peter always feeling responsible for her (Who can forget the immortal image of him casting off the steel girders so he could get Aunt May her medication). Miles Morales may have “had things fall into place,” but think about the responsibility he’ll feel as his parents have to find a way to pay for the academy (he even mentions this). Plus, he has to keep up his grades while web-slinging, which is an aspect that was glossed over during Peter’s run.
Fantastic start.
I’m with Butters, I think I’m going to wait for more positivity if it comes and then perhaps pick it up in trade from.
That being said, helluva job on the review, I got everything I wanted to know out of it.
Good review. I iffy on picking this up just cause my budget is stretched thin as it is.
If it ends up being good I might wait for the trade
If it ends up being amazing (pun intended) ill just say screw it and pick up the issues
Any review that references the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy gets a big thumbs up from me 🙂
@Brian
Maybe none of his parents figure will die. I think Bendis said somewhere than “someone saw Peter die and was inspired to become a hero. That way, Peter would become somebody’s uncle Ben” (I dont remember the exact words, it was on an interview with Bendis). So he would make something of his powers around a year later, when Peter dies.
@9 Joey.. see second paragraph of the “meet miles morales” section 🙂 being a baseball fan as well, that was my first thought seeing that number
I’m loving the new Ultimate Spiderman. Maybe it’s just me being Brooklyn born… and also a baseball fan… but the number 42 can also be a Jackie Robinson reference? I can see a few obvious connections here… Thoughts?
Sounds like I’m in the minority so far.
@6 Tom… I guess the difference with Peter’s origin story in Ultimate #1 was we all knew what was going to happen and how he was going to become the heroic character. The same thing could very well happen to Miles, it’s just since we don’t know where it’s going at the moment, it leaves a lot open after this one issue. I agree that something will happen to at least one of his parental figures. Maybe something will happen to both his parents and he’ll need to wind up living with his uncle. Although if his parents dislike Aaron that much, I can’t imagine they’d want to leave their child in his custody should something happen to them, but who knows. I hope we have a bit more substance in the next issue though.
I think this is still back when Peter is alive, because it has been suggested that “Miles will be inspired like Peter was inspired by Uncle Ben.” So I think Peter will do something that will turn Miles heroic.
I really enjoyed this issue.
Is Miles heroic. No. Though I don’t see that as a negative. This is the start of a heroes journey. As Peter Parker a hero in Ultimate Spider-man #1?
I was a huge skeptic, for 616 I am a huge believer in if it ain’t Peter, I won’t read it, but this won me over. There are enough changes to keep me interested, and i’ll definatly be back for no. 2. Miles has three “parent-figures”, I’m guessing by the end of the first arc he’ll only have two. Be interesting to see what direction they take this. All have potentional.
I absolutely loved the writing and art of this issue, my only complaint was that it was all over pretty quickly. I suppose Bendis and Pichelli have done their job if my only criticism is “I want more!!”, but it did seem quite slight for $3.99. I imagine I’ll be trade-waiting the rest of the series, but it is now a trade I’m really looking forward to.
Its starting slow but I’m sure we’re all going to be in for a treat
I do like how he’s a quiet kid, and how he felt bad when he was selected for admission. That scene of him looking at the depressed kids who didn’t get accepted was a nice bit of selflessness on his part. As Sthenurus said, this just seems like a very trade friendly story. I could see myself liking it much more as a complete arc, but as a stand alone issue it didn’t do enough to hook me right away.
I actually quite enjoyed this issue. I can see your point of how little we know of Miles personally, but I’m willing to believe that we will get to know more about him through his discovery of how to use his powers. Right now I like that he’s a shy, withdrawn and softspoken kid. It makes the relatability of the Spider-Man theme a continuous truism.
The same with how the spider got to bite him, totally by chance.
This isn’t bad for an origin story, but as usual with bendis it’s very decompressed. You can see it’s obviously designed to be part of a trade. Funny how what took Stan lee only 1 book to do takes 5 nowadays.