Marvel Must Haves: Ultimate Spider-Man #1–3

    (Marvel, 2003)
™ and ©2003 Marvel Entertainment Group

With Marvel Must Haves: Ultimate Spider-Man #1–3, Marvel offers fans a convenient, inexpensive, reader-friendly way to experience the modern–day retelling of the origin and subsequent first few adventures of everyone’s favorite web–slinger. Spider-Man doesn’t appear in costume until the last pages of #3 (Stan Lee and Steve Ditko’s original story is expanded extensively), but Peter Parker’s confrontations with Flash Thompson, his interaction with Mary Jane, his friendship with Harry Osborn, and his transformation from geek to freak are told in highly entertaining fashion.

As with Spider-Man the movie (which came out well after Ultimate Spider-Man #1 hit the stands), Web–Head’s early months are altered to fit current sensibilities (as well as writer preferences). May seems young and relatively hip, Doctor Octavius works for Osborn Industries, and a wrestling promoter actually comes up with Spidey’s costume. Ben, who’s given much to do here (unlike his role in Amazing Fantasy #15, in which all he does is get killed), sports a cool ponytail. There are plenty more alterations, but none seem ill fitting or sacreligious, even for the most ardent of Spider-Heads, and the art has a nice classic look that is also sleekly modern.

With the original issues going for big bucks, this is a good, practical way to experience the ultimate Spider-Man adventures. Based on its power to entertain, it will probably lead many readers to pick up the Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 1: Power & Responsibility graphic novel, which reprints #1–10.

— Brett Weiss
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