Ultimate Spider-Man is a 2000 series that reintroduced Spider-Man for a modern audience. Classic characters were reimagined and given updated origins. Starting at Spider-Man’s origin allowed new readers to enjoy it without having to read past stories. The series was a success, and it led to the development of an entire universe of Ultimate Marvel comics. Ultimate Spider-Man is considered by many to be the best starting point for new readers, and some even consider it one of the best Spider-Man series!
How to Read Ultimate Spider-Man
If you’d like to read the entire series, follow along with the reading order below. You can read the entire series online through Marvel Unlimited. The original issues can be pricey and hard to find. But if you want to buy physical copies, you can find collected editions in paperback and hardcover formats. The series is collected in several big hardcovers: Ultimate Spider-Man Omnibus vol. 1, Ultimate Spider-Man Omnibus vol. 2, Ultimate Spider-Man Omnibus vol. 3, and the Death of Spider-Man Omnibus. These four books collect issues #1-121 and #150-160. There may be another hardcover that covers the issues in between, although it hasn’t been announced yet.
Reading Order
The first issue of Ultimate Spider-Man was released in September 2000. It was written by Brian Michael Bendis from a plot that he developed with Bill Jemas. The series continued to be written by Bendis, and was drawn by Mark Bagley (#1-111) and Stuart Immonen (#112-133). These first 133 issues form the first run of Ultimate Spider-Man.
In Power and Responsibility, teenager Peter Parker is bit by a genetically altered spider. Days later, he begins to exhibit strange powers, including enhanced strength, agility, and the ability to climb walls. Peter dons a costume, becoming Spider-Man, first to obtain money, but later to help the defenseless and fight crime. At the same time, billionaire industrialist Norman Osborn injects himself with a serum meant to create a superhuman, but a freak accident transforms him into a monster instead.
In Learning Curve, Spider-Man investigates his uncle’s killer. His investigation leads to Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin of Crime. Spider-Man goes after Fisk, but he soon realizes that he cannot defeat him using his strength alone.
In Double Trouble, scientist Otto Octavius awakes from a coma following the explosion at Osborn Industries (that created the Green Goblin). Confused and seeking revenge, Otto goes on a hunt to destroy all those who wronged him, and only Spider-Man stands in his way.
In Legacy, Norman Osborn returns after being presumed dead. He plans to destroy Nick Fury, director of espionage organization S.H.I.E.L.D., and wants to use Spider-Man to achieve it. Peter faces his greatest challenge, as he must defend himself and those he loves against a monster who knows his true identity.
In Public Scrutiny, someone dresses up in a Spider-Man costume to rob banks. This destroys Spider-Man’s reputation, as he is labeled a criminal and has to evade the police while chasing the criminal. Matters are made worse when the criminal kills George Stacy, police captain and father to Peter’s friend Gwen.
In Venom, Peter reconnects with Eddie Brock, an old childhood friend. Bock, a student at Empire State University, takes Peter to his lab, where he shows him a vial of black goo that their parents were developing. The goo bonds with Peter, enhancing his abilities and powers, but at the same time amplifying his anger and rage.
In Irresponsible, Spider-Man meets Geldoff, a teenage mutant with destructive powers. Peter takes it upon himself to teach Geldoff about power and responsibility.
We’ll skip issue #46 for now to read Cats and Kings. Wilson Fisk returns to New York, and it is up to Spider-Man to stop him. Along the way, he encounters the Black Cat, a mysterious burglar who seeks revenge on Fisk.
Ultimate Spider-Man #46 and Ultimate Six #1-7
Ultimate Six is a miniseries starring Spider-Man and the Ultimates, a team of supersoldiers that work for the government. Start with ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #46, and then read all issues of ULTIMATE SIX. Norman Osborn escapes from prison, along with Otto Octavius and other villains that Spider-Man had defeated in the past. Osborn kidnaps Peter to use him to attack the White House, leading Nick Fury to activate the Ultimates to stop the villains.
In Hollywood, Doctor Octopus breaks out of prison and kidnaps Peter to enact his own form of revenge. At the same time, director Sam Raimi is filming a Spider-Man movie, giving Peter some unwanted media attention.
In Carnage, Eddie Brock’s former boss, Curt Conners, experiments on the remainder of the symbiote, mixing it with Parker DNA. As a result, the symbiote becomes sentient and escape, killing mercilessly, in search of Peter Parker.
Superstars consists of three tales where Spider-Man meets other heroes. One strange morning, Peter wakes up in Wolverine’s body, and must make his way back to Queens to figure out what has happened. Some time later, Peter meets the Human Torch, who enrolls as a student in Queens to earn his high school diploma. Finally, Peter visits Doctor Strange, master of the mystic arts, and gets caught in a nightmarish world of magic.
In Hobgoblin, Harry Osborn, Peter’s best friend, returns after months of absence. His cryptic return troubles Peter, as Harry begins to weave a web of lies that puts Peter at odds with his girlfriend Mary Jane. Soon after, Peter discovers that Harry is hiding a dark secret, and he watches in horror as Harry transforms into a monster.
In Warriors, a gang war looms between Hammerhead and Wilson Fisk. Spider-Man finds himself in the middle of the war as he tries to avoid bloodshed, putting him at odds with criminals and vigilantes alike. Peter works with reluctant captain Jean De Wolfe, who enlists his help to stop the gangsters as well as vigilantes Moon Knight, Shang-Chi, and the Iron Fist.
Peter struggles with loneliness as he cannot get too close to others, for fear of their safety, while his alter-ego Spider-Man is despised by the public. At the same time, Kitty Pryde of the X-Men also feels alone given her recent break-up and being one of the younger members of the team. She and Peter meet up and talk about their lives. Realizing that they like each other, they begin to date!
In Silver Sable, Spider-Man faces off against a team of mercenaries hired by Donald Roxxon. The mercenaries are led by the Silver Sable, and are tasked with capturing Spider-Man for questioning. Spider-Man deals with the threat of the mercenaries while getting used to his new relationship with Kitty Pryde and stopping other supervillains along the way.
In Deadpool, Spider-Man and the X-Men are kidnapped and taken to an island called Krakoa, where they are hunted by Deadpool and the Reavers in a reality TV event. After escaping, Spider-Man battles vampires, including Michael Morbius.
In the second annual, Captain Jean De Wolfe enlists Spider-Man’s help to take down the notorious ganster Kangaroo. While working for De Wolfe, Spider-Man crosses paths with Daredevil, the Punisher, and Moon Knight.
In the Clone Saga, Peter discovers multiple clones of himself: Scorpion, Kane, Tarantula, and Spider-Woman. His investigation leads to the return of his father Richard Parker and the reappearance of Gwen Stacy, both of whom had been presumed dead. Peter’s investigation leads him to discover a sinister plot by Otto Octavius.
In Ultimate Knights, Spider-Man, Moon Knight, Shang-Chi, Iron Fist, and Doctor Strange are recruited by Daredevil, who wants to form a team to take down Wilson Fisk. The team sends Moon Knight to infiltrate Fisk’s organization, posing as an assassin called the Ronin. However, Iron Fist is a spy for Fisk, putting the heroes at a big disadvantage.
In Death of a Goblin, Norman Osborn once again escapes his imprisonment, threatening Spider-Man and his loved ones. S.H.I.E.L.D. director Carol Danvers uses Harry Osborn as bait to capture Norman, leading to a battle between the two Osborns in their monstrous goblin forms.
In Ultimate Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends, Peter’s classmate Liz Allan begins to exhibit superpowers. Realizing that she is a mutant, Liz must decide whether to join the X-Men or Magneto’s Brotherhood. Spider-Man also fights Omega Red, and is later kidnapped by the Shocker.
In War of the Symbiotes, Eddie Brock returns after a long absence. Spider-Man and Gwen Stacy, who holds the Carnage symbiote, battle Eddie, but are unable to defeat him. Eddie absorbs Gwen’s Carnage symbiote, becoming a more powerful monster, and escapes; only to be kidnapped by the Beetle.
Peter and Mary Jane, now back together, discuss the next steps in their relationship. By day, Peter attempts to foil Mysterio, a robber who is seemingly always one step ahead of the police.
The first Ultimate Spider-Man series comes to an end with Ultimatum. In this arc, New York is hit by a tidal wave that destroys the city and kills most of its inhabitants. Spider-Man races to save as many people as he can, and is devastated to learn that many of the heroes he knew have died.
Ultimatum: Spider-Man Requiem #1-2
In this miniseries, J. Jonah Jameson reflects on his encounters with Spider-Man, who has been missing since the Ultimatum wave hit New York.
2009’s Ultimatum ended the first run of Ultimate Marvel comics. After the event, Ultimate Marvel was relaunched as Ultimate Comics. Some series were cancelled, while others were relaunched. Ultimate Spider-Man was one of the relaunched series, under the new name Ultimate Comics Spider-Man. This run was written by Bendis and drawn by rotating artists, including David Lafuente, Takeshi Miyazawa, Sarah Pichelli, Chris Samnee, and Mark Bagley.
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1-6
The World According to Peter Parker starts six months after the Ultimatum wave. The world is different, with many heroes now dead, new vigilantes have appeared. Spider-Man is now loved by the public. Peter works at a fast food restaurant and is dating Gwen, who still lives with him and Aunt May. Mary Jane investigates discrimination against mutants in her school, while trying to hide her feelings for Peter, whom she dumped sometime after the events of Ultimatum. In this storyline, Mysterio returns, kills Wilson Fisk, and attempts to take over the criminal world.
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #7-14
In Chameleons, Peter and his new roommates Ice Man and the Human Torch, visit their neighbor Rick Jones, who has awoken from a coma and has unknown powers. Jones reveals that the Watchers gave him his powers, but that he does not know the reason why. Calling himself Nova, Jones leaves to find his purpose. Some time later, Peter and J. Jonah Jameson are kidnapped by two rogue agents called the Chameleons. These faceless villains an take on the appearance of anyone they encounter. As the female Chameleon holds Peter and Jonah hostage, the male Chameleon assumes Peter’s identity, discovers that he is Spider-Man, and goes on a crime spree using Peter’s costume. Now, it is up to Ice Man and the Human Torch to stop the Chameleons and rescue their friend.
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #15, #150-155
Don’t worry! We didn’t skip any issues. After #15, the writers returned to the original numbering. This story, eerily called Death of Spider-Man Prelude shows some of Spider-Man’s last events before the end of the series. S.H.I.E.L.D. director Carol Danvers decides that it is too dangerous for Peter to continue being Spider-Man, but since Peter will not give up his super hero antics, decides to train him as a future member of the Ultimates. Before his training can start, Spider-Man teams up with the Black Cat to stop Mysterio from using a magical artifact called the Zodiac Key. As Peter celebrates his birthday, he is offered his old job back at the Daily Bugle (as thanks for saving Jonah) and he gets back together with Mary Jane.
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #156-160
In Death of Spider-Man, Peter begins his superhero training with Captain America, which is interrupted by the events of Ultimate Avengers vs. New Ultimates. Peter, striving to help, takes a bullet that was intended for Captain America. Elsewhere, Norman Osborn escapes, along with other supervillains, and sets out to kill Peter. Unwilling to continue helping Norman with this obsession, Otto Octavius refuses to participate, only to be killed by Norman. Osborn and the remaining villains arrive at Peter’s house and face off against an injured Spider-Man, and his roommates Ice Man and the Human Torch. A grueling battle ensues, where an injured Peter risks everything to ensure that his Aunt May and loved ones are safe.
With these 160 issues (technically, it’s 159, but someone over at Marvel made a numbering error) and the additional miniseries and specials, we have a full story of Ultimate Spider-Man, from start to finish. Enjoy reading!
Review
Ultimate Spider-Man (USM) is one of my favorite comic book series. It’s one of the few that I have genuinely enjoyed from start to finish. I started reading this run in my early teens and got through the first 96 issues before moving on to other hobbies. Now as an adult, I read the entire series from start to finish, and I actually appreciate it more reading it the second time around.
The creative duo behind USM, author Brian Michael Bendis and artist Mark Bagley deliver a cinematic-style comic book, with a strong focus on visuals and layout. The stories are also character driven, delving the reader into the mind and world of Peter Parker. Through the first 133 issues, USM manages to transport us to a world of superheroes, as seen from the perspective of a teenager who is just trying to do good in the world.
When I first read the series, I was a bit disappointed by Peter’s dialogue, finding it to be sometimes childish. Of course, reading it now, I realize that Bendis was writing dialogue of a 15-year-old teenager. And, having later experienced that age (and now having nephews around that age), I think that Bendis does a great job of portraying how a modern teenager would react to the events surrounding him.
Ultimate Spider-Man brings action, drama, suspense, and comedy to the table. The series masterfully weaves these elements into an easy to read collection. Furthermore, since the series is set in its own universe, Bendis had the freedom to tell a story without the baggage of other series weighing it down. Even a crossover event like Ultimatum (issues #131-133) is enjoyable without having to read any of the main issues in the event.
The second series, Ultimate Comics Spider-Man (UCSM) changes the tone of the series. The violence is toned down, the art is brighter, and the antics of Peter and his friends are quirky. This series feels refreshing to read after the action-packed ending of the original series. My only complaint about UCSM is that it ended too quickly. The character dynamics, villains, and plot lines introduced in this series would have made for another great 100 issues or so. However, all good things must come to an end, and Bendis delivers an emotionally-charged ending with the Death of Spider-Man storyline.
Score: 10/10
This series has it all: action, drama, captivating writing and beautiful art. I recommend it for any new reader wanting to start with Spider-Man.
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