Level 15 - Week of 03/12/11

Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen, and Welcome to The Next Level. We are your source for comic book opinions and debates. I’m your host Stefan, and I’ll be here with you discussing Comic Books, Video Games, and other items of note. Please note, for a purely gaming blog, I'd recommend Pwning Pat's Game Blog. The Next Level would also like to thank Jackie Fong for designing our logo.

This week's post will feature last week's Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #155.

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Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #155

So over the past few years, I've fallen out of Ultimate Spider-Man (and the Ultimate Universe in general). Ultimatum destroyed the universe as far as I'm concerned, and I had no desire to see it continue. However, as Marvel's hype machine continued onward, I caught wind of something: Death of Spider-Man. I knew immediately that we were talking about the Ultimate Spider-Man, and picked up the two previous issues (also billed as preludes). Sorry if this backstory seemed useless, but I wanted you to understand where the review was coming from.

The issue starts with a pitch perfect example of what is referred to in comics as "The Parker Luck": Peter Parker getting fired from his job. Unsure of his next move, he get's a call from J. Jonah Jameson, asking to meet him. Peter correctly surmises that ol' JJ has deduced his identity. The meeting itself is interesting, as JJ explains why he doesn't want to out Spider-Man. He also reveals that he feels responsibility to Spider-Man for saving his life during the Ultimatum Wave. When Parker asks for his old job back, Jonah asks why, with Peter revealing that he wants to save for college. Jonah then decides that he will pay for Peter's college, by putting money aside in a scholarship fund for him whether he likes it or not, and gives him the job back.

Shortly thereafter, Spider-Man stops some crooks, and meets his ex-girlfriend Kitty Pryde on the street. They walk to his house to find a surprise birthday party for Peter. Towards the end of the party, Peter proclaims his love for Mary Jane, who states, "Happy Birthday, Tiger". Everything is looking good, but we can never forget how this issue started: The Parker Luck. The issue ends with a close-up of the Spider-Man mask, with 'x's in the place of the eyes.

Interesting. I'll certainly be reading the next few issues, and despite my unhappiness with the Ultimate Universe in recent years, this felt like the older issues of the book I enjoyed reading. Can't wait for more.

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Next Week: Our Weekly Reviews and the Spotlight on the Brian Michael Bendis run on Daredevil!

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