Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #18
Story by Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils/Inks by David Marquez
Colors by Justin Ponsor
Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99

Happy 2013, Ultimate Spider-fans.

I’m pairing the latest issues of Ultimate Spider-Man together, having given us Marvel 616-Universe fans some time to mourn for Peter Parker (or Peter Parker’s… life… force?). The transition from Amazing to Superior Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man #700 went better than the previous transition from Peter Parker to Ben Reilly after the ‘Clone Saga’, but wasn’t as elegant an exit as Brian Michael Bendis‘ one for Ultimate Peter Parker. Dying in Aunt May’s arms after saving his loved ones is better than dying in the body of an enemy and just giving up and moving to the west coast. The change of primary universe status quo, plus some extra time and the issuing of Ultimate Spider-Man #19 didn’t go well for issue #18.

I’ve already blew my wad about how Miles Morales didn’t belong in the ‘Divided We Fall’ event because I thought we were going to get away from all that and discover what Spider-Woman had to tell Miles about their relationship. However, for some reason I can’t put my finger on, we get one more installment in the crossover with Miles wandering around empty fields and fighting a Giant Woman.

Marvel comics has been teasing for a while that there will be an all-new character taking over the costumed identity of Spider-Man over in the pages of Ultimate Spider-Man and today they have made the official reveal.

The character’s name is Miles Morales, and he is a just your regular teenager from New York who will learn that with great power comes, well, you know the rest. The big surprise that is making waves around the comics community is that the character will, shock upon shock, be half-black, half-Hispanic. The character will make his first appearance in the pages of Ultimate Comics Fallout #4, out in stores on August 3, 2011 and will then go on to star in the new Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1, which comes out on September 14, 2011.

Check out the preview images from Ultimate Comics Fallout #4 here below.