I’m probably not qualified to review the much talked about Ultimate Spider-Man #160. I’ve never cared for the Ultimate universe and have only read a handful of Ultimate issues. But with a storyline titled “Death of Spider-Man” it’s hard to pass on it’s finale. To prepare for this issue, I grabbed the last three hoping to get grounded in the story. While it’s easy to grasp what’s going on, I still struggled with what appeared to be gaping plot holes. But these issues probably has clear answers to those following the story closer.

I’m not the biggest Bendis fan but his writing is pretty impressive here. I’ve loved how Bendis has captured the essence of being a teenager but also the true essence of a hero. Throughout these last issues, nearly every action Peter has taken has been with other’s safety in mind therefore showing his status as a hero but also as a deserving member of the super-hero community regardless of the concerns of others. Bendis encapsulates all of this within a mostly action oriented issue. It’s no-holds-barred action mixed with some strong, genuinely emotional sequences. This issue is an attention getter but it shouldn’t be solely because of the title. Bendis’ story is worthy of the attention.

I’ve sometimes had mixed feelings about Mark Bagley’s art but here he is really on top of his game. From his huge action splash pages to his ability to convey emotion and intensity through his character depictions, Bagley’s work is really strong here and is a major reason the book works so well.

This may be a SPOILER but in the interest of honesty, I’m not the biggest fan of super-hero deaths. But this one worked for me mainly because I don’t view the Ultimate universe as “the real thing”. Regardless of how flawed my logic is there, I really loved this issue. It packs action and emotion into a well written book that works on nearly every level. It’s hard to say it’s perfect since I do have legitimate questions. But these may have sensible answers to faithful readers of the series. At the end of the day this is a quality book and one that deserves all the good attention it’s getting.