This issue reminded me why I used to adore the Ultimate universe. Mark Bagely returns to the Ultimate Spider-Man book and it feels like coming back home again. I didn’t think I would end up buying this comic because I don’t usually go for stuff with titles like “Requiem” or “Front Line” it just seems like endcap books like this are often sub-par ploys to suck a few more bucks out of the consumer. This story, however, is quite good if not completely “essential reading.” I enjoyed how the art switched from Imonen to Bagely during the flashback and I realized how much I missed Ultimate Tony Stark being written well.

So, in short, you could miss this issue and still understand what’s going on when the new Ultimate Spider-Man picks up later this summer. But you’ll be missing out on a good story.