The Ultimate Spiderman Gets Bigger

"Ultimate Spider-Man #8 is the start of a new storyline," Bendis says of the April-shipping book. "It's the start of the road to define this book and make it different from the regular Spider-Man. It's the first real big step away from the original Stan Lee mythos." The first seven issues deal with a new "Ultimate Marvel Universe" Peter Parker getting powers and coping with the loss of his Uncle Ben, much in the same manner as the original 1963 Spider-Man. But now that Ultimate Spidey has his set-up, Bendis is going to focus on the character's youth and inexperience…and not let us forget what it's like to be a teenager. "You gotta follow that he's 15 years old," Bendis says. "When I was 15 years old, I had all the exuberance and enthusiasm in the world. I mean, I'd put on that costume and run around if I had these powers. But I'd suck at it. And so will Peter, to a degree."

The storyarc that starts with #8 will deal a lot with pain in addition to change…and Peter finally getting his long-promised job at the Daily Bugle. "Through that job, he starts using the Bugle's computer," Bendis relays. "One of the first things he does is he types in the name of the guy who killed his Uncle Ben. He finds underworld connections to this guy. The thug is 15 guys removed from the Big Man, but he's ultimately working for the Kingpin." Ultimate Peter Parker makes it his quest to get revenge against Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin of Crime. "Peter gets real focused on the Kingpin," Bendis says. "He also gets upset with the status quo. He's full of youthful rebellion and 'the world sucks.' He sees the Daily Bugle doesn't report the truth about Fisk, so he's gonna be the one who takes on the Kingpin." The results aren't quite what Peter would want. "He's gonna get his ass handed to him," Bendis laughs. "Think about it: This is the adult world, and he's still just a kid." Some of the ass-handing will come courtesy of The Enforcers, the Kingpin's personal three-man hit squad, who Bendis will re-introduce Ultimate-style. The underworld approach is actually a road back to where Bendis started-on crime graphic novels such as Jinx and Torso. "We finally get that crime aspect in there, which readers of mine will appreciate," he says. "It's cool to work it in there, and do it legitimately."

Bendis still has the enthusiasm of a 15-year-old for this project. As Ultimate Spider-Man #5 is barely out on stands, he's already written through #12. And that issue promises to be another blockbuster. "It's a character book, so I call it a 'character event,'" Bendis teases. "And what happens in #12 will totally change what the book is all about. Again."