Editor's Note: Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #3 arrives in stores tomorrow, October 7.

"The New World According To Peter Parker"

I might have criticised Brian Michael Bendis quite severely in reviews of his other titles in recent years, but it's impossible to deny that he knows how to write a good Spider-Man comic. The pairing of Bendis and Ultimate Spider-Man is one of those happy occasions when the sensibilities of a character just happen to align perfectly with the sensibilities of a writer -- and the result is one of the most consistent and enjoyable superhero books being published by Marvel.

Interestingly, the same creative tics that I have a problem with in New Avengers serve this book perfectly. The flippant, sit-com-esque approach to the superhero paradigm might sit uneasily with the Avengers titles, but it's a perfect match for the hapless antics of the teenage Peter Parker. The emphasis on characters' inter-personal relationships over and above superhero action might make Bendis's Avengers books a bit of a chore to plough through, but it's the best way to make the most of Spider-Man's rich supporting cast. And the excessive dialogue that clutters up the pages of the Avengers books is a great way of conveying the idea that Peter Parker is a jabbering teenager who doesn't know when to shut his mouth -- both in and out of costume.

In addition to the well-balanced overall approach to the title, Bendis is managing to shake up the specifics of the book's status quo in a satisfying manner. He's not changing things so much that the series becomes unrecognisable, but he's willing to take certain chances and to push things in unexpected directions in order to explore the book's core elements from a fresh point of view. To whit, since the post-Ultimatum relaunch we've seen Peter Parker engaged in a relationship with the resurrected Gwen Stacy, rather than Mary Jane (for reasons that Bendis begins to hint at in this issue); we've been (re)introduced to an ultimised version of a classic Lee/Ditko Spider-Man character, in the form of Mysterio (whose traditional M.O. receives a lick of paint here); and we've seen an extended appearance from guest-star Johnny Storm of the Fantastic Four, whose new role in Peter's life is bound to cause a certain amount of chaos for the character.

You might well say that none of those elements is new, exactly: in fact, very similar devices were employed by Stan Lee back in the '60s to keep Spidey on his toes. However, Bendis gives each of them a new spin that enables them to remain fresh, and adds a few original ideas into the mix too (such as the continuing public adoration of Spider-Man).

Equally well-suited to the book is David Lafuente, who has already put his own distinctive mark on Ultimate Spider-Man in the space of just a few issues. There's a sense of him really settling into his groove here, with a nice balance between manga-esque exaggerations (particularly for his characters' faces) and a more realistic, grounded approach (particularly when it comes to objects and environments). I'm also continuing to enjoy Lafuente's redesign of Mysterio, which is a little reminiscent of Hellboy's Johann Kraus in this issue.

Bendis gives the artist the chance to cut loose with a couple of enjoyable action sequences here, requiring him to illustrate an impressive large-scale display of Mysterio's spider-themed illusions (introduced via a great B-movie-esque splashpage) and, later, a more intimate old-school smackdown between Spidey and his enemy. Both sequences flow very smoothly, with consistent choreography of movement and well-considered panel-to-panel storytelling working together to ensure that the action is never less than absolutely clear. There's a real energy to Lafuente's work that captures the spirit of Bendis's script perfectly, and I hope the artist sticks around on this book for a long time, as the two creators are an excellent match.

If there's any real criticism of the story, it's that it feels a little brief, fluffy and insubstantial, but that's probably just a side-effect of the light and airy tone with which Bendis and Lafuente are managing to imbue this book. It's a world away from the dour grimness of Ultimatum, and I get the impression that the creators of this title are just as happy as the readers to have moved past that crossover, and to be able to get on with telling their stories in the way that they do best.

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