Ultimate Spider-Man Collection - Barnes & Noble Edition

"With great power, there must also come great responsibility."

In 1962, these prophetic words launched one of the most successful and recognizable characters of the Twentieth century — Spider-Man! The powers granted to bookish Peter Parker by a radioactive spider have fueled the imaginations of fans worldwide for nearly 40 years. With the dawning of a new age, however, comes a hero for a new millennium — Ultimate Spider-Man!

This exclusive edition collects the first three Ultimate Spider-Man hardcovers in their entirety!

Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 1: High school, puberty, first dances — there are many pitfalls to being young. Compound these with intense personal tragedy and super powers, and you can start to visualize the world of Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Man.

Following the murder of his uncle and the Green Goblin's assault on his high school, Peter finds himself on the brink of manhood: getting a job as a webmaster at the Daily Bugle newspaper to help support his widowed aunt, and taking on extracurricular activities . . . such as bringing down the Kingpin, the head of organized crime in New York City!

Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 2: Only two people know Peter Parker's secret identity — one is his best friend, confidante, and girlfriend Mary Jane Watson. The other — ruthless businessman Norman Osborn, otherwise known as the Green Goblin. In their first battle, Norman nearly killed Peter before his own apparent death. But now, the Goblin has returned, more powerful than ever before. And Osborn will use his knowledge of Peter's double identity to control the teenager — threatening the lives of Mary Jane and his beloved Aunt May if Peter refuses to obey. Will Spider-Man be forced to serve his greatest enemy to protect his loved ones from harm?

Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 2 also features the dramatic introductions of two classic foes to the Ultimate Spider-Man series. After an explosive laboratory accident grafted monstrous metal tentacles to his body, Otto Octavius became Doctor Octopus. Swearing vengeance on his enemies, Doc Ock takes his battle public, with Spider-Man caught in the crossfire. In the midst of this media frenzy, Kraven the Hunter — the most dangerous man alive — announces he's hunting the ultimate game: Spider-Man. Will Peter become Kraven's latest catch, all for the sake of boosting TV ratings?

Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 3: Once, Richard Parker and Eddie Brock Sr. were partners, researchers working together to cure cancer. As their young sons played, these two scientists tirelessly pursued their dreams . . . until a tragic plane crash took both their lives. Orphaned, Peter and Eddie Jr. went their separate ways. Years later, the discovery of a forgotten childhood videotape inspires Peter to look up his old pal, now a college student at Empire State University. Their reunion reveals a shocking secret: the existence of an experimental protoplasmic bodysuit developed by their fathers. When Peter attempts to pick up where his father left off, he quickly learns how dangerous the murky liquid really is — and swears to destroy it. Enraged by Peter's seeming betrayal, Eddie uses his father's creation to become Spider-Man's deadliest villain: the maniacal Venom. Forced to battle his former best friend, can Spider-Man defeat Venom without killing Eddie in the process?

Plus: To the public at large, it could be anyone behind that mysterious Spider-Man mask. When a common thug impersonates New York's most famous web-slinger to rob banks across the city, Spider-Man must take action to save his reputation before he becomes Public Enemy No. 1!

THE CREATORS

As the lynchpin writer of Ultimate Marvel, three-time Eisner Award-winner Brian Michael Bendis has been the driving force behind the unbelievable success of the revolutionary comic-book line. Thanks to Bendis' expert characterization of teenage Peter Parker and deft re-envisioning of classic Spidey foes, Ultimate Spider-Man has become one of comics' best-sellers for more than 50 issues. Bendis is also the regular writer on Daredevil, as well as The Pulse. In 2004, Bendis will reveal a hidden side of the Marvel Universe in Secret War, with emerging artist Gabriele Dell'Otto. In addition to his work for Marvel Comics, Bendis also writes Powers, presenting a markedly post-modern slant on the super-hero genre. A longtime resident of Cleveland, Bendis has relocated to the Pacific Northwest with wife, Alisa; his daughter, Olivia; and their two dogs, Buster and Schroeder.

Mark Bagley has drawn more than 50 consecutive issues of Ultimate Spider-Man, a truly remarkable accomplishment in an age where comic-book artists change titles as often as they change socks. Surprisingly modest of his immense talent, Bagley explains his remarkable dedication to the book as simply a labor of love to work on his favorite comic-book character of all time. Bagley is frequently named to Wizard magazine's monthly list of Top Ten Artists and is a favorite of fans worldwide. In addition to Ultimate Spider-Man, Bagley is working with writer Brian Michael Bendis on the new Marvel series The Pulse.

As the third member of the Ultimate Spider-Man creative trio, inker Art Thibert has contributed his considerable skills since the very first issue. For more than a decade, Thibert has been well known as both a penciler and inker. He has contributed to X-Men, Cable, Captain America, Fantastic Four, and Superman.