November 2001
"Confessions"
By Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley
This was the moment when Ultimate Spider-Man went beyond "pretty awesome reinterpretation" and became a truly marvellous, fully-formed series with it's own set of stakes and some truly realistic displays of youthful affection and devotion. Following the previous arc and Spider-Man's brutal showdown with the Kingpin, Peter decides the time is right to tell Mary Jane the truth about everything. What follows is 22-pages of subtle romance and intense conversation; Spider-Man isn't even in the issue, but the power of these characters demonstrates just how far Bendis had come in the year since he started the series.
The issue had lasting repercussions which still affect the characters today in the Ultimate Spider-Man issues; it's not only the moment that Peter confesses everything to Mary Jane regarding his life as Spider-Man, it's also the moment that the two reveal that they are in love. They never actually say it, but it's there throughout, and comes to a head as we reach the issue's conclusion.
The first year of Ultimate Spider-Man is still one of the best runs in comic book history, but a lot of that is down to character development, the wonderful artwork of Mark Bagley, and this single issue, which served as the defining moment for one of the best series of the last decade.
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