Walking dead comic online

Marvel showed this week it isnt sitting still in the animation departement. While DC Nation premiered on Cartoon Network last month, introducing DCs 3D animated Green Lantern and Young Justice (with Beware the Batman still waiting behind the curtains), Disney XD kicked off the first season of Marvels new animated series Ultimate Spider-Man, joining the succesful Avengers - Earths Mightiest heroes which also started off their second season.

Zapp! Spidey is still shooting his web and plenty of one-liners in downtown NYC, while J. Jonah Jameson, now head of DBC (Daily Bugle Communications) TV-network is still on his case. Airing on Disney XD, the first season will consist of 26 episodes.

But I must say, it s pretty weird, seeing Peter Parker back as Spider-Man in Marvels Ultimate Universe, as the character was recently killed off and traded in for the African American/Hispanic protagonist Miles Morales. Marvel (now Disney) decided he would suit a 21st century audience more properly, but now turns 360 degrees for the animated series and continues down the old path with Parker, introducing a few new comic book series along the way (Ultimate Spider-Man Adventures #1 and Avengers, Earths mightest Heroes Adventures #1 are published this month). A bit confusing too say the least, but dont worry, Stan Lees Peter Parker is still Spider-Man in Marvels long lasting comic book series Amazing Spider-Man, which has issue #683 hitting the shops on the 18th.

Will the real Ultimate Spider-Man rise please? Left: the cover for the complimentary free issue, in stores March 28 (you all got that, right??) Right: the cover for Ultimate Spider-Man #9, starring Miles Morales in a new suite as Spider-Man. Left, Parker is alive, Right, hes dead. Get it?

Above: Peter Parker, high school kid turned super hero after being bitten by a spider. Man, Ive been bitten by a dog once, but I never got to wear a tight suit, chasing bad guys through the city. Guess I got shafted. Below: Parkers elderly uncle Ben may still have been killed by a street robber, his aunt May seems to have found his money stash and got some primo facial surgery. Uncle Ben is sure missing out on something!

Paul Dini and Brian Michael bendis share credits as creative consultant and consulting producer. Dini also wrote and produced Batman TAS, Superman TAS and Batman Beyond with Bruce Timm, while Bendis has been writing Marvels Ultimate Spider-Man comic book series since the first issue in 2000. After decades of working on DC shows, Dini now joins Marvel and is currently also working on the up and coming animated series Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., which will be available on Disney XD in 2013.

While Parkers sweetheart Mary Jane (above) is studying to become a reporter and dreams of working for Jameson, Spider-Man is contacted by super-spy Nick Fury (below) to become part of his super powered team of heroes working for S.H.I.E.L.D.

Nick Fury was first created by legendary artist Jack Kirby with writer Stan Lee in May 1963, appearing in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 while S.H.I.E.L.D., which originally stood for Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law-Enforcement Division, first appeared in Strange Tales #135 in August 1965.

Nick Fury was portrayed by Samuel Jackson in every theatrical feature Marvel has released to date: Iron Man 1 & 2, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger and the upcoming The Avengers, which will be released theatrically on May 4. In Ultimate Spider-Man, the character is voiced by Chi McBride. Other characters from the Ultimate universe of The Avengers (aka The Ultimates) are to appear.

Below: While Harry Osborne is working with Dr. Octopus to create an army of Spider-Man clones, Parkers school is being trashed by The Freightful four, which actually appear to be three, seeing Spidey already took out the first baddie in the beginning (Trapster). See, I told you this show was funny!

Below: Whats a Marvel feature without a guest appearance by the man himself? In the new Ultimate Spider-Man animated series, Stan Lee appears as the janitor at Peter Parkers high school, rescuing him after he got bullied into his locker by Flash Thompson. Guess after the Freightful Four tore up the place Stan got his hands full cleaning up the place. Also, watch for a bakery in the opening sequence called Romitas Cake Shop.

The voice cast for Ultimate Spider-Man includes Drake Bell as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Steven Weber as Harry Osborne and of course J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson (he also played the part in Marvels Sam Raimi directed trilogy) though he hasnt reprised the role for the Amazing Spider-Man reboot, which will be released on July 3 starring Andrew Garfield as Spidey.