1/16 - 4
2. I haven't watched the show yet, but I was a big fan of Bendis' writing on the original book. How does this compare?
I don't have the proper frame of reference to answer this question.
What I can say is Ultimate Spider-Man, while geared towards a younger audience, is very smartly written. It's hip, it's smart and it's fast paced. The animation isn't anything spectacular, but it's not sloppy either. The random guest shots with favorites like Ironman, Captain American, and especially Hulk are very well done. I love how Ironman is annoyed by Spider-Man. And Coulson acting under cover as Peter's principal is brilliant!
Also, Stan Lee is the school's janitor. Even looks like Stan!
Oh, and the first commercial break always opens with a Marvel Mashup (more a function of Disney XD and Marvel Universe, but still...)!