Ultimate Spider-Man is doing a great job giving us a Peter Parker we can care about, surrounded by (almost) all the important people in his life, as an alternate version of his story plays out. For now, color me intrigued.
Ultimate Spider-Man #1 and #2
Mark Bagley and Edgar Delgado (Cover); J. Scott Campbell & Sabin Rich (Cover); Marco Checchetto (Art and Cover); Tony Daniel and Jay David Ramos (Alternate Cover); Jonathan Hickman (Writing); Nic Klein (Cover); Mteus Manhanni (Cover); David Marquez and Marte Gracia (Cover); JP Mayer and Matt Milla (Cover); VC’s Cory Petit (Letters); Ryan Stegman (Cover); Elizabeth Torque (Cover); Matthew Wilson (Colors and Cover Colors)
January 10, 2024 and February 10, 2024
Marvel Comics
Marvel fans have long been exhausted with the repetitive nature of Peter Parker’s comic book life cycle. Trapped in teenage stasis, he’s rarely been allowed to grow up. Ultimate Spider-Man picks up Peter’s story from a different place in time and examines it from an entirely new angle.
This version of Peter’s life is changed forever when The Maker intervenes in the natural order of things. That infamous radioactive spider never bites him, and thus he goes about his life in a more ordinary fashion. Peter is now a thirty-five-year-old photographer for the Bugle. He has a stable family life; he and MJ are married and have two children – Richard and May. But The Maker’s intervention here had a ripple effect; Uncle Ben is still alive and the Bugle’s editor-in-chief. Aunt May, meanwhile, was one of many victims of the attacks launched by The Maker to keep Tony Stark — the only one aware of the fact that the Maker has gone back in time to undo his reality — from becoming a hero, framing him as a terrorist. Stark calls Peter into action. He must now balance holding the mantle of Spider-Man with living his ordinary, workaday life.
Ultimate Spider-Man is doing a darned good job of keeping things entertaining while showing a middle-aged Peter Parker figuring out the whole great power and great responsibility thing. Peter carries different mental and emotional scars with him; he’s still sarcastic, but is a mature father and husband, well-seasoned in both endeavors. His relationship with Mary Jane is excellent here; she can see he’s troubled, and they try to work it out. We get a briefer sense of what they’re like as parents, but I sense later issues will better explore this plot concept. For now, his young daughter, May, is absolutely terrified of the new black-suited menace haunting New York.
Peter finds his first opponent as a superhero in issue #2 – and he is not a natural born crime-fighter. The series allows Peter to develop a learning curve, and it shows him to be fallible. He’s not a perfect spouse, father, or superhero, but he’s learning. And as close as he gets to quitting in this issue, he finds a balance between who he wants to be and who he truly is.
Another highlight? Getting to see what Uncle Ben and Peter’s relationship is like now that Peter’s a full-grown man. Ben is sage and world-weary; he is a dry-eyed realist to Peter’s gently joking self, but has a delightful sense of humor at heart. An unexpected bonus in this version of reality is the frenemy relationship between Ben and J. Jonah Jameson, which is that of two old friends who constantly call each other out on their mutual nonsense. Their partnership is wonderfully crusty and fun. Can they have a mini-series of their own, please? The Captain Britain and Kingpin side of the plot continues apace as they try to take over New York via the media, and it’s interesting to see Peter bump up against these guys instead of, say, the Green Goblin — who appears to have surfaced on the side of the righteous in the form of Harry Osborn. Jonah also has a somewhat fatherly interest in Peter and provides plenty of wit and snark when they meet, making him a highlight.
There are also further hints about how the Marvel world has gotten on without its heroes. I will not spoil this, but the issue makes interesting work of what has happened to other people in Peter’s general orbit. Hickman’s writing and Chechetto’s angular, handsome art marry perfectly; it’s good in the small domestic moments and in big, one-liner-laden action sequences. It takes real skill to balance both in the same breath, and both issues thus far have nailed it down. Every single character is important and adds to Peter’s journey. The color work is properly moody, and the lettering is beautifully and carefully defined. But the story is a thing of import.
So far, this is developing into a smooth, solid ride, and a much-needed break from angsty teen Peter Parker. Ultimate Spider-Man simply flows and works beautifully (which is much more than many a comic series can boast). This is the story Spidey fans have been wanting for years. Ultimate Spider-Man is a can’t miss issue for Marvel readers worldwide.
