Image credit: Marvel Comics
When the original Ultimate Spider-Man was released at the turn of the century, I was there from the beginning. The Ultimate Marvel Universe was a huge success, eliminating the complex decades of continuity that dragged down the original Marvel Universe and retelling the story from the beginning with a modern, modern feel to the existing characters. Particularly with the Spider-Man titles, which were great for younger readers but were so well written and plotted that they were able to bring back older readers who had forgotten about them as well.
Over the next few decades, the Ultimate Universe fell prey to the same failures that regular Marvel series always do. Increasingly complex continuity, inconsistent creative teams, and overwhelming reliance on crossovers. The Ultimate Universe has come to a definitive end many times, but as of 2023, it has risen again.
In this new incarnation of the Ultimate Universe, which requires no advance reading (the background is very economically explained by short exposition and moments of dialogue in the story itself), we meet a middle-aged Peter Parker who seems to have everything he’s ever wanted. At least he seems to have everything a normal Peter Parker would want. He is married to Mary Jane, has children, has a steady job, and his Uncle Ben is still alive.
Of course, it’s not all sunshine and roses. He has an Uncle Ben, but there is at least one other close relative of his who is notable for his absence. And he has an unpleasant feeling that something is missing. That he shouldn’t be where he is.
You know, this Peter Parker has never been bitten by a spider. he has no authority. He is an ordinary middle-aged man with no special features.
Sure, he seems like a decent guy, but we know he could be more than that. wonderful. wonderful. Spiderman.
He soon receives a message from a surprising source, which gives him what he was looking for without realizing it. And his destiny finally begins to take shape.
I’m not a big fan of Jonathan Hickman’s writing. While very impressive from a technical standpoint, I tend to find it too self-indulgent and spoiled. We are always preparing for long-term gains, but we don’t always hit the mark.
But there’s no denying that his slow-building, character-driven approach works wonders here, aided greatly by Marco Cecchetto’s frankly fantastic artwork. It is expressive, detailed, and grounded. The body language and overall realism make everything believable and relatable. Shifting the focus to Peter Parker, who is starting to reach middle age, also helps current comic book readers (even if they were teenagers when they read the original Ultimate Spider-Man, I’m sure they’re overwhelmingly middle-aged now!).
I think it will be very interesting to see the contrast of the new Ultimate Marvel vs. DC with the Ultimate-style Absolute Universe. The latter hits exactly 11 in terms of style, tone, and content.
There’s a more grounded approach here, and while I was immediately completely captivated by Absolute Batman’s opening story arc, Ultimate Spider-Man #1’s more measured pacing, while less impressive, definitely feels much more relatable.
I think this comic will probably live or die on how Hickman develops during the series, but considering I’m late to the party on this one (issue #24 is coming out soon), I think it’s doing well. One thing I really don’t like is the extensive branding of the Ultimate line, which leaves much less space for cover art.
This makes this entire line very easy to identify in stores, but it takes away from the cover’s appeal. Still, it feels like a bummer considering how good this long first issue is and how much ground it covers.
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