Ultimate Spider-Man by Jonathan Hickman, Marco Checchetto, and David Messina started earlier this year, in January. This series is a rebooted version of the original Ultimate Spider-Man comic that came out in 2000 and ran until 2011. It’s poetic because the original book by the same name was lauded as a great comic due to how it rebooted the characters in a new universe, with fresh takes on many fan-favorite characters.
The same has been said now, over two decades later, for the new Ultimate Spider-Man book. Whereas the old Ultimate Spider-Man was a fifteen-year-old kid learning to be a superhero, the new Ultimate version is now a 35-year-old family man learning the same lesson. The sixth issue of this series was recently released, and it had a couple plot points that had to be done well for the series to thrive. Let’s dive in. And, of course, spoiler alert!
The Parker Luck
So this Ultimate Spider-Man issue starts with a classic Peter Parker situation. His loved ones get suspicious over something that happened to him in his alter ego’s life. In this case, it’s a shiner and some bruises at the dinner table. May, his daughter, is the only one in his family who knows he’s a superhero, but his wife MJ and son Richard don’t. May lets it out that he’s a superhero and has to do some explaining.
So shockingly, he explains to his entire family that, yes, he is indeed a superhero. Mary Jane, in particular, gets really suspicious of this and asks for an explanation. This was a great start because it’s realistic. Peter in the original comics has always had to lie his way out of things, but they were usually stupid scenarios, like saying he got into a fight at school or convincing Aunt May his Spidey costume was bought from a Halloween store. Let’s see how adult Pete handles this.
Breaking and Entering
Then we get a flashback. We see Peter and Harry Osborn on a rooftop together. They’re both in their alter ego’s costumes. Harry in this universe was the one who actually gave Peter the great power and great responsibility speech. Harry’s plan is to overthrow the invisible organization that pulls the strings behind… well, the whole world. In this Marvel universe, Harry has quite selfless aspirations. They break into Wilson Fisk’s building, also known as the Kingpin.
And the Kingpin rocks these two. He is not messing around. These two break in and get absolutely destroyed. This is Peter’s fourth fight in the comic so far, so he is very inexperienced. He doesn’t really know how to fight, so he and Harry retreat with their tails between their legs. Pete is telling this story to his family, and they’re shocked. Richard asks if he’s okay with breaking the law, and then he goes to talk to MJ about everything. This section was awesome; it had some great action and art.
“You’re Spider-Man.”
So this is it. This is the part that worried me. In the main comics right now, Pete and MJ are broken up for a litany of stupid, forced reasons, because the higher-ups at Marvel like it when Peter Parker is miserable. Pete and MJ were up next, or so I thought. They talk about Pete being a superhero, and MJ doesn’t seem that upset. Justifiably so, she could have been, but she said she was more proud than angry. She wishes she knew sooner, but she is proud of her husband for doing the right thing. She gives him the name “Spider-Man” too.
This issue was such a relief. Pete and MJ are meant to be together, and I was worried this revelation would bring some conflict between them. I’m glad it didn’t. It seems like it’s only going to make their relationship stronger. Hickman is doing a wonderful job with this story. He balances family drama with action incredibly well, and his interpretation of Spidey is spot on. He is very passive; Harry feels more like the main character since he has actual goals, but I bet Pete is going to undergo some crazy character development in the coming issues. I can’t wait to see where this will all go!
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