The announcement of Marvel Comics‘ new Ultimate Spider-Man leaned heavily upon how it was nothing like the mainstream Spider-Man books. The teaser artwork for the series showed a Peter Parker who was married with children and apparently happy. This was a welcome change, given how resistant Marvel editorial has been to depicting a well-adjusted, grown-up Spider-Man. It was also just the start of the changes to the new Ultimate Universe.
The most notable change, which Marvel was quick to note on their website, is Uncle Ben is alive. Curiously, Ultimate Spider-Man #1 spends almost as much time with Ben Parker as his nephew. This confirms that Ben is still a mentor to Peter in this timeline and the basis for Peter’s morality. However, that comes from Ben’s example as an idealistic journalist rather than as a martyr.
Ultimate Spider-Man #1 has little in the way of superheroic action. Instead, Jonathan Hickman focuses on establishing the main characters and their relationships. Ironically, for all that is different on Earth-6160, Hickman’s exploration highlights what these characters have in common with their classic incarnations.
A New Spider-Man That Feels like Classic Spider-Man
The ensemble of Ultimate Spider-Man #1 adheres to the core concepts that made them a permanent part of Marvel history. J. Jonah Jameson is an inflammatory yet idealistic newsman. Mary Jane Watson is an earthy soul cursed with a pretty face. And Peter Parker is focused on his responsibilities, both to his family and to the world. This forms the basis of his core conflict, as he learns how his world was changed and who he is meant to be.
Marco Checchetto makes the art of Ultimate Spider-Man #1 as wonderful and familiar as Hickman’s script. A hopeful aura fills Checchetto’s style, with light inks enhancing the photorealistic pencils. Matthew Wilson’s colors are perfectly chosen, and VC’s Cory Petit does a fantastic job with the letters.
Ultimate Spider-Man #1 is everything Spider-Man fans have been demanding for years. It offers solid artwork, witty scripts, and familiar variants of the beloved Spider-Man characters. Like the 2000 Ultimate Spider-Man series, it is a perfect distillation of what made Spidey Marvel’s flagship character and a new take on the original legend.
Grade: 5/5
Ultimate Spider-Man #1 is now available online at comic shops everywhere.
