- Written by: Jonathan Hickman
- Art by: Marco Checchetto
- Colors by: Matthew Wilson
- Letters by: VC’s Cory Petit
- Cover art by: Marco Checchetto, Matthew Wilson (cover A)
- Cover price: $5.99
- Release date: January 10, 2023
Ultimate Spider-Man #1 returns to the newly rebuilt Ultimates Universe after a 35-year-old Peter Parker begins to suspect his life is not what it’s supposed to be.
Is Ultimate Spider-Man #1 Good?
Set after the events of Ultimate Universe #1, Jonathan Hickman’s Ultimate Spider-Man begins Tony Stark’s initiative to restore Earth’s mightiest heroes after the Maker prevented their natural origins from polluting the villain’s forced timeline. That said, you may want to temper your expectations because this issue is all about character building and establishing Peter Parker’s status quo before he becomes Spider-Man, so get your reading glasses ready for a lot of dialog.
Hickman’s version of Peter Parker takes place sometime after the attack that obliterated a piece of NYC from an orbital station, with the blame laid at the feet of Tony Stark. On this day, Ben and Peter Parker head to a remembrance ceremony in honor of all the New Yorkers who lost their lives in the attack, including Peter’s Aunt May. The day of reflection is further disrupted when the Daily Bugle’s owner, Wilson Fisk, decides to make editorial changes, which prompts J. Jonah Jameson to quit. The Bugle’s second-in-command, Ben Parker, is offered J. Jonah’s job, but he also quits, and the two seasoned newspapermen decide to start their own news business a few hours later.
Peter Parker loves his children and his wife, but a nagging feeling is prompting him to make a life change of his own, courtesy of a crystal sphere he received in the mail. When Peter privately activates the crystal, he receives a holographic message from Tony Stark from the future offering Peter the chance to reclaim his destiny.
And that’s it.
To be clear, there’s no Spider-Man in this issue and no fantastical events beyond two pages. If you were expecting to see a new Spider-Man swing into action as a superhero AND family man, you get very little of either because the majority of the issue centers on Ben Parker.
What’s great about Ultimate Spider-Man #1? Despite the odd focus on Ben Parker, Hickman delivers an amazing amount of world- and character-building. The character moments feel genuine and human, so you get the impression Hickman is taking his time building out a fully realized world.
What’s not so great about Ultimate Spider-Man #1? The focus of this issue is bizarre. Understandably, readers will pick up this issue because they want to see Peter and MJ back together again as “Team Spider-Man,” but you get almost no family interactions, and Peter’s knowledge of Spider-Man doesn’t happen until the last page. Sure, the dialog and pacing are excellent, but this is a Ben Parker-centric issue, so Hickman isn’t hitting the grand running or starting off with a bang, which may be a turnoff for new and returning readers.
Somebody told Hickman the best way to get readers excited for a Peter/MJ reunion was with a slow-burn story not focused on them and without a Spider-Man. And he believed them?!?
How’s the art? Marco Checcheto’s art is fantastic. Admittedly, Checchetto doesn’t have a lot to do in this issue besides making a series of dialog-only scenes look interesting, but Checchetto makes it work.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Bits and Pieces
Ultimate Spider-Man #1 is a bizarre way to kick off an ongoing series that has sky-high expectations on it. To be clear, the story Hickman presents is masterfully written in terms of establishing the characters and status quo of this alternate universe, and Checchetto’s art is stellar. However, I doubt anyone expected a Spider-Man comic without Spider-Man and a story that spends almost all of its time focused on Ben Parker.
Weird Science Marvel Comics 
This may be what older fans are after, dialog-based storytelling, not a book full of splash pages with almost no text. I for one hope it catches on and sets a new standard. I’d love to spend a full half hour reading a comic again instead of breezing through in 5 minutes. The art is really nice, let’s hope it’s consistent and he stays around for a while!
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