• 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 price: $4.99
• Release date: April 30, 2025

Ultimate Spider-Man #16, by Marvel on 4/30/25, presents a Spider-Man-free issue when we find out how Gwen Stacy is coping with Harry’s death. Get ready for more than one mysterious development.

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Is Ultimate Spider-Man #16 Good?

Recap

When we last left the Parker Family in Ultimate Spider-Man #15, Peter and his son decided to visit an abandoned military base while the family stayed off the grid to avoid the Maker’s Council. At the base, Spider-Man and “Spider-Boy” found a man trapped in an endless loop as his body of sand was destroyed as soon as it was reformed, thanks to the electromagnetic tower left behind by the AIM scientists who abandoned the facility. The “Sandman” thanked his saviors before disappearing into the desert. The issue ended with Kingpin and his associates visiting The Paper to intimidate J. Jonah and Ben. How? By showing the seasoned newspapermen a stack of photos of recently murdered men from across the globe – all named Ben Reilly.

Plot Synopsis

In Ultimate Spider-Man #16, we take a trip back to before the beginning to understand where we are today. The All-Gwen-Stacy issue begins with a visit to Harry Osborn’s grave. Gwen remembers herself as a little girl, talking with her father just after her mother’s death. He encourages her to live life to the fullest and keep the memory of lost loved ones in our hearts. However, there’s more to the story.

What follows is a series of vignettes showing the evolution of Gwen and Harry’s relationship, from dating to marriage to the present day. Gwen isn’t just a passenger in Harry and Peter’s story. Gwen is one of five members of a secret cult or coven who secretly represents Mysterio. The illusion powers are passed from one generation to the next, and Gwen is next in line to receive the power from the original Mysterio, Quentin Beck.

The issue revisits scenes from the past fifteen issues of Ultimate Spider-Man as Mysterio quietly observes and manipulates events toward one goal – exposing the Maker and the Earth-6160 timeline as one big fat lie. When Peter and Harry are kidnapped by Kraven and hunted in the Savage Land, Mysterio/Gwen steps in to fake Harry’s death so that Harry can join her cause as the Green Goblin without a connection back to the Osborn name. After firing Otto (to prevent snooping) and killing Kraven (to prevent more hunting), Gwen and Harry secretly begin planning the downfall of the Maker.

First Impressions

I’m annoyed at yet another Ultimate Spider-Man issue that doesn’t have a Spider-Man, but Jonathan Hickman’s imaginative twist on Mysterio’s identity and secret workings in the series is an interesting one-off story. It’s like getting a really cool consolation prize.

How’s the Art?

Marco Checchetto is the one, consistently bright spot that makes this series worth reading. In lesser hands, Hickman’s meandering arcs and urgent-less revelations would fall completely flat. Here, Checchetto crafts a ghostly presence for Mysterio(s) as they fade in and out of perception to secretly nudge the unfolding events in their favor. In short, Mysterio’s mysterious ways look amazing.

What’s great about Ultimate Spider-Man #16?

Ultimate Spider-Man #16 is effectively a Mysterio origin issue that explains how certain events that we’ve already seen played out a little differently than we knew. Therefore, Hickman delivers a clever bit of writing to show us the story behind the story, unveils the secret identity of Mysterio with a twist, and sets up a new path for the series, with plenty of potential for Gwen and Harry (e.g. – Could the Green Goblin join the Ultimate Secret Six as a double agent?).

What’s not great about Ultimate Spider-Man #16?

First, the ratio of Ultimate Spider-Man comics where Spider-Man does appear versus the number where he doesn’t is patently unacceptable. Hickman’s world- and side-character-building is not so phenomenal that Spider-Man’s presence isn’t needed in his title.

Second, Ultimate Spider-Man #16 continues the trend of terrible pacing. Yes, it’s nice that we get a cool twist on the concept of Mysterio, but there’s not a drop of urgency or plot development to push the series forward when the Maker is only five-ish months away. Hickman’s approach to this series is the very definition of treading water, and the Spider-Man fans supporting the title deserve better.

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About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

Final Thoughts

Ultimate Spider-Man #16 is another one-and-done and Spider-Man-free issue that explains the weird and mysterious identity of Mysterio. Jonathan Hickman’s cool twist on a classic villain is worthy of exploration, and Marco Checchetto’s artwork is fantastic. That said, the number of issues in this run that don’t have Spider-Man is long past unacceptable, and the issue, while interesting, is missing any sense of drama or urgency.

6.8/10

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