On May 29, one of Spidey’s most terrifying foes makes his Ultimate Universe debut! Get a sneak peek at Jonathan Hickman and David Messina’s Ultimate Spider-Man #5, the next issue in Hickman and Marco Checchetto’s expectations-shattering new run!
Ultimate Spider-Man #4
(W) Jonathan Hickman (A) David Messina (CA) Marco Checchetto
Rated T
In Shops: Apr 24, 2024
SRP: $4.99
WHO IS THE GREEN GOBLIN?
Peter Parker’s secret life starts fraying the edges of his personal life! J. Jonah Jameson and Ben Parker’s pursuit of truth – or, at least, the news – stirs unrest with the world at large… And now that Spider-Man may not have to operate alone, the real work of rebuilding this corrupt world can begin!
Wednesdays (and Tuesdays) are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in
Each week our contributors choose what they can’t wait to read this week or just sounds interesting. In other words, this is what we’re looking forward to and think you should be taking a look at!
Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this week.
The Boxer Vol. 6 (Yen Press/IZE Press) – One of the best comics out right now, it’s not about the boxing, it’s about the individuals in and out of the ring.
Chernobyl Fall of Atomgrad (Palazzo Editions) – This graphic and harrowing account of nuclear catastrophe at Chernobyl in April 1986 follows the dozens of human stories cruelly affected by disaster.
Conan the Barbarian #10 (Titan Comics) – The series has delivered with every issue breathing new life into the classic character.
Dawnrunner #2 (Dark Horse) – It’s mech vs. aliens/monsters but there’s something really cool about that first issue that has us excited to check out the second.
Dick Tracy #1 (Mad Cave Studios) – The classic character returns with a hell of a creative team behind it. Can’t wait to see what this new series is like.
Duke #5 (Skybound) – The new take on G.I. JOE has been amazing as we get to see Duke attempt to figure out what’s going on. It’s been a great way to connect the property to Transformers and the greater Energon Universe.
Feral #2 (Image Comics) – The series is cute animals meets a zombie story. The first issue was fantastic and we’re excited to see what’s next.
If You Find This I’m Already Dead #3 (Dark Horse Comics) – The series wraps up and it’s been a hell of a ride. Don’t miss this one about a journalist stuck on an alien world. After the last issue’s reveal, we can’t wait to read this one!
The Penguin #9 (DC Comics) – The series might be about the Penguin’s return to Gotham but it has solidified him as a scary Batman villain.
The Six Fingers #3 (Image Comics) – The series from the perspective of a serial killer has been an interesting spiral into madness.
Ultimate Spider-Man #4 (Marvel) – One of the best comics Marvel is putting out right now. It’s everything that makes Spider-Man good and then some.
Universal Monsters: Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! #1 (Skybound) – We’re excited to check out the next entry in the return of Universal Monsters to comics! Dracula was so good, we’re hoping this one is close.
Ultimate Spider-Man #4
(W) Jonathan Hickman (A) David Messina (CA) Marco Checchetto
Rated T
In Shops: Apr 24, 2024
SRP: $4.99
WHO IS THE GREEN GOBLIN?
Peter Parker’s secret life starts fraying the edges of his personal life! J. Jonah Jameson and Ben Parker’s pursuit of truth – or, at least, the news – stirs unrest with the world at large… And now that Spider-Man may not have to operate alone, the real work of rebuilding this corrupt world can begin!
Ultimate Spider-Man #3 is another fantastic issue of a series that stands out from the crowd.
Story: Jonathan Hickman
Art: Marco Checchetto
Color: Matthew Wilson
Letterer: Cory Petit
Get your copy now! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.
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Packed with fascinating versions of iconic Marvel characters and set in an unfamiliar world that was crafted by the Maker to be free of Super Heroes, Marvel’s new Ultimate line has been a mega success—demanding multiple printings and sparking intense conversation between fans! Each issue has peeled back another layer of how twisted this new Earth is, and how hard its burgeoning heroes will need to work to get it back on track. Right now, get a sneak peek at what’s to come with cover reveal and synopses for July’s four Ultimate issues.
Jonathan Hickman and Marco Checchetto continue to spin the Spidey story of the decade in Ultimate Spider-Man #7. The start of an all-new arc, the issue picks up after Green Goblin and Spider-Man’s intense battle with the Kingpin, where they learned they aren’t as ready to reshape the world as they hoped. Harry and Peter get to work, while Ben and Jonah work on “the truth”… And problems for their resistance arise when Tony Stark checks in on Peter! Coming to shops July 3.
Black Panther undertakes a daring trial to face Ra and Khonshu in Bryan Hill and guest artist Carlos Nieto’s Ultimate Black Panther #6. While T’Challa has sought to grow his power, so too have the forces of Moon Knight… And with access to a unique new resource, Ra and Khonshu are stronger than ever! How will Wakanda stand in its resistance against the kings of the Upper and Lower Kingdoms? And is T’Challa prepared to bear the consequences of tapping into such dangerous wells of power? Featuring a cover by Stefano Caselli, it comes to shops July 24.
More shocking secrets of the Ultimate Universe are revealed in Deniz Camp and Juan Frigeri’s Ultimates #2. Captain America reckons with the Maker’s dismantling of nations…by visiting the White House. Cap’s arrival leads to a massive brawl between the villain known as Midas and this young band of freedom fighters, but Midas has been holding a superhuman hostage as a power source! Plus, discover the dark history of what used to be the United States on Earth-6160… Ultimates #2 features a cover by Dike Ruan and will be released July 10.
The Ultimate Universe’s new generation of mutants face their first enemy in Peach Momoko’s Ultimate X-Men #5. Maystorm isn’t the only mutant with electric powers – and Noriko Ashida, a.k.a. Surge, is here to make sure she knows it! A fun summer festival turns haunted and dangerous as spirits and surges collide! And, the shadow who has been haunting Armor finally reveals his true face! Out July 17.
In my capsule review of Ultimate Spider-Man #1, I described it as the Spider-Man I need at age 30, and it continues to be that in its third installment. Jonathan Hickman, Marco Checchetto, and Matthew Wilson continue to craft a Spider-Man comic book that is funny, poignant, action-packed, and has actual relationships between its characters while to continue to dig at (Not quite construct.) some annoying things about past Spidey comics and superhero books in general. The big, initial shocker in this series was that Uncle Ben is very much alive so this issue goes into his and J. Jonah Jameson’s journalism endeavor as they piece together evidence to take down the Kingpin with the kind of, sort of help of Peter Parker. Uncle Ben and Jameson are competent, driven writers, but they’re not business owners and are light years from taking down New York’s crime boss. This, along with Spider-Man continuing to get used to being Spider-Man and figuring out whether to keep his identity secret from certain people, creates a relatable through-line that being an adult is mostly faking it until you make it.
One great thing about Ultimate Spider-Man #3 is its deadpan comic time. Beneath all the charts and elaborate world-building, Jonathan Hickman is just a silly little guy who spends pages roasting different Spider-Man costumes (Via Peter’s daughter May) and showing how boring and ridiculous stake-outs are. Checchetto’s visuals add to the rhythm of the jokes with his spot-on renderings of the costumes and reaction shots from different characters. I died laughing at a silent beat panel of Uncle Ben and J. Jonah Jameson glaring at Peter when he vouched for the coolness of Spider-Man in a conversation about how the Green Goblin was taking down different Kingpin-owned properties. There’s lots of levity and verbal sparring through the book to go with the actual superhero action. It’s a fond reminder of the first volume of Ultimate Spider-Man and Brian Michael Bendis’ snappy patter although Hickman has a much different writing style and doesn’t cover the art with excessive word balloons.
Like the original Ultimate Spider-Man series, Hickman and Marco Checchetto introduce the Green Goblin as a potential threat for Spider-Man and intertwine him with the tragedy that made Peter Parker go from thirty-something family man to superhero. However, they depart from the typical hero/villain dynamic (This is foreshadowed in an earlier conversation between Uncle Ben, J. Jonah Jameson, and Peter.) and have them find common ground in a battle with Bullseye, who works for the Kingpin, but also maybe the Maker. Like the 616 version, this Bullseye is boastful and has wicked aim with a deck of cards in addition to being an unreliable narrator. Instead of the usual fight each other, then team-up, Jonathan Hickman and Checchetto let the battle flow naturally with Bullseye catching Green Goblin pumpkin bombing one of Kingpin’s properties while Spider-Man is on stake-out.
Initially, Spider-Man fights them both, but over the course of the fray, he realizes that he has a common enemy with the Green Goblin, and they make quite a team. Plus Spider-Man’s suit uses some of the same tech as Green Goblin’s cementing their connection. With the reveal of Green Goblin being Harry Osborn, it’s reminiscent of the team-up between New Goblin and Spider-Man in the Spider-Man 3 film, but with less angsty build-up. (There’s lots of Raimi Spider-Man trilogy in Ultimate Spider-Man‘s DNA, and I’m here for it.) Sure, there are bombastic fisticuffs with bright colors from Matthew Wilson and wide screen panels from Marco Checchetto, but the fight scenes also build the relationship between Peter Parker and Harry Osborn while also showing Spider-Man’s improvement as a superhero from the previous issue. (He kicks ass instead of having his ass kicked!) Also, on an emotional level, Peter and Harry are just two young men with extraordinary abilities and deep grief trying to do some good in this world, and it makes sense for them to have a bond instead of just being the arbitrary good guys/bad guys.
With well-timed jokes, flashy art, and fluid visual storytelling, Ultimate Spider-Man #3 continues to show the difficulty of doing good and helping people in a world that is literally undergirded by evil. The scenes with Peter and his family, former boss J. Jonah Jameson, and potential new friend Harry Osborn truly show that it takes a village to save the day and not in the cliched “Avengers assemble” kind of way. Although there’s hints at the Maker and larger Ultimate Universe narrative, Hickman and Checchetto keep the stakes and small and personal in this series, and it’s why this book is easily one of my favorite monthly ongoing superhero comics in recent years.
Story: Jonathan Hickman Art: Marco Checchetto
Colors: Matthew Wilson Letters: Cory Petit
Story: 8.6 Art: 8.9 Overall: 8.8 Recommendation: Buy
Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – Kindle
Spider-Man sizes up the new hero Green Goblin! As they team up to fight a new super villain, secrets about the corporations running North America are revealed… And you’ll never guess who discovers Spider-Man’s secret identity! Ultimate Spider-Man #3 delivers the goods with the introduction of two new characters and the reveal of one of their secret identities.
Written by Jonathan Hickman, Ultimate Spider-Man #3 makes it three for three when it comes to quality issues for the series. This one in particular shows off the balance that Hickman has perfected with each issue. It’s a balance of introducing this new world, Peter’s home life, Peter’s superhero life, and throw in some action and humor. The comic is fantastic just nailing what you’d want from a Spider-Man comic.
Where Hickman’s run stands out is taking the familiar and remixing it. This feels somewhat like a “what if” story with Peter grown up, married, and kids, but also an origin story as well. He doesn’t know how to be a superhero, having had decades of training stolen from him. There’s simple tasks of a stake out and deciding on a costume, it all is simple tasks that are new to him and thus us.
There’s also Peter’s home life. His daughter knows his secret but that leaves his wife and son in the dark. This gives Hickman an opportunity to explore Peter and his daughter’s relationship delivering some adorable moments that ground the comic and remind us that this is a story about a father learning how to be a hero. We get his views but that of his daughter’s as well.
Then there’s the introduction of two new characters, Green Goblin and Bullseye. Each are interesting takes on the classic characters with one’s identity being revealed in a rather interesting way. Both of these characters not only expand the world but also build on the mystery of who is controlling the world this Ultimate Universe is built upon.
The art by Marco Checchetto helps a ton adding in energy and excitement that Hickman’s writing delivers. The colors by Matthew Wilson pop and lettering by Cory Petit add that emotional punch. The art is fantastic and can go from mundane boring aspects to excitement, hitting each of those emotional aspects perfectly. Peter with his daughter, the details in expressions drive home what they’re feeling, thinking, and experiencing. There’s an adorable aspect to it that the art really emphasizes. It’s fantastic, spilling over the excitement and enthusiasm from the story weaved.
Ultimate Spider-Man #3 is a fantastic issue really driving home the fundamentals of what’s making this series work so well. It’s just a solid comic that’s fun and in some ways still a decent point to start reading from. It builds upon the mystery of this world but not too in the weeds yet. But, most importantly, the fun and enthusiasm of the comic and its characters spills off the page.
Story: Jonathan Hickman Art: Marco Checchetto
Color: Matthew Wilson Letterer: Cory Petit
Story: 8.4 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy
Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – Kindle
Ultimate Spider-Man #3
(W) Jonathan Hickman (A/CA) Marco Checchetto
Rated T
In Shops: Mar 27, 2024
SRP: $4.99
PETER PARKER’S NEW LIFE GETS EVEN MORE COMPLICATED…
Spider-Man sizes up the new hero Green Goblin! As they team up to fight a new super villain, secrets about the corporations running North America are revealed…
And you’ll never guess who discovers Spider-Man’s secret identity!
This year kicked off with the launch of Jonathan Hickman and Marco Checchetto’s Ultimate Spider-Man, a series that’s destined to go down in Marvel Comics history! With its bold reimagining of classic Spider-Man motifs, Ultimate Spider-Man has hooked passionate longtime Spidey fans as well as all-new comic readers. Only two issues deep, Ultimate Spider-Man continues to fly off shelves, and there’ll be yet another chance for webheads to jump on board when the debut issue returns to shops on May 1 with a highly demanded FIFTH PRINTING!
Set in an riveting new universe forged by the Maker as a world without super heroes, Ultimate Spider-Man introduced an older Peter Parker who never got bit by that fateful radioactive spider. Instead of web-slinging through the skies as Spider-Man, he married longtime sweetheart Mary Jane Watson, and when he’s not chasing stories for the Daily Bugle, he’s a devoted father to their two precocious kids. But who’s to say he can’t have both?
After realizing the dark truth behind their existence, Tony Stark embarked on a mission to set things right—starting with giving Peter an opportunity to become the hero he was born to be! Now he’s learning the great power and greater responsibility of being Spider-Man with a loving family supporting him every step of the way—including a very much alive Uncle Ben! This sensational saga is just getting started and in the months ahead, Ultimate Spider-Man will continue to surprise and delight with the mystery of Green Goblin, the first appearance of Ultimate Gwen Stacy, new takes on Spider-Man’s unparalleled rogues gallery, and much, much more!
Check out the new Fifth Printing variant of Checchetto’s now iconic Ultimate Spider-Man #1 cover along with a sneak peek at tomorrow’s Ultimate Spider-Man #3 and grab them both at digitally or at your local comic shop!
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