Ultimate Spider-Man by Jonathan Hickman and Marco Checchetto

[Huntsman Spider]

Speaking of which:



More than anything this feels like Hickman boiling down what makes Spider-Man, Spider-Man. I expect this is probably where he had his epiphany on how to approach the character. Wouldn’t surprise me if his USM is built off of a similar base to how Hickman lays out Peter’s foundation here - with Ben, May, Gwen, MJ, and Harry being the key players in Peter’s life.

That it does.

[Webhead]

Adult Ultimate Peter does seem like a clever idea even if the original 1610 backstory will probably be a non-factor.

[Refrax5]

If the Ultimate Spider-Man is going to be successful, then it has to be Peter Parker. Regardless of Miles Morales, Miquel O'Hara, Ben Reilly and all the other Spider characters over the years, Peter Parker is synonymous with Spider-Man. There's just no getting around it.

Also, think about the premise behind this new Ultimate Spider-Man being a "mid-life" take on the character. Every version of Peter Parker as Spider-Man that has ever been done always depicts him as a nerdy teenager who, despite his excellent grades and intelligence, is either ridiculed or bullied by his peers, when all he wants is to be popular and go out with the prettiest girl at school. Then he gets super powers courtesy of a spider bite. Thus Spider-Man becomes a metaphor for adolescence and a coming of age story. Even if we see a Spider-Man who is already an adult and an established hero, it's clear that his backstory is more or less identical to what I just laid out.

But a Peter Parker who is already an adult in his late 30s, early 40s? Who believes that his dreams are being crushed by everyday living, doesn't feel he's accomplished much in life and realizes he's not getting any younger? Who, in spite of his intellect and talents, wound up in a job he hates and who's marriage--if he's lucky to have actually gotten married at is--has lost all the spark and romance it once had? And then for that Peter Parker to get bitten by the radioactive spider? And on top of that, potentially learn that this was supposed to have happened to him when he was fifteen? That's something new, and a unique way of examining Peter Parker as a character while still retained the overall message of "With great power, there must also come great responsibility." That's what helps it stand apart from being just another take on Spider-Man that we've already seen.

I agree. I think of how Liz was telling him how ordinary and disappointing his life was going to be right before he was supposed to be bitten and I wonder if we're going to get Peter Parker as somebody who was kind of a middle aged failure to launch, who has kind of a mundane life that never went anywhere...who then gets bitten by the spider and everything changes. I think that's a very different angle to take with Spider-Man and one that I'm interested to read about. I hope that's the direction it takes.

[Ursalink]

Speaking of which:



More than anything this feels like Hickman boiling down what makes Spider-Man, Spider-Man. I expect this is probably where he had his epiphany on how to approach the character. Wouldn’t surprise me if his USM is built off of a similar base to how Hickman lays out Peter’s foundation here - with Ben, May, Gwen, MJ, and Harry being the key players in Peter’s life.

Peter just read my mind. Just how much does he have to keep suffering? That's not just cruel anymore, it's even pathetic!! He deserves better!!

As for the rumors about a "mid-life Peter Parker" as the Ultimate Spider-Man... I have some doubts about it.

1º) How can they make Peter an adult if Tony Stark is a kid here? I mean, Tony is older than Peter on most incarnations. So how can this be possible?

2º) They are going to make Peter an adult here, but I don't want them to make him like Peter B. Parker, from the Spider-Verse's movies. Don't get me wrong, he's a great character, but it seems like the "Parker's Curse" keeps haunting him even when he doesn't pretend to be a kid anymore. It has somekind of attitude that makes him seem... Embarrassing. Can't they just find a balance between the carefree youngster of his classic self and the grown-up man we want him to be without being haunted by classic "Parker's luck"?

3º) In this reality, the Maker stopped the spider from bitting Peter. How are they going to fix this here? I mean, they are going to go back in time and make it bite Peter again? And just how different is going to be Peter's life here? Some tragedies are inevitable in order for him to be really Spider-Man, but I don't want this Peter trapped in a "non-stop suffering" as usual.

[Morgoth]

How can they make Peter an adult if Tony Stark is a kid here? I mean, Tony is older than Peter on most incarnations. So how can this be possible?

It's completely different universe. Reed Richards is Doctor Doom here. Peter being older than Tony wouldn't be the craziest thing.

[StarSpangledMan]

I've got nothing to add to this discussion other than this book will be my first pulled Spider-Man title ever and I'm pretty excited to see what the creative team have cooked up.

[chachi]

Definitely adding to my pull list. Skipping Spider-Boy and Superior. No interest in either of those books.

[Refrax5]

Peter just read my mind. Just how much does he have to keep suffering? That's not just cruel anymore, it's even pathetic!! He deserves better!!

As for the rumors about a "mid-life Peter Parker" as the Ultimate Spider-Man... I have some doubts about it.

1º) How can they make Peter an adult if Tony Stark is a kid here? I mean, Tony is older than Peter on most incarnations. So how can this be possible?

2º) They are going to make Peter an adult here, but I don't want them to make him like Peter B. Parker, from the Spider-Verse's movies. Don't get me wrong, he's a great character, but it seems like the "Parker's Curse" keeps haunting him even when he doesn't pretend to be a kid anymore. It has somekind of attitude that makes him seem... Embarrassing. Can't they just find a balance between the carefree youngster of his classic self and the grown-up man we want him to be without being haunted by classic "Parker's luck"?

3º) In this reality, the Maker stopped the spider from bitting Peter. How are they going to fix this here? I mean, they are going to go back in time and make it bite Peter again? And just how different is going to be Peter's life here? Some tragedies are inevitable in order for him to be really Spider-Man, but I don't want this Peter trapped in a "non-stop suffering" as usual.

I actually agree about Peter B. He was everything I don't like about modern Spider-Man, just older. It worked for what they were doing in the movie, but I definitely don't see it as anything to model comics Peter after. Honestly, the Chris Pine version of Peter from the beginning of the movie is a lot closer to how I wish Spider-Man was portrayed in the comics.

[Ursalink]

I actually agree about Peter B. He was everything I don't like about modern Spider-Man, just older. It worked for what they were doing in the movie, but I definitely don't see it as anything to model comics Peter after. Honestly, the Chris Pine version of Peter from the beginning of the movie is a lot closer to how I wish Spider-Man was portrayed in the comics.

The only thing I would let Peter B Parker to stay in existence is his baby, Mayday. She's so cute!

[Coop]

Peter just read my mind. Just how much does he have to keep suffering? That's not just cruel anymore, it's even pathetic!! He deserves better!!

As for the rumors about a "mid-life Peter Parker" as the Ultimate Spider-Man... I have some doubts about it.

1º) How can they make Peter an adult if Tony Stark is a kid here? I mean, Tony is older than Peter on most incarnations. So how can this be possible?

2º) They are going to make Peter an adult here, but I don't want them to make him like Peter B. Parker, from the Spider-Verse's movies. Don't get me wrong, he's a great character, but it seems like the "Parker's Curse" keeps haunting him even when he doesn't pretend to be a kid anymore. It has somekind of attitude that makes him seem... Embarrassing. Can't they just find a balance between the carefree youngster of his classic self and the grown-up man we want him to be without being haunted by classic "Parker's luck"?

3º) In this reality, the Maker stopped the spider from bitting Peter. How are they going to fix this here? I mean, they are going to go back in time and make it bite Peter again? And just how different is going to be Peter's life here? Some tragedies are inevitable in order for him to be really Spider-Man, but I don't want this Peter trapped in a "non-stop suffering" as usual.

For 1: I don't think this is that big of a hurdle to overcome. It's an alternate universe, the ages don't need to line up or necessarily be relative to what they are in 616. I personally don't have an issue with it. But your mileage may vary. In addition to it being a new universe, time has been relentlessly meddled with by Maker allowing for any possible number of differences to occur.

For 2: We only have speculation. "it's a bit of a Peter B. Parker situation". How much "a bit" means is up for debate. I personally don't think it will be a 1:1 situation. But we will see. My hope is we will see a mid life Peter Parker gain powers and see how that affects him as an adult with whatever his situation is at present. I don't seen Hickman as a misery porn type writer so I am not worried.

For 3: The trailer shows Reed Doom pulling the Spider from storage within the Maker's city. My read is that they can't go back and change the past, but rather exploit loopholes. For example, the Maker went to kill a frozen Steve Rogers but couldn't find him. It was later revealed that was because Iron Lad and Reed Doom took him from the ice and brought him to the present. I would imagine that time traveling and disturbing the things Maker did would unravel the fabric of their history and also put them at risk of getting caught up with a time traveling Maker or Kang

[Jman27]

The only thing I would let Peter B Parker to stay in existence is his baby, Mayday. She's so cute!

yeah thats fair although if they bring mayday to 616 I guarantee they would age her up they wouldnt keep her as a baby.

[CaptainUniverse]

I am hoping that if or when we see 6160 MJ that Marco Checchetto gives her big curly hair like he did with Elektra over in Daredevil:

[Ursalink]

yeah thats fair although if they bring mayday to 616 I guarantee they would age her up they wouldnt keep her as a baby.

Like they made Jon kent age very quickly in DC? No way! If Marvel and DC can't learn from their own mistakes, they should learn from each other's mistakes.

[Jman27]

Like they made Jon kent age very quickly in DC? No way! If Marvel and DC can't learn from their own mistakes, they should learn from each other's mistakes.

i dont think they care that much about what the other one is doing. their thought process is kinda similar as well. I remember when both had major weddings only for those weddings to be cancel.

[Ursalink]

i dont think they care that much about what the other one is doing. their thought process is kinda similar as well. I remember when both had major weddings only for those weddings to be cancel.

At least Lois and Superman wedding was restored, unlike Peter and MJ's, which I don't understand why Marvel don't just restore it once and for all.

Also, considering they are each other's main competition, it's in their interest to avoid to make the same mistake and take advantages over the other.