Ultimate Spider-Man #1 talk.

[captchuck]

I liked this a lot more than I expected. I always enjoy Hickman, but I liked this even better than his more complex books. It seemed so ground-level with characters that I simply liked. Wonderful version of Jonah and Ben. Give me more!

[Huntsman Spider]

Well, I have to say, this issue really surprised me with the surprises in this reality.

- Peter actually met his parents, although they died when he was 15 years old. My guess? I suppose that, because of the Maker, they couldn't keep working as SHIELD's agents.
- Peter seems to be smart, but for some reason, he's not a "braniac" like his main counterpart. I wonder what caused him not to choose the science path.
- Uncle Ben is alive, that is actually something I expected; what I didn't expect was him working at the Daily Bugle and being friends of J Jonah Jameson.
- It appears Peter never met Gwen and Harry in this reality, which means there's a high chance for Gwen to be alive here.

I suppose both Jameson and Uncle Ben will become supporting characters in Peter's adventures as Spider-Man. I suppose he will get pictures and proofs about the secrets of this world, leaving to Jameson and Ben to reveal it.

I don't pretend to know something I don't, but I can't shake the feeling that the radioactive spider might bite more than just Peter here. I mean, it surprises me it's still alive after 20 years, so who knows what other anormalities might have. Could it eventually bite the rest of Peter's family? Peter definitely needs an insurance so his family won't be in danger.

The spider might have been preserved in some kind of bio-stasis that kept it alive, in case the Maker wanted to empower someone he thought would be more amenable to his goals and ends with it.

[Toonstrack]

Gonna have to pick this up next week but im hearing s lot of good things from both ppl who don't like the wells stuff and people that do. Thats good. Shows me this is more than just its premise being a selling point.

[Prime]

I don't think Peter ever had a relationship with Gwen in this timeline. Peter and MJ are 35 years old here and Richard is clearly around 12 or 13 years old, so that would mean they started having kids when they were around 22 or 23 years old at most. I think Kevinroc's theory is correct and that Peter wound up hooking up with MJ way earlier on in life due to him never getting his powers meaning he couldn't dodge Aunt May's blind date set-ups, so they probably married right after graduating college together.

I doubt Peter will have a romantic tease with Felicia either. That doesn't seem like the sort of character drama that Hickman's interested in tackling, going off of his work in the Fantastic Four run and what I've heard about his Avengers and X-Men runs too. If I had to guess, maybe Felicia will have a girlfriend here like we're seeing in other appearances these days?

Admittedly I'm a tad biased, because I actively prefer the idea of Ben surviving this whole run and being a very prominent and fleshed out character for a change, but I do think it makes more sense overall to kill Jonah here than it would for Ben. Uncle Ben's whole deal in the Spider-Man mythology typically is to be the dead guy. His death is a literal meme, on par with that of Red Shirts in OG Star Trek. It's too obvious and safe to kill Uncle Ben here.

I donÂ’t see any place for Felicia or Gwen in this continuity. At least in the old Ultimate Peter was a kid and they basically met her his sister. I donÂ’t know what you can do with Gwen in this new one. Felicia is even harder. Unless they try to use her to temp Peter .


JJJ it seems like they are setting him up as the Uncle Ben of this universe. I wonder if he will give the famous “with great power” speech.

[marvelprince]

I agree with managing expectations, like I said above, I think I might have gone into this was some pre-conceived notions about Peter Parker. However, I don't agree this isn't Ultimate Spider-man 2.0.

This book has been marketed as a new take on Spider-man a la Ultimate Spider-man way back in 2000, difference this time is Peter is older and married with children.

I didn't expect nor like the direct connection to Ultimate Invasion. It means someone coming in fresh has to go back and read Ultimate Invasion to understand the events that led to Teen Tony giving Peter his powers.

This isn't me saying the book is bad in anyway, just that I had certain expectations around this particular launch.

Its right in the solicitation for the first issue that this deals with the fallout of Ultimate Invasion. The marketing was saying its the first series set in this new world. The fact that it has world with lore and backstory and already connected series announced already means it can't be Ultimate Spider-Man 2.0. Don't forget when the Ultimate line first launched none of it was planned to be connected, everyone was doing their own thing, there was not even a consensus on these takes should be (see Ultimate Team-Up).

For what its worth also, the book does a good job explaining what happened before and I'm sure things there will be helpful but really its Ultimate Universe #1 thats really key to getting what's happened here.

If it says Ultimate in the title I'm expecting something new and continuity free. It's just the way it is.

Thats a choice sure, but it hasn't been true of the Ultimate Line for a long time.

[Mister Mets]

Continuity definitely added up in the old Ultimate Universe, which was why it was logical to end it but it doesn't mean the concept of slimmed down, back to basics stories is a bad one.

And there aren't any real obvious entry points either, Spider-Man has been incomprehensible to me for a while now and the X-Men books are worse so I'd snap up a slimmed down version of those in a heart beat.

That isn't to say this was a bad book, it was definitely well done and because I loved the old Ultimate Universe I wasn't lost by the Maker plot at all and this new take seems interesting...but it's not an easy entry that doesn't rely on past continuity.

Right now there are all sorts of reprints available, including the earlier Ultimate Spider-Man.

New runs also try to be accessible. There's usually a back to basics first issue every few years (JMS/ Romita Jr's first issue in 2001, Brand New Day in 2008, Nick Spencer/ Ryan Ottley/ Humberto Ramos' Amazing Spider-Man #1 in 2018, Wells/ Romita Jr's first issue in 2022.)

I get that it's different to have an entire series that is slimmed down and back to basics, but eventually the continuity is going to add up. Ongoing subplots have generally been a big part of the Spider-Man comics, and modern comics storytelling tends to have big sagas from the beginning of a run to the end. We can see this with Hickman's Fantastic Four and Avengers. I wouldn't be surprised if Ultimate Spider-Man ends up being like that.

An unknown at the moment is the extent to which someone will be able to enjoy the new Ultimate Spider-Man without following the other titles.

[Kevinroc]

How much would Spider-Verse Miguel hate The Maker?

[Frontier]

I donÂ’t see any place for Felicia or Gwen in this continuity. At least in the old Ultimate Peter was a kid and they basically met her his sister. I donÂ’t know what you can do with Gwen in this new one. Felicia is even harder. Unless they try to use her to temp Peter .


JJJ it seems like they are setting him up as the Uncle Ben of this universe. I wonder if he will give the famous “with great power” speech.

I guess it's a question of how much Spider-Man lore Hickman is actually planning to mine for this.

[marvelprince]

I guess it's a question of how much Spider-Man lore Hickman is actually planning to mine for this.

Would depend on how long he plans to stay I imagine. Has he said anything about it? Hickman tends to have finite stories planned. I don't see him doing over 100 issues like Bendis but I hope its longer than a year (or two).

[Hulkout42]

I found myself intrigued, i will come back for more...that said i do wonder who will be revealed to be GG, i mean the obvious picks would be Harry...the not so obvious? Jonah, Ben or Gwen.

[Frontier]

Would depend on how long he plans to stay I imagine. Has he said anything about it? Hickman tends to have finite stories planned. I don't see him doing over 100 issues like Bendis but I hope its longer than a year (or two).

I think he's said he'll do it as long as he enjoys it.

[marvelprince]

I found myself intrigued, i will come back for more...that said i do wonder who will be revealed to be GG, i mean the obvious picks would be Harry...the not so obvious? Jonah, Ben or Gwen.

Is there anyone else who's supposed to be missing that it could end up being? Norman? Aunt May?

I think he's said he'll do it as long as he enjoys it.

Awesomeness. Thanks.

[JT221]

Wonderful version of Jonah and Ben.

I cannot adequately express how much I agree with this.

[Crazyspideyfan]

Wonder how the climax of this universe will work, will the 616 Illuminati find their way into this world to put a stop to the Maker once and for all once he’s free again, or will the new Ultimates and Ultimate heroes gather to take down the corrupt government? The Maker did this to make a point to 616 Reed, he’s probably going to try to find him again, the 616 Illuminati know he’s up to no good.

[ARkadelphia]

Where Paul at?