Ultimate Spider-Man #2 talk.

[Huntsman Spider]

I thought it was good, but I still feel like I don't totally know who this version of Peter is. It stands to reason he'd be fairly different from ours, considering his formative experiences are so drastically different, but so far I haven't been able to "get" who he is yet. It's not a flaw, necessarily, but even if he feels some level of dissatisfaction with his life, I feel like not many adult family men would take the word of an alleged terrorist, mess with their own genetics and go out to fight crime/train to be a potential revolutionary. It seems like a huge leap. And I still don't get this Peter's motives beyond "I want something more from my life." So do I, but I don't think my first instinct would be to sneak out at night to punch bank robbers.

I guess I just hope Hickman eventually delves into what drives this version of Peter, what makes him tick. And I hope he has some significant differences as a person from 616 Peter, because there's no way that, without Ben's murder and the guilt he felt over it, having his parents alive later into his life, not having to carry all the trauma and loss he endured as Spider-Man, there's just no way he'd be the same person we know. Some things would be similar, but this guy had a totally different childhood and adolescence with drastically different experiences. It seems both unrealistic and like a missed opportunity to not explore that.

Fair points there, though I have somewhat more faith that those will be answered and explored as this series continues. With how successful it's been thus far in winning over critics and fans alike, that's almost a fait accompli.

To be fair that criticism often comes with the addition that when he writes characters he tends to go for a certain archetypes. The aloof scientist, the alpha leader, the distand god. In that similair vein.

In this issue we see him being very comfortable with Fisk, Ben and JJ. With Peter he is trying to find his voice, tryign to nail down the less cerebral qualities of Peter. That's why my favorite scene was the one with May. It's not perfect but it's a good step in the right direction. That's why the family aspect is the one that intrigues me the most. That and the humour. The rest I'm sort of taking for granted that Hickman will deliver on.

Writing this made me realise what a perfect match Hickman would be for a Spider-man 2099 series. Damn he could probably write an awesome Miguel and he would be a near perfect fit for the 2099 world.

Yeah, Hickman would be perfect for a more explicitly cyberpunk-style story where the world is secretly (or openly) divvied up between megacorps that have turned entire nations into their personal fiefdoms, since that's not very far off from the status quo he's established in this new Ultimate Universe.

[Rift]

The dialogue was better here. Last issue, the characters aometimes dipped into language that felt too formal for everyday conversations, but that wasn't really an issue here.

Anyway, it's a great book.

[Nomura99]

I loved them in issue one but they delivered no information that we couldn't have gotten from the kingpin scene having another page. It was fine as a scene and execution just narratively pointless

I disagree, I like when there's focus on character's relationships and motivations. That Jonah and Ben scene was basically that, "what are the two old fellas everyone loved in issue #1 up to?"...well, they are still a dope buddy couple and still trying to figure **** out. I think there's purpose in continue to make the reader care about them by showing how they are in this universe.

[Rift]

It also showed that the two are smart and are working on uncovering the conspiracy around Kingpin and the assassin. It's building up on them getting involved with the drama.

[CrimsonEchidna]

I've always been a fan of the concept of a supercrook, someone who isn't out to be a gangboss or a mad scientist, just someone using his gear for an easy payday. So this version of Shocker getting one over on Peter twice because he's playing into his empathy was pretty amusing.

[Frontier]

I thought it was good, but I still feel like I don't totally know who this version of Peter is. It stands to reason he'd be fairly different from ours, considering his formative experiences are so drastically different, but so far I haven't been able to "get" who he is yet. It's not a flaw, necessarily, but even if he feels some level of dissatisfaction with his life, I feel like not many adult family men would take the word of an alleged terrorist, mess with their own genetics and go out to fight crime/train to be a potential revolutionary. It seems like a huge leap. And I still don't get this Peter's motives beyond "I want something more from my life." So do I, but I don't think my first instinct would be to sneak out at night to punch bank robbers.

I guess I just hope Hickman eventually delves into what drives this version of Peter, what makes him tick. And I hope he has some significant differences as a person from 616 Peter, because there's no way that, without Ben's murder and the guilt he felt over it, having his parents alive later into his life, not having to carry all the trauma and loss he endured as Spider-Man, there's just no way he'd be the same person we know. Some things would be similar, but this guy had a totally different childhood and adolescence with drastically different experiences. It seems both unrealistic and like a missed opportunity to not explore that.

I don't know if Hickman is going with the idea that Peter Parker insatiably has this belief in helping people or doing the right thing, or this is because Ben and May raised him longer, but I do think they need to dive deeper into his motivations as well.

He definitely doesn't have the chip on his shoulder that 616 Peter has that informed a lot of his personality and behavior as Spider-Man. In fact I think he's maybe more casual about it than 616 Peter was. I don't think it's really settled in for him what he's really in for even after getting beat up twice.

I've always been a fan of the concept of a supercrook, someone who isn't out to be a gangboss or a mad scientist, just someone using his gear for an easy payday. So this version of Shocker getting one over on Peter twice because he's playing into his empathy was pretty amusing.

Probably the first win Shocker's gotten in a decade.

[Daibhidh]

This Shocker has hardly done anything except pull the wounded plover trick twice, and I'm already hoping this informs all future Shocker characterisation.

[Coop]

I feel like Peter's unknown motivation is like, explicitly part of the story. He openly questions "what am I doing and what am I supposed to be" in the book

So I fully expect for him to learn and be more invested in his superheroics as he learns more about the state of the world.

Remember it's not just a personal dissatisfaction he feels but an objective truth of this reality that it's wrong. It's been tampered with. It's not how it should have been. As Peter learns the depth of the evil at play and the deceit the rulers of the world have pulled on everyone I expect his motivations to solidify and grow more potent.

[Tapioca Blitzkrieg]

Great issue. Since it's only one issue a month the decompression gets to me sometimes, i just want to know what happens next so bad! But i guess it's also a merit to how engaging the story has been thus far, no major criticism from me thus far.

Saw the red suit coming the way it did a mile away, as soon as May made her first remark. Loved her in this issue.

I've always been a fan of Shocker, and i loved this version if not purely for him reading as an actually experienced savy crook that would, in fact, be reasonably able to trick a dopey family man 2 nights into being a hero, twice. OG shocker has been a crook for what would be more than a decade in 616 and he still reads like a hapless dork running with scissors, which is ok if that's his role to play, but c'mon, give my man some shine, he's a true classic.

[Frontier]

Considering how he is with Shocker now, I don't think this version of Peter stands a chance against someone in his weight class who actually knows how to fight.

[Daibhidh]

Considering how he is with Shocker now, I don't think this version of Peter stands a chance against someone in his weight class who actually knows how to fight.

Peter had Shocker on the ropes. Not knowing how to fight wasn't the problem.

[Frontier]

Peter had Shocker on the ropes. Not knowing how to fight wasn't the problem.

Yeah, but Shocker is pretty low on the totem pole.

[SplinteringHeart]

I was disappointed with the way May finding out that Pete was the Spider-Man played out...

Considering she's a child ( aged I guess about 8-10, maybe younger?) and it was stated that she was scared of Spidey, she took it all too easy, when Pete said "hey it's me, Dad"...I mean, a child would have a million questions and want far more comfort and reassurance...foremost in her mind would be "what are you, what are these powers, why are you doing this?" That did not come across..May seemed all just "oh it's you, ok, but I don't like the costume".and pass the ice cream...

I know this is not real life, and belief has to be suspended, but May was too cool about the situation, for a scared child..and considering this is her Dad...

[Ubauba01]

I was disappointed with the way May finding out that Pete was the Spider-Man played out...

Considering she's a child ( aged I guess about 8-10, maybe younger?) and it was stated that she was scared of Spidey, she took it all too easy, when Pete said "hey it's me, Dad"...I mean, a child would have a million questions and want far more comfort and reassurance...foremost in her mind would be "what are you, what are these powers, why are you doing this?" That did not come across..May seemed all just "oh it's you, ok, but I don't like the costume".and pass the ice cream...

I know this is not real life, and belief has to be suspended, but May was too cool about the situation, for a scared child..and considering this is her Dad...

Feel like the series tries to be too inoffensive.

The characters feel robotic. They just say their lines when it is their time and then wait for their next scene (with maybe the exception of Shocker). They almost feel like they are just reading lines from a script, not conveying much emotion. It could also be an issue with art, particularly regarding facial expressions and body language. Though I believe it has more to do with the script itself.

I'm not trying to be a contrarian, just giving my two cents.

This probably should have been a graphic novel of some sorts instead of an issue a month. It feels like one of those series that would flow better when the issues are read back to back.

[Kurus]

Yeah, but Shocker is pretty low on the totem pole.

Whole new universe, for all we know shocker could be top tier.