Ultimate Spider-Man 2024 is the Best Modern Spidey Comic
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Article Summary
- Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) reimagines Peter Parker at 35—married to Mary Jane and raising a family.
- Jonathan Hickman and Marco Checchetto deliver bold storytelling, stunning art, and meaningful character work.
- A must-read that finally gives fans the Spidey story they’ve been waiting for, unlike the current Amazing Spider-Man run.
Spider-Man is no doubt Marvel’s most popular and iconic character. Some would argue that he is the number one most iconic comic character ever. Naturally, a character like him is going to have dozens and dozens of different iterations in comics and various other media. Some of the most popular versions of the character come from video games, television shows, and movies. For my money, one of, if not the best version of this incredibly beloved character comes from 2024’s Ultimate Spider-Man reboot, written by Jonathan Hickman and drawn by Marco Checchetto. This version of the webhead is not only the best version we’ve gotten in a while, but one of the best comics Marvel has put out in years.
Starting off, it’s impossible to talk about Ultimate Spider-Man without talking about Amazing Spider-Man (ASM), as well as the older Ultimate Spider-Man. Yes, very confusing. ASM has been the standard Spider-Man comic since 1963. The original Ultimate Spider-Man came out back in 2000, and was an alternate version of the character, taking place in the (then) current day. The original Ultimate Spider-Man was very popular and is still a fan favorite. On the flipside, ASM is in a rough spot. Spider-Man in his main 616 universe book has had many out-of-character moments, and he has been perpetually separated from Mary Jane, a character the fans love, for very stupid and complicated reasons, like the devil telling them they can’t be together. Unfortunately, I’m not kidding. No wonder the fans hate this comic.
Ultimate Spider-Man 2024 rectifies all of this. Why? Well, the main premise is Peter Parker and MJ are married, with two kids, and Pete becomes Spider-Man not at the age of fifteen, but thirty-five. Quite a shakeup, huh? This is one of the biggest strengths of the comic. It’s been going since 2024, and the premise is one of the most unique plots this character has ever faced. How many times have we seen Peter Parker become Spider-Man in high school? Too many to count. Becoming a superhero is a great analogy for puberty, but this time, it’s completely different. Peter feels like ever since he can remember, something has been missing from his life.
Little did he know, it was being Spider-Man. This universe was started by a villain who wanted to experiment with time travel and see what would happen if the world’s greatest heroes never came to be. His plan was thwarted by this universe’s Iron Man, thankfully. Now, Peter Parker can finally make up for all that lost time. And the character interactions? Wow. Hickman and company do an immaculate job with all of it. The creative team of this comic is always on their A-game; it’s incredible. The character writing in this book is second to none. One of the greatest shake-ups in this comic is the fact that Uncle Ben is a pivotal character. You know who else is? J. Jonah Jameson. They are both best friends, and their scenes together are just as intriguing and entertaining as any action or drama scene with Peter, in or out of the costume.
And what a great costume it is. The art in this book is just phenomenal. I won’t spoil anything, but the way the book has been progressing is some of the riskiest storytelling I’ve seen this character be a part of. And this is coming from a guy who has read Spider-Man comics since before he knew how to read. I just adore how Hickman structures this book. It’s month to month; as time passes by in our real world, the same amount of time passes by in the comic, so there’s a ton of development, great build-up, as well as pay-offs in each issue. It’s incredible how cohesive it all feels. I would have expected nothing less from Jonathan Hickman; he’s one of the most prolific modern writers in comics right now, and he just kills it in this book.
The encapsulation of this book, and why it succeeds, has got to be Peter and MJ’s relationship. If you’re a die-hard fan, you understand why. For years in the comics, back in the 80s, all the way up to the mid-2000s, Pete and MJ were married in the main Amazing Spider-Man book. Because of the super forced and stupid things that happened, they split up, never to be married again. Since then, Pete has dated and gone out with tons of different women, but the fans beg Marvel to put the two back together. And for all the complaints, they refuse to. They go out of their way in ASM to make it obvious that these two will never be married again. And it sucks because these characters are meant to be together. It feels forced when they aren’t. This makes the current Ultimate Spider-Man book even better, because it feels right. In almost every Spider-Man story, Mary Jane is his love interest, and that’s not a mistake. Their relationship is so meaningful for Spidey’s character, and all the growth he’s had. The fact that in the main 616 universe, they aren’t together, stings a lot to this day.
But it’s a bit easier to swallow, because in Ultimate Spider-Man 2024, Pete and MJ are married with children. Everything that a fan could want, for so long, has finally come to fruition in this book. And the drama isn’t forced. Pete and MJ have such a strong relationship that the conflict isn’t “are they going to split up?”. Instead, it’s “how are they going to get through this?”. It’s just incredible character work that is dramatic, entertaining, but also true to the character. That’s why ASM has alienated so many fans, myself alike. In this universe, these beloved characters are not only together, but they also act the way they should. The more maturely written characters, the great artwork, and the phenomenal pacing and unique twists on beloved characters make this a must-read if you love the character. If you haven’t already, this writer implores you, please go check out Ultimate Spider-Man 2024. It’s the best Spidey book out right now. At the time of writing, you can get the first and second volumes in a clean, trade paperback! ‘Nuff said!
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Nicolas Scagnelli
I'm a passionate writer who runs five blogs covering everything from pop culture to lifestyle. When I'm not working, I love spending my free time writing, reading comics, playing games, and working out. Some of my favorite series are Devil May Cry, Kingdom Hearts, Chainsaw Man, and Spider-Man. I'm always excited to dive into geek culture and share my thoughts with fellow fans!
