Ultimate Spider-Man is a refreshing change of pace for the wallcrawler after he’s maintained a certain level of status quo for decades. He’s happily married to Mary Jane, has two kids, and is a bit older. He’s also only recently figuring out his superpowers. With each issue occurring a month apart, we’re witnessing Spider-Man figure things out in real time as a larger Ultimate Universe story looms. Ultimate Spider-Man #3 amps up the action and supervillain quotient while also settling on a superhero costume that Peter’s daughter can love.
Ultimate Spider-Man #3 opens with Mary Jane and her son Richard side-eyeing Peter and May, who seem to be up to something. We know from the last issue that May offered costume ideas, but Mary Jane and Richard are none the wiser. The familial bond is quite strong in this scene and feels quite natural. Marco Checchetto’s acting here is spot on, capturing the playfulness of everyone in the room.
This issue has a lot of fan service, but never feels like it’s going out of bounds or in an unearned place. For instance, we get a few familiar-looking Spider-Man costumes, but it’s so quick and works well with May, judging them to be fun but not too important. It’s nice to see Spider-Man enjoying his powers with May and sharing it. He likes being Spider-Man after three months, but he’s also a father, and that’s a big part of who he is.
Cool costumes, Peter.
Credit: Marvel
From there, this issue has two major scenes. One involves Uncle Ben and J.J. Jameson. They’re still trying to get their news organization off the ground, but they’re getting there. It’s nice to see Peter in on it a bit as he visits them, with some nice hints at Green Goblin’s activities. The dynamic between these three characters is already compelling, and it’ll be fun to see how it plays out. That is if all three live by the end of the story arc!
Writer Jonathan Hickman clearly knows how to have a little fun with Spider-Man, as is seen in a short montage. In it, we see Spider-Man take on his first stakeout with excellent comedic elements thrown in. Checchetto shows a lot via body language, while Hickman details Spider-Man’s thoughts via captions. It’s also nice to see pigeons playing a part in Spidey’s adventure here.
From there, the narrative kicks into action gear with Spider-Man happening upon Green Goblin chasing Bullseye. The new costumes look fabulous in a modern and realistic sort of way. Checchetto brings a cinematic style to this scene with great angles on the character, taking and giving hits. The fact that they’re zipping through the air many stories up only adds to the drama and intensity of the scene. There are a lot of cool effects that amp up the scene, too, with lasers, explosions, and even electricity zapping each of the characters.
After the action, fans won’t want to miss the final scene. It plays against expectations, but what scene hasn’t in this series so far? It reminds us of Spider-Man’s new suit’s origins. It also sets up the dinner scene in the next issue, as was teased last week.
Ultimate Spider-Man #3 is another winning issue. All told the progress in the plot feels slow, yet each scene is expertly crafted and entertaining. Ultimate Spider-Man will reignite your love of Spider-Man with great art in a modern and elevated take on the character.
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