The Sinister Six is nearly as iconic as Spider-Man himself, so the tease in Ultimate Spider-Man #8 was exciting. Now that Ultimate Spider-Man #9 is out this week, do they make the grand and splashy appearance, or is it a slow boil to that battle? Expect the latter, given the tempo of this series, but there is plenty of plot progression.
Ultimate Spider-Man #9 opens in September at a bar. J.J. Jameson and Ben Parker are there to celebrate their company’s success. Enter Mary Jane, and soon, we see she’s running the marketing for them, and their success is largely tied to Spider-Man. This scene helps inform us of their progress in starting their own business while reminding us why they got into this game. It wasn’t to do flashy superhero stories but to change things.
This scene also helps fill in the gaps regarding Spider-Man’s hero work. So far, we’ve barely seen him take on common thugs, but in a quick three panels, we see Spider-Man’s activities stopping common thugs and Mr. Negative’s goons. It’s a nice way to recap the last few months and Spidey’s success. It’s also helpful that Spider-Man and Green Goblin are coming back from some hero roles to help flesh out what they actually do between issues.
Note Spider-Man’s poses. He’s got a goofier side in this issue.
Credit: Marvel
The meatier superhero bits of this issue revolve around Green Goblin and Spider-Man. The first involves some suit upgrades with a clever nod to an iconic Spider-Man costume and then an attack by the Sinister Six. Or at least part of the group.
The art continues to be spectacular by Checchetto with colors by Matthew Wilson. Spider-Man looks great whenever he’s on the page, with some fun poses throughout. The character acting is spot on, with the age of Ben and Jameson on point, while Mary Jane looks her age while also looking confident. Wilson does some great stuff with colors, like the subtle glow of Black Cat’s eyes, or an awesome speed-line moment as Spider-Man gets whipped.
The joy of this issue and really the whole series is seeing how writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Marco Checchetto weave in familiar aspects of Spider-Man while making it new. Seeing Doc Ock’s new role is compelling, and he’s still true to his darker self. There’s also a possible hint at the clone saga getting set up, and a major Spider-Man villain even pops up, but not how you’ll imagine them. Above all else, this world feels realistic and lived in. This isn’t some bright Golden Age comic, but something new.
Ultimate Spider-Man #9 continues to show this series has legs, appealing to longtime fans with tweaks on the familiar while packaging it in an all-new and awesome experience.
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