In a series where Mary Jane has wowed fans and given them exactly what they want, Ultimate Spider-Man #20 puts her center stage as she gets all the answers. It’s a direct continuation of the cliffhanger in Ultimate Spider-Man #19, as Mary Jane is sick of not knowing what Harry, Gwen, and the bigger operation are about. Is it worth it to risk your kids’ lives, or should she power through and commit to stopping a fascist leader like The Maker?
This latest issue is a return to the dinner-date model of Ultimate Spider-Man #4, only this time, instead of meeting Harry’s girlfriend, Gwen, it’s about Gwen antagonizing Mary Jane to no end. That’s not exactly the point, per se, as it’s Harry and Gwen coming clean with Mary Jane to assuage her fears that what they’re doing is good and needed. A big question lingers, though: Is it really worth it when you have two young kids?
A larger question hangs over this issue involving the Maker. If a truly fascist and awful supervillain were to return, should everyone throw away their family and normal lives to combat it? At times during this issue, I pondered if it’s ethical for Mary Jane to expect to keep her family unit safe, considering everything could change, and even Peter might die no matter what if they don’t fight this thing. At the same time, it’s not wrong for Mary Jane to want some normalcy. So it goes with marrying a superhero.
Drawn by David Messina, the issue pops with great acting throughout. Gwen is positively violent with some of her barbs. She’s clearly a bit bitter that Mary Jane gets to live a (somewhat) normal life, and makes it clear via passive-aggressive barbs throughout. Jonathan Hickman does a great job with the dialogue so that it’s natural and subtle. As a kind of mirror being held up to the fourth issue, it’s also interesting to see body language change, or how everyone is a bit more open.
Peter, you’re looking buff.
Credit: Marvel
Intercut with the dinner scene is a scene with Uncle Ben and Richard Parker. Similar to the dinner, Hickman wants to carry forward the drama of Richard falling in love with Black Cat and disobeying his parents. It’s nice to see Uncle Ben is in on the Spider-Man stuff, as this is a family affair.
Hickman does a great job with Richard’s insecurity and anxiety around dating a girl. It feels natural, and it’s holding up the idea of a kid with powers also having very normal love problems. Thrown into the mix is a bit of drama involving Jameson, reminding us that secrets do prevail on some scale with this group of characters.
Hickman and Messina end things with Mary Jane in a way I can only expect MJ Jane fans to hoot and holler over. Mary Jane stands up for herself in a way that feels right and justified. How it might taint the relationship with Gwen and Harry remains to be seen, but there’s a single barb in a bathroom scene from Gwen that might even piss off readers.
Closing out the issue is a two-page teaser that should get fans of a certain supervillain excited. It casts no aspersions as to who the target is, and how things might get shaken up very shortly.
If there was a gripe, it’s that some of the art can look inconsistent. The pacing throughout is great, but sometimes Mary Jane doesn’t quite look herself, for instance.
Ultimate Spider-Man #20 is a showcase for Mary Jane, giving her agency, grit, and a long-awaited chance to call the shots. By blending tense family drama, sharp dialogue, and subtle thematic callbacks, Hickman and Messina craft an issue that feels both intimate and monumental, setting the stage for seismic changes ahead.
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