Ultimate Spider-Man has been selling like hotcakes! Not only has the series revived general fan enthusiasm for the character (with the main line title being quite divisive amongst fans), but it generally reignited many people’s love for comics as a medium. Jonathan Hickman’s Ultimate Spider-Man has been a story that reminds readers that even when you feel like your life is missing something, it is never too late to make the change you want to see in yourself. While I generally loved the series’ first volume, I found volume 2 to be just as spectacular for different reasons altogether.
We focus on more than just Spider-Man in volume 2. While the first book worked to set the stage for the series by identifying key relationships, allowing for individual growing pains for Peter and Harry in particular, and having the pair make their first big play, Vol. 2 focuses far more on the fallout from this by introducing some of the biggest threats in the book. Don’t get me wrong, all of this is done by allowing Peter (and Harry, but as Tony Stark made clear, the most important person in this universe is Peter) to learn how heavy of a burden he’s taking on. Through this newfound responsibility, the story winds up benefiting from its monthly release schedule, as things feel well paced and slowly build Peter’s experience at handling these threats.
By the end of the book, Hickman has done a spectacular job adding depth to the world readers are beginning to immerse themselves in by slowly pushing Peter (and us) closer towards the biggest battle he’s faced yet, all while providing one final false sense of security to pull the rug from under us in the book’s final moments.
In The Paper, Marco Checchetto, David Messina, and Matthew Wilson continue to deliver sensational issue after sensational issue for readers to take in. What can I say about an artist as renowned as Checchetto that hasn’t been said? His intricate line work continues to make this book feel absolutely magical. Through this, every detail jumps out at the reader and helps the book to feel just as extraordinary as the hardworking creative team wants you to feel it is. Similarly, David Messina works excellently to complement this by remaining more than capable of making certain issues feel more emotional and friendly. However, both artists are elevated to a higher level through Wilson’s deep and warm colors that bring this story to life through expressive hues and electric shading that help heartfelt conversations carry the same weight as action sequences. Altogether, this book is just as captivating as the last thanks to the brilliant artists who help to give the book life.
Ultimately, Ultimate Spider-Man by Jonathan Hickman Vol. 2: The Paper is an incredible second volume in a series that continues to make fans’ heads turn. While the pacing is a bit slower than the first volume, this book continues to do a great job fleshing out the Ultimate Universe and remains very captivating. Peter is facing threats he’s never imagined, and unlike his 616 counterpart often finds himself, he isn’t alone. And that makes the story so much more compelling as it allows perspective into how challenging it is to manage the curveballs life throws at us while being conscious of those we care about.
