The Ultimate Universe is a concept that’s always been set on a ticking clock. Whether it’s the “real-time” element of each title taking place in the actual month it releases, or the looming threat of the Maker, which will reach its own crescendo in the upcoming Ultimate Endgame, time has rarely been on the heroes’ side. Which is why it’s nice that Ultimate Spider-Man: Incursion #4 takes the time to actually let Miles Morales breathe.
While Miles is still on the warpath to find his little sister Billie, he’s actually made a friend in Mei Igarashi, aka Ultimate X-Men‘s Maystorm. Despite the language barrier surrounding them, they still manage to communicate via translator apps and even find some common ground. Mei is more than ecstatic when Miles tells her about his world’s version of Storm, and she helps lift his spirits as he’s feeling appropriately beat down by the state of Earth-6160.
Beyond this, Deniz Camp and Cody Ziglar manage to touch on plot points from Ziglar’s Miles Morales: Spider-Man and Camp’s own work on Ultimates. Whether it’s an appearance from Anansi, who gets to make some great meta-commentary on how Earth-6160’s “a web so freshly spun”, or the infighting within the Maker’s Council, the duo’s signature writing styles manage to blend far better than expected. I’m genuinely curious to see how this affects future issues of Miles Morales and the future of the Ultimate Universe, depending on how things shake out with Ultimate Endgame.
Marvel
The biggest draw of Ultimate Spider-Man: Incursion is the battle that Miles and Mei have against Magik, as they’ve entered into the Eurasian Union. It’s a battle that’s heavily stacked against our two heroes; not only is this a Magik that’s had years to master her powers, but it’s a version who’s fully embraced the darkness within her heart. You need an artist who can pull off the constantly shifting tones within this story, and that’s where Jonas Scharf and Erick Arciniega come in.
Scharf strikes a great balance between the quiet moments and the action sequences, especially when he draws an outright horrifying sequence featuring Magik cutting down opponents. Blood, limbs, and heads go flying, and no one is shown mercy. It leads to an intense fight where Miles’ Venom Saber clashes against Magik’s Soulsword, and a great Kamen Rider-inspired moment that made me smile. Arciniega doesn’t slouch either; the cold white snow covering everything in sight makes Miles’ red-and-black suit stand out all that much more. The quieter moments are done just as well, especially a small moment where Miles can’t sleep. In one panel, Scharf draws a multitude of expressions crossing his face, while Arciniega’s colors cast a shadow over him that represents his inner turmoil.
Ultimate Spider-Man: Incursion #4 thrives in its smaller moments, though it manages to deliver an intense fight as Miles Morales reaches the final leg of his journey. The clock is ticking, and the anticipation will probably be building for fans of Miles’ adventures and the Ultimate line.
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