SENSATIONAL SHE-HULK #5 hits your local comic book store on February 7th, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive three-page preview for you!
About the issue: She-Hulk, Hell-Cat and CAPTAIN MARVEL were supposed to have a nice night out at Hell-Cat’s favorite bar… …but it’s the Marvel Universe and in the Marvel Universe, we can’t have nice things. With their very souls at stake, Captain Marvel asks She-Hulk a question that could have absolutely HUGE consequences.
The issue is by writer Rainbow Rowell and artist Ig Guara, with colors by Dee Cunniffe, and letters by Joe Caramagna. The main cover is by Jen Bartel.
Check out our SENSATIONAL SHE-HULK #5 preview below:
Are you reading Marvel’s SENSATIONAL SHE-HULK? Sound off in the comments!
From writers Tim Daniel & David Andry and artist Marco Finnegan comes a cosmic sci-fi mystery with family at the center in Morning Star #1. Featuring color art by Jason Wordie and lettering from Justin Birch, this opening issue focuses on setting up a strange science fiction puzzle around the deep woods of Montana – with a bereaved family trying to put pieces back together after a devastating loss. With a sharp, confident script and stellar genre-specific art, Morning Star is off to a very strong start.
“1956. Kootenai National Forest, Montana. When smokejumper Nathan Garrett perishes in a raging wildfire, his surviving family’s hopes and happiness turn to ashes. Now, one year following Nathan’s death, wife, and mother of two, Jolene Garrett, takes her crumbling family to the Morning Star lookout seeking solace through closure–to scatter her husband’s remains. But something far beyond the reach of their wildest imaginings awaits the Garrett family in the Montana wilderness–something more powerful than their anguish and torment. Something that transcends space and time. No telephones. No electricity. No transportation. No escape.”
Writing & Plot
Tim Daniel and David Andry make a smart decision with Morning Star #1 by presenting the sci-fi element of the story in a vague manner, while focusing on the family connection in the story. The issue opens with Nathan Garrett trying to survive a wildfire, only to discover the strange fate that has befallen the rest of his crew. Some unnatural entity has fallen on Kootenai National Forest, and it claims the lives of Nathan and his crew in an unspeakable manner. Some time later, Jolene Garrett, Nathan’s wife, takes their two children on a camping trip to the same forest to try and get some closure. On their first night out there, weird things begin to happen right on time to take us into the second issue. The horror and mystery of what’s happened and is still happening to the Garretts is fascinating due to how little is given about it. Even visually the reader cannot really tell what is happening to Nathan and his crew, only that they have died(?) in some inexplicable way. The cosmic element is actually more hinted at through the eyes of Nathan and Jolene’s youngest son. This quiet kid is enamored by the Silver Age sci-fi of his day, and constantly daydreams about fighting giant monsters and exploring distant planets. While Jolene and the older daughter are relatively well written, we only get surface level examinations of their characters compared to the son. They’re still all compelling though, with their grieving process and their decision to stay in their home and remember their husband and father their own way being relatable. The son having zero dialogue in favor of just his unique, very much childlike view of the world and how he escapes into fiction just makes him the best character in the story thus far. There’s a sense of classic wonder to this issue, with tonal influences coming from 80’s Spielberg genre films and classic science fiction comics alike.
Art Direction
Much of the comic influence of Morning Star #1 comes from the style used by penciler Marco Finnegan. His thin linework and detailed character design is reminiscent of what you found in the Silver Age comics this story is so influenced by, but with modern touches. The simple but strange visual approach to the phenomenon that killed Nathan and his partners is frightening, but doesn’t rely too much on body horror or gore. Again, there’s the spirit of 80’s PG genre movies that people of all ages could be thrilled and frightened by. Finnegan’s sequential direction evokes the feeling of suspense as those films do, along with the character-driven story elements. We care about the human characters in these stories because we get to see them living like we do – and handling stress and loss just like us. Finnegan’s character work and direction in this regard is great, but it’s the daydream sequence that is Morning Star’s real visual treat. The illustrations of giant sea beasts and visiting aliens come across as pure comics magic, bringing to life the imagination of a young boy and his comic books. Jason Wordie’s color art nails down the rest of the visual experience, with a period-focused use of flats that mimic comics of the time period. There’s a sort of pop art filter over the entire book that plants the reader into the era and tone that Morning Star is paying homage to. The whole reading experience is topped off by Justin Birch’s lettering, which also emulates that Silver Age approach. The hand drawn, slightly italicized font appears more modern thanks to digital aids, but has the reflexive changes and bolds that place the reader in the headspace of each speaking character. Overall, Morning Star is a very thoughtful example of visual storytelling that pays homage to a certain era and genre while staying original.
Verdict
Morning Star #1 is a fantastic opening chapter to this mysterious science fiction series from Mad Cave Studios. Tim Daniel and David Andry only hint at the cosmic forces at work here in this first issue, choosing instead to focus on the human characters and make the audience care about the people involved – and they succeed in spades. The visual work of Marco Finnegan and Jason Wordie pays homage to the Silver Age comics this story’s time period takes place in while still utilizing their own unique, modern style. Be sure to grab this first issue when it hits shelves on March 27th!
MFR got the chance to sit down with Ron Marz, writer of the earth-shattering “Emerald Twilight” event that turned Green Lantern Hal Jordan into the villain Parallax. Marz talks about what it takes to give a story stakes, why Hal Jordan was the perfect character for such an event, and how he thinks Parallax isn’t really a villain. We talk about everything that went into creating a character like Kyle Rayner, and which other superhero Ron would pick to give the Parallax treatment to.
COUNT CROWLEY: MEDIOCRE MIDNIGHT MONSTER HUNTER #2 hits your local comic book store on February 7th, but thanks to Dark Horse Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive five-page preview for you!
About the issue: In spite of her rising popularity as a horror host, Jerri Bartman is trying to resurrect her career as a legit journalist. Meanwhile, a local scientist is trying to resurrect the dead through some less-than-ethical methods. One of these people is getting results and it sure isn’t Jerri. Meanwhile a creepy spook in an old truck is handing out free Halloween disguises to children in Beloit. Remember, kids, never take candy (or a mask!) from strangers!
The issue is by writer David Dastmalchian and artist Lukas Ketner, with colors by Lauren Affe, and letters by Frank Cvetkovic. The main cover is by Ketner, and the variant cover is by Christine Larsen.
MIGUEL O’HARA: SPIDER-MAN 2099 #4 hits your local comic book store on January 24th, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive four-page preview for you!
About the issue: BEWARE – TOMORROW’S TERROR INCORPORTED! TERROR returns to his horrific roots! SPIDER-MAN must go up against THE NEW TERROR INC. – body parts will fly! Can SPIDER-MAN get TERROR to finally change his ways?
The issue is by writer Steve Orlando and artist Chris Campana, with inks by Jonas Trindade, colors by Jim Campbell, and letters by Cory Petit. The main cover is by Nick Bradshaw and Rachelle Rosenberg.
Check out our MIGUEL O’HARA: SPIDER-MAN 2099 #4 preview below:
Are you reading MIGUEL O’HARA: SPIDER-MAN 2099? Sound off in the comments!
COBRA COMMANDER #1 hits your local comic book shop today from Skybound and Image Comics. The book is written by Joshua Williamson, with art by Andrea Milana, Annalisa Leoni drops the colors, and you will read Rus Wooton’s letter work.
Check out my full review below:
About the mini-series: The Rise of Cobra begins here. In a world where the Cobra organization hasn’t formed, one man’s sinister plans to utilize the mysterious alien substance known as Energon sends shockwaves across the globe. Who is Cobra Commander? Where does he come from? And what horrors is he planning to unleash that will rock the world-and maybe the universe-to its core? Red-Hot writer Joshua Williamson (Superman, Duke) and artist Andrea Milana (Impact Winter: Rook) kick off the second of four action-packed miniseries that will introduce the best and worst humanity has to offer in the Energon Universe.
Three pages into Marvel Comics’ Avengers: Twilight #1, you’ll realize something: You’re watching comic book history as it’s being made. Writer Chip Zdarsky, artist Daniel Acuña, and letterer Cory Petit pull us into the tired, old future of the Marvel Universe. Something about it all feels startlingly real. While we get glimpses of things we’re familiar with, Avengers: Twilight‘s stomping ground is almost entirely new. Zdarsky, Acuña, and Petit are boldly original in their worldbuilding, and beautifully understated in their storytelling. They’ve created an unassuming masterpiece that is sure to be an instant classic.
Variant cover with art by Daniel Acuña and design by Chip Zdarsky
Writing
It’s so tempting to go into the details of what makes this story so compelling. Zdarsky’s use of the Marvel mythos is masterful yet restrained. But to talk about these things would be to rob readers of the quiet realizations and connections that pop up in these pages. What I can say, is that Zdarsky’s sense of rhythm here is unparalleled. As we follow an old, retired Steve Rogers, he takes on life with gusto and energy. The panels are filled with caption boxes and word balloons, showing how much he’s trying to engage with an environment that mostly seems to have left him behind. But when he’s hit with a wave of nostalgia, in all its guilt-tinged glory, the panels empty out of thoughts and words. Zdarsky leaves Steve in the heavy silence, free of any welcome distractions.
Every character feels like a full-fledged human being. When Steve debates a younger man — who at first seems entirely cruel and self-serving — you want to be on Steve’s side. But the young man’s final words leave you with a lump in your belly and the quiet realization that he actually makes a valid point. And yet Steve also isn’t just an old man who’s refusing to accept that times have changed. He’s trying his darnedest to be a good man in a world that feels more and more foreign to him. His pals who don’t want to move on from the glory days aren’t curmudgeons either. They’re trying desperately to hold onto their morals, and doing their best to stave off bitterness and fear. At one point, enraged by a TV special, Steve says, “Nobody cares about the truth anymore…” As we read on, it becomes clear that Steve is wrong about that. People do still care. They’re just too overwhelmed with information to know what is true anymore. It’s moments like these that we see that Zdarsky’ is writing about more than just superheroes. He’s writing about us.
Artist
It feels like an incredibly daunting task to talk about Acuña’s art. The painted texture of it, the lighting, the colors, the acting of the characters… it’s all spellbinding. In every panel, Acuña has added to the story with wonderful details and flourishes. Steve Rogers’ world is dull and grey compared to the brightly colored image of his younger self. The brave face he puts on for everyone else seems to be one of tempered rage. His brow is forever bunched up into a knot and his mouth is in a permanent scowl. It’s the defensive wall he puts up, though we occasionally see through some of its cracks. When we do, Steve limps along with a worn out gait and a subtle expression of sad capitulation.
So much of the worldbuilding happens through Acuña’s colors. When Steve walks down the street, he’s surrounded by fluorescent, futuristic billboards that hover about the place. He and his pals choose to meet up in Central Park, bringing us back to a more natural color scheme that is only occasionally interrupted by the garish stain of consumerism. With this simple choice, Acuña tells us volumes about these old souls. Wherever they can, they try to find oases from the luminescent hell that seems to have become mundane to everyone else. At the end of the day, they seem like they just want a break from it all.
Of course, Acuña’s work goes well beyond these few things. His artwork is simply some of the most astonishing work you’ll ever see in comics. It’s moody, stylish, and atmospheric. But it’s also clearly driven by the story itself, expertly drawing out each beat of the script in stunning ways.
Variant cover by Frank Miller
Lettering
Petit’s lettering blends into the panels of this comic so seamlessly. As you read, you feel you’re experiencing each scene with the characters, rather than reading about it on a page. There are little moments that stand out as ingenious details that help you to really hear the words. When Steve is in his debate, the young man interrupts him with a word balloon that has smaller a font to it. The quiet, impatient exasperation is immediately obvious. When they next interrupt, any feigned politeness is gone. Their words are just as big as Steve’s as they wrest control of the conversation from him, leading him to yell back in big, bold font. Petit shows us each step of this argument escalating, but in such low-key ways that he doesn’t break your attention away from what’s happening. Petit’s work is subdued and serves the story brilliantly.
Variant cover by Felipe Massafera
Conclusion
This isn’t just a fantastic new comic. This is the next Kingdom Come. It’s Watchmen. It’s The Dark Knight Returns. This is the first issue of a comic that we’ll be talking about for decades to come. It’s the start of a ground-breaking new move in superhero comics, and Marvel won’t be the same when it’s over.
Zdarsky, Acuña, and Petit have taken our modern anxieties and infused them with a mythological grandeur. When you read Avengers: Twilight #1, you’re quite simply reading the next step in the evolution of superhero comics. Avengers: Twilight #1 is out today from Marvel Comics, and you certainly don’t want to miss it!
Wanted for all kinds of wrongdoing, on the run with his son Noah and his bodyguard Nat, and a prime candidate for a remake of The Walking Dead, John Constantine finds himself in desperate need of help. And where does a cantankerous, walking corpse like Constantine go when he needs help? America, of course, where the magic goes to die. John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dead in America #1 is out today from DC Comics.
In 2019, Simon Spurrier and Aaron Campbell launched a new Hellblazer series for DC’s Black Label imprint. It was instantly obvious why the series was released on that imprint, because of the darker tone of the comic, the language used, and the grotesque images dripping with blood and gore. This second mini-series is no different, jumping straight into the horror on page 1, followed quickly by cheeky quips and bad language. There is even some slapstick thrown in. This is the only possible way that this creative team could bring back everyone’s favorite anti-hero.
John Constantine Hellblazer: Dead In America #1 Credit: DC Comics
Dead In America follows John Constantine as he searches for a way to absolve his son and free Noah from the same fate as himself. He also wants to clear their names of a murder charge and, if possible, find a cure for his current state of death. Being the living dead is not his cup of tea, and Spurrier fills the pages with jokes and asides letting the reader know this. In fact, one of the stand-out elements of this comic is the constant humour. There are plenty of jokes, but in true British fashion, they are not necessarily to everybody’s taste. Dad jokes, bad puns, and play-on-word gags spill from the mouths of the characters throughout, breathing an air of relief into what would otherwise be a deeply dark tale. Spurrier does not hold back on his criticisms of certain sections of American life, starting difficult conversations with sequences such as a gun-happy policeman who admits to stopping a vehicle because the driver was black. To be fair to Spurrier, he did this in the last run, tearing into England and its own screwed up politics—however we English are more used to openly criticising our country. There isn’t quite the same level of national pride that is often associated with America, so it is possible that this kind of lambasting may meet with a sterner audience now that the location has changed. Although, the readers who pick up a Hellblazer comic should know what to expect.
This opening issue has a number of guest appearances. Some new characters, hinting at the larger world that Constantine inhabits, and some more familiar faces, although you may not instantly recognise them. This linking in with the greater Sandman Universe not only allows for the use of other characters, but also gives Campbell a chance to play with the layouts, bringing a different visual magic to the comic. His characters inhabit the space on the page but not always the locations within the panels. They are larger than life and have the air of myth or legend about them. Because of this, Campbell treats their representation in a similar manner, glorifying their appearances while maintaining the horror themes that are the backbone of the story.
John Constantine Hellblazer: Dead In America #1 Credit: DC Comics
One of the ways that the horror aesthetic is retained is through the gorgeous colour work by Jordie Bellaire. The opening pages have a dry, burnt orange colouring, making the locations uncomfortable, despite the obvious humour. Throughout the comic, the colours shift to create the atmospheres for each scene, but there is a darkness to them all, shadows that push against the panel borders and occasionally fill the gutters. The same sense of dark humour that dwells in the speech is present in the colours. The Cookie-girl, a character who clearly has significance for the future, is surrounded by swirling pink lights but it’s not comforting or pleasant. The way that Bellaire applies the colour is somehow sinister and disturbing.
There is a lot of character in Dead in America. This comes through in the script, and through Campbell’s rough, expression-driven figure work. But one of the strongest assets of this comic is the lettering. Aditya Bidikar’s exhausting attention to detail is an absolute joy. His work, not just here but across his comics career, is sublime. One of the first rules of lettering is that lettering shouldn’t be noticed, but in Dead in America, it leaps from the page. The variety in speech balloons, the intensity of the outlines, and constant changing of font size, all create the sense of character that comics like this need. Every nuance of the speech is captured in the way that Bidikar visualises it on the page. Often you can take the lettering away and still have some idea of how a character is feeling. Here, the reverse is true. You can instantly tell the volume, the tone, and the inflections of each word as if you had heard it spoken. If the rest of the comic was garbage (which it isn’t) it would still be worth reading just to see the lettering.
John Constantine Hellblazer: Dead In America #1 Credit: DC Comics
There is something about this creative team working on this comic that seems to gel. It’s as if they are made for each other—a well-oiled team working on their favourite property to produce the best work that they can. And yet, it’s easy to see why some may not like it: the casual dropping of the C-Bomb, the harsh realities of racism, the not subtle attacks on national pride… The creators’ politics are built into the story and it shows through the narrative and the design work. If you are looking for politics-free comics, you’ll have to look elsewhere. Although, I am not sure where you can look.
Dead in America is a resounding success as a Hellblazer comic. It captures the early spirit of the comic, back when it seemed punk and outrageous, a real slap in the face for bright coloured superhero comics. Although the current market has much more diversity, and the ability to shock or standout has greatly diminished, this iteration of Hellblazer still has something to say and is going to do so in a combative, full frontal way.
Constantine is dead; he has nothing to lose. And this comic carries that attitude with glee.
There are many stories about the First World War. Narratives filled with soldiers marching, fighting, dying. And every genre has been mixed into the war story over time, in order to give different accounts of one of the worst periods in human history. It’s difficult to believe that there are still new stories to tell. But of course there are, and—as the new graphic novel Hound from Mad Cave Studios demonstrates—there are still some very powerful tales to draw from the horrific conflict.
So, sit back, put on some haunting music, possibly by the late great Ennio Morricone, and fall into the unnerving and moving world of Hound. It’s not what you expect it to be.
Hound Interior Art Credit: Mad Cave Studios
In 1917, a fresh faced young Private named Barrow is enlisted to join a select team of soldiers because of his unique work experience in the sewers of London. The elite squad, known as The Hounds, work in the worst parts of the battlefields, separate from the army and surrounded by the empty, poisonous gas ravaged wastelands. Once away from the commanders, in isolation, Barrow begins to learn that war can change a person. What is accepted as normal behaviour no longer applies and the distinction between Man and Beast becomes hazy and almost lost.
One of the first things that you notice about the comic is Rodrigo Vasquez’ art style. The cartoon characters, with their exaggerated features, inhabit expressionistic worlds made of colour and shapes. The sets are built from these shapes, locations indicated at by the colours. The depth of a forest is symbolised by the density and shade of greens just as the violent battlefields are illustrated by the darkening purples and misty greys. As the comic progresses, the atmosphere is created by the shifts in colour, the locations become dangerous because of the darkness or the uncomfortable shapes of red and purple.
Vasquez’ style is very European, and the images in the panels resemble a classic Bande Dessinee such as The Adventures of Tintin and the work of French cartoonist Tignous, whose illustrations for the card game The Grizzled have a very similar aesthetic. The characters have exaggerated features making them instantly recognisable from page to page, but the beauty of Vasquez’ work is that even as the characters change, they retain an element of themselves. For example, when we are introduced to the young Barrow in a flashback, he is instantly recognisable on the page, before any of the text is read.
Hound Interior Art Credit: Mad Cave Studios
Another aspect of the art work that lends itself to this particular comic is the emotions that Vasquez builds into each of the characters and their physical appearances. This allows the emotional aspects of the narrative to be more impactful. As a reader, you are pulled into this disturbing and desolate world of war along with Barrow, feeling the fear that he feels—the revulsion and the trauma. Barrow’s experiences are life changing and the impact is portrayed on the page. The impact of the narrative is so strong, I audibly gasped at several points while reading.
Hound has a powerful voice, one that unravels through the narrative but is visualised by letterer Justin Birch. The lettering is an important element of any comic, but Birch goes above and beyond here. The diary entries have a large part to play, and they look and read like handwritten words. They create a connection between character and reader, one that heightens the emotional bond that you have with Barrow. But this is just one element of the lettering. The sound effects, the guttural screams, and the different languages and accents are all treated with the same care and precision as the diary entries. When a character whispers, you can tell they are whispering, when they scream, their voice shrieks from the page.
Hound Interior Art Credit: Mad Cave Studios
Writers Sam Freeman and Sam Romesburg have between them captured a disturbing impression of war and laid it at the readers feet, warts and all. They show the horrible effects that conflict can have on people, innocent and guilty alike. Every character suffers in this comic and this makes the poignant moments even more moving. It is a tragedy written in poetic language, like a description of a dying flower. The horror makes the moments of beauty more memorable and the central character’s journey of self discovery is as enriching as it is disturbing.
The title, the cover, and even several moments in the comic, lead the reader to expect a certain plot twist, an emergence of a supernatural element. But the twist, if that’s what it can be called, is so much more delicious than expected. It is more disturbing and the rest of the story is better because of it. The reader’s expectations are warped and suddenly your understanding of the comic has changed. It is no longer safe, no longer predictable. You enter real horror territory.
I do not have enough praise for this book. I picked it up on a whim, planning to skip through the first few pages, but became enraptured by the story, the art, and the sheer beauty of the storytelling. The pacing throughout is perfect with each page acting as a stanza in a war poem. Some of the highlights of the comic are the silent sequences, devoid of text and speech but as powerful as any of the words. It is a magnificent comic, and one that is dying to be read.
Hound from Mad Cave Studios is due for release in comic shops on February 28th, 2024.
Marvel’s original Ultimate Universe (Universe 1610) had a very simple premise to it: “turn our middle-aging heroes back into teens.” It was a storytelling and marketing decision that some have credited with saving Marvel Comics as a publisher. As this universe of stories was coming to a close, it was writer and story architect Jonathan Hickman who wrote its days of Armageddon. Secret Wars, the event book that killed 1610, is still a much beloved and highly celebrated comic, 8 years after its conclusion. So, it’s interesting then that it’s also Hickman who is breathing new life into the shattered remains of this once vibrant world. Or is that just what he wants us to think? Spoilers for Ultimate Invasion, Ultimate Universe, and Ultimate Spider-Man #1 ahead!
How We Got Here
Those who have read Ultimate Invasion and the succeeding Ultimate Universe one-shot know that this new Ultimate Universe (designated 6160) is “Ultimate” in name only. There are little to no similarities between it and its predecessor. In fact, Hickman’s every storytelling choice feels not only unexpected, but like it’s happening in reaction to what we’re expecting. For the folks who are just joining us, here’s a little summary:
In Ultimate Invasion, The Maker — the evil Reed Richards who was born in 1610 — gathered up equipment from the main Marvel Universe (Earth-616) to jump start his own reality. Being in 6160 from its conception, and knowing everything there is to know about the heroes who were destined to pop up over time, The Maker manipulated events to prevent certain superheroes from ever existing. Ultimate Invasion #1, for instance, ends with him stopping a radioactive spider from biting a young Peter Parker.
After decades — or perhaps longer, as we’re never overtly told — of invisibly ruling 6160 with the help of a cabal of world leaders who did his bidding, The Maker felt he had achieved peace on Earth, though at the cost of Earth’s freedom. Howard Stark fought the evil Richards to put an end to his machinations, setting 6160 on a journey of righting the path that The Maker had lured them all off of.
Why The Maker?
So, let’s talk about all of the pieces of this new Ultimate Universe that make it so interesting. First, the use of The Maker gives us an interesting window into what it was about 1610 that Hickman liked enough to “reboot.” While 1610’s initial premise was to simply revert our middle-aged heroes back into teenagers and set them in a modern landscape, that’s not all that it did. As time went on, the characters began to differ more and more from their 616 counterparts, and no one so much as Reed Richards. In 616, Reed was one of the catalysts for the “Age of Marvel.” He was the leader of the Fantastic Four, Marvel’s “First Family.” However, in 1610, Reed Richards was a twisted, jealous, manipulative man who went on to become that universe’s greatest villain — eclipsing even Thanos and Doctor Doom. Just like the Ultimate Universes in question, these Reed Richardses are only the same in name. By using The Maker as the catalyst for his new Ultimate Universe, Hickman shows that his interest in 1610 wasn’t the things that made it like 616, but the things that made it different. 6160, therefore, pushes those changes to even greater heights.
Opposites at Heart
Howard Stark, the original Iron Man in 6160, is a man who craves his son Tony’s approval — a brilliant flipping of the 616 dynamic we’re familiar with. Inspired by his father’s actions, Tony begins his quest to right The Maker’s wrongs as the hero Kang. He’s aided by 6160’s Doctor Doom, who is also known as Reed Richards. Yep, that’s right, 6160 has its own Reed, and The Maker had him enslaved as one of his scientists, forcing him to work in a metal mask out of some strange vendetta. The Hulk is a meditative leader of a religious nation-state, and Captain Britain (now Captain Europe) is a Frenchman who is drunk on power. Tony is Kang, Reed is Doom, Howard is Iron Man, The Hulk is a guru, and none of them are the characters we think we know. In fact, they’re almost all opposites of their counterparts.
But they’re not opposites in a superficial “good version and bad version” sense. In fact, many of these characters are on the same side, morally speaking. They’re opposites in what makes each character who they are at their core. Hickman flips around their deepest motivations in a way that not only introduces us to a new set of characters, but helps us understand the original characters by this brilliant contrast. Reed Richards is not a handsome, rich scientist driven by a thirst for discovery; he’s a tortured and disfigured slave who is intent on stopping anyone from having to suffer a similar fate. Tony Stark isn’t a man whose inner child is wishing he had gotten his father’s approval; he’s a hero who understands sacrifice and hopes to live up to his dad’s inspiration. Which brings us back to Peter Parker and this week’s Ultimate Spider-Man #1.
With No Power Comes… What Exactly?
Ultimate Spider-Man #1 by Hickman and artist Marco Checchetto is masterful and subtle. In the same way that Hickman has flipped the characters on their heads, here he flips the premise of the original Ultimate Universe on its head. Instead of resetting a middle-aged hero to his teenage years, we get to see what it would be like if Peter didn’t get his powers until he was middle-aged. The opening page hammers this point home, as Peter looks himself in the mirror, running his hands through his hair and saying “you are not getting any younger.”
Hickman couldn’t be more obvious about how different his Ultimate Universe is than if he said so with neon lights and flashing signs. When Peter exits his room, he sees his wife Mary Jane and their two kids. Though this isn’t how things are in 616 — much to many fans’ chagrin — we’ve seen MJ before, and even their daughter in some continuities. Peter then goes to work at The Daily Planet, another of his typical haunts. And as he enters the building, good ol’ J. Jonah Jameson goes off like a starter pistol, “PARKER!” Ah, so really nothing is all that different except that Peter is older and without his powers.
“Oh, hey there, Peter,” Jonah says, before continuing his tirade, which is obviously being directed at a different Parker. That’s when Hickman and Checchetto drop the bomb. Sitting in his office, patiently waiting for Jonah to cool down, is the Managing Editor of The Daily Planet: Peter’s uncle Ben. In the rest of this issue, Peter and Ben talk about Aunt May’s death, which tragically occurred as a result of the events of Ultimate Universe #1. As they talk, Hickman and Checchetto help us to see what an amazing presence Ben has been in Peter’s life. He’s tough as nails, full of moral fiber, and stern yet supportive of his nephew.
And so now, we’re left with a very simple question, “Who is this Peter Parker?” All of the things that drove him in almost every other iteration are missing here. He hasn’t had to figure out his powers from a young age. He hasn’t had to live with the guilt of his uncle’s murder. He hasn’t had to grapple much with power or responsibility — at least not in the same way. All he knows, thanks in no small part to a holographic message from Tony Stark, is that there’s something missing in his life and he was always destined for greatness. The final page sees Peter donning his costume and accepting his powers.
But Why?
As I’ve hopefully established by now, it seems like Hickman isn’t actually building a new Ultimate Universe — at least not one like that of the 2000’s. Instead of making the middle-aged heroes into teens again, he has Peter first becoming Spider-Man at the age of 35. Instead of giving us rebooted versions of 616 characters, he’s changing each of them at their core. In fact, it looks like Hickman is building the opposite of the original Ultimate Universe. Is it then possible that his purpose, his “why” for doing it, is also the opposite of 1610’s raison d’etre? Maybe, Hickman isn’t making comics that are designed to be accessible to teenagers, but instead accessible to adults — not in the surface level “let’s add some sex and gore” kind of way, but by crafting a world that’s quieter, more philosophical, and is driven more by the subtle motivations of each person rather than the splashy action of big battles.
Ultimate Spider-Man #1 certainly seems to hint at that. In the 44 pages of this issue, there are maybe 5 pages that have any kind of superhero costume featured. There’s very little in terms of action and the plot mostly focuses on the vulnerable interactions of the people on the page. Peter is worried about Uncle Ben dealing with the loss of Aunt May. MJ is trying to be a supportive wife on a day that she knows is also really hard for her husband, though he tries to hide it. When Peter talks to her about things that are going on in his head, it becomes clear he’s a man who has never felt like he was enough. And when Peter decides to accept his powers, it feels like the mature version of his origin story. Instead of being thrust into the life of being a webslinger, he chooses the responsibility knowing that it will cost him. This comic feels grounded, grown up, and full of emotional depth.
The End of the Preface
Universe 6160 is something entirely new, and Hickman is as devious and masterful as The Maker. He uses familiar faces and snippets of lore we recognize to build a universe from the ground up. Almost every character is driven by a motivation that’s miles apart from what drives their counterpart in the main Marvel Universe. It seems like this new Ultimate Universe might just be the exact opposite of what we expect, and that Hickman is setting the stage for mature, philosophical stories that have just as much to say about real life as they do about capes and tights. Ultimate Spider-Man #1 is by Hickman and Checchetto, with colors by Matthew Wilson, and letters by Cory Petit and is out this week from Marvel Comics. It’s a must-read and what feels like the end of a slow start towards something incredible.
