J. Scott Campbell Spotlights Peter Parker And Mary Jane's Ultimate Love Story In New Ultimate Spider-Man #1 Cover

I'm...............not a fan.I looks to me like they've pared down all the things that made those character designs appealing, interesting and........well, fun.Oh, I get it........not everything can be a cartoon, not everything can be drawn like it came from the hand of Dave Cockrum, John Romita Sr. or John Byrne, but these designs have no.....draw to them. They almost look like the aim was to NOT go near the classic looks at all.They look.............bland.......like they are trying too hard to be concept designs for cinema.And therein lays my perennial complaint about the Ultimate line: that they dip their toe too deep into the mainstream Marvel, but try to stand far apart from said Marvel. My opinion, my thought has long been they should have kept only the names of the characters, and foregone the rest. Do a TOTAL re-think of the characters from square one/the ground up. It would have given them carte blanche and wholly new approaches possible. It's timid, and I think they could push it more.

I like the Goblin Design, The Shocker really needs a proper mask

Really don't like either villain redesign.

Last weeks ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #1 was the most talked about launch in recent Marvel Comics history! Hailed as a fully realized and fresh take and one of the most eagerly awaited new comics of 2024, the issues introduction of the Parker familyincluding a very much alive Uncle Benhas shown fans just how extraordinarily different Jonathan Hickman and Marco Checchettos vision for Spider-Man storytelling will be. Today, get a sneak peek at the excitement that lies ahead in ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #2, on sale February 21!Marvels new Ultimate Universe was shaped by the evil Reed Richards variant known as the Maker. Travelling back in time on a parallel Earth, the Maker prevented young Peter Parker from ever being bit by that fateful radioactive spider. Now, 20 years later, the Universes own Tony Stark has given Peter the chance to reclaim the heroic destiny that was stolen from him! Taking on great responsibility as Spider-Man, an adult Peter web-swings into the New York skies for the first time, ready to use his newfound abilities to help fix the world in any way he can, all while balancing his new role with being a devoted husband and loving father. Taking place a month into Peters burgeoning super hero career, ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #2 will see Peters first super powered brawlan electrifying battle with the SHOCKER!Peter wont be the only Parker embarking on new adventures and taking down super villains. Peters beloved uncle Ben is an award-winning journalist, and alongside his trusted partner J. Jonah Jameson, hell pursue the truth of their corrupt world and the unrest thats stirring around every cornerstarting with discovering the identity and motives of the newly emerged Green Goblin! Get a glimpse at all this and more in todays all-new preview.My love for this character is no secret to anyone, Checchetto shared. As soon as I received Jonathan Hickmans plot of the series, I was immediately fascinated with how he managed to create something truly fresh and new, while keeping the spirit and essence of the web-slinger intact. I really loved the dialogue and got chills drawing these scenes. We have the opportunity and privilege to create our version of Spider-Man, and for me, to create the entire design of the series.Throughout our run, expect changes and both classic and new versions of characters, he continued. One of the first youll meet is Shocker. Hes at the beginning of his career, so I wanted to create something different. Shocker wears a bomb squad suit to protect himself from the powers of his gloves, but still maintains some details of his classic costume. I had a lot of fun, and I believe it helps convey that we are at the dawn of a new storytelling universe. I would also like to talk about the origin of the Green Goblin's design, but I think it's more exciting to let you discover it by reading the fantastic story created by Jonathan!Check out all-new interior artwork, variant covers, and Checchettos original design sheets and preorder ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #2 today! If you missed ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #1, ask your local comic shop about snagging the upcoming second printing, available on February 14exactly one week before issue two arrives!ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #2 75960620796100211Written by JONATHAN HICKMANArt and Cover by MARCO CHECCHETTOColors by MATTHEW WILSONVariant Cover by DIKE RUAN 75960620796100216Virgin Variant Cover by DIKE RUAN 75960620796100217Variant Cover by MATEUS MANHANINI 75960620796100221Variant Cover by ELIZABETH TORQUE 75960620796100231Connecting Variant Cover by MARK BAGLEY 75960620796100241On Sale 2/21

went by my local some time ago, picked up a few of these issues. That was months ago....still only got through one of them. Maybe I just need to focus a bit more.

Man, back in the day comics had me reading cover to cover, absorbing the panels, the writing style, even the letters column

There was a moment waaaay back in the original Ultimates--the Chitauri arc--that set a "tone" with me for the title and brand as a whole:IIRC, SHIELD or some soldiers and the Ultimates had thwarted some Chitauri incident, it's in the aftermath, and so kid looks on the soldiers with what is drawn as a bit of awed expression.And they mockingly push the kid to the ground.I looked back at that story and immediately picked up a mean-spirited under-current throughout, and I know enough about writing to know that something like that isn't accidental. It was subtle, but it was sure there if one read a bit between the lines and the panels.Subliminals are either parody, or something the writer is trying to convey beyond parody.I don't know if the new series will contain the same tugly one, but it really tainted my impressions of the whole Ultimates brand.

On 10/3/2023 at 11:46 AM, Atlantis said:

Well said. I did like the first iteration of the Ultimates; the new approach, the artwork etc was fantastic... but ultimately (no pun intended) it just couldn't sustain itself.

Old fashioned, perhaps, but I find superheroes at their best when their motivation is "I have abilities and I'm using them to fight for justice" or that kind of thing. These characters are just there to show off, to act out, to play to their egos. Maybe that's a reflection on who's writing these stories.

You are speaking 100 my friend. All these writers know how to do is self insert themselves into our beloved characters. They care nothing or know nothing about what the readers want. All they do is get the reigns and do what they think is cool from their own perspective. Nothing made that more apparent than Children of the Atom. No creativity in building any characters. They were all just cheap imitations of existing characters mixed with a lot of contemporary fads. We want to see superheroes do superhero stuff but instead we get to read about their adventures in cosplay and Reddit and Mutant Music. Like what does that even mean? Total amatuer hour.

At least the art looks good.

Don't let Nick Lowe see this

On 9/30/2023 at 7:08 PM, TheArrow said:

Right from the start I've always though that the Ultimate Universe was an exercise in brand confusion because it was "different" but not different ENOUGH. They kept referring back to and comparing itself to the mainstream Marvel Universe. They then based the movies off a hybrid between the Ultimate and mainstream Universe and it became even more confusing.AND THEN they tried to close shop with the Ultimate Universe and tear it all down.............and then again........they tried to bring it all back.Sorry, but.........personally speaking, this just gives me BS fatigue. It's like the New Universe all over again.........and again, and again and.......it's a worse play than what DC did with all their Crisis stories.it's muddled, confusing and dare I say.........impenetrable, because what the attractive appeal about diving into an utter mess??I read some of the Ultimates stuff early on. The characters were frequently ugly and malicious and that made any progression in the stories to be bleak. Sure, they could be cinematic, hence basing the MCU on a lot of it....but a lot of the time they weren't heroes----they were more psychos or monsters. That turned me off the line and there was never any draw back to it.

Well said. I did like the first iteration of the Ultimates; the new approach, the artwork etc was fantastic... but ultimately (no pun intended) it just couldn't sustain itself.

Old fashioned, perhaps, but I find superheroes at their best when their motivation is "I have abilities and I'm using them to fight for justice" or that kind of thing. These characters are just there to show off, to act out, to play to their egos. Maybe that's a reflection on who's writing these stories.

Right from the start I've always though that the Ultimate Universe was an exercise in brand confusion because it was "different" but not different ENOUGH. They kept referring back to and comparing itself to the mainstream Marvel Universe. They then based the movies off a hybrid between the Ultimate and mainstream Universe and it became even more confusing.AND THEN they tried to close shop with the Ultimate Universe and tear it all down.............and then again........they tried to bring it all back.Sorry, but.........personally speaking, this just gives me BS fatigue. It's like the New Universe all over again.........and again, and again and.......it's a worse play than what DC did with all their Crisis stories.it's muddled, confusing and dare I say.........impenetrable, because what the attractive appeal about diving into an utter mess??I read some of the Ultimates stuff early on. The characters were frequently ugly and malicious and that made any progression in the stories to be bleak. Sure, they could be cinematic, hence basing the MCU on a lot of it....but a lot of the time they weren't heroes----they were more psychos or monsters. That turned me off the line and there was never any draw back to it.