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There’s absolutely no reason that Ultimate Spider-Man #10, an issue that barely includes Spider-Man and instead focuses on J. Jonah Jameson and Ben Parker investigating a strange financial deal, should be as thrilling as it is. Yet thanks to expert writing by Jonathan Hickman, and pitch-perfect fill-in art by David Messina (taking over for regular artist Marco Checchetto), this might be the best issue of Marvel‘s hit series yet.
I’m not going to take time to explain all the wheeling and dealings but after Ben and JJJ broke out on their own with their new digital enterprise The Paper, they’ve been digging into a strange purchase of the remains of Stane/Stark Industries. How this plays out, and how it challenges every member of the cast is fascinating to watch. It twists, and turns, and at least in my case did not end up anywhere near where I thought it would.
And part of what’s so exciting about this is it plays out like a political thriller, not an issue of Spider-Man. It’s closer to All The President’s Men, or perhaps Spotlight (choose your favorite newspaper movie, I guess), and better for it. That points to the versatility of the cast Hickman has set up here, that Peter Parker can take the backseat to two guys in their sixties, and it’s as exciting — if not more so — than a fight with the Sinister Six.
It also helps push the overall story of the Ultimate Universe forward in a big way. It’s surprising, too, that what is often the most off-hand, slowly-paced book in the line is the one providing the backbone. But the ethos of this new Ultimate U — as hit on every issue in The Ultimates in particular — is David versus Goliath. And that comes from the downtrodden, the people who aren’t normally seen as superheroes.
That’s on display excellently by letting JJJ and Ben take center stage here. Two old guys trying to make their way in the digital newspaper biz? That’s about as far as you can get from superheroes. But Hickman makes what they’re doing as vital, as dangerous as anything Spider-Man is doing while he’s out protecting the city.
Granted, you probably couldn’t have two blockbuster years of stories about making a newspaper (or likely shouldn’t). But as a one-off in the middle here that changes the pace and lays out the next phase of stories, excuse the pun, but I’m glad these two old hacks took the spotlight.
J. JONAH JAMESON, BEN PARKER AND THE GREEN GOBLIN COLLIDE! Fan-favorite duo Ben Parker and J. Jonah Jameson take center stage in this investigative mystery issue! But in this world of shadows and secrets, every unturned rock leads to danger… And they’ll soon have to decide which is the greater challenge – uncovering secrets or keeping them!
“]] Read our review of Ultimate Spider-Man #10 from Marvel Comics, written by Jonathan Hickman with art by David Messina. Read More