Ultimate Spider-Man fights the Green Goblin! Find out if an adult Peter Parker can embrace his new powers while also being a good husband and father in Ultimate Spider-Man #3 by Marvel Comics!

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #3

Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Marco Checchetto
Colorist: Matthew Wilson
Letterer: Cory Petit
Editor: Wil Moss
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: March 27th, 2024

Previously in Ultimate Spider-Man: Twenty years ago, The Maker prevented a radioactive spider from biting a young Peter Parker. Peter is now married to MJ and a father of two. Suddenly, he was gifted the spider by Tony Stark. As Ben Parker and J. Jonah Jameson quit the Daily Bugle and Peter struggles to find meaning in his life, he has taken on the moniker of Spider-Man. However, his daughter, May Parker, discovered his secret identity.

A NEW FRIEND

Ultimate Spider-Man #3 starts with a cute moment where May tells her father that the black costume is too scary. They workshop a new look and settle on the red and blue Spider-Man look. Ben and Jonah have managed to get a new office for their unnamed journalism company, but the location is a mess. Their first case is tracking a man in a green suit who seems to be targeting Wilson Fisk-owned property; he goes by the name Green Goblin. Peter then decides to hold a stakeout, which he finds incredibly dull but finds the Green Goblin fighting with Bullseye, who uses playing cards as his weapon of choice. Spider-Man intervenes, and with the Green Goblin, they take down Bullseye.

Both suits are paired, and his identity is revealed to the Green Goblin. However, the Green Goblin shows his face and reveals himself as Harry!

PACING IS SLOWING DOWN, FINDING RHYTHM

We are entering a point in the story where the excitement and premise are wearing off. Ultimate Spider-Man #3 doesn’t grip me the same way as those first two issues, but despite that, this is solid writing. I like family man Peter Parker, and his moments with his daughter stick with me more than the actual plotline. In fact, the Green Goblin/Bullseye stuff isn’t as interesting to me as figuring out what Ben and Jonah will do as a new company. This, to me, shows that I’m interested in the latest ideas Ultimate Spider-Man offers rather than the status quo that we have seen in Spider-Man stories for decades. Despite that, the action in this book is outstanding, and I liked the teamwork between Green Goblin and Spider-Man. However, I don’t understand Spider-Man’s trust in the Green Goblin to help him over Bullseye. Is it the dialogue of Bullseye? Probably, but that felt a little weird. However, I know that we are introducing the classic Peter and Harry friendship narratively, but it felt a little out of place.

The art in this book is excellent, and there were a couple of really dynamic and detailed splash pages. From Spider-Man punching Bullseye in his new costume to watching him play with May, I am hooked here. The art and writing have incredible balance, where I’m not focusing on one or the other but on their unity as a whole.

BOTTOM LINE: GREAT STUFF

I really liked Ultimate Spider-Man #3 as a concept and a series. As a man in my thirties with an elementary-aged daughter, I’m in the proper age range to see myself in Peter. And I hope this quality of comics continues for this title. 4 out of 5 stars for Ultimate Spider-Man #3!

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