Hello there! Padawan J here, the resident Star Wars expert from the ODPH! This week, I’m reviewing the 21st issue of Ultimate Spider-Man from Marvel Comics!
Things have been less than ideal for Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man, lately on Earth 6160. He was forced to flee New York City with his family to protect them, and he thought he lost his best friend Harry. Also the Sinister Six is on the prowl! It can’t get any worse can it? Let’s jump into it!
Ultimate Spider-Man #21 by Jonathan Hickman (Writer), David Messina (Artist), Matthew Wilson & Erick Arciniega (Color Artists) & VC’s Cory Petit (Letterer) is a change of pace from what you might expect, but it works in the best way possible.
The Story
First things first, and that’s Spider-Man DOES NOT factor into this issue at all. While you might think that’s a bad thing since he is the title character after all, I can promise you it is NOT. Instead, the focus is on Mr.Negative, one of this universe’s members of the Sinister Six.
We’re treated to a backstory for Mr. Negative that’s equal parts compelling & sad. You can tell he grew up in less-than-ideal circumstances and did what he had to do to survive. However, it is Mr. Negative after all, so can you really feel all that bad for him?
MORE ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN!
Alongside the flashback, there’s a great side story about Mr. Negative plotting against more than just Spider-Man. It’s an ambitious plan, but it’s also one that could backfire on him very quickly. This is going to be a very compelling storyline moving forward.
The Artwork
David Messina, Matthew Wilson & Erick Arciniega bring their A game to the entire issue. The lines & color look as crisp as they always do. I particularly liked the color work they did in this issue. Because while Mr. Negative is the focus for the issue, there are a couple of pages where he isn’t seen. It’s on those pages where the color really returns, because for a majority of the issue, the panels have this dark look & feel to them. It really works on so many levels.
FINAL POINT: A change of perspective flips the script on its head for this issue, and it’s sure to have huge ramifications going forward. Hickman continues his stellar run with another phenomenal issue. Together with tremendous artwork from Messina, Wilson & Arciniega, this really is a series you do not want to miss out on!
Overall Grade: 10/10
Thanks for checking out my review on Nerd Initiative. For more of my content, check out ODPHpodcast.com, follow me on Twitter, and check out more of my reviews here on Nerd Initiative: https://nerdinitiative.com/author/padawanj/!
What did you think of the issue? Be sure to comment your thoughts below, or reach out to me on social media!
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