Ultimate Spider-Man #8 (2024) Review

Background – We get a birthday, a very strange Sinister 6, Harry’s ego check, and we might have just met a symbiote… kind of.

Writing –

The Sinister 6 – This is the strangest Sinister 6 I’ve ever seen. It’s even weirder than the “Superior Foes of Spider-Man” Sinister 6 that only had 5 members. If it sounds like I don’t like it, well… I DO! This is just the thing this book needs: a fresh spin on an old song. All the members run various parts of the New York territory that Wilson Fisk gave them control over. Our team this time includes:

Wilson Fisk: The leader. Not much more is discovered about Fisk here, but we do meet Wesley for the first time (I think) in this world. Wesley is still loyal as ever.

Mr. Negative: Our most current bad guy finally makes the team! In this world he is still Martin Li and still runs F.E.A.S.T by day. Described as being reserved, he is the team’s second in command. He runs Queens.

The Black Cat: This is not Felicia, but her father Walter. While Felicia does exist, she is still a teenager (if not in her early 20’s). His wife died and since then he goes out to steal things for the fun of it. SPOILER ALERT: Peter is soon to encounter Felicia in her Black Cat garb in a few issues (at least according to the previews) so I don’t think Walter has long left on Earth. He controls The Bronx.

Kraven: OF COURSE Kraven is on the team. Having fled from Russia, he hunts in pairs: He kills one and puts the second of whatever he kills in his own private zoo. Staten Island is his home.

Mysterio: He (or she) is on the team. That’s all we know and weirdly enough, all the characters know. Nobody knows a thing about Mysterio. Mysterio hails from Brooklyn.

Mole Man: With the Fantastic Four not existing in this reality, Mole Man had to go somewhere, but this is by far the most out of left field pick Hickman could have chosen. Two Moloids accompany him, so they exist in this reality as well.  He controls everything under New York (which I guess means the sewers and caverns and stuff like that.)

Peter – Last issue we saw Peter’s suit activate its A.I. and this issue finds him talking to his suit when he’s not wearing it. The suit is in its ball form. It’s BLACK ball form. Let me repeat that: The suit, which now has a mind of its own and can talk to Peter, is in a BLACK BALL. It obviously has already developed sinister intentions, with its A.I. coming across as quite creepy and somewhat attached to Peter on an emotional level. If this isn’t the beginning of the Venom of this universe, I don’t know what else it could be.

Peter also learns from Tony Stark that he was on the very top of the Makers list of heroes that needed to not exist. The same list that included the new version of Reed, Ben, Johnny, and Sue. If The Maker thought he was more important than himself, Peter is definitely Marvel’s main man.

On the family side of Peter’s story, Peter, Ben and Jonah go and get a birthday cake for Richard. While Jonah hilariously tries to get a bakery to make him a deli sandwich, Ben invites Peter to join them at their new business venture. Peter, who in this reality has a family, turns Ben down at the moment (mainly because he has a 401K at the Bugle.) Peter tells Ben he’ll think about it. At the birthday party, Jonah gives Richard a present: a book written by Jonah himself. They bond for a little bit and then go have cake.

Harry: Poor Harry. He so badly wants to be the hero of this story and it simply isn’t going to happen. When Tony appears and tells Peter that he was The Maker’s first target, Harry asks where he was on the Maker’s list. Nowhere. At all. Harry Osborn wasn’t even a blip on The Makers radar. Harry is the ultimate (no pun intended) villain of this story. As twisted as it sounds, I can’t wait to watch him fall.

Artwork – The designs of the new Sinister 6 are fine. Mr. Negative, Kraven and Wilson all look the same as before. Mysterio does look similar to his 616 counterpart, but his uniform is black instead of green (although he does still have green mist). Walter looks exactly like he did in the 90’s Spider-Man cartoon which is impressive. The standout here is Mole Man however. He looks like an aging hipster from the 60’s with long gnarly fingernails and hands. He’s also much more youthful looking and capable then his 616 counterpart, so maybe he’ll be able to get in on the action more.

Final Thoughts – Another good issue, this book gives me hope for the Ultimate line. A great story is developing, Harry Osborn is slowly but surely coming apart, and our team of villains has come together. Peter is in a lot of danger, and he doesn’t know it yet. Pick this up!

Final score: 4 out of 5

Publisher:  Marvel

Writer:  Jonathan Hickman

Artist: Marco Checchetto

Colorist: Matthew Wilson

Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit

Cover Artists: Marco Checchetto & Matthew Wilson

Genre:  Superhero

Format: Monthly

Release Date: 08/21/2024