What's the best Spider-Man comic issue of 2024?

What a year 2024 has been for Spider-Man fans. We witnessed the end of the Venom movie franchise while simultaneously living through the death of Sony's Spider-Man Universe courtesy of Kraven the Hunter. We got our first glimpse at Nicholas Cage's mesmerizing suit in Spider-Man Noir and finally learned when Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man will be released. Finally, disappointment arose when Insomniac announced no DLC would be released for Marvel's Spider-Man 2, and that bad taste was washed away when Tom Holland finally talked about the upcoming Spider-Man 4. But through it all, we never stopped reading new Spidey comics.

Amazing series such as Jonathan Hickman's Ultimate Spider-Man and Greg Weisman's The Spectacular Spider-Men were released while huge events such as Venom War took place. But perhaps the most impressive part has been the resurgence of The Amazing Spider-Man. While fans unanimously hated Zeb Well's run (and with good reason) we're finally back on track now that Joe Kelly and Justina Ireland have taken over the series. Besides, we can't forget about Miles' vampiric adventures in his stand-alone series and Gwen's crime-fighting career in Earth 616. All things considered; it was a good year for Spidey fans in the comic book department. So now that the dust is close to settling, we have to ask ourselves: what was the best individual comic book issue?

Well, before we start, it's worth clarifying that I'll do my absolute best to be as objective as possible. However, it's impossible to deny a lot comes down to the preferences of every individual fan, meaning my pick will likely be different from yours — and that's completely fine. Spider-Man has such a great fan base that sometimes it's impossible for everyone to agree on one single thing (except that Zeb Well's run was bad). With that being said, let's dive into Whatever A Spider Can's best-reviewed issue of the year, and that is...

Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) #6 swings higher than other issues

It's no secret that Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) has been at the center of many conversations for all the right reasons. While the series has been, undoubtedly, a slow-burner in the action department, it executes everything else almost to perfection. Peter's marriage with Mary Jane is a joy to see, the hero's relationship with Harry Osborn has been a refreshing surprise, and May Parker and Richard Parker have been welcome additions to the supporting roster of characters. Fortunately, issue #6 blends all these aspects to perfection and even injects a much-awaited action sequence, resulting in what can only be described as a perfect chapter in the saga.

Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) #6 sees Peter's family all discover he's been living a double life as a superhero when he suddenly appears with serious bruises and injuries on his face after a close encounter with the Kingpin. Much to the reader's surprise, the typical Parker luck doesn't kick in as Peter's family isn't horrified by his actions. Instead, they are all very supportive of his mission to save New York City. Mary Jane even tells his husband he'll need a codename when suiting up and swinging across buildings, so that's when she comes up with the "Spider-Man" title in what is, without exaggeration, my favorite Spider-Man moment of 2024.

The issue's pacing is spot on, Marco Checchetto's illustrations are phenomenal as usual, the dialog is touching, and the Kingpin action set piece is a standout of the series as a whole. There's not a single thing that Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) #6 does wrong, which is why it stands out compared to any other entry across any other Spidey series. You can read our full review of this fantastic story here, but long story short: it's one no fan would want to miss.

It's important to recognize other fantastic issues such as The Amazing Spider-Man (2022) #61 which did the impossible and made us forget about the series' previous mistakes. Furthermore, The Amazing Spider-Man (2022) #63 is a heartfelt but amazing run through Peter's most tragic moments across his history. Besides, this might be just the personal preference talking, but I genuinely loved the way Peter and Miles teamed up in The Spectacular Spider-Men (2024) #1 to defeat a new version of The Jackal. However, all of those moments pale in comparison when watching Peter and Mary Jane swing across New York's skyline right after the hero revealed to his family his secret identity.

I swear, that series just hits differently.