Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) #11 review: With great power...

We're living in a time when there are many amazing Spider-Man-related comic books out there. From Venom War (2024) to Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (2024), and maybe even the resurgence of The Amazing Spider-Man (2022). However, Jonathan Hickman's Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) has been at the center of the spotlight — earning fans' praise and being considered the best ongoing series. It's great to have such a good reputation, but that also puts a lot of weight on the shoulders of every single new release in the saga. So it's time to learn if issue #11 managed to keep the streak going or if it's one of the firsts to succumb under pressure.

Peter must learn his actions have consequences

So far, Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) has been a relatively light-hearted series, and it has played to its favor. Character interactions are at the center of the story as action moments take one step behind. Sure, Spidey has gone up against some big bad guys like the Kingpin, Bullseye, and the original Black Cat, but he has come out relatively unharmed from these confrontations (except for Kingpin's). That's why we see him be extra cocky on issue #11 when attempting to save a bank (even when there's a lady continuously saying his mouth will get them all killed). Peter's feeling it. He's felt all his life like something was missing and now he finally has what he desired. Of course, he's going to be extra confident, but that might not always be the right movie and that's where the magic in this new entry kicks in.

Mary Jane suddenly isn't just 100% supportive, as she (reasonably) starts getting worried about seeing her husband with too many battle scars. Furthermore, Uncle Ben also reveals he deduced Spider-Man's identity and talks to his nephew about the dangers of what he's doing in one of the best moments of this issue. It almost feels like the calm before the storm. Now that two of the members of the Sinister Six have failed to put the spider down, the Kingpin seems angrier than ever. Peter might start to pay the price for saving the day, and it's nice to have this little prelude before everything goes down.

Going back to that Ben conversation: it's nice to see the heart of the series is going stronger than ever. I've stated before that Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) is a human story first, and a superhero epic second — and issue #11 proved it once again. Sure, watching Spidey defeat Mr. Negative's henchman is entertaining, by all means, but it doesn't compare to the words a worried uncle says to his reckless nephew. Now, my favorite line ever said in the series is: "I'm old. Well, old enough. I've lived a good life, and I've lived long enough to see the woman I loved be buried and gone. I do miss her, but it was a good life. And I'm fine with whatever happens next. Can you say that?". I swear it sent shivers down my spine.

But even when Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) #11 does a lot of things right, it also has a few negatives. The way the story instantly cuts from a nerve-wracking bank robbery where even THE Mr. Negative is involved to Peter suddenly being safe in his home talking to his wife left me disappointed. Furthermore, I think it's worth pointing out the comic book cover made it seem as if Felicia Hardy would steal the spotlight only for her to appear in just one panel with no dialog whatsoever — which was really misleading. Finally, this is David Messina's best work in the series yet without a doubt. However, I must say I prefer Marco Checchetto's illustrations any day of the week (but that might be just a "me" thing).

Verdict: The streak keeps going

Overall, Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) #11 is yet again another fantastic entry in the wall-crawler's best ongoing series. It has the heart readers have come to expect from the saga (with the conversation between Peter and Uncle Ben stealing the spotlight), as well as the superhero action that was missing in other issues. Granted, it has one sudden change of pace that doesn't work in its favor, and its cover is extremely misleading. But those two problems seem small compared to the great work the team behind this series has been doing.

Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) #12 will be released on Dec. 18, 2024.