Ultimate Spider-Man #4 takes us away from heroics and portrays a human conversation that entices us to love these characters. Read Full Review

In case it wasn't clear that the new Ultimate Spider-Man comic is a clinic in storytelling, writer Jonathan Hickman has no action in issue #4 and instead uses it for two sequences that are exclusively dialogue. It's captivating from the first panel and the foundation of these characters that he's developing remains all-timer stuff. Read Full Review

Messina delivers some beautiful art throughout the issue. There isnt any action in the story, but the close-up panels and how they align with the story add some awesome tension visually. Read Full Review

There wasn't much action, but it provided a decent introduction of Gwen Stacy and laid groundwork to what's coming. Read Full Review

Not as much action or humor in this issue, but man that surprise was something else. Read Full Review

Outside of the cover, there is no sighting of Spider-man in this book. While a small bit of costumes or action would have been nice, this whole book is about building bridges that had been kept from being built for 20 years. An uneasy friendship has been forged, and while it doesn't seem its going to last (it cant), for right now Peter has some friends in high places. As for Uncle Ben, he and Jonah have a name finally for their business. Lets hope it finally gets off the ground in next issue. Pick this up every month. Dont be silly. Read Full Review

A superhero comic slows down to let the characters smell the roses and I love that sort of thing. A lot of good work done on fleshing out the characters and their little world. Read Full Review

Even with a slower issue, "Ultimate Spider-Man" is still going strong in developing its new take on the Spider-Man cast. Read Full Review

Jonathan Hickman and David Messina show their strength as comic book creators that they can make a superhero comic book that's all about character conversations compelling. That is what they accomplish with Ultimate Spider-Man #2. In the process they plant seeds that will sprout into intriguing plotlines for different combinations of the cast members of this series. Read Full Review

Ultimate Spider-Man #4 is an issue with big reveals but also an issue with a narrower view and simple approach. It's one dinner and three or four conversations that help us understand some key characters, but they are also far removed from the superheroics or the development of Peter Parker. A surprise, to be sure, but still not without its merits. Read Full Review

Ultimate Spider-Man #4 takes a bizarrely unexpected turn in the series with a subzero cooldown issue that's nothing but four people engaging in pilot conversation during a dinner date. Messina's art isperfectly good, and in fairness, Hickman's dialog talents are excellent, but this comic fits theverydefinition of pointless. Read Full Review

Excellent writing.

Plot
Peter and MJ are invited to lunch by Harry Osborn, who introduced them to his wife...Gwen Stacy, this meeting between adults is tense and complex, since Harry knows Peter's secret and Peter knows Harry's, but MJ does not know nothing.

Harry claimed that Gwen knows everything about her Green Goblin identity. Peter in his greatest cosmic ignorance has no idea that he is having dinner with the two women in his life.

The entire comic is based on the dialogue held in this restaurant, where Gwen and Harry are incisive, accustomed to judging, from their comfortable point of view as billionaires. Harry offers Peter to change the world, using the famous phrase With great power comes great responsibility.

Ben and JJ Jameson continue discussing the name of a new publishing project...which MJ suggested to them is THE PAPER.

Without the need for any action or fight sequences, this comic captures the tension between both potential enemies.

Art
It is very organic with some textures, which seem to have a certain Asian influence, it has a lot of shine and highlights the beauty and sensuality of MJ and Gwen.

Summary
Peter and MJ have dinner with Harry and Gwen, a meal that is as tense as it is chilling more

This has truly become something special right here. This issue could be boring, but it so quickly morphs into the single best comic book we've had all year. Amazing dialogue. Harry and Gwen are instantly memorable. And Peter learns the most important of all lessons.

Weird Science Marvel Comics can bolt.

Some might find the art change distracting, but I think it mostly works, especially for a sit down issue like this one. I could read Hickman's version of dinner conversation forever. He's quite good at dialogue.

Who knew a comic that fully takes place during a dinner conversation could be so entertaining?

Amazing stuff here. This is just the issue USM needed, more slower one that focuses on characters and their relationships. I loved every page and I was hooked on the dialogue.

And Messina as a guest artist works really well here. I wouldn't mind seeing more of him once in a while.

The only problem I have is the cover. It's a bit misleading, and since I desperately wanna see Ben's viewpoint on Spider-Man, it was a letdown

Calling it an 8.3 just because it doesn't have any action scenes perfectly showcases what superhero comics readers value the most. This is a great chapter, with a lot of clever dialogue and key moments to the characters; with this, I've understood way more how Harry's mind works, and foresee some pretty heavy moral battles in the future. It was a joy reading this, a great chapter.

I wanted to touch on a couple of points that I think a lot of people are over looking. This dinner conversation was more of a social spar and a feeling out of potential allies. Hickman did a great job of how each party reacted. Peter and MJ vs Harry and Stacy. Totally different walks of life whose goals sort of overlap but have rather different approaches. This conversation clearly sets up a lot of potential for future issue and plot points. Loved it.

Also why is no on talking about Harry dropping the famous 'With Great Responsibility?'. Hickman isn't so dumb to drop that without a lot of subtext. This isnt some young Peter learning this from the death of a family member, this is an older Peter with a family hearing this from a potential ally asking them to do something that might put there family in direct danger. The implications of this are way different. How will Peter internalize this? We know that in what ever run or version of spider-man that exists, how that Peter takes those words forms who he is. How will he internalize this one given how different the context was?

If I were to tell you this was just a dinner conversation issue, you would likely scoff as Marvle's dinner talk issues are almost always terrible. This however was intricate and likely sets the stage for how Peter will become. more

What's not to like? Not the most ambitious issue, but that's completely fine because it was still engaging and we have every reason to have confidence in this creative team. This is a great book so far.

I'm enjoying Hickman's work here. I just love the way he unfolds the story. Plenty to absorb with a lot of words around a dinner date but without the chapters that Bendis would drop on you (I like it in limited fashion). I just enjoy this kind of of build up when it's done right and Hickman so far hasn't disappointed. The art was good but the printing didn't help it at all. Still come back Checchetto I know your hands need time to heal.

It’s bold to have an issue of Spider-Man built entirely around a dinner conversation, and it’s a great example of why Ultimate Spider-Man works. Hickman is taking chances rather than playing it safe, and it’s paying off, big time.

Yeah, that was a good comic. The conversations between the characters are more grey than black and white. Hope this series keeps this up

Love the detection this version is going so far, but it was completely missed story opportunity for Gwen and Peter not having a history.

Hickman absolutely crushed the dialogue and character interactions here, great issue

Awesome dialouge, very immersive experience in the character's head.

Despite the slow pace I really appreciated the opportunity to see more of the individuals we'd be seeing going forward and in a subtle fashion. Hickman is doing an exposition dump but not in the typical way you'd normally see it. We get our character motivations for Gwen and Harry and see how not completely on the same page they are as well as Harry and Peter's dynamic. It's all pretty nuanced and that might be why people are so iffy on it. That tends to go over a lot of heads and is definitely a trait that Hickman employs. I loved seeing how driven Gwen is in pushing the Parkers forward while Harry is very casually forceful to Peter specifically. Also an interesting circumvention of the norm to have Harry of all people tell Peter about great power and responsibility.
The biggest detractor here is the art. I can't rate the issue any lower as it is as a whole is fantastic but the art is very distressing. Messina seems to heavily rely on reference photos for his faces and while that is very normal to use reference to get poses or even some faces down, none of them have cohesion between panels, most egregiously is Gwen. When she first appears she looks like Margot Robbie, then the next panel, someone entirely different, the next panel looks like some other model and the fourth panel she's in has her eating something. The hand in that picture is very odd. It either has five fingers or a really messed up thumb that is in the completely wrong position OR is turned the entirely wrong way around. It's supposed to be her left hand but it is facing the wrong way for that to work. Take a look at it yourself and it'll be a lot more clear. I don't want to accuse Messina of using AI generated art, I really don't think that's the case. I think he just over relies on reference and may have been a little lazy. I'd really rather it be the latter but considering the hands and poses throughout a lot of the issue it doesn't really make a lot of sense. Hands are hard and that could be it but as a professional artist on a very popular and important book you think you'd take a lot more care to raise the quality up a bit. more

Art: 3.5/5
Story: 3.5/5
Total: 7/10

Lots of talking. Nothing really happens, but it's a pretty good conversation.

This issue wasn't bad, and I liked the slower pace of Peter Parker just talking to Mary Jane, Gwen, and Harry. But it's not as good as the previous issues or as engaging. I understand not every issue needs to be action packed, but I guess the high standards of the previous issue made this issue underwhelming. Also, I have read other issues that have people just talking and no dialogue, but it was still engaging and good.

So overall, it's not bad. It will be important in the long run. But It's not as good as the previous issues.

The new artstyle isn’t for me. I very much prefer Checchetto’s art. Didn’t like that almost the entire issue was spent on just one dinner. Dialogue was pretty good though.

This entire book could have been done in 4 pages. Way to slam the brakes on an exciting series

I don't know what happened with this issue. The usual artist took a break so Hickman decided to dial it in, instead of progressing the story. Nothing happens in this issue except for one, elongated exposition-heavy scene. Not even one page of action in the entire issue. This issue can be summed up in 3 words -- Double Dinner Date. And Harry introduces his own wife as "Gwen Stacy." Who does that? Most people would simply use their wife's first name. A very disappointing issue. This one can be skipped and you wouldn't notice.

My Comic Review Channel - https://youtu.be/k-l6-pNkPes

I paid $4.99 for THIS?????
I know Marvel is big into the slice of life stuff, but this is overdoing it big time. All it was was a BORING chat over dinner. I'd get better excitement from a soap opera. This is the problem with modern comics. All the characters do is sit, eat and talk. You could skip this issue completely and all you'd miss is Peter and Mary Jane meeting a quite unlikable Gwen. So far this year Ultimate Spider-Man #4 wins "Most boring comic of 2024." It's issues like this that are why the industry is in such a sorry state. WTF actually wants to pay $5 to see people in a restaurant and having an ass boring conversation?
On the up side so far this issue is outnumbered 3 to 1 in quality issues at least. I have a feeling though after this first arc ends I won't continue to get this book. If I want I'll probably just get the collected editions. It will probably save me money in a long run, especially when it comes to issues like this one.
I know this is a new series and all and it still deserves a chance, especially since issues #1-3 were as good as this issue was bad, but a reader wants their money's worth and this issue was only worth 75 cents at best. A friendly word of advice to Hickman, Don't let success go to your head and think you can get away with making more issues like this. If you do this series will become just the latest in a long line of success to failure stories that were made possible because of stories that added absolutely nothing like this one.
I didn't like this issue, but I won't let it keep me from trying to enjoy what else is to come. But I never want to see that I completely wasted $5 on such a boring book again. Another issue like this one and I'm out. more

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Mout - Jun 6, 2024

How old are you? 6? Would you rather read 32 pages of Spidey punching a giant robot or something?

Comics Code Authorities - Jun 7, 2024 (edited)

Well that does sound more fun than this snooze fest of an issue was. As well as more worth paying $5. Though I'd prefer him fighting Doc Ock, Green Goblin or maybe even some new villain. But anything is preferable to sitting in a restaurant having a bor-ring talk with 2 rather unlikable versions of classic characters the WHOLE issue (But in Gwen and Harry's defense, the original universe ones didn't seem too pleasant when originally introduced either).

Comics Code Authorities - Jun 8, 2024

I hope so.The Krakoa era was so awful I was out in just a couple of months. I recently chose to stick with this series a bit longer since I heard the Sinister six are coming up in the next arc. Stories with them are usually fun. Hickman is on to something that could be real big. But it's up to him to keep it that way. This issue was poor, but so far 3/4 of the issues I've read were enjoyable so I expect things to improve again by #5, which I'll finally be getting this coming week.

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