Checchetto and Messina delivers stunning art throughout the issue. I love the visuals and how dynamic and dramatic the action is on every page. Read Full Review

Ultimate Spider-Man #23 does its job of delivering a strong penultimate chapter for this series. For as much as this is a set-up for the series finale Jonathan Hickman, Marco Checchetto, and David Messina make sure everything progresses to its next natural point. Read Full Review

Ultimate Spider-Man #23 does exactly what a penultimate issue should: it accelerates toward the finish line with urgency, spectacle, and emotional stakes, even if some lingering subplots still feel uncommitted. The Spider-Man vs. Kingpin showdown finally feels earned, Richard's danger drives the tension, and Hickman keeps the universe in motionyet the looming end exposes which story threads may not get the space they deserve before everything comes crashing down in the finale. Read Full Review

Ultimate Spider-Man #23 is a pretty solid penultimate chapter, given the conditions of the series' unfortunate cancellation. It focuses on the plot threads that will be most immediate to next month's final issue, with some really solid imagery throughout that keeps the thrills high, whilst burying the rather shallow plotting that has held this book back for the last year. Read Full Review

Ultimate Spider-Man #23 is a competent, visually stunning issue that finally delivers the propulsive storytelling this series should have maintained from the start. Checchetto's art is phenomenal, the heist beats hit hard, and the character moments land with genuine weight. But it's all a band-aid on a deeper wound. This issue proves the series had potential, which makes its two-year fumble even more frustrating. Hickman's decision to trust in future time and coast through early issues, only to suddenly panic and rush toward a conclusion, is poor planning that's hurt every reader who stuck around. Read Full Review

Please don't end :(

Plot
Peter and MJ ask Otto Octavius ​​about Richard's plan. He explains that Richard went with Black Cat to install a Maker communication node in Kingpin's building that will erase all information related to Peter and his family. Peter goes to rescue his son.

Harry and all the people who made up Mysterio's cult, now merged into one, also arrive at the lair of Henry Dugarry, one of The Maker's allies, to negotiate. Gwen is part of this spectral entity that houses multiple consciousnesses.

Peter confronts Kingpin, but he hadn't counted on the presence of Mr. Negative, whose will-controlling power forces Peter not to defend himself against Kingpin's powerful attack.

Richard and Felicia almost manage to reach the node to use the erasure device, but they are discovered.

This is the penultimate issue of this series, which concludes in January 2026, and everything is conspiring for an epic finale, coinciding with the return of The Maker.

Art
It's packed with brilliant details that explode in your face, supported by subtle and well-placed textures, giving a raw and powerful tone to this story that shakes things up and puts a realistic spin on Spider-Man.

It's organic and dynamic, mesmerizing you in every panel.

Summary
Spider-Man vs. Kingpin as Richard and Felicia take risks, while the world awaits the return of The Maker. The penultimate chapter of this must-read saga, where there's no filler; every installment has been equally epic. more

im really sad. this was the worst issue of the entire run.

While this issue was certainly a lot better, I think this issue just feels..... hollow. This whole series just feels so rushed. I don't know if the Ultimate Universe from Marvel will continue after ultimate Endgame, but what hurt this series was how it was dead set on 24 issues. Hickman introduced so many plot points that I don't feel any connection to this Uncle ben, J Jonah Jameson, Mary Jane, Peter's daughter, Gwen and Hary Osborn. ESPECIALLY Peter Parker. The only reason why people like this Ultimate Peter Parker is because he was created alongside Zeb wells run on Peter Parker, so people tend to be defensive.

hickman was facing an uphill battle when he only had 24 issues to write Spider-Man, and as a result we don't really get to see Peter's progress as a fighter. It happens off-screen, so when he says that he's more skilled at fighting Kingpin, I don't believe it because it's not shown. We are shown how Peter can swing better, but it's crazy how so many important moments happen off-screen, and we just have to infer.

like with Mister Negative persuading Peter to not fight. I legitimately did not know why until I re-read Issue 21, and Mister Negative killed this Ultimate Purple Man/Kilgrave, and it's not said at all. I literally had to guess, and I know Hickman knows his readers aren't dumb. But he should still have better execution and a great writer would leave some bed crumbs or slight hints, not just have the audience guess in teh dark. I didn't know that Mister Negative caused 5 individuals to fuse into one Mysterio until I read the recap summary. I also didn't know that Mister Negative somehow knows Peter's background because he killed Mr. Wesley.... but like I said in the previous issues it didn't really hint at it very well.

Overall, I know I said i was going to drop it. But it's the second to last issue, and I wanted to see if I would be proven wrong. Adn while the issue at LEAST finally didn't have a time skip and skip this moment, I was still feeling meh with this issue.

Which again is a shame. Because while Hickman's the best Modern Marvel writer, there's a reason why I haven't been a huge fan of him compared to other writers like Geoff Johns or Alan Moore, or even Scott Snyder for crying out loud. Hickman has cool concepts, but barely any character. the character moments happen between the issues, and for a min I thought we were going to get a family Spidey story. But turns out it's a conspiracy theory with the man in high castle.... that just so happens to feature Spider-Man
more

Reading this comic and series overall, I can't bring myself to be even angry anymore. I am just so heavily disappointed by this series. What a waste.

Nothing here feels earned. Once again, we are told everything and we see nothing. Peter says he is not the same when facing Kingpin as he was in #6. I have zero clue how that is the case, I haven't seen anything that would implicate otherwise. One training session in #7 isn't enough to convince me.

We are being told how Fisk is this big bad Kingpin who does bad things. I have zero clues what he has actually done. And how has it impacted anyones life. I guess he is evil?

Everything here feels forced. None of the stuff currently going on is something this series has build enough. And with one issue left, I can't imagine it will be a good or even passable conclusion.

Nothing here is bad. It's just not earned. In any way.

And you know what is worse? I still love #1. It still is one of my favorite issues of Spider-Man ever, but this? This is just a waste. I can't see anyone actually recommending this series as a Spider-Man comic. If you do, please read anything else besides ASM by Zeb Wells.

I hoped this series would explore learning responsibility from adult and how normal people and street-level heroes are being impacted by Maker's world. And seeing a good marriage between MJ and Peter, seeing how they got together despite having wildly different backstory than in 616. But we got none of that. We didn't get really anything. I still don't know what motivates Peter. Was it the death of May? Who knows. He hasn't talked about that or anything. more

+ Like • Comments (6)

• Likes (1)

• Com' Cool N' Collected

Show all comments

Com' Cool N' Collected - Dec 10, 2025 (edited)

Agree. Kingpin introduced as this huge weight but what materialized from it. Such a huge gap from the first issue.

daspidaboy - Dec 11, 2025

I firmly believe that if Hickman was not pigeon-holed into writing everything into 24 issues, and forced to do the monthly time skips it would have flowed a lot better. Because some of these characters I don't feel a connection, and as a result I just don't care. It's honestly crazy how so many important moments happen off-screen

daspidaboy - Dec 11, 2025

In Issue 11, and 12. Peter Parker is abducted off-screen. How in the world did Peter's kid get the black symbiote? I don't know. Maybe Otto gave it to him? But it happened off-screen. how did J jonah Jameson and Uncle Ben gather the evidence? Well, it was happening in teh background, but off-screen. How does Peter get better at fighting? off-screen. We don't see Peter learning from his mistakes. What's Peter's reaction to his son being a hero? Off-screen. HOW ABOUT OTTO BEING SUPERIOR SPIDER MAN

Com' Cool N' Collected - Dec 11, 2025

Yeah concur completely. Spider-Man never seemed to be the focal point of his own comic. And for a book that’s supposed to show progression as it is a comic book there was nothing. Frustrating

Afre - Dec 12, 2025

Hickman wasn't forced to do monthly timeskips. That was his own idea and this isn't the first time he has done this. He was the architect of Ultimate Universe. He did the same during Time Runs Out, where each issue covered a month before Secret Wars started.

Com' Cool N' Collected - Dec 12, 2025

Maybe it’s me but I’m sensing a pattern with Hickman. Much like HoX/PoX things start out strong but then drops markedly

Sign in to comment