Ultimate Spider-Man by Jonathan Hickman vol. 3: Family Business

Christmastime at the Parker Household was going really well.  Right up until it was revealed that Peter’s suit had been masquerading as him, while the man himself and Harry Osborn had been captured by Kraven the Hunter.  Now the two are being set loose in the Savage Land for the Hunter’s amusement in what will certainly be his greatest hunt, but possibly his last?  Then circumstances dictate a Parker Family road trip that may or may not have them dealing with UFOs, evil science organizations, a man who is trapped after being able to become one with the earth, and a budding superhero/supervillain romance.  Meanwhile, what kind of payback does the Kingpin have in store for Ben Parker and J. Jonah Jameson after they broke the story about the true nature of the world in the previous volume?  And what’s Mysterio’s whole deal, anyway?

The one “Ultimate” title from this current incarnation of the universe that’s been doing everything right continues to do so with this volume.  It does run up against the limits of Hickman’s one-issue-is-one-month storytelling device, and there are a couple obvious plot developments here, but the overall thrust of Spider-Man and his allies’ struggle against the Kingpin and his Sinister Six builds quite well here.  Not only is the ongoing characterization of its cast still a joy to read, but we get some actual narrative payoff here along with a classic “Ultimate”-style reinvention that I wish more of the current line was doing.  All of this, and the expectedly great art from Marco Checchetto and David Messina, really has me feeling good (and a little sad) about the series’ finale in its next volume.