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admonition : Spoilers for Ultimate Spider - Man # 11Marvel ’s newUltimate Universehas been a monumental success , but oneSpider - Manmoment has establish just how successful the books ’ tangible - time structure has been for the rail line . It ’s not a perfect gimmick , but it ’s still an telling accomplishment and a neat trick that changes the way that these stories are being told .
InUltimate Spider - Man#11 by Jonathan Hickman , David Messina , Matt Wilson , and Cory Petit , Uncle Ben makes an offhand remark that revealsjust how apt the real - time flow of the new Ultimate Universe has been .
Ben and Peter Parker meet up at Aunt May ’s remembrance to commemorate a year since the suppose terrorist attack that kill her . Readers might not pick up on it , but it ’s been almost exactly a yr in real time , too . This synchronicity is one of the many factors that helps this universe feel so present , because it ’s quicken forward just as readers are .
The New Ultimate Universe’s Real-Time Structure Has Done Wonders for Its Overall Pacing
Especially in Ultimate Spider-Man
The original approach takes place inUltimate Universe#1 , the one - shot by Jonathan Hickman and Stefano Caselli that came out almost exactly one class ago , on November 1st , 2023 ( one year and three weeksbeforeUltimate Spider - Man#11 , to be exact).Ultimate Universe#1 sport the false - flag attack on NYC , but in the twelvemonth since , Ultimate Spider - Manhas explored the attack ’s consequences , as Peter , Uncle Ben and Harry Osborn - who lost his Padre - pile with their grief in dissimilar ways .
The Ultimate Universe is still growing : check outUltimate Wolverine#1 by Chris Condon and Alessandro Cappuccio , available January 15th , 2025 from Marvel Comics .
This pass of time also has its ownmassive implications for the Ultimate Universe ’s wider tarradiddle . Atthe endof Ultimate Invasion , the miniseries by Hickman and Bryan Hitch that instal this universe , the Maker , who create this world ’s tyrannical regimen , was locked away for precisely two days . Unfortunately , he was locked in his own time - dilated base know as " the City . " Over the course of action of these two eld out of doors , he ’ll have 1000 of years inside his prison house to contrive his revenge . The only question is what the Earth will look like when he go forth .
Most Initiatives at Marvel and DC Comics Like This Don’t Work Half as Well
Yes, Fans Should Celebrate when Comics Scheduling Works Out
A misanthropical reader might scoff , saying thatUltimate Spider - Man#11 is n’t precisely one year afterUltimate Universe#1 , butit ’s easygoing to leave just how hard programing comics can be , especially if you want the book to have a consistent creative squad , and the calendar month - by - month structure has been present since the starting time of the book . Part of that consistency is thanks to the rotating fine art squad of Marco Checchetto and Messina , who deal off issues and arcs , with Wilson , the always - terrific colorist , ply an internal consistency in the graphics to match .
Modern comedian are often criticized for being " decompressed , " have their fib stretched out beyond the meter that they really require to be told in . What might once have get a single issue now might take four . Decompression happens both at a macro level - how long it takes to tell a story - and at a micro storey - how much time a creator spends on one melodic theme , story beat , or minor moment . recite stories in veridical time means that the Godhead ofthe Ultimate titles ca n’t be too decompressed in either way , because the universe has to move forward in real time .
Ultimate Spider-ManIsn’t the Only Book Benefiting from This Structure
Ultimate X-Menby Peach Momoko Has Also Benefited
Ultimate X - Menby Peach Momokohas been another major beneficiary of the real - time structure . The book asterisk a cast of young students , andthe literal - sentence structure means that they get to go through the distinct , different contribution of their school year issue to issue . The structure is reminiscent of the television game series Persona , which is also ( mostly ) set around the strict schedule of a school year . Momoko ’s back matter on the often - seasonal Japanese cultural references she ’s do only adds to the sense of realism that this real - time structure brings .
Marvel ’s new Ultimate Universe is lurid not for existing , but for being the publisher ’s most consistently fantabulous initiative throughout 2024 .
As exciting as this docket is , it is n’t perfect either . The structurenecessitates big prison term jump between every effect , and there have been moments that could have been given more space . likewise , the structure means that the easy format for these books is relatively self - hold back progeny , meaning that the straightaway side effect of any issue - terminate cliffhanger has to be told in flashback or exposition , limiting the types of account evidence . That read , these small complaints are n’t anywhere near big enough to majorly sour the overconfident shock the structure has had on plot of ground momentum .
What Will the Next Year Hold for the Ultimate Universe?
And Can Marvel Stick to This Schedule?
The ultimate test of this format will be see whether all the books can puzzle their landing place as they head towards the inevitable return of the Maker . The first step in this direction is the upcoming one - shotUltimate Universe : One yr In#1byUltimateswriterDeniz Camp and creative person Jonas Scharf , which promises to countersink up plot threads for the yr in advance . However , a lot can happen in the space of a class , and hopefully all theUltimate Universebooks , not justSpider - Man , will continue to shanghai on this front .
Ultimate Spider - Man#11is available now , andUltimate Universe : One Year In#1is usable December 11th , 2024 , both from Marvel Comics .
Spider - Man is the name establish to several individuals who have employed a wanderer - cognomen throughout Marvel Comics . Typically gaining their powers through a bite from a radioactive spider , the unlike Spider - Man heroes employ super - force , lightness , and intellect while use webbing to get around and tangle up their foes . The most famed of these Spider - Men is Peter Parker , who remains one of the most popular superheroes throughout the world .
Custom Image by Kevin Erdmann
Custom Image by Kevin Erdmann
Spider-Man is the name given to several individuals who have employed a spider-moniker throughout Marvel Comics. Typically gaining their powers through a bite from a radioactive spider, the different Spider-Man heroes employ super-strength, agility, and intellect while utilizing webbing to swing and tangle up their foes. The most notable of these Spider-Men is Peter Parker, who remains one of the most popular superheroes throughout the world.
