January was a fantastic month to be a fan of the good-old web-head. Not only did Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man exceed all expectations after its release on Disney Plus, but Marvel's Spider-Man 2 was finally launched on PC. As if that wasn't enough, we also saw the release of more than 10 new comic books featuring Spidey himself or his ensemble of supporting characters. And while readers enjoyed no shortage of iconic superhero stories, it's impossible to deny some were better than others. However, there's only one that can be crowned as the very best of the month.
When it comes to the comic book world, sometimes it's hard for fans to unanimously agree on the same thing. After all, everyone has different personal preferences. So that makes it all the more impressive that almost every single person seems to come to the same conclusion: Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) is the best ongoing Spider-Man series to this date. The cherry on top? the recently released issue 13 might be one of the strongest of the franchise.
Ultimate Spider-Man No. 13 keeps the streak going
Before we dive into why Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) No. 13 is almost flawless, let's make some honorable mentions. Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2022) No. 28 was an epic conclusion to Miles' vampiric storyline (at least for the time being) and it was fantastic to see the wall-crawler holding his ground against the Black Panther and Venom. Furthermore, All-New Venom (2024) #2 cemented the saga as a must-read and got us a bit closer to discovering who's behind the symbiote. Finally, even if The Amazing Spider-Man (2022) is not everyone's cup of tea, it recently dived into some interesting concepts on how death has shaped the wall-crawler (though I still absolutely hate that Peter gave up on being a hero). That being said, nothing can compare to the heights reached by Jonathan Hickman's latest story.
Perhaps the only nitpick fans have about Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) is that it often lacks action sequences. Well, lo and behold, issue No. 13 fixed that in the greatest way possible: By having Peter Parker fight dinosaurs while making a Jurassic World reference along the way. Furthermore, I can't overstate how shocking the first few pages of the comic are when it's revealed that Richard Parker is using Peter's Pichotech Suit to disguise himself as Spider-Man and keep the city safe in his father's absence. Nothing could've prepared me for that moment, and now I understand why Richard hadn't had a chance to shine in previous issues.
It's heartwarming to see how Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) No. 13 pays homage to other great Spider-Man stories such as Kraven's Last Hunt. Sergei Kravinoff absolutely steals the spotlight in the latest issue of the series, and it's clear all the traits that make the character special in other adaptations are present this time around too. Besides, another nice little touch is how this version of the Sinister Six clearly doesn't trust each other, because why would they? After all, every member controls a different borough of the City. If anything, they have every right to be rivals. It's a nice little spin on a supervillain group we've seen countless times before.
The cherry on top? The Sinister Six know Spidey's and the Green Goblin's secret identities. Surely, they'll come after them once the Savage Land storyline is over, and there could be some dire repercussions down the line. We know Harry Osborn is currently acting as one of the good guys, but wouldn't that change really quickly if his wife, Gwen Stacy, were to be dropped off the Brooklyn Bridge? The possibilities for what can happen next are endless, and it's all thanks to Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) No. 13. Taking into account Marco Checchetto's flawless art, it's easy to see why this story is the best of the month. The only downside? We didn't get to see Richard stop his first crime as the wall-crawler. But beyond that, there's nothing but pure perfection hidden within this comic book's pages.
Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) No.14 will be released on Feb. 26, 2025.