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Ultimate Spider-Man #22 is a narrative hand grenade thrown by writer Jonathan Hickman. Seriously, if you were expecting a typical issue, you’d be wrong. Hickman, along with artist Marco Checchetto and colorist Erick Arciniega, takes a massive three-month leap forward in time and completely shakes up the world of Peter Parker, setting the stage for what’s going to be an absolutely wild final act.

The biggest surprise? The whole Parker clan is living underground. After the whole Mole Man incident, which warned them that their secret identities had been blown, Peter, MJ, their kids, Uncle Ben, J. Jonah Jameson, and (wait for it) Otto Octavius have all gone into hiding. It feels a bit like a makeshift family in a secret lair, and honestly, the domestic scenes are a great contrast to the high-stakes drama.

And speaking of Otto, forget the nerdy Oscorp scientist. He’s now the enigmatic Amazing Otto and is running around in a version of the Spider-Man suit with mechanical legs. He’s the group’s new genius, and he’s cooked up a morally gray plan to protect the family: infect and erase all information about them using a “worm” he’s built. The only problem? The access point is deep inside the Kingpin’s empire.

This is where the next generation steps up. Richard Parker (Peter’s son) is all grown up and training, and he was kinda told to use his sort-of-girlfriend’s legendary skills for the break-in: Felicia Hardy, AKA Black Cat. The whole situation forces you to ask: How dark will our heroes go to keep their family safe? 

While the rest of the family is playing it cool underground, the actual Spider-Man is still out on patrol with the Green Goblin (Harry Osborn). We catch them mid-brawl with Kingpin’s goons, and the action looks fantastic (more on the art in a minute!).

Their partnership is fueled by shared trauma, especially Harry’s palpable grief over his wife, Gwen Stacy, being caught in an explosion. Harry says he no longer has a family to go home to, and it’s a genuinely heartbreaking gut-punch. However, his final scene is an unsettling mystery, clearly designed to keep us up at night, wondering what’s going to happen in the next chapter of Ultimate Spider-Man. 

You can’t talk about this issue without praising the art team. Marco Checchetto’s grounded, realistic line work is phenomenal. He gives the characters real emotional weight, which is essential for an issue so focused on character and atmosphere. Erick Arciniega’s colors are the perfect complement. He really nails the contrast: the underground refuge is cool and muted with blues and greens, making the domestic moments feel quiet and intimate, while the brief action sequences are bright and dynamic with the vibrant red and green of our heroes. And that final reveal page? Chef’s kiss. 

Ultimate Spider-Man #22 is a masterclass in skipping the boring bits. Hickman uses the time-jump to full effect, diving straight into the deep end with a new status quo and an immediate, compelling plan. The whole thing feels like a coil being tightly wound, delivering maximum story impact without wasting a single panel.

There are also some genuinely wonderful little moments here, like the sweet, funny banter between Peter and MJ about what she’d do if he died. MJ jokingly says she’d instantly move on with a masked guy who sweeps her off her feet, and Peter, being Peter, immediately masks up and gives her the biggest, most amazing kiss. It’s a perfect bit of domesticity mixed with superhero life. 

Ultimate Spider-Man #22 is a powerful, character-driven transition that perfectly sets the board for an explosive finale. It delivers high-stakes drama, wonderful emotional moments, and a fantastic new Superior Otto dynamic. If you’ve been following the series, this is the kind of quiet calm before a monumental storm that will leave you on a high note of anticipation.

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Ultimate Spider-Man #22 is a narrative hand grenade thrown by writer Jonathan Hickman. Seriously, if you were expecting a typical issue, you’d be wrong. Hickman, along with artist Marco Checchetto and colorist Erick Arciniega, takes a massive three-month leap forward in time and completely shakes up the world of Peter Parker, setting the stage for what’s going to be an absolutely wild final act.

The biggest surprise? The whole Parker clan is living underground. After the whole Mole Man incident, which warned them that their secret identities had been blown, Peter, MJ, their kids, Uncle Ben, J. Jonah Jameson, and (wait for it) Otto Octavius have all gone into hiding. It feels a bit like a makeshift family in a secret lair, and honestly, the domestic scenes are a great contrast to the high-stakes drama.

And speaking of Otto, forget the nerdy Oscorp scientist. He’s now the enigmatic Amazing Otto and is running around in a version of the Spider-Man suit with mechanical legs. He’s the group’s new genius, and he’s cooked up a morally gray plan to protect the family: infect and erase all information about them using a “worm” he’s built. The only problem? The access point is deep inside the Kingpin’s empire.

This is where the next generation steps up. Richard Parker (Peter’s son) is all grown up and training, and he was kinda told to use his sort-of-girlfriend’s legendary skills for the break-in: Felicia Hardy, AKA Black Cat. The whole situation forces you to ask: How dark will our heroes go to keep their family safe? 

While the rest of the family is playing it cool underground, the actual Spider-Man is still out on patrol with the Green Goblin (Harry Osborn). We catch them mid-brawl with Kingpin’s goons, and the action looks fantastic (more on the art in a minute!).

Their partnership is fueled by shared trauma, especially Harry’s palpable grief over his wife, Gwen Stacy, being caught in an explosion. Harry says he no longer has a family to go home to, and it’s a genuinely heartbreaking gut-punch. However, his final scene is an unsettling mystery, clearly designed to keep us up at night, wondering what’s going to happen in the next chapter of Ultimate Spider-Man. 

You can’t talk about this issue without praising the art team. Marco Checchetto’s grounded, realistic line work is phenomenal. He gives the characters real emotional weight, which is essential for an issue so focused on character and atmosphere. Erick Arciniega’s colors are the perfect complement. He really nails the contrast: the underground refuge is cool and muted with blues and greens, making the domestic moments feel quiet and intimate, while the brief action sequences are bright and dynamic with the vibrant red and green of our heroes. And that final reveal page? Chef’s kiss. 

Ultimate Spider-Man #22 is a masterclass in skipping the boring bits. Hickman uses the time-jump to full effect, diving straight into the deep end with a new status quo and an immediate, compelling plan. The whole thing feels like a coil being tightly wound, delivering maximum story impact without wasting a single panel.

There are also some genuinely wonderful little moments here, like the sweet, funny banter between Peter and MJ about what she’d do if he died. MJ jokingly says she’d instantly move on with a masked guy who sweeps her off her feet, and Peter, being Peter, immediately masks up and gives her the biggest, most amazing kiss. It’s a perfect bit of domesticity mixed with superhero life. 

Ultimate Spider-Man #22 is a powerful, character-driven transition that perfectly sets the board for an explosive finale. It delivers high-stakes drama, wonderful emotional moments, and a fantastic new Superior Otto dynamic. If you’ve been following the series, this is the kind of quiet calm before a monumental storm that will leave you on a high note of anticipation.