- Title: Ultimate Spider-Man #5
- Comic Vine: link
- Writer: Jonathan Hickman
- Artist: David Messina
We get no Spider-Man in Ultimate Spider-Man #5 and only a brief cameo by Peter Parker. Instead, the latest issue of the series takes its time to backfill the story of Harry Osborn explaining how the spoiled rich kid, and disappointment to his father Norman, ended up galavanting around the city playing hero. We see his father’s death, his first meeting with the Kingpin which allowed to to obtain Stark’s company, and the discovery in the Stark vault which would change his path.
Issue #5 also introduces this timeline’s version of Otto Octavius as a genius scientist working for Osborn that takes the Iron Man tech and transforms it into the Goblin suit and glider for Harry’s purposes. We also get a rather sad version of the Shocker whose criminal run is ended quickly by the Green Goblin and a battle of words between Harry and Bullseye foreshadowing what comes next. Even without Spidey, this comic continues to be an interesting ride.
[Marvel, $4.99]