The Chi✶Town Breakdown: USM #6 (2024)

What is one to say about the month of June?  The time of a perfect, young summer.  The fulfillment of the promise of the earlier months, and which,  as yet no sign to remind one that its fresh young beauty will ever fade.  That pretty much describes this ENTIRE ISSUE.  It is the fulfillment of a promise to all Spider-Man fans and the premise that draws readers to buy this run and shows no signs that it’s appeal, will ever fade.

Marco Checchetto is BACK!  His artwork captures once again, the action and family aspect appeal to this book.  Jonathan Hickman hasn’t gone off track during this run and has laid all the ground work masterfully with a simple premise I would like to call, good story telling.  Has the time come for Harry and Peter to join forces and take down the Kingpin?  Will they succeed or bite off more that they can chew?  I have been saying this since issue #2, will Peter FINALLY come clean about being Spider-Man to HIS WIFE, Mary Jane?  How will Richard, their son, take the news?  Face Front Crawlspacers and get ready for EVERYTHING you WANT in a Spider-Man comic.

(Writer) Jonathan Hickman
(Artist) Marco Checchetto
(Colorist) Matthew Wilson
(Letterer) VC’s Corry Petit & VC’s Joe Sabino
(Editor) Wil Moss
(EIC) C.B. Cebulski
Date Released 6/19/2024
Issue Number #6
Price Tag: $5.99 

STORY:   Ever sit down at the table for breakfast completely looking like crap?  Peter sure does and his family is concerned about it and wants to know what happened to him.  Both Mary Jane and Richard are not buying the “Being Clumsy and that Parker Luck” pitch that Peter is selling.  May, who is now very concerned, accidently blurts out that the bumps and bruises on Peter’s face are a result of him being a superhero.  The genie is out of the bottle and Mary Jane demands to know the entire truth.  Peter comes clean and through flashbacks, he explains that he and Harry, The Green Goblin, are about to take down Wilson Fisk.  As they crash through a his skylight they realize that…

Wilson Fisk better known as The Kingpin, was waiting for them.  He explains to him that every camera within a three block radius to his place, is being monitored.  Goblin tells him that Bullseye gave him up (Peter didn’t know about that btw) and Kingpin begins his fight with the two heroes.  Kingpin clearly has the advantage during the brawl and Harry and Peter flee the scene.  With the flashback now over, Mary Jane asks Peter if he and the family are safe.  Peter assures her that that no one knows his secret except close friends (I’m thinking he’s referring to Harry and Gwen).  The Parker family agree to keep the family secret and Richard asks his dad to be careful from now on.  Peter and MJ are finally alone and to Peter’s surprise, Mary Jane is not mad at him, more proud and scared than anything.  He reveals the suit to her, impressed (and being a little flirtatious I might add) by her husbands abilities she gives him the codename “Spider-Man” and the happily married couple take a evening swing in the New York sky.

UNBREAKABLE:   I was pleasantly surprised by how Hickman wrote Mary Jane in this issue.  As stated, she wasn’t mad.  She knows the world that they live in and now knowing that her husband is using these abilities to make the world a better place, she’s very proud of him.  Of course she’s concerned about his well being and her family’s well being.  What wife/mother wouldn’t?  Still, Hickman writes her as an understanding, loving wife.  She adores Peter and he’s the only hero she wants and needs.  Peter has come full circle as well, he knows that he made a mistake about not telling his family right away, but it wasn’t because of how they would react, it was because he was finding the right time and way to explain it to them.  THIS scenario is “The Parker Luck”, where it didn’t go as well as he hoped.  Peter feels guilty about what he did and informs his wife that he needs her to do this right.  This marriage between Peter and Mary Jane is here to stay, Spider-Man or not.  It’s been proven that it works so well in this series and with a sprinkle of family aspect, concerning the kids, it’s the icing on the cake.  This image below makes me believe that this should have been intended at the end of Spencer’s run in ASM.

MORE CAREFUL:   Peter is going to have to be much more careful from now on.  Kingpin has already exposed that he has cameras watching his place, what’s to say that maybe he’ll go a bit further or already has?  Wilson looks much more dangerous here than his 616 counterpart.  He has been enhanced with super strength and apparently a pumpkin bomb can only nick and scratch him.  Already in The Maker’s Council, he also has resources to use that will help him maintain control of New York.  Wilson will not shy away to go after Spidey’s loved ones and I hope Peter (with the help of Mary Jane) is more prepared for that.
Peter also has to put in the consideration about Harry and Gwen.  Both he and MJ are clueless to what is going on behind the scenes at Oscorp.  Peter didn’t even know about the interrogation that Harry did with Bullseye.  Hickman does a really good job with Peter’s morality.  He doesn’t approve or like breaking laws to get to that “means to an end” where Harry certainly has a goal in mind and will do anything to get to it.  It’s possible this contrast between the morality of these two characters causes them to part ways.  Now Peter and MJ will need to be prepared for that as well.

ARTWORK:   I love that Checchetoo is back!  He brings great detail to this book in the fight scenes and the splash pages are eye candy to appreciate, but what I like most of all is the facial expressions he gives.  They show real emotion!  I love it when an artist take pride in those certain details.

Take this one for example…the family is very concerned and you can almost feel MJ shock/horror as she’s about to push herself away from the table to rush to him.  
Checchetto also captures the more adult theme when it comes to flirtation.  

INTERESTING THINGS TO NOTE:

• Peter indeed has a Spider-Sense!
  
• Found this funny.  Harry accepts his codename.
  
• Mary Jane has given Peter his codename.  Notice the WEDDING BAND.
  
• NOW…it is assumed that Peter told them this story in the morning since they are having pancakes (maybe wheatcakes) and OJ, yet Peter tells the kids to go to bed after the flashback presuming it’s evening time.  I have had breakfast for dinner before, or did it take all day for Peter to explain himself to his family?  Could be just a mishap.  Either way, it’s minor nitpick and doesn’t really take me away from the story.

GRADE:   Giving this one at A+!  This issue features great action and wholesome Peter and MJ scenes which I’m always a sucker for.  It shows a Spider-Man who is older but more grounded as he figures out the best way to carry on as Spider-Man in a corrupt world while being a husband and a father.  Leaning on the Peter loves Mary Jane (and vise versa) premise of the book, it cures the ills of the narrative on those who follow the 616.  Reminds me of when RYV volume two became ongoing during Slott’s ASM run, a lifeboat in waving waters.  Hickman and Checchetto deliver gold in this series.  A version of Spider-Man fans have been craving for since 2007.  Well developed premise and character development that you can sink you hard earn money into.  Highly suggest getting your hands on this book, at the moment, it’s the Spider-Man comic we need, the one we want,  and the one we DESERVE.