Ultimate Spider-Man: Family Business (Comics) | Review

Every parent fears their child making the same mistakes they did or worse. Peter Parker watches that nightmare unfold in real time when his fifteen-year-old son Richard steals the black suit without understanding the consequences or the danger.

In third volume of writer Jonathan Hickman (Avengers: The Last White Event, Avengers: Time Runs Out), the story shifts from corporate conspiracy to primal survival horror as Kraven the Hunter kidnaps both Spider-Man and Green Goblin for the ultimate hunt.

What begins as brutal torture in the Savage Land among velociraptors and prehistoric threats becomes something far more personal and devastating when the Parker family fractures under the weight of secrets that can't stay hidden anymore or be explained away.

The Sinister Six storyline reaches its brutal climax when Kraven seizes control, separating Peter and Harry from their families during the Christmas season without mercy or hesitation. The kidnapping happens fast and violent, with absolutely no warning for Mary Jane or the kids to process what's happening before their father vanishes.

Kraven doesn't want a quick kill or easy victory. He wants the hunt to mean something, so he dumps Peter and Harry in the Savage Land with a head start and prehistoric predators tracking their scent through hostile terrain and unforgiving wilderness.

The horror escalates dramatically when Peter beats a velociraptor to death with his bare hands while Harry watches in stunned silence, both men pushed past their limits in ways that fundamentally change their understanding of what heroism truly costs. This isn't punching criminals in costume anymore or playing hero.

Meanwhile back home, Peter's AI continues impersonating him at the family Christmas party before the truth comes out. The Parker household spends two months not knowing if Peter's alive while Richard processes his father's disappearance differently than anyone expected.

At fifteen years old, Richard Parker makes the decision that changes everything for the entire family and their future. He takes his father's upgraded black suit and goes looking for him, becoming the new Spider-Man without permission or training or any real understanding of the danger he's walking into alone and unprepared.

Richard's debut as Spider-Man introduces complications that ripple through the Parker family dynamic. May already knew her father's secret but watching her brother put on the suit transforms their sibling relationship into something neither knows how to navigate safely.

Black Cat enters the story with personal stakes, confronting the new Spider-Man after the previous encounters with Peter and Harry injured her father. The costume confusion creates tension that escalates dangerously when she realizes she's fighting a kid wearing stolen tech.

The Savage Land sequences push Peter and Harry to their absolute limits, forcing decisions that blur the lines between survival and villainy in disturbing ways. Kraven's philosophy about the purity of the hunt contrasts sharply with the messy reality of two desperate fathers trying to stay alive long enough to see their families again.

Hickman explores how Richard's heroism mirrors and diverges from Peter's own journey. The family dynamics shift irrevocably once everyone reunites, with Ben Parker and J. Jonah Jameson creating unexpected alliances that connect back to the Maker's control over Earth-6160.

Mary Jane's role expands from supportive spouse to active participant in protecting her children from consequences she can't control anymore or prevent. Her decisions throughout this arc establish her as more than Peter's anchor but as someone making impossible choices with incomplete information and no good options.

Mysterios sub-plot advances as Vanessa Fisk praises Gwen for disposing of Kraven, reminding readers that Kingpin's empire continues to operate. The arc ends with fundamental changes that can't be reversed, as Richard's time as Spider-Man opens doors Peter can't close.

Artist Marco Checchetto (Daredevil: Know Fear, Daredevil: Through Hell) continues delivering exceptional character work, capturing the physical and emotional toll of Kraven's hunt through detailed facial expressions and body language that convey exhaustion without relying on heavy exposition to explain what readers can already see.

The Savage Land sequences showcase Checchetto's range, rendering prehistoric creatures with weight and menace while maintaining human drama. Fight choreography remains brutal and kinetic, making violence feel consequential rather than choreographed spectacle.

David Messina contributes artwork maintaining visual consistency while bringing his own sensibility. Coloring establishes distinct moods separating the cold blues of the Savage Land from warm Parker household tones. Richard's black suit design pops visually, using negative space and reflective surfaces to create iconic imagery.

Hickman's writing strips the quips and nervous energy that define Spider-Man. This Peter talks like someone who's lived real life, with natural dialogue. The script handles Richard's perspective with nuance, avoiding infantilizing him or making him overly mature for his age.

Family Business earns its title by putting the entire Parker family through absolute hell and forcing them to reckon with the cost of Peter's heroism in ways previous volumes only hinted at exploring with real depth and emotional honesty that cuts deep and leaves lasting scars.

Richard becoming Spider-Man could feel like gimmick or nostalgia but Hickman treats it as natural evolution of the premise from the beginning. This series was always about what happens when heroism collides with family responsibility and watching that collision through Richard's eyes adds new dimensions to familiar conflicts.

Connections to broader Ultimate Universe remain present without overwhelming Peter's story. The Mysterios sub-plot and Kingpin's machinations establish that individual victories don't change systemic corruption, maintaining thematic consistency while expanding future scope.

If you want traditional Spider-Man adventures with comfortable resolutions, this isn't that series. But if you want to see what happens when the next generation inherits problems they didn't create and powers they didn't ask for, Family Business delivers with brutal honesty and emotional weight justifying every difficult choice.

Ultimate Spider-Man: Family Business is collected as a trade paperback, collecting issues #7-12 from Jonathan Hickman's groundbreaking (2024) series. For digital readers, the storyline can be accessed via Amazon Kindle, ComiXology and Marvel Unlimited.