Jonathan Hickman Had To "Pull Back" Writing Spider-Man: Long Way Home

Posted in: Comics, Marvel Comics, Spider-Man | Tagged: adam kubert, hulk, jonathan hickman, punisher

Jonathan Hickman Had To "Pull Back" Writing Spider-Man: Long Way Home

Jonathan Hickman had to "pull back" when writing Spider-Man: Long Way Home once Marvel Comics saw where he was taking the story...

Published Wed, 06 May 2026 08:57:12 -0500
by Rich Johnston
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Article Summary

• Jonathan Hickman says Spider-Man: Long Way Home was so bold Marvel made him pull the story back.
• Hickman and Adam Kubert pit Spider-Man, Punisher, and Hulk against each other over a missing Cosmic Cube.
• Marvel bills Jonathan Hickman’s new Spider-Man series as a gritty, continuity-free saga set outside the main universe.
• Jonathan Hickman reveals Long Way Home became a showcase for Adam Kubert’s art as the story grew darker and wilder.

This June, Jonathan Hickman and Adam Kubertare to tell what Marvel Comics is calling "the grittiest Spider-Man comic story of the modern age, co-starring Punisher and Hulk, in Spider-Man: Long Way Home. You know, sounding a bit like Far From Home, but not. Maybe they'll make it into a film sometime, considering that both The Punisher and The Hulk are in the new movie… "The five-issue limited comic series puts Spider-Man, Punisher, and Hulk on a high-stakes collision course as they desperately pursue a missing Cosmic Cube. In the same spirit as 2024's Wolverine: Revenge, the hit limited comic series by Hickman and Greg Capullo, Spider-Man: Long Way Home offers familiarity while existing apart from the main Marvel Universe, delivering a timeless, evergreen saga for all readers that's unrestrained by continuity, scope and mercy!" Basically, it's Spider-Man Goes To Vietnam. Except it's not just Spider-Man. And it's not Vietnam… although maybe that was too much for some people?

• Spider-Man: Long Way Home #1 (of 5) by Jonathan Hickman, Adam Kubert 
  A DARK HOMECOMING AWAITS… It's a world before the Punisher. A world where the existence of the Hulk is but a whisper of a rumor. A world where A.I.M. has just developed a Cosmic Cube in the jungles of South America. Frank Castle, Bruce Banner and Peter Parker are all on a mission to keep the Cube out of the wrong hands – including each other's. In this three-way free-for-all for the power of the cosmos, who will come out on top? Legendary creators Jonathan Hickman and Adam Kubert team up to tell the grittiest Spider-Man story of the ages!
• Spider-Man: Long Way Home #2 (of 5) by Jonathan Hickman, Adam Kubert 
  FRANK CASTLE in possession of the COSMIC CUBE! Alone in the jungles of South America, Frank's mission is to keep the Cube out of the wrong hands. In pursuit: a hulking green monster that has wiped out his squad. Fresh on the scene is SPIDER-MAN. who has been tasked by S.H.I.E.L.D. to acquire the Cube on their behalf. Spidey and HULK may be hunting Frank, but they're about to find out that sometimes the prey is deadlier than the predators. 32 PGS./Rated T …$5.99

Jonathan Hickman says "the title is deceptive as it's not Peter that's a long way from home, but he gets wrapped up in the fallout as someone finds themselves stranded and having to make their way north. We had a little too much fun conceptually on this one, as we had to pull things back a bit once everyone saw where we were taking the story. But that's the only way to go at these things when the opportunity arises. Swing as hard as you can. We worked Marvel style on this. So it's always fun to watch a modern master like Adam take a note that I gave him and have my expectations blown away by his interpretation of it. There's some preview art with this, and it's pretty obvious that Adam isn't messing around on this one. He crushed it. This is pretty much an exercise in me getting out of the way so everyone can watch Adam work."

Andy Kubert says "it wasn't until I started drawing the second issue that I realized that Long Way Home seems to be more about Frank Castle than Peter Parker. But I'm sure this will change. This type of story is really a dream project. It's not often that creators aren't hampered by continuity and can really push the envelope with iconic characters. I'm honestly honored and humbled. I'm excited for readers to see these characters in a slightly different light. Peter, Bruce, and Frank are figuring each other out just as readers are. Jonathan is such an amazing storyteller; in very few words, I know exactly what he's looking for."

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