Spider-Girl #1 Review

 

Writer: Torunn Grønbekk

Artist: André Risso

Colorist: Java Tartaglia

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Designer: Stacie Zucker

Editors: Kaitlyn Lindtvedt, Nick Lowe & CB Cebulski

Cover Artists: David Nakayama; Javier Garrón & Jesus Aburtov; Peach Momoko; Kaare Andrews; Marguerite Sauvage; Nicoletta Baldari

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: June 11, 2025

 

Makawalu Akana, or Maka for short, wasn't bitten by a radioactive spider. Nor was she injected with an experimental serum containing irradiated spider blood. When the mutant meets your gaze, she absorbs your memories and abilities. Anything you can do, Maka can do better.

 

Bullseye met Maka at the Mega-Storm Energy Drink Cliff-Diving Challenge in Hawaii. He trained her to win a legendary contest. Then, Spider-Boy's spider-sense detected that the uncanny marksman planned to kill her. Maka may not have won The Dragon’s Challenge in Madripoor, but she returns to New York with a sweet crown. How will Bulleye’s former apprentice fare without his guidance? Let’s put on our karate gi, twhick into Spider-Girl #1, and see, Brah!

 

Story

Before Bullseye met her, Maka entered any contest she could find. Bullseye fueled her love of winning. But his betrayal has shaken her. Worse, Bullseye was the only person who could deceive her with false memories. So, when Maka spies a cap with a bullseye emblem, she falters mid-twhick, and her barbed webs bite her. Bullseye was her mentor. Her sensei planned to capitalize on Maka’s abilities and then kill her. What moves didn’t Bullseye teach her?

 

Torunn Grønbekk imbues Spider-Girl #1 with a breezy style reminiscent of the Hawaiian easy-going approach to life. Unlike Spider-Boy, Maka’s attitude is as prickly as her barbed-wire webs. Her thoughts interweave with the dialogue and action, while the point of view switches between her and Dr Trauma. The good (or bad) doctor is looking for a super-powered individual she can control. And like Druig, she enjoys playing with Vermin.

 

Maka trained hard under Bullseye's tutelage. Now, another challenge awaits her. In Spider-Girl #1, Maka gains admission to the best dojo in New York City. But Bullseye's teachings were a lie, while Spider-Boy taught her that winning isn't everything. 

 

 

 

Art

Maka looks lithe and agile as she thwips through the streets. What she lacks in strength, she makes up in resilience. When Maka removes her mask, her wide eyes and smile suggest excitement at the possibilities awaiting her. Yet, as Maka enters the dojo, uncertainty creases her features. Seeking friendships differs from the goal she pursued under Bulleye’s leadership.

 

Dr Trauma sits before her workstation. The industrial surroundings and her green costume evoke Doc Ock's preparations to dominate others. We catch a glimpse of Vermin behind a holding cell door. Later, he races along on all fours, surrounded by a swarm of rodent kin.

 

 

 

While André Risso fills Spider-Girl #1 with strong character portrayals, touching character moments, convincing settings, and intense action, Java Tartaglia delivers a loaded palette of beautiful colors. Red forms a dominant theme, from Spider-Girl's suit to the Red Snow Dojo sign to the red glowing eyes of the Vermin and rats under Dr Trauma's control. Red uppercase letters in white narrative boxes reveal Maka’s thoughts as she embarks on this new chapter in her life.

 

Yellow also forms a theme, from the waves of pain Dr Trauma induces to the conduit linked to her victims and the hair of a girl who opposes Maka's admission. Joe Caramagna’s giant yellow and red dialogue and sound effects heighten the drama and action, filling Spider-Girl #1 with alarms, tremors, shouts, shrieks, and Maka’s barbed twhicking. Thanks to Marvel for providing a review copy.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Maka Akana can win any contest she enters. She has trained hard to succeed in the martial arts. As the young Hawaiian transitions to life without Bullseye, she wonders if she should change her approach. But as she weighs the values of victories versus friendships, a villain conspires to use her like her former mentor in Spider-Girl #1.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.