Battleworld #1 Review

 

Writer: Christos Gage

Artist: Marcus To

Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg

Letterer: Travis Lanham

Cover Artists: Leinil Francis Yu & Romulo Fajardo Jr; Nick Bradshaw & Rachelle Rosenberg; Mark Bagley & Nolan Woodard; Iban Coello & Rachelle Rosenberg; James Kerigan; Greg Land & Rachelle Rosenberg; Rod Reis

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: September 24, 2025

 

Some readers may think that Hank Pym lives in a Victorian house in San Francisco. But Hank resides in a subatomic house and laboratory in New York. When his insect friends get more antsy than usual, Hank returns to Human size to discover that someone has combined people, buildings, and vehicles from different places and eras in New York.

 

Then Hank Pym hears a voice proclaim, "You hail from different timelines, but soon there will only be one." Who has subverted Hank's reality? And can Ant-Man survive in a world where Martian Tripods and Tyrannosaurus Rexes menace the puny Humans? Let’s armor up, leap into Battleworld #1, and see!

 

Story

The mysterious voice doesn't just explain what's happened to Hank's world. It also tells him that he must fight to justify his survival. Hank soon meets people he recognizes, but they are all changed. Spider-Man is a rookie wallcrawler. Carol Danvers goes by another title than Captain Marvel. Luke Cage is a streetwise '70s strongman. And then there's a younger version of his wife. Only Janet van Dyne mourns him in her reality.

 

While many other heroes feature in Battleworld #1, Hank Pym is our guide to this patchwork world. He also becomes a leader, as he draws upon his relationships with his colleagues. While some don't know each other or have never faced a Battleworld, Hank can share his experiences with them. But he knows how to reach them when they must decide between standing together or dividing and conquering.

 

 

 

Christos Gage pays homage to beloved creators, stories, and eras in Battleworld #1. The Spider-Scribe also sprinkles his story with humor, particularly when a character says something that will resonate with readers of Joe Kelly’s recent Amazing Spider-Man stories. The characters Hank Pym meets give him the capability to mentor young heroes and reform villains. His greatest challenge may be the person who ostensibly brought them all together. Hank Pym failed him in a significant way. Yet as this person attempts to set the universe right, he could do something for Hank that Hank couldn’t do for him.

 

 

 

Art

While Marcus To sews together glimpses of different eras and realities, he shows characters surrounding a patchwork planet on a two-page spread. Three panels establish the epic scope of this story, showing a zeppelin cruising over skyscrapers, a Martian Tripod raining down destruction, and a city threatened by glaciers and an active volcano.

 

Hank Pym greets other characters wearing a lab coat over his uniform in Battleworld #1. Luke Cage bears his chest and uses a ship's anchor chain to hold up his pants. Carol Danvers flies in bearing a lightning bolt on her chest, while Hank rests a hand on Spider-Man’s shoulder when the young webslinger rubs his head. But Hank turns away and cups his chin with his hand, when Janet rushes forward to embrace him.

 

 

 

While Rachelle Rosenberg lavishes a loaded palette on Battleworld #1, a streak of white energy threatens to knock Carol Danvers off the gameboard. Yellow links Luke, Janet, and Carol with a woman who could say “Flame on.” Pink and lavender link immense adversaries with one of the biggest threats in the Marvel Universe. Green binds a woman who seeks to preserve our world with someone who survived a world-ending event, and a villain who destroyed Janet’s. Despite conflicting views on heroism, red and blue bind two young protagonists together. Yet as super teams surround a figure glowing pink, an orange and yellow background suggests what creates great heroes.

 

 

 

Travis Lanham fills white balloons and boxes with black uppercase letters that grow bold for intonation and rarely shrink. Swelling words threaten to burst balloons, while giant instructions appear in puffy clouds. Red borders emphasize narrative boxes and showcase emotion and revelation in balloons. Sound effects accompany Omega-level threats and one protagonist who shoots first and asks questions later. Thanks to Marvel Comics for providing a review copy.

 

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Eventually, everything ends. People die. Civilizations rise and fall. That's life. Cyttorak’s scion Cyra forced Peter Parker to face this depressing reality. The person issuing a challenge to contestants wants to circumvent this process of death and renewal. Yet while he seeks to construct a "master race," surprises await the contestants and the reader in Battleworld #1.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Chasm: Curse Of Kaine #2 Review

 

Writer: Steve Foxe

Artist: Andrea Broccardo

Colorist: Brian Reber

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Leinil Francis Yu & Dean White; Chris Campana; Craig Yeung & Rachelle Rosenberg

Designer: Carlos Lao

Editors: Kaeden McGahey, Nick Lowe & CB Cebulski

Recap Art: Mark Bagley

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: September 25, 2024

 

While Peter Parker, Miles Morales, and Shift have been playing nice with the Vermin, Gwen Stacy and Chameleon gave one of New York’s humanoid rats a roast. But Ben Reilly is a changed man. With his scrambled memories, the former Scarlet Spider enters the fray and kills Jackal’s creations before he wonders, “Gee, might they be sentient?” Ben might not have much to spare, but Druig wants a piece of his mind anyway. What chaos will Chasm unleash when an Eternal messes with his muddled mind? And can his clone brother Kaine help Ben recover what he has lost? Let’s refill our psychoactive goo guns, leap into Chasm: Curse Of Kaine #2, and find out!

 

Story

Ben Reilly spent so long trying to be Spider-Man that he doesn't know who he is. The situation worsened when Maxine Danger messed with his memories. Now Druig is influencing him. When Ben realizes he has been sleepwalking, he wonders what else he can try to regain control. His girlfriend offers him fun and diversion in Steve Foxe's story. But Ben's love for Janine is coupled with need. Ben relies on her to retain his sanity in Chasm: Curse Of Kaine #2. Where would he be without Janine?

 

Like Ben, Janine doesn’t view sleepwalking as a step toward mental recovery. She tries to distract him from his dark thoughts, but her bright ideas leave a trail of destruction in their wake. Still, she has one more card to play. Or should I say a mask? After using her Frankenstein's Monster and Werewolf masks, she pulls out another to help Ben. Using it exposes Janine to danger but demonstrates her commitment to him.

 

Kaine Parker has been following Ben and Janine’s trail of destruction. In the hospital morgue, Kaine doesn’t realize that Druig helped Ben reconstruct Freak. Using the dead Vermin and his psychoactive goo instead of lightning, Ben cobbled together a Super Freak. The monster pursues Kaine through the hospital. Kaine's plan doesn't include bringing the Super Freak home to his mother. (If he had a mother, that is). Kaine wants to get it away from people before the Super Freak brings someone's spirit down. 

 

 

 

Art

On his hands and knees, Moleman looks up at Druig. With a spider crawling over his hand, the Eternal looks down upon another cowering mortal in Chasm: Curse Of Kaine #2. Kaine somersaults over Super Freak while a portable exam table crashes into the wall and ceiling. One of Jane Foster’s associates hangs from glowing webs alongside a security guard. The supersized Freak pursues Kaine down a corridor that evokes Jackal’s horrors chasing Peter Parker through a nightmare train. Andrea Broccardo’s Super Freak design suggests that HR Giger's Alien art diverted Druig. Kaine's solution to his Freakazoid dilemma evokes how Daniels and Tennessee banish unwanted guests from the Covenant's terraforming bay in Alien: Covenant.

 

Black and red Kaine battles a brown and red Super Freak as a suspended medical examiner’s blue scrubs pair with the blue-tinged white floor and wall tiles. A gray villain who liked Anna Watson stares through a transparent barrier and across a hallway grounded with black and grey flooring and illuminated by a glowing glass ceiling. Chasm’s lavender and black pairs with Hallows Eve’s mauve and black as yellow windows in distant buildings shine against a gray sky. The lovers regain their usual vibrant purple, green, orange, and black in their holy abode. But when Hallows Eve slips on another mask, she explores Brian Reber's purple and lavender world in orange, gray, red, yellow, and white finery.

 

Joe Caramagna thwips black uppercase lettering into white dialogue balloons and Kaine's white thoughts into red narrative boxes. Words grow bold for emphasis, swell or change color for volume, and rarely shrink. Colorful and transparent sound effects help us hear Super Freak’s rampage and Janine's world shatter, while a yellow and orange growl suggests the rise of another spider villain in Chasm: Curse Of Kaine #2. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

As an Eternal, Druig has too much time on his hands. Instead of taking night classes at Empire State University or volunteering at FEAST, Druig seeks diversion by manipulating others, including those with all eight eyes open in Chasm: Curse Of Kaine #2.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Chasm: Curse Of Kaine #1 Review

 

Writer: Steve Foxe

Artist: Andrea Broccardo

Colorist: Brian Reber

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Leinil Francis Yu & Dean White; Elena Casagrande & Annalisa Leoni; Martín Cóccolo & Dean White; Salvador Larroca & Edgar Delgado

Designer: Carlos Lao

Editors: Kaeden McGahey, Nick Lowe & CB Cebulski

Recap Art: Mark Bagley

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: August 28, 2024

 

Three teenagers from New Jersey receive an invitation to an underground rave. But when they break the police tape and descend into the closed Long Island subway station, monsters attack them. As they back away, two costumed people block their retreat. Is this an underground masquerade? Did someone lure the teens to their deaths? Let’s grab our Halloween masks, leap into Chasm: Curse Of Kaine #1, and find out!

 

Story

Ben Reilly and Janine Godbe are putting the past behind them. Their idea of making a fresh start is luring teens into confined spaces and robbing them. Freak and the vermin surprise the two antiheroes-turned-villains. Janine dons a mask of Frankenstein’s monster and battles the sewer denizens, while Ben argues that citizens should pay for protection. Freak and the vermin press Janine hard. So, after taking the teens’ money, Ben defends his girlfriend. But then Druig gets into his mind and wonders what he can make of it.

 

The Beyond Corporation corrupted Ben’s memories. Society imprisoned Janine for protecting herself against her abusive father. So, Ben and Janine reject society's laws, customs, and morality. They take what they want and live for today. As usual, someone gets in the way of their happiness in Chasm: Curse Of Kaine #1.

 

After recent setbacks, Druig hid beneath the surface and usurped another ruler's throne. Like Hammerhead, Druig needs a victory to rebuild his brand. As an Eternal, he craves diversion. Druig decides to make the spider heroes his playthings. Then Ben Reilly walks into his hands. Stripped of his memories, Ben seems an ideal instrument for his amusement. So Druig attaches strings and prepares for his puppet show.

 

Ben's descent into villainy bothers Kaine. Peter Parker's clones share a dark past. Kaine assumes the moral center of Steve Foxe's story about clones gone wrong, humans playing god, and gods manipulating their creations. Kaine discovers he has his work cut out for him. He watches the police remove vermin and Freak in body bags. Kaine had intended to help Ben embrace heroism again. However, the murders remind Kaine of how he once punished a society that rejected him. Even now, after he has embraced heroism, society has yet to welcome Kaine with open arms. 

 

 

 

Art

Andrea Broccardo imbues Hallows Eve and Chasm with attitude and swagger in Chasm: Curse Of Kaine #1. As Hallows Eve wades into the vermin crush, Chasm’s body language suggests he owns the world. As Chasm kills Freak and the vermin, perhaps they remind him of his demonic captors in Limbo. But then the background breaks into blocks, and unseen hands insert an ornate key into his head. The top of his skull hinges open, and webbing thwips out. When Ben and Janine relax in their new home, they look relieved of the burden of recovering Ben’s memories. Yet their boarded-up residence evokes the fake Church with a hidden Beyond laboratory that Peter, Misty, and Lizard sheltered in during Bloodhunt.

 

Brian Reber fills the air surrounding Chasm with glowing green light. Hallows Eve projects yellow and orange light as she fights the red Freak and brown vermin. Druig appears as a red mist before taking Human form. Then, red makes way for a flesh-covered face and green fabric. Kaine thwips through the greenish-brown subway in his red and black suit. He finds the teens hanging from glowing green webs. Blue light tinges the stone throne as Druig kicks away his cringing servant. Like him, the man groveling at his feet wears green.

 

Joe Caramagna thwips black uppercase lettering into white dialogue balloons and Kaine's white thoughts into red narrative boxes. Words embolden for emphasis and swell or change color for volume. Expressive sound effects relate vermin hisses, Freak's rage, and a grate being pulled away so a Spider-Pinocchio can take the stage in Chasm: Curse Of Kaine #1. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Like Victor Frankenstein, the Jackal sought to improve on nature’s work by creating Kaine and Ben Reilly. Like Frankenstein’s ultimate man, the Jackal’s creations have killed others. Now, as Hallow’s Eve dons the likeness of Frankenstein's feared creation, another person follows in the two creators’ footsteps in Chasm: Curse Of Kaine #1.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Deadpool & Wolverine WWIII #3 Review

 

Writer: Joe Kelly

Artist: Adam Kubert

Colorist: Frank Martin

Letterer: Joe Sabino

Cover Artists: Adam Kubert & Frank Martin; Lucas Werneck; Leinil Francis Yu & Romulo Fajardo Jr

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: July 24, 2024

 

Delta supercharged Deadpool’s cancer and unplugged his humanity. Wolverine has a soft spot for people who let others brainwash and experiment on them. Delta wanted to see what Deadpool could become. But Wolverine keeps attacking upgraded Deadpool, or as Delta dubbed him, Wade Wilson the Third. Can Wolverine save WWIII from Delta’s influence? And why should he bother? Let’s extend our claws, leap into Deadpool & Wolverine WWIII #3, and find out!

 

Story

Wolverine is fighting for his life. But he's also fighting for his sanity. Only he's not fighting WWIII but the monster that killed him. Delta calls him Snowflake. It's a hulking, spiky beast that claims it's not afraid. But Wolverine knows that all sentient beings feel fear.

 

Deadpool's loss affects Wolverine deeply. Delta's teleporter Greta spat them into the wilderness. Wolverine cared for WWIII for seven weeks. Despite the men's healing factors, the cold and lack of sustenance wore on them. As cancer ravaged WWIII, Deadpool's personality returned. Wolverine sacrificed for his friend. Even if Deadpool got on his nerves, Wolverine didn't want him to die.

 

 

 

Deadpool looked up to Wolverine. He admired Wolverine for gaining the respect of the mutant community. But Wolverine disdained Deadpool and saw himself as a monster. So Wolverine allowed people to value him only for his abilities, such as the Vancouver police inspector who alerted him to Wither’s murder spree. She called Wolverine to exterminate Wither but didn’t want him to linger in her city. Deadpool admired Wolverine, but the man with the adamantium claws had feet of clay.

 

In Deadpool & Wolverine WWIII #3, Wolverine demonstrates his humanity. He's so enraged over Deadpool's death that he loses control. Anger overwhelms him, and he needs someone to calm him down. Then, Wolverine recognizes a voice. Can it be real? Joe Kelly's story attacks our perception of ourselves. He slashes away the façade and forces us to examine the person underneath. Delta promised to upgrade clients to achieve their ultimate potential. Like the Vancouver police inspector, Delta only values people for their skills. Joe Kelly reminds us that we are more than our appearance, finances, popularity, and careers. We should define ourselves not by productivity but by caring for others. 

 

 

 

Art

When Adam Kubert delivers Delta's familiar sideways soliloquy, claws slash through narrative boxes. Deadpool takes the spotlight, enjoying a Loganesque happy meal as he toys with Wolverine action figures. Snowflake's four eyes glow, and energy burns in his mouth as he battles Wolverine. Delta shields his eyes with mirrored shades. Purple veins writhe across his face and bald head while green-haired Greta blows a pink bubble.

 

Frank Martin bathes pages in red as Wolverine loses control and rage consumes him. A familiar figure changes shape as backgrounds fade to white. Troopers parachute from a hoverjet and charge around a double-page spread while protagonists battle attackers wielding white and purple energy. A thrown goblet splashes green across a flatscreen as the billionaires comment on Delta's decision.

 

Joe Sabino casts Weapon X-worthy lowercase black letters into white and colored balloons and boxes. Sound effects enliven Greta’s teleportation and fight scenes. Yet the final explosions bring little comfort after Delta’s haunting declaration. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Wolverine and Deadpool’s healing factors deafen them to the physical signals that can spark mental and emotional rebirth. It takes an ordeal and remorse to help each reevaluate his self-image. Yet Deadpool & Wolverine WWIII #3 ends with the threat of more dehumanizing experiments and attacks on Human civilization.

 

Rating 9/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Spider-Woman #8 Review

 

Writer: Steve Foxe

Artist: Ig Guara

Colorist: Arif Prianto

Letterer: Joe Sabino

Cover Artists: Leinil Francis Yu & Sunny Gho; Mark Bagley & Rachelle Rosenberg

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: June 19, 2024

 

Jessica Drew discovered a worthy cause in preventing Echidna Capital Management from gobbling up low-income housing in San Francisco. She reconnected with an old flame, fought the livewire Zzzax, and met a team of young superheroes. Who is The Assembly, and can Jessica trust them? Let’s recharge our bioelectric batteries, leap into Spider-Woman #8, and see!

 

Story

David Ishima was once her landlord. He dated her until he discovered she was Spider-Woman. He has since sold his apartment building to fund the Relaunch Recovery Center and cares for his two daughters. David has enjoyed helping poor residents get back on their feet. Unfortunately, his property lies in the area Echidna wants for their corporate campus.

 

HYDRA brainwashed her son, Gerry, and turned him into the villain Green Mamba. Jessica wants to know more about these teen superheroes employed by a HYDRA shell company. She investigates online but can’t uncover personal information predating The Assembly's press launch. Jessica calls David and picks his brains over coffee. As a local, David discovered them when Quicksand hurled a sandstorm at San Francisco. The Assembly stopped her, but residents had to clean up the mess.

 

Maybe the kids weren't interested in social media before their powers manifested. Like David, perhaps their parents didn't allow them on social media. Still, Jessica can't shake the feeling that Echidna crafted the kids' backstories, and the group was in the works before Quicksand's attack. Then she learns of a disturbance at an Echidna construction site, bids David goodbye, and hurries off to help in Spider-Woman #8.

 

While politicians often promise to look after the economically challenged, they can find it difficult to turn down big-money redevelopment projects. In Steve Foxe’s story, Jessica discovers angry Angar arguing with Echidna security guards outside a construction project. The guards claim the corporation purchased the city park legally, and any people living inside the property are squatters. Thankfully, Jessica is immune to Angar’s powers because the Screamer can shatter eardrums and cause hallucinations. Jessica wants to defuse the situation, but like those at the protest where she met David, Angar and the guards are tired of talking. Thankfully, the Assembly is never far away when superpowered people threaten Echidna's property. The kids respect Spider-Woman's accomplishments. But they're young, on Echidna's payroll, and know the best way of tackling violent confrontations.

 

 

 

Art

As David opts for a soda over coffee in Spider-Woman #8, Jessica shows him news reports and photographs of The Assembly members as children. The press photos show the kids’ moment of activation or demonstrating their powers afterward. Echidna guards in black uniforms, armor, and stormtrooper helmets shake their batons. Red-haired Angar, displaying a blue vest, gold pants to match his armbands and amulet, and a handlebar mustache that won’t quit, projects orange rings of power when his mouth opens wide. Spider-Woman raises her hands as the guards point their rifles at her. Then she grabs the rifles by their barrels, and the guards tumble as she wrenches them from their hands.   

 

Arif Prianto lavishes a loaded palette of attractive colors on Ig Guara’s art. The Assembly burst from a purple vortex, green-skinned Titan leading the charge with his gloved fist first. Jessica’s red and yellow uniform forges a connection with Angar’s red hair, gold adornments, and yellow pants. Cadet Marvel sends him somersaulting as a sunburst of yellow and orange rays fills the air in Spider-Woman #8. Angar’s blue boots stand out from the bowled-over gray fencing, gray-blue construction, and smoky blue sky. Liberty's red hair and blue suit connect her with Spider-Woman's red mask and her dark hair's blue sheen. But Titan crouching in his blue and gray armor beside a seated guard (whose uniform looks similarly colored from this perspective) and cupping the helmet with his giant green fingers reminds readers that HYDRA owns Echidna.

 

Yellow uppercase letters fill red narrative boxes as Joe Sabino shares Jessica’s thoughts. Large black uppercase letters in white dialogue balloons grow bold for inflection and shrink for lowered voices. A bing announces a news alert, a crunch follows a yellow boot pinning down a gray-gloved hand, and yellow-white letters help us hear electricity strike the ground in Spider-Woman #8. Thanks to Marvel Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Jessica Drew becomes a fish out of water on her return to San Francisco as she tackles corporate greed, homelessness, and the ethics of Heroes For Hire in Spider-Woman #8.

 

Rating 9/10 

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Spider-Woman #7 Review

 

Writer: Steve Foxe

Artist: Ig Guara

Colorist: Arif Prianto

Letterer: Joe Sabino

Cover Artists: Leinil Francis Yu & Sunny Gho; Peach Momoko; Todd Nauck & Rachelle Rosenberg

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: May 1, 2024

 

HYDRA turned her son Gerry against her. Like Skid Row, Spider-Woman can’t stand the heartache. She tried switching things up with Spider-Boy, but the team-up only reminded her what she’d lost. So, Jessica Drew hopped on her motorcycle and hit the road. The streets of San Francisco beckoned, but Star incinerated any attempt to center her being while cruising historic Route 66. Still, Jessica's reached The City By The Bay. Can Jessica find peace in new experiences and surroundings? Let’s recharge our bioelectric batteries, leap into Spider-Woman #7, and see!

 

Story

Jessica Drew may be starting anew, but she’s not reinventing herself. She’s still determined to win Gerry back. She can’t do that if HYDRA keeps brainwashing and controlling him. So, Jessica sets her sights on one of the terrorist organization’s wealthiest shell companies. Echidna Capital Management funds emerging technology companies. They’re also causing a stink in San Fran by devouring poor communities and using the high-priced land to build a gleaming corporate campus.

 

Unlike Carl Fredricksen, the locals don't limit their opposition to sitting on the front porch and protecting their mailboxes. They protest outside the fenced-off low-income housing they used to call home, and no one’s holding a balloon. Echidna Security personnel reward the protesters’ efforts with riot shields, truncheons, and tear gas. It’s a toxic environment primed to explode, and one Jessica Drew doesn’t want to confront on her first day. She’s happy to reschedule that joy for this evening when the protestors go home. Then, under cover of darkness, she can quietly slip into the corporate buildings in her bright red and yellow suit and see how many heads of HYDRA she can discover.

 

In Spider-Woman #7, Steve Foxe transplants Jessica Drew in a new city. She inhabits a barren apartment with few belongings except the clothes she brought, while others are losing their homes. As she fights to recapture her family, she also fights for those losing their heritage. She'll meet people she can help and who may be able to help her. She won’t have everything her way. Still, Jessica might find a new home and friends she can rely on.

 

 

 

Art

The sun shines through puffy clouds on The City By The Bay. As Jessica Drew walks along the street clutching her coffee, a cable car crests the hill and halts to take on passengers. Then yellow sparks appear above her head, and her blissful smile falters. Did lightning strike the cable car and transform passengers into superheroes? Sparks fly from the wheels as the driver applies the brakes. Jessica leans into the cable car's hood and digs her heels into the street. Concrete chunks fly into the air. Passengers lean outside the cable car, and the driver grips a handrail while pressing his other hand into the roof. Can this stranger stop them in time?

 

Ig Guara awakens Jessica from her dreams of smiling, happy people in Spider-Woman #7. While a cable car driver frowns, protestors shout, and Echidna Security personnel hide their expressions behind visors and masks. Yet, as bioelectric energy swirls around Jessica's fists, a familiar face emerges from the rising smoke. His smile diffuses her anger and lets her smile again, at least for a while.

 

Arif Prianto lavishes a full palette of attractive colors on fraught action scenes. Prianto imbues San Francisco with the bright, cheery hues that make the city so appealing. Yet readers will likely remember the latter half of Spider-Woman #7 when the familiar figure clad in red and yellow confronts another in yellow and orange. Then, a storm of colors will emerge from the blue night sky, surrounded by lines of crackling energy, as Jessica meets five Young Avengers outside the Echidna campus.

 

Yellow uppercase letters fill red narrative boxes as Joe Sabino shares Jessica’s thoughts in Spider-Woman #7. Large black uppercase letters fill white dialogue balloons as Jessica makes new contacts in her adoptive hometown. It's a cheery place where black music notes surround a bicycle rider wearing headphones, and green letters outlined in blue introduce a superhero team. Yet a villain will cast colored words into jagged white dialogue balloons with red borders while vibrant sound effects announce that the Echidnamania has begun.

 

Thanks to Marvel Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Jessica Drew leaps to others' aid, reunites with an ex, trades venom shocks with a fiery foe, and meets a group of ultrapowered strangers in Spider-Woman #7.

 

Rating 9.6/10 

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Spider-Boy #3 Review

 

Writers: Dan Slott

Artists: Paco Medina; Ty Templeton

Colorist: Erick Arciniega; Dee Cunniffe

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Humberto Ramos & Edgar Delgado; David Baldeón & Jesus Aburtov; Paco Medina & Edgar Delgado; Federico Vicentini & Alejandro Sanchez; Leinil Francis Yu & Sunny Gho

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: January 31, 2023

 

Once, Bailey Briggs had a home, a mother, and a life. Now Bailey lives in a homeless shelter, a framed photo of his mother is his only possession, and many regard him as a monster. Can Bailey rebuild his life and gain others' respect? Let's thwip into Spider-Boy #3 and find out!

 

“Nonstop Action Figure”

Story

When he sees a woman fall from her balcony, Bailey races to save her and her cat. Yet he seems more focused on developing a theme tune, and when she gushes with appreciation, he suggests $20. Thankfully, his friend Christina Xu is nearby and talks Spider-Boy out of a faux pas. Yet Bailey has a point. Shouldn't superheroes get paid for defending others? It worked out for Luke Cage, as the former Hero For Hire is now New York City's mayor.

 

Spider-Boy helped Captain America prevent Taskmaster from stealing the Super Adaptoid for his client. While Taskmaster only brings Killionaire the powerful robot’s hand, the precocious child grows incensed and threatens to kill the skull-faced villain. Killionaire’s chief scientist, Dr. Shannon Stillwell, appeases the Evil Richie Rich by rebuilding the robot hand into a remote-control action figure. Imbued with all the powers of the Avengers, the pint-sized hero can transform to suit Killionaire’s desires. Best of all, it’s an exclusive!

 

In his Spider-Boy #3 story “Nonstop Action Figure,” Dan Slott contrasts Bailey's plight with Killionaire. The young villain has money and power but only finds amusement by hurting others. Bailey let a thief abscond with his cellphone—filled with pictures of his mother—when his spider-sense alerted him to someone in need. When the influencer threatens to steal the shoes Mr. Fantastic gave Bailey (when his fellow superheroes accepted and respected him), Spider-Boy overcomes his anxiety over losing another piece of his identity. Instead of employing force, Bailey uses his wits to defuse the confrontation and turn a villain into a hero.   

 

 

 

Art

While security agents in black suits scan the surroundings, Killionaire looks up at Taskmaster and Dr. Stillwell. Taskmaster crosses his arms over his chest. Shannon wears an exoskeletal suit. Light glints off her monocular as she pulls off a cloth. As in her creator's first appearance, the action figure rests its hands on its hips. Killionaire removes his shades. The letter K hangs from a chain link necklace. The young villain’s eyes widen, and he rests one hand in the pocket of his tracksuit as he orders Toy Soldier to destroy Taskmaster. Thank goodness Killionaire doesn't have a freeze-ray gun!

 

Erick Arciniega lavishes full spectrum color on Paco Medina's art in Spider-Boy #3. While Toy Soldier remains green despite changes in appearance, bold colors provide appeal and contrast. Bailey's luminous yellow eyes highlight his striking red-and-blue costume. Yellow suggests Bailey's power as he catches a dog hurtling through the air and the impact Spider-Boy absorbs when hitting the ground.

 

 

“Spi-lingual”

Story

The lighting striking a construction site beckons bystanders to investigate. As Christina and Bailey merge with the crowd, she urges him to help Thor battle a giant spider. His Spider-Boy abilities grant him super strength, leaping, and wall-crawling, but Bailey realizes that only his monster mode can aid the Asgardian’s efforts. Although reluctant, Bailey summons the physical changes. Additional eyes appear on his face, and fangs sprout from his jaws.

 

Dan Slott’s second story in Spider-Boy #3 requires that Bailey risk the goodwill he's gained. People respect hard work, but they also respond to appearances. Despite Thor's insistence that your belief in yourself matters most, Bailey knows he's inviting more front-page articles in the Daily Bugle and other media declaiming the monstrous new Spider-Boy.

 

Like “Nonstop Action Figure,” “Spi-lingual” also pits Bailey against an opponent with far greater powers. While we don't learn about the resilience and magical properties of the Uru in his opponent’s armor, Thor finds the giant spider a worthy foe. Once again, Spider-Boy must break his mentor’s rule of only fighting lesser threats. But like Thor, Bailey finds communication a powerful weapon.

 

 

 

Art

The armored spider stands equal with Thor but forces the Asgardian back. His mighty thews wield a cracked Mjolnir to no avail. Ty Templeton's early panels focus on Christina and Bailey in Spider-Boy #3. The camera and cellphone-wielding crowd fade away as Christina gives Bailey “The Look.”  A metal Y adorns the spider’s battle helmet, and dreadlocks frame the fang-filled mouth of the Lockjaw-sized monster. Thor clutches one of its limbs as the spider pushes his winged helmet toward the ground. The Asgardian struggles to keep his booted feet beneath him.

 

Dee Cunniffe’s loaded palette softens this all-ages tale. Bright blue surrounds crackling white lightning, while the sky grows brown as it nears the ground. When Thor whirls his hammer, he unleashes a rainbow of color reminiscent of the Asgardian hero’s Silver Age adventures. In the final panel, a purple-adorned figure works in a room dominated by green video screens.

 

 

 

Joe Caramagna thwips black uppercase dialogue into white balloons in "Nonstop Action Figure" and "Spi-lingual." Word size shrinks for lowered voices, grows bold for intonation, and enlarges and changes color for shouts. Toy Soldier speaks green dialogue, while Thor summons a distinctive font. Caramagna helps us hear the tiny green Avenger battle Bailey and Mjolnir clang off Uru armor. Yet Bailey’s monster-mode utterances remain Caramagna’s most unique contributions to Spider-Boy #3.

 

Thanks to Marvel Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Giving triumphs over getting, seeking the best in others prevails where strength fails, sacrifice wins respect, and people prize their pets in Spider-Boy #3.

 

Rating: 9.6/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.