Spider-Boy #17 Review

 

Writer: Dan Slott

Artist: Nathan Stockman

Colorist: Erick Arciniega

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Paco Medina & Edgar Delgado; Francesco Mobili & Moreno Dinisio

Designer: Adam Del Re

Editors: Tom Groneman, Nick Lowe & CB Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: March 5, 2025

 

Bailey Briggs didn't ask to compete in the Dragon's Challenge. His mother isn't happy that Daredevil took him to Madripoor without her permission. Her ten-year-old son missed school and battled A-List foes. Tabitha Briggs won't even let Bailey play Robux. Will she allow Bailey to keep donning the red-and-blue and battle the Deadly Foes Of Spider-Boy? Let's leap into Spider-Boy #17 and find out!

 

Story

Spider-Boy may respect Daredevil, but he's not happy. His mentor gave his mom another reason to ground him for life. After skipping school for years, Bailey can't afford to take weeks off while he tries to catch up with others his age. So when Daredevil seeks definitive answers on the Gaping Maw ninja clan's activities, Bailey keeps mum.

 

Bailey has finally secured his mother's love. He and Tabitha have made a home together at the FEAST center. In Spider-Boy #17, Bailey returns to find that Boy-Spider has taken over his life. Madame Monstrosity gave him a brother using his Human and Spider DNA, but Bailey and Boy-Spider have never been close. When Boy-Spider steals his room and friends, Bailey battles his brother to win them back. After all, Tabitha Briggs chose Boy-Spider and rejected Bailey before Spider-Man restored him to the Web Of Life And Destiny.

 

When Tabitha gets her boys to see reason, Boy-Spider can't help Spider-Boy recover his lost ground at school. After having his mother all to himself, Boy-Spider isn't comfortable sharing her in Dan Slott's story. But when danger threatens family and home, Bailey must decide between securing his place in school or rescuing the boy with his Human and Spider DNA.

 

 

 

Art

After turning his back on Daredevil, Bailey spots his double disembarking the school bus with Marco and Larissa. Seeing an imposter stealing his friends, Bailey launches a vicious kick at his lookalike. Spider-Boy and Boy-Spider shift into monster mode as they battle amid overturned trash cans. Nathan Stockman shows spiders scurrying from bins and dumpsters as the Human Spiders fight in Spider-Boy #17. Tabitha clutches her hissing cat as the displaced spiders scurry across the trash-strewn street or climb nearby walls.

 

The Orange and Black villains sport similar costume differences as Spider-Boy and Boy-Spider. Colorful produce fills brown boxes behind Mr Cricket’s green head as he speaks on the phone. While Bailey and Boy-Spider tussle behind Tabitha's back, they share the same auburn hair. But as an orange shape leaps before Bailey as he deflects Daredevil's question, Erick Arciniega hangs two yellow shapes over the brothers when their mother glances their way.

 

While characters speak uppercase black letters into dialogue balloons, Boy-Spider speaks with cloudy balloons, and a combative fantasy spider shouts words into white stars. Words grow bold for intonation, shrink for lowered voices, swell for volume, and turn red for emphasis. Joe Caramagna helps us hear the boys' arachnidian argument in Spider-Boy #17. Sound effects announce the orange and black duo's attack and overwhelm Spider-Boy's mind when his spider-sense awakens. Thanks to Marvel Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

When Spider-Boy returns home, he discovers that Boy-Spider has stolen his life. As the genetically bonded brothers and their mother discover they must share their time with those they love, another would-be hero seeks a better future for her family. Spider-Boy #17 is about finding our place in the world and what we are willing to risk to attain it.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

 

The Spectacular Spider-Men #5 Review

 

Writer: Greg Weisman

Penciler: Humberto Ramos

Inker: Victor Olazaba

Colorist: Edgar Delgado

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Humberto Ramos & Edgar Delgado; Mark Aspinall; Nick Bradshaw & Moreno Dinisio; David Yardin

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: July 17, 2024

 

Peter Parker never had it so good. But maybe it's too good? With Kamala by his side, Miles Morales has become a model student. Then, Shift commits an act of violence, and Miles' world falls apart. Peter is sad. Miles is angry. Each regards the other as an enemy. Will Peter and Miles tear each other apart? Or will they team up to take down the men who trapped them in this world of illusion? Let’s grab our augmented reality glasses, thwip into The Spectacular Spider-Men #5, and find out!

 

Story

Detective Shari Sebbins is on the case. If the charred body in Miles Warren’s lab wasn’t a clone, then there may be an imposter at Empire State University. Dr Krepps was a suspect, but Shari is crossing him off her list. As she compares statements from her informal interviews at The Coffee Bean, she gets closer to the truth.

 

Sha Shan and Professor Aaron Warren may not know Miles Morales well, but each has a long history with Peter Parker. So when Peter misses his usual Wednesday meetup in Greg Weisman’s story, they join forces to find their friend. Like Turk and Cedric before them, they pluck a tab with a phone number from a notice on the community billboard. And no, that number is not 867-5309.

 

 

 

Hammerhead has taken a beating lately. Madame Masque used his head for a drum. Worse, she played him, cooing like a lovebird and encouraging him to aspire to greatness. Now everyone looks up to Tombstone, and Hammerhead wants a big win to regain everyone’s respect. Arcade and Mentallo’s game could be just what he needs. But first, he must ensure two itsy bitsy spider-men don't break his promising Wish Web.

 

In The Spectacular Spider-Men #5, Miles and Peter are angry. They had everything they ever wanted. Then, like Hammerhead in the Gang War, they realized it was a lie. Each suspects the other spider-man is a robot, just another Pinocchio directed by an unseen puppeteer. But what if Brooklyn and Manhattan’s spider-men are real? While Sebbens, Shan, and Warren piece together clues to their real-world mysteries, the webheads fight each other through the darkness of pain and rage before the truth dawns, and they work together to figure out who controls this fantasy life.

 

Art

Kamala lies dead on a cracked and weathered rooftop. Sparks illuminate her broken body. Peter's wife, children, aunt, and father-in-law sit, slump, or lie still. Peter and Miles face off across a two-page spread, each spider-man poised to strike the other. Panels charge across pages as Miles' fists send electricity surging through Peter while Arcade, Mentallo, and Hammerhead watch the battle in the control room.

 

 

 

Edgar Delgado lavishes bold and beautiful colors on Humberto Ramos and Victor Olazaba’s art in The Spectacular Spider-Men #5. A montage stretches across the middle of two pages, creating a mural of participants living out their fantasies. As the bright blue day gives way to a chocolate sky, Detective Shari Sebbins works in a light blue maze as she pieces together clues to the body discovered in Miles Warren's lab. Another character ventures into the labyrinth beneath ESU but not in search of a goblin king.

 

Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase letters into white balloons and colored narrative boxes. Dialogue grows bold for intonation and never shrinks. Sound effects help us hear the spider-men trade blows, brickwork separate and fly, and Hammerhead slams his fist into Arcade's control board in The Spectacular Spider-Men #5. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Shelly features in three people’s dreams. Hammerhead becomes a robot leader. While Detective Shari Sebbens pieces together clues, Peter and Miles realize who has trapped them in a web of lies in The Spectacular Spider-Men #5.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

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

The Spectacular Spider-Men #4 Review

 

Writer: Greg Weisman

Penciler: Humberto Ramos

Inker: Victor Olazaba

Colorist: Edgar Delgado

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Humberto Ramos & Edgar Delgado; Francesco Mobili & Moreno Dinisio; Ethan Young & Edgar Delgado

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: June 26, 2024

 

When Cedric never resurfaces, Miles Morales and Peter Parker return to the sewers where they lost him. Miles’ clone-brother Shift and Vermin’s rat pack help them find a new wall. After Shift hits the bricks, Peter and Miles enter a room filled with computers and monitors. But before they can do much investigating, Arcade and Mentallo knock them out and plug them into their latest game. Can Miles and Peter escape their beloved fantasies? Or will this Game Stop in Stadium Arcadium be a permanent vacation? Let’s grab our lattes, thwip into The Spectacular Spider-Men #4, and find out!

 

Story

New York City Police Detective Shari Sebbens still hunts for the identity of the corpse in Miles Warren's ESU laboratory. Miles Warren, aka The Jackal, has a penchant for cloning. Coroner Jane Foster claims the body wasn't a clone but suggests the body was replaced by one. Did I mention that Warren's partner and friend, Seymour Krepps, is acting weird?

 

If Seymour trading his usual cup of Joe for Jackal's favorite tea seems weird, consider Peter Parker and Miles Morales' situations. Peter and Gwen Stacy live happily with their children, while Gwen’s dad dates Aunt May. Miles’ courtship with Kamala Khan speeds along faster than Starling can fly. Turk, the unnamed actor, and the European lovers live for the thrills. Kenny and Cedric pursue things just beyond their reach. In The Spectacular Spider-Men #4, life is just a fantasy. But can you live a fantasy life? Perhaps the others can. But Peter and Miles are made of sterner stuff.

 

In Greg Weisman's story, the illusionists demonstrate how they create their fantasies and their contingency plans when Peter and Miles get too clever. Readers learn who funds their project and why. The Arcadium is a work in process, but Arcade and Mentallo can react to participants who claim, “It’s not real. It’s just a fantasy!”  

 

 

 

Art

Arcade and Mentallo energetically plug their scheme against an inked background while an interested observer looks on. Without Shelly and Kenny, the Coffee Bean has become decaffeinated, populated solely by regulars like Sha Shan and Professor Raymond Warren. After Seymour Krepps storms out, Detective Shari Sebbens leans close to Warren instead of keeping a professional distance. Peter’s world falls apart in a montage as he relives his worst memories. He hugs his family, then pushes away. Miles and Kamala resemble children. They hold hands as a monster rises before them. But after the scales fall from their eyes, Peter and Miles' lives fragment and swirl as they thwip into a multiverse of madness in The Spectacular Spider-Men #4.

 

Edgar Delgado lavishes a loaded palette of bright colors on Humberto Ramos and Victor Olazaba’s art. While the exterior glows like a beacon, a greenish-brown haze fills The Coffee Bean. Professor Warren's realization that his former student Peter Parker is missing brings clarity. Miles' purple jacket and the distant rooftop structures recall the purple in Mentallo’s helmet and costume. Peter's brown suit, Gwen's golden hair, and her mauve top form an appealing link with Arcade's hair and tie. Pastels fill a wall of monitors, while a control board resembles a metropolis at night. When a violent act turns Miles' illusion into a burning ruin, white streaks pierce a blue, yellow, and orange haze. Brooklyn's Spider-Man rips away his clothes to reveal his black and red costume, and his masked face fills the bank of monitors.

 

Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase letters into white balloons and colored narrative boxes. The appealing font never shrinks. Dialogue often grows bold, changes color, or enlarges. Sound effects help us hear Miles slam into a falling barrier, Peter reel before a brain blast, Miles wields his venom saber, and Peter crashes into a street in The Spectacular Spider-Men #4.

Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

When Peter and Miles try to check out of Hotel Arcadium, Mentallo and Arcade refuse to let them leave, and there's a ghost in the machine in The Spectacular Spider-Men #4.

 

Rating 9/10

 

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

Grommets #1 Review

 

Writer: Rick Remender & Brian Posehn

Artist: Brett Parson

Colorist: Moreno Dinisio

Letterer: Rus Wooton

Cover Artists: Bret Parson; David Lapham & Moreno Dinisio; Jonathan Wayshak; Andrew Robinson

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: May 29, 2024

 

Rick is the new kid in town, and his fellow students at Sacramento’s Clarendon Altamira Junior High won’t let him forget it. He wants to go back to San Francisco. His father urges him to get back into soccer. Perhaps Rick should look for a friend who likes to do more than read comics. Come on, Dad! Can Rick find the acceptance he craves at his new school? Let's pop a Foreigner cassette tape into the stereo, turn Juke Box Hero up to eleven, leap into Grommets #1, and find out!

 

Story

Rick's cigar-chomping father stops at a liquor store drive-through on the way to school. He buys his son a Big Hunk candy bar. Hey, it's not Wheaties, but for teens with acne, it's the Breakfast of Champions. Dad assures Rick he'll make a new friend. Then Dad roars away, shouting, "Love you, buddy!" Rick and Miles Morales' dad should hook up. (Miles' dad might disapprove of Rick's father drinking a Coors while driving).

 

Rick keeps his head down during the day, which proves wise as he comes in for some un-gentle ribbing over his father’s affirmation of love. But he grows bold when the final bell rings. He approaches several fellow skaters and suggests they hit the local skate park together. They're less than enthused by his offer. But then tragedy strikes in Grommets #1. Rick’s mother pulls up in the van and calls him sweetheart. Rick gains her permission to hang out with the other school kids. But when Mom pulls away, Rick's new friends have taken off without him.

 

Hope springs eternal as Brian, the self-described King of Sacramento, takes Rick under his wing. Brian's grandfather drives them to Sierra Wave Skate Park. Along the way, Rick and Brian bond over their love of music and skateboarding. But is Brian a cool enough friend to help Rick gain the acceptance of his peers?

 

In Grommets #1, it may be 1984, but no one's boiling cabbage or worrying about Big Brother. Well, except for Ronald Reagan. Rick Remender and Brian Posehn’s irreverent ode is a love letter to a less conscious era when cheap cigarettes were readily available in coin-operated machines, nudity was a prerequisite for successful R-rated films, and everyone loved the horn of Bo and Luke's General Lee.

 

Art

Brett Parson opens the TARDIS doors and pushes us into California in 1984 as Rick's dad drives his Corvette past an iconic Taco Bell sign. Crowd scenes outside Clarendon Altamira channel MAD Magazine mania with expressive characters and over-the-top antics. Smoke rises from the cigarettes of three guys Rick wants to hang with. How the fourth one sees is a mystery, as hair hangs over his eyes. Then again, how sweet-looking Rick thinks he could fit in with the rough-hewn quartet is the bigger mystery. Still, the skull and snake on Rick’s shirt are as much a part of rock culture as Flock Of Seagulls Forelocks’ T-Shirt celebrating The Clash. Ironically, none of them master the hard rock look as well as Brian, with his longish hair, torn Judas Priest T-shirt, and pants with ripped knees.

 

Moreno Dinisio lavishes a loaded palette of bright and attractive colors on Grommets #1. Lighting and shadows enhance the drama at Clarendon Altamira, where someone compares the new kid and his dad to Romeo And Juliet, and Rick dines alone in the cafeteria. Outside, Sacramento shows warmth and vitality, bangs cast shadows over sun-kissed faces, and Rick’s skateboard showcases street artistry. Dinisio’s rich texturing evokes watercolors or colored pens on Bristol paper.

 

Rus Wooten airwalks uppercase black letters into white dialogue balloons. Words grow bold for intonation, swell or change color for heightened emotions, and rarely shrink. Sound effects help us hear tires squeal, horns blast, school bells ring, and the electrifying moment when Rick and Brian find Tom Sawyer's Mean, Mean Pride.

 

Thanks to Image Comics and Giant Generator for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Grommets #1 celebrates 80's pop culture, the uncrossable generation chasm, and the difficulty of discovering where you belong.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.