Black Cat #2 Review

 

Writer: G Willow Wilson

Artist: Gleb Melnikov

Colorist: Brian Reber

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Adam Hughes; Alex Ross; Greg Land & Frank D’Armata; Paco Medina & Jesus Aburtov

Designer: Stacie Zucker

Editors: Tom Groneman, Nick Lowe & CB Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: September 24, 2025

 

A master thief's life may appear glamorous, but pulling off challenging heists requires preparation. Especially while maintaining a reputation as New York's most beautiful thief. And what does Felicia have at the end of the day? An apartment filled with materialistic treasures, and no one to enjoy them with? Even Peter Parker doesn’t seem to think she’s worth his time anymore.

 

So, Felicia Hardy is changing her approach to life. How will her first attempt at heroism go? And will she read about the Lizard’s research in Scientific American? Let’s put on our catsuits, leap into Black Cat #2, and see!

 

Story

Black Cat maintains her fitness with grueling workouts at Glutes Gym. But her guy in the chair interrupts a training session that violates the Geneva Conventions on Torture. Boris informs her that two young guns from the Manfredi crime family are striking out on their own. So, Felicia breaks off her personal training session with Peach to tackle her first case.

 

After breaking the fourth wall to clarify matters for the reader in the first issue, Black Cat tackles a Lovejoy-style mystery. While Starchy & Cloth wash clothes and money in Spider-Girl, the Manfredi boys move antiques to clean money for immortals in Black Cat #2. New York hasn't forgiven the vampire world for their Blood Hunt. So, the undead moving their criminal operations to Black Cat's city adds a sinister undertone to the Manfredi boys' seemingly innocuous side hustle. 

 

Pursuing lightbulb moments entails trial and error before finding your path. Boris raises his concerns about venturing into unfamiliar territory in Black Cat #2. Gio and Leo also point out that, after coexisting peacefully with them in the past, Black Cat is changing the rules all of them live by. Felicia Hardy has a lot to sort out if she wishes to join the ranks of New York's costumed heroes. But after losing interest in her sparkly criminal endeavors, Black Cat enjoys playing the hero in G Willow Wilson’s story. 

 

 

 

Art

Gleb Melnikov portrays Felicia with full lips and defined muscles as she sweats and strains in Glutes Gym. When she dons her mask, the large circles of skin around her eyes suggest fashionable shades accompanying her salon-styled hair. By comparison, creases mar Boris's forehead, and the light catches his stark cheekbones. He shows a disinterest in fashion and keeps food nearby as he sits at his computer. Of the Manfredi boys, Gio watches his workers like a hawk and lowers his shades on his nose to count his money. Heavyset Leo seems impatient and nervous while rocking a John Travolta vibe.

 

As Brian Reber lavishes a loaded palette of bright and cheery colors on Black Cat #2, red dominates Felicia's new approach to life. Brickwork adorns her gym and the building where the Manfredi boys store their antiques. Red also dominates interiors, from the large GLUTES letters in the gym to the wallpaper adorning the stash house. And then there is the red interior of a gilt scrollwork egg that the Manfredi boys are moving.

 

Black Cat perches beside the ornamental egg as she picks up a gold pocket watch. Then she leans against a reddish-brown grandfather clock and tells Gio and Leo that time has run out on their side hustle. The emphasis on red reminds readers who the Manfredi boys are working for (and why their choice of a side hustle sucks).

 

Joe Caramagna fills white dialogue balloons with black uppercase text and shares Felicia’s thoughts with white uppercase letters in black narrative boxes. The letters grow bold for intonation, swell for raised voices, and shrink for lowered voices. Sound effects scamper across the pages, helping us hear an international accords-infringing workout, shifting sands, and screeching fill the night. Thanks to Marvel for providing a review copy. 

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Tombstone regards Spider-Man as a hero he can manipulate. When Spider-Man starts playing from a different rulebook, his civilian counterpart, Peter Parker, also shrugs off Lonnie Lincoln’s influence. So, as Black Cat alters her approach to life, Tombstone wonders how he can use her to control Spider-Man in Black Cat #2.

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Spider-Boy #20 Review

 

Writer: Dan Slott

Artist: Paco Medina

Colorist: Erick Arciniega

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Paco Medina & Edgar Delgado; Humberto Ramos & Edgar Delgado; Jason Loo; Todd Nauck & Rachelle Rosenberg

Designer: Adam Del Re

Editors: Tom Groneman, Nick Lowe & CB Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: June 25, 2025

 

Years ago, Mr Negative’s Inner Demons abducted people from the FEAST Center. Madame Monstrosity turned the hijacked Homeless into Humanimals. Mr Negative turned the animalized men into his Inner Demons, while Madame Monstrosity forced the women and children to work at her farm. So, when Bailey unmasks an Inner Demon attacking Christina, he recognizes the Humanimal as a former resident of FEAST.

 

Bailey promised to help Mr Krupke become Human again. When Christina’s Pidgeon Power blossomed, Bailey advised her to use it with restraint. Bailey used his abilities to plan their heist and assured Spider-Man that he had everything covered. Yet when Spider-Man saw Bailey disobeying his rules, he refused to hear Bailey’s explanation. The adult hero told Bailey to shut up and that his plan was stupid. Then Spider-Man took away Bailey's costume. Can Bailey change Spider-Man's mind? Or are his days being Spider-Man's sidekick over? Hellifino! Let's slip on our unstable molecule sneakers, leap into Spider-Boy #20, and find out!

 

Story

Spider-Man took a lot of convincing before he allowed Spider-Boy to be his sidekick. He took heat from others for letting a 10-year-old place himself and others in danger. Spider-Man has watched Spider-Boy go from requesting money from recipients of his aid to helping people without expecting anything in return. But when he realizes that Bailey still commands a group of ninjas, Spider-Man decides that Bailey needs an intervention.

 

 

 

Bailey is Spider-Man's sidekick. Yet Spider-Man didn't train him. And Bailey has had more adventures without Peter than with him. In Spider-Boy #20, Spider-Man approaches the hero who knows Bailey best. When Spider-Man suggests how Bailey could go wrong, Daredevil argues that Bailey has a good head on his shoulders. He urges Spider-Man to trust his sidekick more. But when he learns Spider-Boy still controls the Gaping Maw, Daredevil agrees to help Spider-Man convince Bailey to free them.

 

Dan Slott leavens his story with humor and endearing moments as Spider-Boy tries to wield his immense power and resources responsibly. Those who have influenced Bailey's development reunite for a final battle. But as Spider-Boy weighs complex moral choices with helping others. Still, he takes the time to correct a wrong and ease a character's pain in Spider-Boy #20. 

 

 

 

Art

Paco Medina's layouts stretch across pages as Spider-Man clutches Bailey's uniform before him like an accusation. After refusing to relinquish it, Spider-Man drops Bailey's mask when lightning surrounds his head. Bailey turns his back on his hero and walks away, his features filled with anger and determination. Then he sprawls on his throne, clutching a smoothie as he regards his kowtowing servants.

 

As Erick Arciniega lavishes a loaded palette on Spider-Boy #20, Bailey wears a light green shirt and gray-green shorts. His servants wear green and gold uniforms as they wield their golden bō staffs. A gray Humanimal Shark charges down the street, evoking Jack of Hearts and the dome at Stillwell Farms. Spider-Boy dons a new uniform, replacing some of his familiar red and blue with gray and black. Then Bailey offers a yellow and black uniform to another character, even if what the recipient does isn’t always nice.

 

Characters speak uppercase black letters in dialogue balloons. The words grow bold for intonation, swell for volume, and rarely shrink. Yellow block letters locate us in time and space. Dialogue changes colors for Bailey's pronouncement and his evil laughter. Joe Caramagna’s sound effects help us hear Bailey request his minions’ aid and the hissing that means everything to one man. Thanks to Marvel Comics for providing a review copy.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Lawyers can use their knowledge of the law to clarify confusing situations or exploit it to encourage lawbreakers. While Daredevil plays both sides with Spider-Man and Bailey, Spider-Boy #20 reminds us how often Bailey has gone it alone and doesn’t need to be anyone’s sidekick.

 

Rating 9.7/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Spider-Boy #19 Review

 

Writer: Dan Slott

Artist: Paco Medina

Colorist: Erick Arciniega

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Paco Medina & Edgar Delgado; Damian Scott

Designer: Adam Del Re

Editors: Tom Groneman, Nick Lowe & CB Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: May 28, 2025

 

Bailey didn't want to live in the "creepy" FEAST Center. His mother reminded him that while they had a comfortable apartment, some of the residents had nothing. One of those is Christina Xu. She longs for the day her father can get a job and her family can rent an apartment.

 

When Christina takes the keys she found at the FEAST Center to the First Kingdom Bank, Mr Zheng claims they don't open his safety deposit boxes. Then, Inner Demons pursue Christina to recapture Mr Negative’s keys. Can Spider-Boy protect Christina from the masked martial artists? Hellifino! Let's slip on our unstable molecule sneakers, leap into Spider-Boy #19, and find out!

 

Story

A spider-hero does right by others. When Spider-Boy recognizes one of Mr Negative’s servants, he tries to help the Inner Demon. Like Bailey and Christina, Mr Krepke suffered beneath Madame Monstrosity's hand. Amid the stressful encounter, Christina discovers that, like Bailey, Madame Monstrosity's manipulations have evolved into a superpower. Bailey had good mentors in Spider-Man and Daredevil. So, in Spider-Boy #19, he counsels Christina in wielding her power responsibly. 

 

Sadly, Spider-Man has been an absent mentor recently. So when he finds Bailey and Christina trying to rob First Kingdom Bank, Spider-Man thinks that his ten-year-old sidekick is using his power irresponsibly. Additionally, Bailey has abrogated their agreement by battling A-List villains. Spider-Man doesn't allow Bailey to explain his reasoning. He concludes that Bailey is a child unready to observe society's codes of conduct. Ironically, Peter Parker plays Tony Stark’s role in Spider-Man Homecoming, forcing Bailey into Peter’s predicament.

 

By supporting Christina’s plans, Spider-Boy #19 draws Bailey into complex moral choices. The ten-year-old must choose between obeying the law and doing right by others. Dan Slott's story is also a meditation on the responsible use of power. While Bailey mentors others and emancipates the oppressed, Mr Negative uses his abilities to strip people of their uniqueness. Peter prefers to shut down the situation rather than consider Bailey’s reasoning. But then, adults sometimes read situations less clearly than children.

 

Art

As Mr Krupke attacks Spider-Boy and Christina, the strips of flesh obscuring his features show how Madame Monstrosity injured him. The energy arcing between Mr Negative and Madame Monstrosity suggests the unholy union of his mind control with her Frankenstein experiments. The barcodes stamped on their necks are reminders of how Madame Monstrosity regarded others. Even without an olive branch in its beak, the bird that appears behind Christina reminds us of her desire to uplift others.

 

Erick Arciniega lavishes a loaded palette of bold, attractive colors on Paco Medina’s art. Yet he casts Mr Negative and his Inner Demons in Black And White, reminding us that oppression and vitality are mutually exclusive. The white bubbles that Mr Negative casts threaten to bleach bystanders of their colorful attire. Even before the bubbles surround Mr Zheng’s face, his black, white, and gray appearance suggests how managing a villain’s affairs has affected him. Sadly, as the two blue-and-red heroes reunite, the yellow and orange light filling the bank's windows suggests the sun is setting on their relationship in Spider-Boy #19.

 

While characters speak uppercase black letters in dialogue balloons, Mr Negative and his followers utter white words in black balloons. Words grow bold for intonation, shrink for lowered voices, swell for volume, and change colors for emphasis. Colored borders enhance dialogue, and blue boxes reveal Bailey's thoughts. Joe Caramagna’s sound effects help us hear how the Parker family reacts to tyranny in Dan Slott's penultimate issue of Bailey Briggs' battles. Thanks to Marvel Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Martin Li founded the FEAST Center to help the unhoused. Later, he exploited the residents. When Bailey pulls a bank raid, Spider-Man must decide if the ten-year-old is becoming more like him or Mr Negative in Spider-Boy #19.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Spider-Boy #18 Review

 

Writer: Dan Slott

Artist: Paco Medina

Colorist: Erick Arciniega

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Paco Medina & Edgar Delgado; Russell Dauterman

Designer: Adam Del Re

Editors: Tom Groneman, Nick Lowe & CB Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: April 2, 2025

 

Boy-Spider may share his arachnid and human DNA, but he threatens Bailey’s relationship with his mother. So, when Bailey returns from Madripoor to find Boy-Spider has stolen his life, the Walloping Web-Snapper has nothing good to say about an honorless identity thief. But while his half-brother tries to shatter his life, Killionaire wants to blow up the homeless shelter.

 

Bailey helps Boy-Spider repel the Bada-Bros’ attacks. But in the process, Bailey loses his mother and brother to Stillwell Farms. How will Bailey adjust to splitting his time between Tabitha Briggs and Christina Xu’s parents? And who will Killionaire hire to attack the FEAST Center next? Let's slip on our unstable molecule sneakers, leap into Spider-Boy #18, and find out!

 

Story

Madame Monstrosity experimented on Bailey in her secret laboratory at Stillwell Farms. Eli eased Bailey's distress with humor. But when Bailey tried to reciprocate, Madame Monstrosity took Bailey's joke as a suggestion. Bailey watched, feeling responsible, as Madame Monstrosity merged Eli's human DNA with an elephant and a rhinoceros. In Spider-Boy #18, Dan Slott transports us back in time. We see Bailey and his mom before they became test subjects and learn how Bailey befriended the boy who became Hellifino.

 

Spider-Man ordered Bailey not to fight A-List Villains. But Bailey lives in a homeless shelter founded by Mr Negative. The super A-Lister may not run FEAST anymore. But the Chinese gangster and sometime philanthropist became Mr. Negative when someone experimented on him. So, in the worst traditions of paying it forward, Spider-Boy #18 reveals the gangster’s role in Bailey, Tabitha, and Eli becoming Madame Monstrosity’s playthings.

 

As Mr Negative and Bailey’s lives are bound to FEAST, so is Christina Xu’s. Bailey first met the girl when Inner Demons pursued her through Chinatown. Bailey defended Christina against the masked men in business suits. Then he learned Christina carried one of Mr Negative’s keys. When Killionaire’s Bada-Bros prepped the homeless shelter for a radical makeover (likely involving calculating square roots), Christina discovered more keys. Now, Christina has seventeen of them. And this time, she won't settle for Spider-Boy's previous method of shielding her from the Inner Demons' swords.

 

Art

Erick Arciniega paints the FEAST Center in reddish brown. Pink posters adorn Bailey's bedroom. Rose smoke surrounds the black, white, and gray gangsters who invade the homeless shelter. Bailey's golden bear with a red bow tie remains behind, while Bailey awakens in a gray van beside a boy wearing a red jacket in Spider-Boy #18.

 

After Mr Negative takes a sword to one of his Inner Demons, he produces a gold key evoking the Hydra symbol. While Tabitha picks up her vocalizing cat, dogs gaze up at Christina Xu clutching a bag of keys. Inner Demons hide like Jawas hunting R2-D2 as Christina walks beneath glowing red paper lanterns. When Spider-Boy arrives in his red-and-blue costume, he and Christina discover why the Inner Demons wear masks.

 

As characters speak uppercase black letters into dialogue balloons, Mr Negative speaks white words into black balloons. Words grow bold for intonation, shrink for lowered voices, swell for volume, and change colors for emphasis. The Chinese gangster and Madame Monstrosity merit stylized introductions. Joe Caramagna helps us hear hissing canisters produce coughing, punching, kicking, and Spider-Man's characteristic thwipping. Thanks to Marvel Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Insights into Bailey’s past reveal mysteries surrounding Mr Negative and throw the 10-year-old into moral quandaries most adults cannot figure out. When Spider-Man discovers what Bailey and Christina are up to, he may not take the kids out for pizza and ice cream. But given Peter Parker's improving situation with Tabitha Briggs, the future is wide open in Spider-Boy #18.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

 

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.

 

 

Spider-Boy #16 Review

 

Writers: Dan Slott

Artists: Paco Medina

Colorist: Erick Arciniega

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Paco Medina & Edgar Delgado; Dave Bardin; David Baldeón & Jesus Aburtov

Designer: Adam Del Re

Editors: Tom Groneman, Nick Lowe & CB Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: February 12, 2025

 

Spider-Girl loves winning. Friends may come and go, but trophies, medals, and ribbons are forever. Spider-Boy hates the Dragon’s Challenge because he values friendships and helping others more than winning contests. So when his spider-sense reveals that Bullseye will turn on Spider-Girl, Spider-Boy is so preoccupied with her safety that he falls in the final round. Will Spider-Boy’s failure endanger the entire world? And how can Spider-Boy protect Earth if Hulkette punches him to the moon? Let's thwip into Spider-Boy #16 and find out!

 

Story

Years ago, when Spider-Boy disobeyed Daredevil and knocked out Bullseye in the Hellfire Club, his mentor forfeited his rights to the Golden Fang. When Spider-Boy disobeys Daredevil in The Dragon’s Challenge and doesn’t devote his full attention to Bullseye, Daredevil again yields to protect Bailey. Like Bullseye, Daredevil has a card to play. He may not outfight his nemesis for control of the Gaping Maw. But Matt Murdoch went to Law School. Perhaps he can outthink his opponent in Spider-Boy #16.

 

As Spider-Boy said, Spider-Girl cannot copy her victim’s thoughts and abilities. Like the mirrors in a funhouse, she can only mimic a distorted reflection of them. Spider-Boy tried to warn Spider-Girl that Bullseye was grooming her as a disposable tool. Yet when she stared into Bullseye’s lying eyes, Spider-Girl believed her mentor cared for her. Sadly, when they defeat Daredevil and Spider-Boy in Dan Slott’s story, Bullseye claims their prize for himself.

 

After Daredevil gets Bullseye disqualified from The Dragon’s Challenge, he poses a question to Spider-Girl. Would she like Spider-Boy as a teammate? Both spider young’uns thought the contest was over in Spider-Boy #16. But these matches were merely the preliminary to the battle for control of the Gaping Maw.

 

Accepting Spider-Boy as a teammate means protecting him from the gamma-girl who wants to punch him to the moon. But it also represents payback. After all, Spider-Girl helped Bullseye steal the golden fang from Bailey and Daredevil, forcing them to commit a dishonorable act to protect the world from Bullseye. 

 

 

 

Art

Paco Medina reveals a brightly colored room when Bailey gazes at a triumphant Bullseye and Spider-Girl. Yet the darkness surrounding Bailey is only dispersed by distant lights in Spider-Boy #16. The ninja leader removes her mask to congratulate the winners, only to reveal her disdain when she raises the evidence of Bullseye's crime. When Bullseye escapes, black birds fly around him, evoking the ravens that seek out Spider-Gwen after an apocalypse hits Earth-65.

 

As Spider-Boy and Spider-Girl combat a light-green opponent, Boy-Spider invades a room that should be his. Erick Arciniega fills Bailey's room at FEAST with the same red, brown, and gold that enrich the Gaping Maw’s headquarters, while Boy-Spider’s green shirt echoes the ninjas’ robes and their jade dragon statue. Boy-Spider claws through a red poster of Bailey's favorite film franchise while Spider-Boy and Spider-Girl's opponent fights with sharp talons. As he once chased viewers from a film celebrating the power of family, Boy-Spider rages when he sees a photo of Bailey getting the love he lost.

 

Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase black lettering into white dialogue balloons and narrative boxes in Spider-Boy #16. Words shrink for lowered voices, embolden for intonation, swell for volume, and change color for emphasis. Sound effects help us hear clawing, crashing, and crying out in rage as characters destroy and win golden treasures. Thanks to Marvel Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Spider-Boy #16 ties up most dangling plot threads while tantalizing with possible new directions. It closes out this story about fighting by showing brains triumphing over brawn. As the story focuses on the dynamics of friendships, families, and the role of a mentor, it also suggests that no one is incapable of reform.

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

 

Spider-Boy #15 Review

 

Writers: Dan Slott

Artists: Paco Medina & Humberto Ramos

Colorist: Erick Arciniega & Edgar Delgado

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Paco Medina & Edgar Delgado; Kaare Andrews; Javier Garrón & Rachelle Rosenberg; Todd Nauck (Icon); Mike McKone & David Curiel (Fantastic Four; Mirka Andolfo (Madame Web)

Designer: Adam Del Re

Editors: Tom Groneman, Nick Lowe & CB Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: January 29, 2024

 

Maka Akana wants to destroy Spider-Boy. Hulkette wants to punch him to the moon. Daredevil wants his apprentice to concentrate on winning The Dragon's Challenge. But Bailey Briggs wants to protect his neighborhood with Spider-Man, make his mother proud by doing well in school, and hang with his friends.

 

Daredevil hasn’t told Spider-Boy why they are in Madripoor, but he insists the prize is worth fighting for. Can Spider-Boy honor his mentor's wishes? Let's grab some popcorn and sodas for the final rounds, thwip into Spider-Boy #15, and find out!

 

Story

Try as he might, Spider-Boy can’t adopt the Japanese mindset. Fighting for honor is stupid! While Daredevil maintains the respect of his colleagues, Spider-Boy keeps making enemies. Daredevil forced Bailey to steal a Golden Fang from Hulkette and her mentor. He orders Bailey to Monster Out to win his contests. In Dan Slott's story, as Daredevil pressures him to compete, Bailey tries to make friends.

 

While Bailey fights half a world away in Spider-Boy #15, his mom takes Christina Xu out for a treat. Madame Monstrosity turned both ladies into Humanimals. Since Spider-Man pulled their DNA apart, Tabitha retains a bond with her cat. Perhaps, like Penny’s superhero dog Bolt, Christina can also talk to pigeons. But as Daredevil reminds Bailey of his priorities, Tabitha wants Christina to focus on telling her about her son. After spending years at the Humanimal farm, Tabitha wants to make it up to Bailey for missing so much of his childhood. 

 

 

 

While Bailey yearns to return home, engage in meaningful battles alongside Spider-Man, and learn how to divide fractions with his new friends Marco and Larissa, this is the moment Maka Akana has waited for. Her mutant abilities let her temporarily inhabit the minds of others. But the overwhelming input from Bailey's ten eyes and his conflict with his monstrous side overwhelmed her.

 

Copying other people's fighting abilities and profiting off their years of training was an improvement over winning chess tournaments, rock music festivals, and cliff-diving tournaments. While she can still borrow others' identities, Maka is Spider-Girl forever. And she doesn't like it at all. So, no matter how much Bailey Briggs cares about her, Maka Akana is determined to destroy him in Spider-Boy #15.

 

 

 

Art

Humberto Ramos & Edgar Delgado return us to the night Spider-Girl met Bailey. Clad in a costume that evokes characters like Harlequin in the Italian Commedia Dell’arte, Maka flees the museum after gazing into Bailey’s eyes. She may rock a superhero landing. But when Maka removes her mask, her face reflects how the raging turmoil in Bailey's mind affected her. Yet when she looks at her mentor, she glimpses a side of Bullseye few others see.

 

While Mist gazes down on the fight wearing a white mask and gold horns, Bailey fights an opponent wearing an animal mask. When Bailey Monsters Out in Spider-Boy #15, the yellow lenses covering his eyes reflect this orange-and-black mask, and triangular teeth fill his mouth. 

 

 

 

After his semifinal bout, Hulkette and Tigress show Bailey frowns, but Spider-Girl reaches for the sky. Then she removes white bracelets while Bullseye places a deck of cards in a wooden box. Paco Medina & Erick Arciniega show how Bulleye observes the letter of the law while ignoring its spirit. As he faces opponents alongside Spider-Girl, Bullseye adopts Jason Bourne’s philosophy and turns seemingly innocuous items into weapons.

 

Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase black lettering into white dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. Words shrink for lowered voices, embolden for intonation, swell for volume, and change color for emphasis. Sound effects help us hear punches, kicks, falls, savage beatdowns, and Spider-Girl wielding webs for the first time. Mahalo to Marvel Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Young people look to their mentors for guidance. As they grow, their values may diverge from those of their mentors. In Spider-Boy #15, Bailey warns Spider-Girl to look for someone more trustworthy. But while Bullseye has always encouraged Spider-Girl's desires, Daredevil forces Bailey Briggs to fight in a contest he disdains.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

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

 

 

Spider-Boy #14 Review

 

Writers: Dan Slott

Artists: Paco Medina & Humberto Ramos

Colorist: Erick Arciniega

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Paco Medina & Edgar Delgado; Rose Besch; Doaly; Natacha Bustos

Designer: Adam Del Re

Editors: MR Daniel, Kaeden McGahey, Kaitlyn Lindtvedt, Tom Groneman, Ellie Pyle, Nick Lowe & CB Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: December 25, 2024

 

Tabitha Briggs grudgingly let her son continue his superhero ways. Then, Daredevil abducted Spider-Boy to nab Bailey’s Hellfire Club trophy from his secret stash atop his news-making nemesis. When Daredevil subsequently lost the Golden Fang to Bullseye and Spider-Girl, the Man Without Fear forced Bailey to break international law by stowing away on Madripoor Air flight 359. The red-and-blue pillars of virtue furthered their crime spree by stealing an airport taxi, ambushing Enormo and Hulkette, and using their newly stolen Golden Fang to enter a contest against experienced fighters.

 

Can Spider-Boy help Daredevil win The Dragon’s Challenge? And with a mentor like Daredevil, will Tabitha Briggs ever let Bailey don his costume again? Let's buy front-row tickets, thwip into Spider-Boy #14, and find out!

 

Story

Mist, the Demon's Breath of the Gaping Maw, knows that Daredevil and Spider-Boy followed Bullseye and Spider-Girl's example and entered the contest with a stolen Golden Fang. But the Gaping Maw is an amoral assassin order founded on brutally and efficiently dispatching their targets. So, when Enormo and Hulkette bust into their headquarters and demand fairness, Mist sends Enormo packing.

 

The clan leader promises Hulkette her revenge if she waits until Daredevil and Spider-Boy lose. That may not prove difficult, as Spider-Boy shrinks from hurting his opponent in the first round. But that’s not a weakness Spider-Girl shows in Spider-Boy #14. Instead, the Hawaiian cliff diving champion, Maka Akana, happily disfigures her opponent for life.

 

 

 

Daredevil hasn’t told Spider-Boy what they are fighting for. But while he insists that Bullseye must not win the prize, Spider-Girl's mentor claims that victory will give him power over the entire world. Spider-Boy isn’t happy with Daredevil for stringing him along and getting him into hot water with his mom. But while both apprentices fight for their masters in Dan Slott’s story, Spider-Girl likes her mentor because he enables her to destroy her opponents.

 

As the Web Of Life And Destiny stretches across the multiverse, memories help people adhere to their proper place and time. Spider-Man sacrificed his memories of an alternate life with Uncle Ben to help Bailey stick in people’s minds. Spider-Girl’s mutant gene helps her copy other people's memories. When Maka stares into her opponent's eyes, she "remembers" how they mastered their abilities. Win or lose, Spider-Girl will leave Madripoor with more skills in Spider-Boy #14. But because she steals their memories instead of creating her own, Maka quickly tires of her accomplishments and seeks another easy victory. 

 

 

 

Art

While Gaping Maw soldiers wear Pandemic masks bearing a dragon design, the Mist’s mask reveals her mouth but obscures her face. Horns rise above her head, symbolizing her power. Paco Medina and Humberto Ramos show Bailey sitting in readiness while Daredevil hunches forward in need of rejuvenation. But that doesn't happen as the Devil of Hell's Kitchen and the Spider of PS 19 in the East Village draw the first fight with a luchador and a monkey. The wrestler wears gold to signal his respect for the Gaping Max. The monkey fighting Spider-Boy may be as ill-tempered as Captain Barbossa's pal. Still, Spider-Girl and Hulkette demonstrate the same horror of Bailey's monstering out that prompted The Daily Bugle to label Spider-Boy “The Monster Among Us.”

 

Characters shine as they fight for ultimate power against muted colors in Spider-Boy #14. Erick Arciniega adorns the Gaping Maw headquarters in green, gold, brown, and beige. Bailey leaps above brown and gold rooftops as a ship anchors in Madripoor’s green and gray harbor. Pink and red enliven an outdoor munchfest when Bailey dines beneath yellow paper lanterns. He remembers fighting an opponent clothed in black, white, and yellow. Then, green-skinned Hulkette, adorned in her pink vest and purple shoes, returns him to the contest, where red X’s and color photographs signal that the second-round battles have begun.

 

As Erick Arciniega lavishes an appealing palette on Paco Medina and Humberto Ramos' likable characters, Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase black lettering into white dialogue balloons. Words shrink for lowered voices, embolden for intonation, and swell for volume. Sound effects help us hear Enormo get his comeuppance, La Mota screech, Spider-Girl making Bullseye smile, and Daredevil mentally scarring his apprentice. Mahalo to Marvel Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

While stealing distorted memories of her opponents, absorbing their thoughts and emotions unbalances Spider-Girl. The Hawaiian mutant has only met one person she couldn’t look in the eye and inhabit their mind. So, she finds another way to destroy Bailey in Spider-Boy #14.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

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