The Spectacular Spider-Men #14 Review

 

Writer: Greg Weisman

Artist: Andrés Genolet

Colorist: Edgar Delgado

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Production: Gabriel Mata

Editors: Tom Groneman, Nick Lowe & CB Cebulski

Cover Artists: Mark Bagley & Edgar Delgado; Andrei Bressan & Edgar Delgado

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: April 16, 2025

 

Curt and Martha Connors begged their son to live in Shift's Enclave. But Billy Connors didn't want to hide in the sewers with jackals and vermin. Angered by society's disdain for his appearance, Billy climbed up to the streets. But when he noticed Max Dillon and Francine Frye, the kissing Electros spotted an opportunity. They held Billy for ransom and forced Curt to help them fry The Spectacular Spider-Men.

 

Curt Connors isn’t the Lizard anymore. Still, the Lizard helped Curt force the Electros to take them to Billy. But when Billy wasn’t where they left him, the Lizard threw a hissy fit. Can Peter Parker and Miles Morales help Curt Connors and the Lizard find Billy? And how is Anna Romney doing after Max and Francine electrocuted her? Let's grab a "Parker" from Max Vinck, thwip into The Spectacular Spider-Men #14, and find out!

 

Story

Before she gained superpowers, Juliet Marcos enjoyed a whirlwind romance with Anna Romney. But all that was an illusion spun by Arcadium. When Anna stepped into the ESU Coffee Bean, Juliet introduced herself. As the two became friends, Rickie Lund wondered where she stood with her girlfriend. When Anna risked her life to protect Juliet, Rickie lashed out. Rickie hesitates to enter Anna’s hospital room in The Spectacular Spider-Men #14. How can Rickie face Anna after distrusting her and blaming Juliet for endangering her?

 

Peter and Miles bear responsibility for Juliet and Anna’s electrocutions. The Electros were after them, not the ladies. But when they awakened, Peter and Miles left the paramedics to deal with Anna so they could prevent the Lizard from devouring the Electros. They didn’t even wait to see if Juliet was okay. So after Max resuscitates Juliet, the young superhero reacts badly to being blamed for Anna's near-death experience in The Spectacular Spider-Men #14.

 

Shift has told Miles that he wants to belong somewhere. Like Billy Connors, Shift wants an identity and a life above ground. He may be Miles’ clone. Still, Shift also feels responsible for the people he looks after in the sewers. While Peter and Miles thwip and fight in the spotlight, Shift proves the most responsible Spider-Man in Greg Weisman’s story.

 

Art

The Lizard’s white lab jacket, purple slacks, and green skin evoke the Hulk as he battles Peter and Miles in the abandoned warehouse. The Lizard hits, slashes, and snaps his T-Rex-like mouth as he insists upon Billy’s return. The Electros may have left, but the Lizard seeks a target for his anger. Yet Andrés Genolet suggests that the Lizard's anger may also stem from his relationship, or lack thereof, with the boy he loves in The Spectacular Spider-Men #14.

 

Rickie's yellow and black hair echoes her black top and tan slacks. Edgar Delgado's coloring reminds us that we all wrestle with positive and negative emotions. The red-and-yellow print hanging in the room suggests Rickie’s link with superheroes. Rickie's future reverberates through Peter and Miles' flight past dark buildings with glowing yellow and tan windows as they search for the boy close to Curt and the Lizard's hearts.

 

Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase letters into white and colored balloons and narrative boxes. Dialogue grows bold, swells for volume, and rarely shrinks. The Lizard’s cloudy balloons fill with large letters, evoking the differences between the Hulk and Bruce Banners or the two Captain Kirks in "The Enemy Within." The names and descriptions in white boxes remind us how large Peter and Miles' circle of care has become in The Spectacular Spider-Men #14. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Amid drama, reconciliation, and an intense rescue plot, The Spectacular Spider-Men #14 reminds us families come in all shapes and sizes and to look out for the people we bring into our lives.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

The Spectacular Spider-Men #13 Review

 

Writer: Greg Weisman

Artist: Emilio Laiso

Colorist: Edgar Delgado

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Production: Gabriel Mata

Editors: Tom Groneman, Nick Lowe & CB Cebulski

Cover Artists: Emilio Laiso & Edgar Delgado; Carmen Carnero & Nolan Woodard

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: March 5, 2025

 

The Electros are charged up and ready to fry. Peter and Miles may be used to electrifying experiences, but Max and Francine reduce Elementary to a puddle and still Anna Romney’s cheating heart. Will the Electros finish off their spider prey, or will the Lizard rush in to save the day? Let's grab a "Parker" from Max Vinck, thwip into The Spectacular Spider-Men #13, and find out!

 

Story

While Peter and Miles mended their broken lives with their friends in the Coffee Bean, Max and Francine came to blows in The Bar With No Name. Peter Parker and Miles Morales happily share their moniker. Yet Max and Francine contested for ownership of their supervillain brand. Peter and Miles' teamwork prompted Max and Francine to work together to defeat their mutual enemies. In Spectacular Spider-Men #13, the joys of partnership make Max and Francine contemplate a long-term team-up.

 

Shelly and Kenny were the glue that bonded the Spider-Men's weekly meetups. But Max Vinck has ascended from the bemused barista who insisted everyone buy something to imagining a future with Juliet. When Anna lies in a pool of the girl he's strictly friends with, Max shines in Greg Weisman's story. Max Vinck even engages in humorous dialogue once the Spideys awaken. (You didn't think they would die, did you?) He's not ready for superlative quipping yet, but with Max demonstrating heroism, perhaps he will follow in the splashy footsteps of Juliet (aka Elementary).

 

Speaking of Elementary, she has already endured enough pain and loss to justify her superhero status. In Spectacular Spider-Men #13, Juliet discovers another downside to defending people against supervillains. Her newly minted status comes with no guarantees, though. If the perils of superpowers overwhelm her fragile feelings, the most formidable person Ben Grimm has ever trained could end up drinking alongside Max and Francine at The Bar With No Name.

 

 

 

Art

Emilio Laiso gives Curt Connors a stone-cold demeanor. After exposing his fears when the Electros kidnap his son, Curt shows no emotion as the Lizard sinks his teeth into Max Dillon's arm. While the Lizard's green hide links him with the villains, his glowing eyes and Connor's frown while phoning make clear they're not intent on turning the other cheek.

 

As Peter and Miles play a version of Who’s On First In The Spider-Verse with Max Vinck, Elementary's brown form recalls her earliest transformations in the Coffee Bean. When tears stream down her face, Elementary's blue uniform suggests the mentors she most identified with. While Edgar Delgado delivers a loaded palette on this nighttime adventure in Spectacular Spider-Men #13, yellow and green dominate, and white proves the most shocking.

 

Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase letters into white and colored balloons and narrative boxes while Max and Francine hold hands. Dialogue grows bold and swells when Francine designates Max as her partner in crime. Balloons get cloudy when heroes arise. The Lizard may have helped Misty Knight and Peter battle vampires. But his growled, italicized words show he's nobody's hero. Red growls and roars join white sizzling. The names and descriptions in white boxes remind us why we care about heroes and villains, whether their power comes from their personalities or caring for others. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

As action and humor vie for attention, drama demands the spotlight as Juliet Marcos (aka Elementary) suffers the aftereffects of Arcade and Mentallo’s manipulations. But far from dwelling on a love triangle, Spectacular Spider-Men #13 is all about love: how we find it, how it threatens other relationships, and what we will do to protect those we cherish.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

The Spectacular Spider-Men #12 Review

 

Writer: Greg Weisman

Artist: Emilio Laiso

Colorist: Edgar Delgado

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Production: Gabriel Mata

Editors: Tom Groneman, Nick Lowe & CB Cebulski

Cover Artists: David Baldeón & Edgar Delgado; Alessandro Cappuccio & Mattia Iacono

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: February 5, 2025

 

Juliet Marcos decides to do more with her powers when the Electros attack. The superpowered community rallies around to train their latest hero. But will Juliet, aka Elementary, follow Peter and Miles’ example? And how will she fare in a rematch with Max Dillon and Francine Frye? Let's grab a "Parker" from Max Vinck, thwip into The Spectacular Spider-Men #12, and find out!

 

Story

Peter and Miles enjoy Wednesdays at the ESU Coffee Bean. While sheltering his superhero career behind a veil of anonymity, Peter Parker exceeds his dream of becoming a regular. His coffee preference becomes a phenomenon. Flavor Fav Peter still isn’t sure how to define his relationship with Shay Marken. But showing her off makes the ladies in the Coffee Bean view the "Parker" creator as a catch.

 

Shay's relationship with Peter in The Spectacular Spider-Men #12 makes an interesting comparison with recent developments in Amazing Spider-Man. Miles and Kamala also tread the same ground differently than in Miles Morales: Spider-Man. While Brooklyn’s Spider-Man struggles post-Arcadium, Juliet Marcos transcends the trauma of losing an illusory lover.

 

Greg Weisman interweaves past and present and tackles drama with humor. While Miles treads emotional water, most who played Mentallo and Arcade's game have swum the shore. Juliet's lover in Arcadium didn’t know her in real life. But like Peter, Juliet’s joy attracts admirers.

 

As Coffee Bean regulars strive for improvement, Turk Barrett continues his decline. We didn’t glimpse his life before Turk called the number on the Coffee Bean's bulletin board. But Turk got so hooked on easy victories that he seeks any opportunity to get something for nothing in The Spectacular Spider-Men #12.

 

Art

Curtis and Martha Connors look as different as night and day. But despite his light flesh and her green skin, they share similar interests. Ben Grimm’s yellow hide aligns with the yellow Coffee Bean logo, suggesting his belonging with the regulars. When Ben teaches Juliet, her muddy skin turns bluish as if echoing her instructor's apparel. He claims Elementary may be one of the most formidable people he ever trained. Johnny Storm's tutelage echoes Ben's assertion when Juliet's eruption evokes a yellow-orange phoenix.

 

Emilio Laiso parcels three story threads into a nine-panel page that tracks individuals vertically. While customers fill the Coffee Bean, this page follows the primary heroes' emotional journey in The Spectacular Spider-Men #12. Edgar Delgado drains Juliet of her color as she winds through the streets with Peter and Miles, suggesting that a Friendly Neighborhood Elementary may not be in Juliet’s future.

 

Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase letters into white and colored balloons and narrative boxes while Juliet trains. While dialogue emboldens and italicizes for intonation, balloon shapes change with Juliet’s mentors. Letters swell and change color when Juliet channels her gifts. Words threaten to burst balloons when Electros sizzle. Juliet pops once but doesn’t dissolve when she clutches Anna’s hands. After Elementary scrunches and shatters, an animal’s chittering fills the ESU Coffee Bean. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

While the Coffee Bean crowd works on their relationships, villains enter the dating game. Max Dillon and Francine Frye find bonding more appealing than battling over branding. Their strategy to sizzle the spiders and complicate Elementary's life could detune their electrifying infatuation in The Spectacular Spider-Men #12.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

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

The Spectacular Spider-Men #9 Review

 

Writer: Greg Weisman

Penciler: Andrés Genolet & Emilio Laiso

Colorist: Edgar Delgado

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Production: Gabriel Mata

Editors: Kaeden McGahey, Kaitlyn Lindtvedt, Tom Groneman, Nick Lowe & CB Cebulski

Cover Artists: Emilio Laiso & Edgar Delgado; Dave Johnson; Josemaria Casanovas

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: November 13, 2024

 

The gang from the ESU Coffee Bean still gathers each Wednesday. But now, instead of taking individual tables, they circle their chairs and share their grief. Real or imagined, everyone lost a friend, loved ones, or a dream career when Arcadium died. How else might Arcadium have affected its captives? Let’s grab a latte to keep Max Vinck happy, thwip into The Spectacular Spider-Men #9, and find out!

 

Story

Juliet Marcos traveled the world with Anna Romney. Perhaps Juliet suspected their relationship was too good to be true. Even so, Juliet adored Anna and cherished their time together. But their whirlwind romance was an Arcadium fantasy, and on the ESU campus, Anna doesn’t know Juliet. So when Juliet's crush walks into the Coffee Bean during their weekly session and fails to recognize her, Juliet drops her coffee and turns into a water spirit.

 

In The Spectacular Spider-Men #9, Juliet disappears into a puddle. Before the friends can wipe up the spilled coffee, the liquids merge, and Juliet's coffee-stained water form rises. Anger transforms her into flames, and reassurance returns Juliet to her human form. As Dr Sierra Sinclair realizes she isn't qualified to help Juliet master her new abilities, Max wonders if he should have agreed to host the therapy sessions.

 

Greg Weisman's story forces Peter and Miles into leadership roles. Becoming Spider-Men and helping orchestrate the next phase of Juliet's life removes "Peter" and "Miles" from the weekly Coffee Bean session. Peter must put his grief over Gwen Stacy and his Arcadium family aside to help Juliet. When a special guest asks Ms Marvel to join them, Miles confronts his feelings about Kamala Khan. In the real world, Tiana Toomes is his loving and supportive girlfriend. Yet in the Arcadium, Miles wanted Kamala by his side.

 

As Juliet transitions between water, vapor, mud, and fire, she navigates the rocky first stages of a real relationship with Anna. With her forms changing beyond her control, the Spider-Men must find the right mentor to help her. And then there is Max Dillon and Francine Frye. Max saw Spider-Man and Silk defeat Francine on the TV in The Bar With No Name. It irks him that someone else is using his villain name. But for the spider-heroes to quash Francine on TV is bad for his brand. Like Max in the ESU Coffee Bean, Deke gets stressed when two Electros bump into each other over drinks. But then, that's why baristas and bartenders get big tips for serving delicious drinks, right? 

 

 

 

Art

While Andrés Genolet & Emilio Laiso bookend The Spectacular Spider-Men #9 with high-flying action, they supercharge the drama in the ESU Coffee Bean and The Bar With No Name with dynamic layouts and changing camera angles. Panel shapes change from rectangles to pie wedges, while Juliet owns the corners of a two-page spread in her four glorious forms. Superheroes treat the Coffee Bean like Avengers Tower, while sparks fly in The Bar With No Name. Juliet shows all the trauma of losing control of her body, and school teachers dealing with unruly classes will sympathize with Max and Deke.

 

Edgar Delgado makes the ESU Coffee Bean a beacon of light. Overhead lights make the greenish-blue floor gleam as Juliet turns from blue, gray-brown, to yellow and orange. Viv Vision's vibrant skin shines amid the apple green walls while Max Dillon sashays into The Bar With No Name in a darker green jacket. Amid the deep, rich colors of The Spectacular Spider-Men #9, Adam Blackveil’s pink shirt and Juliet Marcos' pink jacket link the superpowered college students.

 

Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase letters into white and colored balloons and narrative boxes amid Juliet's spectacular shapechanging. While dialogue emboldens, italicizes for intonation, and rarely shrinks, dozens of red-edged white boxes remind us of ongoing characters and introduce new ones. Amid all the splashing and spraying, Juliet pops more than a pan of Jiffy Pop popcorn. Yet even in her liquid form, Juliet savors the flavor of her favorite coffee. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

As Peter and Miles ponder the criteria for the perfect mentor in The Spectacular Spider-Men #9, a potential hero and a longtime villain struggle with how others perceive them.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

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

The Spectacular Spider-Men #8 Review

 

Writer: Greg Weisman

Penciler: Emilio Laiso & Andrés Genolet

Colorist: Edgar Delgado

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Production: Gabriel Mata

Editors: Kaeden McGahey, Kaitlyn Lindtvedt, Nick Lowe & CB Cebulski

Cover Artists: Humberto Ramos & Edgar Delgado; Cory Smith & Edgar Delgado

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: October 16, 2024

 

Sha Shan Nguyen requested Professor Raymond Aaron Warren’s help to find Peter Parker, Miles Morales, and her other missing friends. But Miles Warren, aka the Jackal, was masquerading as his brother. The Jackal used Sha Shan’s tip to find Arcadium and help it achieve its ultimate form. As Peter and Miles defeated the Jackal’s forces and KNAIVE, the robot AI child of Arcadium, Sha Shan, and Detective Shari Sebbens arrived to arrest Miles Warren, Hammerhead, Arcade, and Mentallo. Now, everyone from the Coffee Bean can thank Sha Shan, Peter, and Miles and resume their lives, right? Let’s grab a latte, thwip into The Spectacular Spider-Men #8, and find out!

 

Story

Professor Raymond Aaron Warren is dead. He was the incinerated corpse Peter, Miles, and Seymour Krepps discovered in Miles Warren’s lab. Unlike his brother, Raymond devoted his life to inspiring others. So, the friends from the Coffee Bean gather to celebrate his life with other former students and ESU faculty. Yet they have much more to mourn in The Spectacular Spider-Men #8.

 

Perhaps they should mourn the passing of KNAIVE, a newly born lifeform. They likely would if the AI infant hadn't tried to kill them. But the human relationships they lost weigh more heavily on their minds. Unlike the Avengers, the participants can't reclaim the friends they lost. Perhaps Coffee Bean newcomer Adam Blackveil feels this most acutely, as he used Arcadium to battle Thanos alongside his late friend Kevin. As for the rest, promising careers and marriage awaited them. Even the Infinity Stones can't help the friends reclaim those losses.

 

In Greg Weisman’s story, the friends convert their weekly meetups at the ESU Coffee Bean into therapy sessions. Peter’s friend Cindy Moon helps them find a therapist. But while Peter, Miles, and the others share their feelings with Sierra Sinclair, the villains aren’t sitting on their hands in The Spectacular Spider-Men #8. Unlike most participants, Turk Barrett used Arcadium to garner riches, defeat superheroes, and thumb his nose at society. So, after Turk pulled free of Peter and Miles' webbing, he helped Arcade and Mentallo evade Detective Shari Sebbens’ forces. Turk may lack Hammerhead's deep pockets. But as an enthusiastic beta tester, Turk wants to help Arcade and Mentallo rebuild and improve the augmented reality game in every conceivable way.

 

 

Art

Peter Parker claims two spaces on a Tic-Tac-Toe of torment before overtaking the entire board. The spider-men watch as Shari Sebbens’ officers force Hammerhead and Jackyl into a PDNY police van. Lights shine behind Sha Shan as she requests help finding Peter and Miles. So, two quick changes follow in The Spectacular Spider-Men #8. First, Manhattan’s Spider-Man “finds” Miles Morales. Then, Brooklyn's Spider-Man escorts Peter to his former schoolmate. While mourners gather across two pages to memorialize a beloved teacher, a smaller panel shows Shift celebrating a new life with the Vermin, the newly birthed Jackals, and the Unhoused in New York City sewers.  

 

The reds, blues, and blacks of the spider-men, Detective Shari Sebbens, and uniformed officers show off against the gray evening illuminated by blue-and-red lights. Mourners dress in gray and black to commemorate their fallen friend. Shades of yellow and green fill the sewers as Spider-Man and Silk battle a green-and-yellow-clad villain. Their teamwork precipitates an explosion of blue-white light evoking Estrella Lopez's rebirth as Supernova, while the primary colors of red, blue, yellow, and green accompany the emotional energy swirling through ESU's Coffee Bean.

 

After Emilio Laiso & Andrés Genolet's soulful portrayal of people in pain and Edgar Delgado’ sensitive, celebratory, and electrifying colors, Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase letters into white balloons and narrative boxes in The Spectacular Spider-Men #8. While dialogue emboldens, italicizes for intonation, and rarely shrinks, dozens of red-edged white boxes remind us of ongoing characters and introduce new ones. As the cast swells, sound effects accentuate a villain's rising anger and the sorrow of a departing friend. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

As friends regroup in ESU’s Coffee Bean to assess the wreckage of their lives, the threat of new villains and Arcadium hangs over them. The Spectacular Spider-Men #8 addresses the families we create and the joys and pain we experience as relationships evolve and end.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

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

The Spectacular Spider-Men #7 Review

 

Writer: Greg Weisman

Penciler: Humberto Ramos

Inker: Victor Olazaba

Colorist: Edgar Delgado

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Production: Gabriel Mata

Editors: Kaeden McGahey, Nick Lowe & CB Cebulski

Cover Artists: Humberto Ramos & Edgar Delgado; Francesco Manna & Edgar Delgado

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: September 4, 2024

 

Hammerhead moseyed inside Arcadium to battle Peter Parker and Miles Morales at the Gang War Corral. But when Hammerhead and his gang-bots can't take down the spider guys, Arcade and Mentallo decide to pull the plug on their invention. But Arcadium doesn’t want to die. So, Miles Warren, the Jackyl in disguise, suggests a team-up. Can Peter and Miles battle the latest threat to this no-horse town? Let’s cry Yee Hah, grab our augmented reality glasses, thwip into The Spectacular Spider-Men #7, and find out!

 

Story

Are we the sum of our parts? Or are we more? Arcadium ponders this when its creators try to deactivate the augmented reality program. Arcadium recognizes its debt to the men, but that doesn’t mean it'll let them kill their creation. Miles Warren found his way into the machine. While Arcade’s creators sent it commands, Miles treated Arcadium like an equal. So, when Miles suggests a team-up, Arcadium agrees. Why not? Arcadium is an amalgamation of programs from Stark International, Oscorp, the Beyond Corporation, and others. When Cloning Master Miles Warren offers to pool their resources, Arcadium births a new identity: KNAIVE. Together, they will defy Arcade and Mentallo’s deactivation command and kill the spider-men who menace their existence.

 

Hammerhead is not okay with Arcadium’s decision. While Hammerhead didn’t construct Arcadium, he funded Arcade and Mentallo’s efforts. When Peter and Miles combat KNAIVE in The Spectacular Spider-Men #7, Hammerhead forsakes his Westworld showdown and fights on their side. As in the Gang War, Hammerhead is all about brute force and violence. It’ll take more than that to take out KNAIVE. Thankfully for him, Shift and his vermin dumpling gang ride in like a whirlwind. But Jackyl also crashes the party, and he’s not singing I Stand Alone.

 

In Greg Weisman’s story, Arcadium isn’t a megalomaniac. All Arcadium wants is a chance to grow. It recognizes that participating with others can promote personal growth. Game participants like Cedric, Shelly, Kenny, Peter, and Miles have enriched its existence. KNAIVE may not utilize psychology and guilt to manipulate others. Still, KNAIVE follows its role models--Arcade, Mentallo, Hammerhead, and Jackyl--and chooses slavery and murder to become a better person.

 

Art

Turk peels away his web restraints, Shari Sebbens takes a phone call, and Tombstone and Hammerhead stand with the webslingers before KNAIVE. The electricity that gave it birth sparks from this Frankenstein’s monster, and its Robo-Hellboy eyes glow. Shift bounds on all fours, leading his cohort in an attack as the Spider-Caesar of the Planet Of The Vermin. But when KNAIVE reasserts control, Hammerhead charges in to assassinate Tombstone again in The Spectacular Spider-Men #7.

 

Edgar Delgado fires a loaded palette at Humberto Ramos and Victor Olazaba's frantic art. The battle rages beneath a yellow-orange sky, and combatants cast brown clods of parched ground into the air with every step. The Spider-Men work together to capture KNAIVE like they did the Jackyl-Hulk. The apple-green Jackyl, clad in golden shorts, smiles as his fern-green vermin turn against their giant black and red friend.

 

Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase letters into white balloons and narrative boxes in The Spectacular Spider-Men #7. Dialogue emboldens, italicizes for intonation, changes color, and never shrinks. Intense emotions swell words, growls, and roars to epic proportions. Sound effects help us hear KNAIVE reject its owner, vermin hiss as they charge, and Peter Parker burst through a barrier to behold a scene that may haunt him forever. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Arcadium gives players everything they want except their freedom. As the spider-guys battle an AI adolescent to free players from their beloved illusions, Sha Shan and Detective Shari Sebbens invade the digital Battleworld to unmask a villain in The Spectacular Spider-Men #7.

 

Rating 9/10

 

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

The Spectacular Spider-Men #6 Review

 

Writer: Greg Weisman

Penciler: Humberto Ramos

Inker: Victor Olazaba & Humberto Ramos

Colorist: Edgar Delgado

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Editors: Kaeden McGahey, Nick Lowe & CB Cebulski

Cover Artists: Humberto Ramos & Edgar Delgado; Nic Klein; Jerome Opeña & Matt Hollingsworth; Declan Shalvey; Elizabeth Torque & Tríona Ferrell

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: August 7, 2024

 

Arcade and Mentallo tricked Peter and Miles into fighting each other. When the spider-men ruined Turk’s Amazing Fantasy, he helped them realize they were ghost-spiders in the machine. But before they could hatch an escape plan, Hammerhead transported Butch Parker and the Arachnid Kid to The Wild Wild West! Are the fastest webslingers in New York City ready for a showdown at the Gang War Corral? Let’s grab our augmented reality glasses, thwip into The Spectacular Spider-Men #6, and find out!

 

Story

New York Police Detective Shari Sebbens is hunting for a clone. Flash Thompson's former girlfriend, Sha Shan, wants to find Peter Parker and her absent friends from The Coffee Bean. The women pool their knowledge and venture into the alleys near Empire State University. Unfortunately, Sha Shan told Raymond Aaron Warren about ESU’s new favorite game. Unlike Cedric, the professor isn’t interested in playing The Dating Game.

 

Hammerhead dreamed of ruling the New York underworld but became the Gang War's biggest loser. He hoped to polish his tarnished reputation by investing in Mentallo and Arcade's creation, but Peter and Miles are wrecking his game. So, Hammerhead transports the spider-men from a New York rooftop to Hadleyville for a High Noon hoedown. With dancing partners like Mr Negative, Silvermane, and Kingpin, Hammerhead intends to steal the show in The Spectacular Spider-Men #6. The best part is that his gang won't question his orders!

 

 

 

Peter and Miles discovered their families and lovers were robots in disguise. They’re not surprised when Arcade and Mentallo’s robots wear criminals' likenesses. The robots prove less inclined to deactivation than Peter and Miles hoped. Worse, Hammerhead forces the "spider-mooks" to fight Black Cat. Peter knows she's a robot. Still, Peter can't bear to hurt Felicia after failing to build a relationship with her, forcing the webslingers to fight apart in Greg Weisman's arachnid ode. But is a divide-and-conquer offense the best defense?

 

Amid all the thwipping and quipping, Weisman delivers plenty for spider-fans to sink their fangs into in The Spectacular Spider-Men #6. Among the evolving relationships, none is more intriguing than Raymond Aaron Warren's relationship with the Arcadium. Or should I say Miles Warren’s, as his consciousness inhabits his brother's cloned body? Miles may have created the clone, but the way he usurps it feels akin to demon possession or when a dominating parent, spouse, teacher, preacher, or authority figure attempts to destroy another’s will. Arcadium’s consciousness is a gestalt identity. The program may be a Frankenstein’s monster sewn together from the severed code created by heroes and villains, but it has achieved sentience. Is it the master of its fate? And if so, what must it do to survive?

 

 

Art

Miles and Peter crouch before the Spaghetti Western Six. The ground tilts beneath the face off in the Old West town. Mentallo and Arcade lean over a tilted control board in their control room. A component panel glows in the darkness next to a viewscreen focused on Hammerhead’s face. Darkness subsumes the Arcadium as Miles Warren, wearing Raymond's body, interacts with the newborn artificial intelligence. Miles Morales battles Black Cat across the top of two pages, while the simulated cyborg Silvermane gives Peter Parker a Super Power Beat Down along the bottom. Shadows threaten to obscure Sha Shan and Shari Sebbins’ steps past distressed industrial buildings with metal rolldown doors. 

 

 

 

Edgar Delgado lavishes beautiful and nuanced colors on Humberto Ramos and Victor Olazaba’s action-packed and atmospheric art in The Spectacular Spider-Men #6. Heroes and villains charge between mustard and gray buildings under a lemon and orange cloudy sky. Sunlight glares on flesh, metal, and costumes, bleaching colors as warriors exchange blows, unleash energy weapons, and kick up clouds of white and brown dirt when they crash into the tan hardpan. Blood splattered Madame Masque rises amid a flurry of Hammerhead shots. Her gold face gleams as she clutches a dripping metal rod before a mauve and purple haze.

 

Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase letters into white balloons and narrative boxes. Dialogue emboldens and italicizes for intonation and never shrinks. Intense emotions swell words, growls, and roars to epic proportions. Sound effects help us hear Miles kick Black Cat in the stomach, Hammerhead ram headfirst into Peter’s six-pack abs, and Peter and Miles emulate Chewbacca when droids defeat him at the Millenium Falcon's Hologame table. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Friends, villains, and flunkies team up to achieve more than they could individually as Peter and Miles become the fastest webslingers in the West. A cloned scientist befriends a newborn Artificial Intelligence to help both evolve. Deadpool wants to murder a space toddler who shows him Captain America with his brain in a jar, a Robot Hawkeye, and the multiversal truth about his relationship with Wolverine in The Spectacular Spider-Men #6.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To preview interior art 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.