Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #4 Review

 

Writer: Saladin Ahmed

Artist, Colorist & Cover Artist: Juan Ferreyra

Letterers: Joe Caramagna

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: January 31, 2023

 

Peter Parker lost his home and powers. The people in his life—Aunt May, Mary Jane, and J.J. Jameson—turned out to be murderous androids. People wearing masks hunted him in the forest. Mysterio appealed to him for help. Now Spidercide—a clone-brother who hates him—claims they’re all rats in a maze. Who turned Peter’s world upside down? And can Peter escape this madness? Let's thwip into Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #4 and find out!

 

Story

Fear propelled Peter through this nightmare series. Mysterio revealed that much of what Peter experienced wasn't real. The unceasing horror skyrocketed Peter's adrenaline, making it hard to think. Operating in a feverish state and unable to trust his memories, Peter gave in to primal instincts. He stabbed the bus conductor's eye. He bit a hunter's face. The overwhelming events eroded Peter's ability to be your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.

 

Miles Warren, a.k.a. the Jackal, forced Mysterio and Spidercide to create this nightmare. Spidercide hates Spider-Man, but he’s no one’s puppet. The clone deactivates the technology that suppressed Peter’s superhero strength, reactions, and senses. The healing flood of energy and abilities overwhelms Peter again. With his great responsibility dispelled, Spider-Man redresses wrongs.

 

In Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #4, Saladin Ahmed probes what defines us. We all know we shouldn't give in to fear and that anxiety never benefits anyone. Still, nightmares seep into reality. We worry about losing our jobs, homes, and loved ones. We fear friends will turn against us and villains will hunt and torment us. The girl on the train laid bare the worst fear of all: that of a parent losing a child. The Jackal tormented Peter with all of these because he hates him. Does Miles Warren still blame Peter for Gwen Stacey's death? Did the blond girl on the train represent Gwen's innocence?

 

While he provides no discernable links, Saladin Ahmed spins Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #4 into an intricate spider-verse. Peter combats Miles Warren as Spider-Man's relationship with Miles Morales stumbles over rocky ground. Peter has struggled to return Rek-Rap's adoration, while Spidercide--who resembles the loveable spider-oaf--wants Peter dead. Saladin Ahmed deconstructs our hero. Then he asks: can Peter ever come back from this? 

 

Art

Strapped to an operating table, needles, and surgical tools surround Spidercide’s head as he recounts his reprogramming. The giant clone looms over Spider-Man. The way he thrusts his face toward Peter’s evokes the Alien Xenomorph preparing to launch his inner jaw. A bird’s eye view shows Spidercide unleash Peter’s powers. Spiders crawl toward Peter at the center of a web. This splash page also exposes Peter's brain and reveals the Jackal's lair.

 

Peter leaps from one masked hunter to the next in Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #4, ripping androids apart like a Predator pulling skull and spine from its prey. Unlike the gothic Un-Fun House, the Jackal resides in a modern stronghold. Featureless corridors give way to an operating theatre. Blood stains the surgical table and flows into a drain in the tile floor.

 

Blues and reds dominate Peter and Spidercide’s rainy night encounter. Gray and green dominate the Jackal's lair. Rays of light stream through darkened panels, highlighting people and creating shadows. When Juan Ferreyra returns us to New York City, pastels color the skies, buildings, streets, and parks. Yet Spider-Man rises to the forefront, clad in his bold blue-and-red. Perhaps this, more than any other aspect of the story and art, suggests Peter’s future in Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #4.

 

Joe Caramagna thwips black uppercase letters into white dialogue balloons and red-edged narrative boxes. His large text grows bold for inflection and swells for shouts and yells. While yellow-and-red sound effects enhance Peter's destructive dance, red ones enforce his brutal red fists. Most haunting is the sizzling surrounding Spidercide and the enormous black letters that fight to escape their balloon as the giant clone screams.

 

Final Thoughts

Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #4 plumbs Peter Parker's soul. The issue leaves our hero with no easy answers. Will Peter hesitate the next time danger threatens? Will he overreact to a threatening villain? Peter survives this harrowing ordeal. But does he emerge the victor or the victim?

 

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

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

Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #3 Review

 

Writer: Saladin Ahmed

Artist, Colorist & Cover Artist: Juan Ferreyra

Letterers: Joe Caramagna

Variant Cover Artists: Alessandro Cappuccio & Rachelle Rosenberg

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: December 20, 2023

 

Stripped of his identity and powers, Peter boarded a train to Hell ruled by a murderous conductor. When the train stopped, Peter escaped and entered a lonely house. He rescued J. Jonah Jameson, Aunt May, and Mary Jane from a torture chamber. They even recognized him! Has Peter Parker's nightmare finally ended? Let's thwip into Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #3 and find out!

 

Story

After Peter frees them, anger consumes their faces. His friends chase him through the mansion. Yet their movements and voices seem wrong. Peter kicks a banister supporting the railing and holds on as the staircase collapses.

 

Watching his friends die doesn’t faze Peter in Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #3. He searches the house, suspecting who he will find. He finds Mysterio bound and tortured like his friends. The master of illusion claims others forced him to create Peter’s nightmare. But this house has not revealed all its terrors. More horrors await outside.

 

Superpowers elevated Peter above his fellows. Superiority allowed him to find amusement in dangerous situations. He reasons differently without his ability to thwip and fly away. His muscles work differently without his super strength. Reduced to the status of mere mortals, what will Peter do to survive? No longer a superhero, is he still bound by the strictures of civilized man? Should he adopt Spidercide's brutality, whom he fought in the first issue, to ensure his survival? Is Peter justified in killing his friends if they turn on him?

 

In Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #3, Saladin Ahmed tests Peter’s humanity. The former web crawler passes some tests and fails others. Peter teams up with villains to escape his nightmare. As often proves the case, Peter's more reactive than proactive. Yet Peter's thinking on his feet. Hopefully, that will give him an edge in the next and final issue.

 

 

Art

Juan Ferreyra imbues Peter’s flight with body terror. Mary Jane, Aunt May, and J. Jonah Jameson evoke zombies. Pins and needles pierce Mysterio’s shaved skull. Spinal columns protrude from walls. Bones form the banisters and railing lining the upper floor landing and stairs. The ring of hair circling Mysterio's head associates him with priests. Creatures in the woods evoke passengers on the death train in issue #1. A priest should help Peter battle demonic foes, shouldn’t he?

 

Yellows, oranges, and reds dominate haunted house scenes, strengthening the body association. Stark shadows and harsh lighting heighten the sense of being trapped. White space gets inked in Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #3, further enclosing panels. Rain pelts the fugitives as they flee through the dark woods nearby. Enemies emerge from the thick gray and blue air. Mysterio’s cape looks more purple than crimson outside. And Peter wears a familiar costume that adds vitality to each panel.

 

We share Peter's thoughts as he navigates these horrors. Joe Caramagna’s black uppercase letters in white balloons and boxes help us follow Peter each step of the way. Sounds inside the house—whether a cry for help or an instrument of death—assume an organic appearance. In the woods, shotguns blast with abrasive force. A brutal chomp accompanies an attack of startling savagery.

 

Final Thoughts

Peter Parker can't trust anyone he meets or anything he sees. Thought-provoking scenes and mesmerizing imagery ensure Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #3 lingers long after the violent, fast-paced story ends.

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

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

Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #2 Review

 

Writer: Saladin Ahmed

Artist & Colorist: Juan Ferreyra

Letterers: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Juan Ferreyra, Björn Barends; Chris Allen & Guru-Efx

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: November 15, 2023

 

Peter Parker lost his spider powers. No one recognized him. A text message directed him to board a train. But when Peter couldn't produce a ticket, the conductor opted for a pound of flesh instead. Without his healing abilities, can Peter withstand the conductor's attack? Let's thwip into Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #2 and find out!

 

Story

While fleeing the mad conductor, Peter befriends a young girl. She suggests a means of escape. He follows her lead but chooses not to follow her example. Hearing the conductor again, he flees into another car. Shocked by what he finds there, he suddenly realizes the conductor has caught up with him. Peter embraces attack as the best form of defense and escapes the conductor. A timely stop allows him to disembark, where more horrors and discoveries await.

 

Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #2 lacks the usual quips or character interaction that celebrates friendship and empowerment. Horrific events propel Peter Parker into flight mode. While not out of proportion, Peter's attack on the conductor seems like something he'd never do if he had his spider powers. It’s not Snowpiercer, but the issue boasts more graphic violence than your usual Spidey title. The final act evoked The Cell, which I saw in the theater and never watched again! 

 

 

 

Saladin Ahmed's story feels more like a nightmare than a reality. As Spider-Man, Peter built humor into an impressive armory. He constantly deploys it to defuse tension and distract criminals. I wonder why Peter didn’t try using it on the conductor. Is Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #2 a Spider-Man book? I don’t know. I can tell you that the horror feels more restrained than the latter portion of the first issue, and the story is better for it. 

 

Art

Juan Ferreyra focuses on facial features. While steeping backgrounds in gray, he imbues people with realistic skin tones, highlighting, and shading. All this enhances the feeling of dread and helps you identify with Peter amid these nightmare events. Juan proves adept at portraying action, especially on the train. After Peter leaves it, Ferreyra streaks panels with rain. Ferreyra adds a dash of Hansel And Gretel to these scenes while seasoning the final act with classic Haunted House imagery. Art and coloring combine to make Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #2 a compelling read, made all the more immersive by Joe Caramagna’s black uppercase letters in white balloons and boxes. Oh, and did I mention Caramagna's eerie and vicious sound effects?

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Dan Slott’s recent series freed Peter from Spider-Man duties, which allowed him to devote more time to his family and career. By stripping away his spider powers and identity, Saladin Ahmed frees Peter from any responsibility to himself and others. Yet even while fighting for his life in Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #2, Peter grasps opportunities to help others.

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

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

Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #0 Review

 

Writer: Saladin Ahmed

Artist & Colorist: Juan Ferreyra

Letterers: Joe Sabino & Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Juan Ferreyra; Greg Land & Frank D’Armata; Peach Momoko

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $9.99

Release Date: September 13, 2023

 

His complicity in the death of his Uncle Ben compelled Peter Parker to a life of service. Lately, other nightmares have plagued him: his inability to save everyone from a burning building and his failure to forge a future with Mary Jane. Now, a song haunts him. But why? And what does it mean? Let's thwip into Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #0 and find out!

 

Story

Has a song ever stuck in your head and refused to leave? No matter how catchy the tune or fun the lyrics, did it annoy and distract you? If so,  you'll understand what Peter's going through in Saladin Ahmed’s story. In Peter’s case, it’s no “Pump Up The Jam” or “Ice Ice Baby.” It starts like a sweet lullaby and then bespeaks acts of violence and cruelty.

 

As Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #0 continues, the song grows in power. It haunts Peter's days and transforms his dreams while prying his sticky fingers off their tenuous grip on reality. It makes it so he doesn't want to sleep. One evening, awakened and unsettled, he frightens a woman he's pledged to protect. It's another signal that he must discover what's happening to him—and who is causing it—soon.

 

The eighty-five-page episodic story unfolds as Peter helps his neighbors, battles robots, and traces incidents to their source. Peter may get lost in the web as he searches, and not all strands lead to the nexus. Along the way, his nightmare adversary will threaten Aunt May and remind him of his failure with Mary Jane.

 

 

Art

Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #0 begins with a dream. Colors and shapes emerge from the mist. It shows Peter as the world sees him. As he fights to take control, it reveals who he truly is. Then his eyes open, bathed in a universe of light. Yet he rises in a dimly lit bedroom.

 

Evenings in Juan Ferreyra’s panels evoke film noir, with tilted camera angles and glowing lights that color evenings with a smoky resonance. By day, Spider-Man swings above the streets and battles robots so fast that he blurs and spins a web of light. Detailed penciling and rounded shapes give way to thick inks and rough edges. Pencils or markers color an eerie dream world as Peter spies structures that mirror those in New York City.

 

Panels descend on scarlet strands, heralding their Infinity Comic origins in Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #0. Or they wander through the mist, showcasing Joe Sabino and Joe Caramagna’s dark, uppercase dialogue in white balloons. Listen for slashing knives, a monster's hisses, and Peter's thwips. Should you get lost, his dream will guide you, with big red letters scrawled by an unseen hand.

 

 

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Caught in a waking nightmare, Peter Parker navigates a dreamscape woven by fears for those he loves and strives to protect. Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #0 is a mesmerizing journey, devoid of the goblins, lizards, and the familiar flamboyant felons Peter often fights.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

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