Spider-Man: Velocity #2 Review

“And I just had this momentum transfer epiphany that is going to change everything.”

Still tracking the “ghost” Mary Jane and Peter come across mystic Quentin Beck. What could possibly go wrong?

WRITER: Dennis “Hopeless” Hallum

ARTIST: Emilio Laiso

COLORIST: Rachelle Rosenberg

LETTERER: VC’s Travis Lanham

COVER ARTIST: Skan

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Mark Bagley, Mark Morales & Frank D’Armata

PRODUCTION DESIGN: Nick Russell

ASSISTANT EDITOR: Martin Biro

EDITOR: Mark Basso

SPIDER-MAN created by STAN LEE & STEVE DITKO

STORY: Mary Jane and Peter visit mystic Quentin Beck, with the “ghost” once again telling MJ to drop the story. Back at the Bugle, Ben Urich has uncovered some Oscorp footage of  metabolic bombardment tests being run on one James Harvey. Speaking of tests, Spidey dons his new suit and puts it through some action in the field. Back at the Bugle, MJ, with the help of Peter, traps the “ghost” down in the basement. The pair watch the security monitors, waiting to see if the “ghost” slows down, which it does, revealing it to be a woman. After modifying his new suit further, Spidey goes in to retrieve her, but is unable to stop her from getting outside and getting her strength back up.

THOUGHTS: Spidey and MJ find themselves in a seance gone wrong on this issue’s cover. It’s a cool image, but one that’s brought down by some dull coloring. It doesn’t pop like the one from last month. On my second read-thru, I couldn’t help but notice the orb on the left bearing a striking resemblance to Mysterio’s head! Mark Bagley provides a speedy variant with Spidey doing his best impression of The Flash running up the side of the building as MJ and Robbie look on. It does a better job of selling the suit’s speed and offers a brighter image.

Opening with a visit to an occult shop called The Black Rabbit, Peter’s pessimism about this whole “ghost” situation feels more warranted here as he’s surrounded by supernatural trinkets. His scientist is showing and I appreciated his powers of observation as they walked into the back room where the seances take place.

I’m getting ahead of myself, though. Before we make it to that room we get introduced to the Quentin Beck of this universe and crystal balls abound, hinting at his potentially villainous turn. Not to mention, he dons a headpiece that very much is a callback to the mystic eyes on his 616 costume. Peter suspects trickery as the seance room is wired for video and sound, but Beck reassures him it is just for security. When things go crazy, he insists it’s real, waiving his fee and asking permission to share the footage on MeTube. The jury’s still out on how legit his operation is and I certainly wouldn’t put it past him to have some sort of scam going on, but it happily coincided with MJ’s “ghost”. Under Laiso’s pencil, there’s something earnest, but slimy about Beck. I hope this isn’t his last appearance in this mini.

I have to admit that if the OsCorp test subject named “James Harvey” is a reference to a Spidey or Marvel character, it is completely lost on me. My Google-Fu failed in finding anything as well. If he’s destined to turn into a version of a more well-known villain, well, it’s going to come as a surprise to me!

Our heroes set up a trap for the “ghost” which had a few fun little nods. First, MJ was acting as bait, giving a convincing performance that caught their tormentor off guard. Maybe this MJ did some off-Broadway work, too, in the eight years prior to this story! Secondly, the MJ holograms, once flickering off, bore a striking resemblance to the Holo Decoy ability of the Scarlet Spider suit in the game! While it would be fun to see Spidey use some of the other suits’ abilities, Hallum would have to try really hard to have Spidey have a shockwave guitar or shoot out flaming skulls!

Hallum reflects the passage of time as they wait out their prey by having Peter work on his suit, share a meal with MJ, and talk about the case they’re trying to crack. When something does finally happen with their prisoner, MJ’s astonished expression is priceless!

The big reveal is the “ghost” is an unnamed (for now, I’m sure) female speedster. Just in time for Spidey to try out the modifications he’s made on his new suit! Laiso really lets loose on the art here, showcasing the Velocity suit from any and every angle. As the fight spills outside, the speedster hits Spidey so hard it pops one of his lenses out! An impressive feat considering the same costume withstood a direct hit from a rocket earlier in the issue!

Now on his back foot, the issue ends with Spidey’s adversary powered up from eating rapidly at a nearby hot dog cart, reminding me a lot of how Flash Wally West’s powers worked in the ’80s and ’90s. I enjoyed the unexpected revelation that the speedster isn’t James Harvey. That gives Hallum some more time to expound on the mysteries he’s setting up. Compared to City at War, I’m digging the uncharted territory of Velocity. City at War, while an excellent story, felt tedious at times, even with the added material, because if you played the game you knew where everything was going and had to wait a month between installments. Looking back, it probably should have been two oversized issues instead of a six issue series, quickly followed by Velocity to keep the momentum going. When this universe was announced, this was the material I was waiting for them to get to.

Laiso’s art is consistent with his last effort. I enjoy it, but with some caveats, mainly when Peter mugs. Sometimes he comes off as sleepy or just odd looking. However, Spidey looks cool and I loved it when he walked out of the explosion with his eyes and spider glowing. It was very much a movie moment!

Hallum and Co. deliver a solid Spidey story, balancing action with character moments. Since the game, Peter and Mary Jane address each other as partner and that still holds true here. It feels like she is very much an equal with Peter as she helps push the story forward. It’s a great dynamic and Hallum nails it. Seeing Mysterio, or in this case Quentin Beck, show up was a welcome surprise and I hope we get more of him in this mini. Everyone feels a little more in the groove here, leaving me anticipating the next installment!

MY GRADE: B

JAVI’S HUH?: Did Peter seriously leave his first test for the armor’s durability against rockets for actual field conditions? That seems like something you’d test separately while, oh, I don’t know, NOT WEARING IT SO YOU DON’T DIE.