MARCO SPEAKS SPIDEY: Spider-Man: Black Suit & Blood (2024) #2 REVIEW

With the next Venom movie getting closer and closer, I can’t help but be drawn to anything with a symbiote in it. And this special little gem of a series is just enough to satisfy my appetite for some blood and guts. Obviously, the art will get your attention right off the bat, with the solid black and white colors bringing out the harsh red. But deeper than the pencils and the colors lie really meaningful, deep and surprisingly intricate narratives that will keep the readers hooked throughout every page. And intentionally or not, this issue is actually a comprehensive look at Spidey’s life in the black costume. I shall explain further later.

OFFICIAL MARVEL COMICS DESCRIPTION:

Published

September 18, 2024

Writer

Dan JurgensErica SchultzGreg Weisman

Penciller

Javier FernandezMarcelo FerreiraDan Jurgens

Cover Artist

Giuseppe Camuncoli

AMID THE CHAOS CAME A COSTUME! Spider-Man’s black costume 40th Anniversary celebration web-slings into dark and novel territory – BLACK, WHITE & BLOOD style! GREG WEISMAN (SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MEN, Gargoyles, The Spectacular Spider-Man) and JAVI FERNÁNDEZ (MARVEL ZOMBIES: BLACK, WHITE & BLOOD) take Peter Parker and the symbiote suit right to the bleeding edge! ERICA SCHULTZ (DAREDEVIL: GANG WAR, BLOOD HUNTERS) and MARCELO FERREIRA’s (STRANGE, MOON KNIGHT: CITY OF THE DEAD) Spidey shows no mercy! And legend DAN JURGENS (THOR, THE SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN) writes and illustrates a bold new take on one of the most iconic chapters of Spider-Man’s life!

PROS:

• What I appreciate about this specific issue is that it tackles three different aspects of Spider-Man’s career in the black suit. The first tale talks all about the rage that Spider-Man had to often deal with when working with the symbiote. The second short, on the other hand, goes a bit lighter and delves into the very human, and very down-to-earth lifestyle that Peter Parker kept, despite donning the darker costume. The third story focused on the calculating nature of the symbiote, showing how the dark side prefers to eliminate threats and dangers, rather than have them continue to run around the city causing chaos and pain to the very people that Peter Parker has sworn to protect.
• Anytime that you have Spider-Man going up against Morbius in a street-fight, and Spider-Man actually comes out as the bigger monster, is something you want to grab the popcorn for. But it’s his confrontation with Flash that hurts even more, because poor Flash was so clueless. At this point, he and Peter have pretty much moved on from their toxic, high school relationship, but the symbiote won’t seem to let that slide just like that. It’s an interesting POV of how maybe deep down inside, we have a harder time forgiving and letting go than we think. Maybe a little bit of rage still lurks and lingers around there, corrupting our soul, eager to come out if given the tiniest of openings.
• The second story mainly got me because of the burgers, the fries and just the fact that I can relate to Spider-Man’s ideal meal after a long day of hard work. But his team-up with Daredevil was admittedly pretty cool, as well, don’t get me wrong! It’s kind of funny that even since I was a little kid, the chemistry between Daredevil and Spider-Man always revolved around one of them being the distraction for the other in a fight. And that brand of collaboration still stands true today. That’s precisely how they took down Bullseye. I’ll never say no to a Daredevil versus Bullseye story, and when you add Spider-Man in a black suit into the equation, I am eating well. Also, I can totally relate to Spider-Man getting ketchup on his shirt. It happens to me all the damn time.
• The ending for the third tale was a shocker, pun intended. While Spider-Man was able to convince the symbiote not to kill Shocker, himself, it seems like his ex-partner got the wrong end of the stick. The struggle between Peter Parker’s hope against the symbiote’s very calculating, cold and ruthless nature against threats was something, again, that maybe we can all relate to in some way. I’m just glad Spidey doesn’t have to live with the guilt of Shocker’s teammate’s blood being on his hands.

NO CONS THIS WEEK! PERFECT ISSUE!

FINAL GRADE: A+++

I am all in for this series, celebrating the milestones and prolific career of the symbiote. These untold tales may not be earth-shattering or universe-bending, but they hit hard, and they hit one after another. Take it as food for the soul. Have a great weekend, everybody!