WAIT A MINUTE HOW DID I GET TO SATURDAY…I THOUGHT IT WAS WEDNESDAY. Much like The Superior Spider-Man my review has been displaced in time, read my review of what Spider-Verse has in store.
“Edge of Spider-Verse”
PLOT: Dan Slott
SCRIPT: Christos Gage
PENCILS: Giuseppe Camuncoli
INKS: John Dell
COLOR: Antonio Fabela
LETTERER: Chris Eliopoulos
“The Spider-Sanction”
WRITER: Christos Gage
ARTIST: Adam Kubert
COLORIST: Rain Beredo
LETTERER: Chris Eliopoulos
VARIANT COVER: Skottie Young
ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Ellie Pyle
EDITOR: Nick Lowe
PLOT: Taking place within the events of Superior Spider-Man #19 we get a glimpse of what Superior Spider-Man was up to during his time displacement, and it turns out he ended up smack dab into Spider-Man 2099’s timeline. After getting rescued by Miquel O’Hara’s brother, the Superior Spider-Man goes on a warpath in order to get the necessary equipment to travel back into his own time. After constructing his device (with a hologram version of Anna Maria) he begins to travel back to his own time, instead he ends up landing in various alternate time lines. We get a glimpse of, Spider-Man in the Fantastic Four, an armored Spidey variation, and many more all dead. Until one time jump lands Doctor Octopus smack dab in a Spider-Man India fight scene. A strange steam punk attacker is attempting to squash our beloved Indian
arachnid. Spock saves the poor lad from destruction, and they retreat back to 2099 where we meet Superior Spider-Man’s Spider warriors who are going to put a stop to this nonsense. In a backup story we are also introduced to a Spider-Punisher who became murderous after the death of Gwen. He and the Steam Punk villain from the Spider-Man India are in a quick battle which is disrupted by the Superior Spider-Man bringing Spider-Punisher onto his Spider-Team.
STORY: “This is beginning to sound like the plot of a bad comic book”, man with dilation portals, and alternate Spidey’s teaming up it almost seems like the Nineties Spider-Man cartoon is being given some much needed love. For those who aren’t aware, and didn’t spend all their time watching Spider-Man shows in the Nineties, the final episode of Spider-Man The Animated Series featured Peter Parker teaming up with other Spider-Men from throughout the multiverse to stop Spider-Carnage. Swap out Spider-Carnage with Morlun (or steam punk Morlun) and you have this story.
All in all this is pretty great, and really makes me miss Superior. The story had it all comedy, action, and most importantly it began my most anticipated Spider-story in years. I cannot wait to see a bunch of alt-Spiey’s running amok causing havoc and mayhem. My only sadness is seeing all of the dead Spider-Men in this issue, this isn’t a criticism just emoting on the power the image of my beloved hero dead can bring. The only real criticism is that there aren’t more “editors notes” because I really want to find out where some of these Spider-Men came from, or if they were made up specially for this storyline.
My hypothesis regarding the steam punk assassin is that he is the Morlun from Spider-Man 1602, who is trying to compensate for his universe’s Spider-Man going down so easily. He specifically mentions not wanting to prove “them” right, so I imagine the Spider-Verse storyline will feature various versions of Morlun himself which only makes sense.
ART: Love this artwork, I have missed Camuncoli lighting up my Spider-Man adventures every two weeks. His style is such a magnificent fit to this storyline, and his art really does tie this story nicely together with Superior, as he is Superior’s main artist in my mind. He also illustrates, and captures alternate Spider-Men surprisingly well allowing them all to mesh into some greatness.
SPIDER-MEN: Can anyone name me specifically the other Spider-Men in this issue? I know of the what if issue involving Spider-Man becoming a member of the Fantastic Four, but the other two dead Spider-Men are a mystery to me. I also am aware of Spider-Man Noir, Spider-Man India, and The Marvel Apes Spider-Man but where does the Six Armed one originate? Is that from a what if issue that ponders what would have happened after Amazing Spider-Man #100 if he had not lost his six arms?
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Michael did a good job pointing out the stories that the alt-Spideys originated from in his review. I went back and read all the issues he referenced on Marvel Unlimited just to refresh. Nice review, Andrew. I’m pretty excited to see all of these Spideys pop up together. Do they have the rights to the 90’s animated series? Or was that one of the ones that couldn’t appear?
@7 – I think that Spider-Verse was most likely going to be the story of issues 21-25, but Marvel convinced Slott that Peter should be the central character in Spider-Verse, and he replaced Spider-Verse with the Superior Venom story line in SSM.
The Spider-Punisher one is from another what if where Spider-Man decides to train with wolverine after that adventure they had together in Europe.
http://www.comicvine.com/what-if-spider-man-vs-wolverine-1-the-spider-who-w/4000-122073/
@6: I think he did know what it was he wanted to do. From what I’ve heard Spider-Verse was supposed to be a Superior Spider-Man storyline.
@4 – Ah, so basically Slott knew when he was writing SSM#19 that he wanted to do something with SpOck time-travelling but didn’t know at the time what that was, so this was like writing a blank cheque to his future self.
Then that explains why Peter isnt frantically prepping for Morlun.
@2 – Once SpOck returns to the present in issue #19, he says can’t remember where he’d been or what he’d been doing.
Thank goodness for color copiers. Otherwise I would have to buy six extra copies of this book to file at the end of the runs of the various dead Spider-Men.
The cover looks like the chibis from the Ultimate cartoon, can’t wait for George to remark on that on the podcast. Question: will these two issues be reviewed on the main podcast? Or are they considered “satellite titles” now that Amazing is back?
I never read Superior. Is any of this mentioned when SpOck returns in SSM#19 (or whatever issue he returns)?
Great review! The six-armed guy is from Mutant X (which I have never read), the other 2 dead guys are from the House of M mini and Web of Spidey 100 (armor).