Spider-Man: City at War #2 Review

“Some kids wish their boring life was more like a comic book. Some kids are kinda dumb.”

Even with an advanced suit, can Spider-Man prevent there from being casualties in a city at war?

WRITER: Dennis “Hopeless” Hallum

ARTIST: Michele Bandini

COLORIST: David Curiel

LETTERER: VC’s Travis Lanham

COVER ARTIST: Clayton Crain

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Marco Checchetto; David Nakayama (Sinister Six-Electro Variant)

PRODUCTION DESIGN: Nick Russell

ASSISTANT EDITOR: Martin Biro

EDITOR: Mark Basso

SPIDER-MAN created by STAN LEE & STEVE DITKO

STORY: Miles is doing homework in his apartment when Ganke texts him that Spider-Man is fighting a new villain, Swarm. Peter finds out that Otto’s funding has been cut from the city. That night, Spidey goes to investigate a warehouse at the same time Miles’ father, Officer Jeffferson Davis does. Jefferson actually saves Spidey’s life by ramming his patrol car into a truck that was about to run the Web-Slinger down. Hailed as a hero, Mayor Osborn holds a ceremony to give Officer Davis a medal. MJ gets assigned to cover it for The Daily Bugle and asks Peter to accompany her. During the ceremony, a suicide bomber attacks, killing Jefferson as he valiantly tries to stop him. Peter meets Miles in his civilian guise for the first time at the funeral and offers his condolences.

THOUGHTS: Clayton Crain certainly paints a good cover. While we don’t see this scene in the book, fans of the game will certainly recognize many, many battles like it. Crain perfectly captures Spidey’s pose as he is about to land a blow upon the big bruiser!

Hallum shifts the focus more to Miles’ perspective this issue, giving us additional insight into his life AND a look at a boss battle against Swarm that didn’t appear in the game. It’s a warranted shift in focus as Jefferson’s heroism and sacrifice play such a pivotal point in the ongoing narrative. Don’t worry though, Spidey still shares the spotlight, too, as he teams up with Jefferson and later tries to console Miles after this issue’s tragic events.

So, how does this issue work as an adaptation of the game? As a comic itself, it reads smoother than the inaugural issue, feeling less jumpy and more connected as a narrative. Some major sequences that you play in the game get short shrift though, but how many panels of Miles sneaking around the rubble do you need?

Likewise, the issue also omits Spidey’s fight with the Demons attacking Fisk’s men and the ensuing helicopter chase where he confronts Mr. Negative. Instead, Hallum shows us the iconic aftermath, with the Web-Slinger having stopped the helicopter from crashing into the crowds below. This allows Miles to have an interaction with Spidey, one that differs from the game, but adds to the building of their relationship as Miles is a self-professed Spidey Fan Boy. As thrilling as this part is in the game, that’s a pretty complicated fight that would slow down the pacing in the issue. Between the two possible big action sequences, the Spidey/Jefferson team up serves the narrative far better.

Artwise, Bandini serves up a lot of widescreen type panels, giving the issue a more cinematic flair. When the moment calls for it though,  he goes near-full page splash, showcasing some of the more epic moments. His layouts really make those iconic snapshots count and his line work looks polished and crisp. I love how Bandini renders the Advanced Suit, too, with spider-poses that are on point.

As a comic reading experience, I enjoyed this issue a lot more than the previous one. It felt more cohesive and replicated iconic moments from the game, but did it without feeling slavish to the source. This lets those experienced gamers get a different kind of enjoyment, one that I appreciated. I was a little disappointed by how little we saw of Swarm, but it’s my understanding we’ll bee seeing more of him. (Yeah, I went there.) The shift to Miles reflects how the game does change its main character from time to time and makes me wonder if we’ll get an issue more dedicated to Mary Jane’s perspective. Here’s hoping the next issue continues to offer new insights and maintain the feel of a more organic reading experience.

MY GRADE: B