Spider-Man Noir #2: What Makes Noir A Deeper Mystery?

Creative Team – Erik Larsen (writer). Andrea Broccardo(artist). Rachelle Rosenberg(color artist). Joe Sabino (letterer). Simon Di Meo (cover artist).

Published by Marvel Comics

Catch up with Spider-Man Noir #1 here!

*This review is written by Nerd Initiative’s own Janelle and Megan!

The Story and Writing

Megan – Peter, AKA Spider-Man Noir, has been hired by Gwen Stacy to find the killer of her police chief father. The problem with that is Peter already knows who killed him, and he can’t tell Gwen that it was him. Her father was apart of the Scorpion Gang and aimed to kill Spider-Man Noir, so Peter wasn’t left with much of a choice. Given how much Gwen loves her father, Peter can’t make himself tell her the truth, so he’s stringing her along until he has all the facts about her father’s involvement with the gang.

Erik Larsen follows up his very strong first issue with a comic that perfectly matches the tone and energy of the first. There’s great action scenes involving Spider-Man Noir, there’s emotion, and it ends on a particularly spicy note. I am very excited to see where Larsen takes this story, because he has me hooked!

Janelle – Spider-Man Noir #2 is a continuation of Gwen Stacy’s asking Spider-Man for help to figure out who killed her father. I really enjoy the detective work that Spider-Man Noir does throughout this issue. There is also a section of this issue that I was surprised of who Spider-Man Noir ends up fighting. It kind of reminds me of the older Captain America comics, and definitely makes a statement.

Story wise, it is interesting and there is a cliff hanger at the end of the issue. One thing I wished that it did, was tell more about Gwen Stacy. I wanted to spend more time reading about her thoughts, and how this all ties to Spider-Man Noir. I also like the little interaction that Spider-Man Noir has with some kids, and it brought a smile to my face.

The Art

Megan – Andrea Broccardo does an excellent job at matching the emotions of the story to the artwork. You can see Gwen’s sorrow when she talks about her dad perfectly. Peter’s guilt shows on his face clearly, telling you exactly how he’s feeling without it having to be said. With the emotions, there’s also an excellent amount of detail in each panel, that works very well with Rachelle Rosenberg’s colors. Both Broccardo and Rosenberg’s work compliment the other very well, giving us a darker look into the past with Spider-Man Noir.

Janelle – In terms of the art, it’s a wonderful visual representation of Spider-Man Noir. I really enjoy Spider-Man Noir’s suit, and also the way he moves in the issue. I like that there is a ‘thwap’ drawn whenever he has to initiate the web. I also love the hat, the hat gives this Spider-Man a really good look, and a unique one versus the classic Spider-Man suit. I hope to continue to see what amazing art that the Broccardo will continue to do.

Overall Grade – 9.3/10

Megan – 9.1/10. A very fun read with excellent action and a lot of heart. The creative team did it again, and matched the energy of the first issue perfectly!

Janelle – 9.5/10.  I hope that the next issue will continue the story with Gwen and Spider-Man Noir. I want to see their relationship either bloom, or, maybe something else happens. I want the third issue to also give me a variety of surprises, just like it did for this issue.

Let us know what you thought of Spider Noir: #2 in the comments below!