“The Amazing Spider-Man: Spider-Versity #1” Review – Not So Amazing

With Norman Osborne now out of the Spider suit and in light of recent events, he deems it necessary to train the other working Spiders of New York City. Working alongside Jessica Drew, he’ll train them to be ready for the city’s biggest threat: himself.

Writers: Joe Kelly, Jordan Morris
Artist: Pere Pérez
Colorist: Guru-eFX
Letterer: Joe Sabino

Spinning A Spider Web

I’ve been a Spider-Man fan ever since I was a kid. When going into a Spider-Person book, there’s one thing I expect above all else: the heart. A story that shows that with great power, there must also come great responsibility. Several characters that are in this story have not only learned that already but have previously fought Norman as Green Goblin which is why I’m a bit lost and confused. Joe Kelly and Jordan Morris crafted an excellent action scene in conjunction with artist Pere Pérez, but seem to have lost the heart along the way.

Speaking on the fight itself, it takes up the majority of the book. It’s fast paced and electric, excellently pushing the reader along. Mixed in with the fight is dialogue that feels perfectly worked in to catch readers up on some of the lesser utilized or newer Spider characters, so as to not make everyone feel lost. However, as I previously stated, there’s still some things that do get lost and make me confused.

With the other Spider-related storylines concurrently going on in the comics, where is this set? Why do characters like Gwen or Aña that’ve fought Norman before need to learn how to fight him or act like they’ve never fought him in the past? Also, the majority of this book being a fight didn’t really allow for smaller character moments that I felt could’ve lent this a lot of heart and heightened emotions. All of these issues are things I’d love to see be rectified as the run goes on, and I feel like these writers can pull through.

The Art of Life & Destiny

Where the writing seemed to lack, the artwork more than carried. Pere Pérez and Guru-eFX worked together to create some truly amazing and spectacular set pieces. This more than shined for the entire fight against Norman, where the line work, character posing and shading all came together to create something that felt dynamic and engaging. While reading, I felt the speed, slides and every hit, almost as if I was apart of the action.

However, the artwork didn’t shine on just the pages, but the covers as well. In each and every one, the artists brought their flavor in excellently, not a single cover looking similar to another. It’s rare for me to want every cover of an issue, but this is one such occasion where I might eventually own all.

Final Thoughts – 7/10

While the writing from Kelly and Morris leaves a lot to be desired, the artwork from Pérez and Guru does a lot to carry here. Where the writing lost its heart, the artwork created excitement and makes the reader feel like they’re apart of the action. All things considered, I’m anxious to see where this is all going and I hope things make more sense down the line.

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Comments

Have you been reading the latest books in the Spider-Verse? Are you looking to pick up “Spider-Versity”? Let’s discuss in the comments below!