THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY #3

Creative Team – Dan Slott, Marcus To, Alex Sinclair, Marcus Martin, Muntsa Vicente, VC’s Joe Caramagna, Phil Jimenez

Published by Marvel Comics

Catch up with the second issue here!

The Story

This comic is reviewed by Nerd Initiative’s Shawn, and your truly, Megan!

Shawn – This was easily my favorite issue of the series so far. Dan Slott is crafting a really enjoyable story. I hope we get more of this series than just five issues. Slott having The Punisher controlled by Mr. Negative is such a unique plot device on this series.

It’s nice to see a character like Mr. Negative to get a little bit of the spotlight but it was also nice to see Slott bring a combination of familiar and more obscure faces to the party for this issue. I’ve said it for a previous issue but Brand New Day truly does feel like Spider-Man at his best.

Megan – This issue really had everything. Action, Spidey’s detective skills, a good look at how organized Mr. Negative’s crime truly is, and just how under Negative’s spell Frank really is. This issue was excellent for continuing the story but adding more depth and upping the energy to an all-time high. Dan Slot knows exactly how to keep the readers hanging on to every word, and that’s exactly how I was during the entire read. This series gets better and better with every issue, and it makes me truly excited to see what the fourth issue has in store.

The Art

Shawn – Marcus To, Marcos Martin, Alex Sinclair, and Muntsa Vincente really crafted some amazing visuals for this issue. On the line work side, To and Martin did a great job with the cityscapes as well as the webbing details. NYC feels like a character again and for a Spidey comic that should be the feeling.

Sinclair and Vincente brought the world to life through some amazing and vivid colors. I still get a little freaked out at the “negative” version of Castle but I think that’s just a testament to how terrifying he looks thanks to outstanding color work from the artists. The action panels really stuck out because of just how well done the colors were creating a beautiful contrast with Punisher and Spider-man and the world around them.

Megan – The artwork of The Spectacular Spider-Man: Brand New Day #3 was nothing short of stunning. The linework was fantastic all the way through the comic, giving us excellent details that made the characters practically pop off the page. The coloring was bright and bold, making each page absolutely gorgeous. Using Spider-Man as the red focal point on many pages against the black and white themes of the comic, Alex Sinclair makes each page feel like it’s full of depth. Joe Caramagna handles the lettering with his usual high quality work, capturing the tones of the characters expertly and illustrating them through the dialogue. Together, the artists made this issue easily my favorite one of the series so far.

Final Thoughts

Shawn – 9.5/10. This was a fun and satisfying read that continues to add to the great lexicon of Spider-Man vs Punisher stories. I’d love to see this become a new Spectacular Spider-Man ongoing. The writing gives these characters new life and the art pulls you deep into the story.

Megan – 10/10. This series gets better and better with every issue, and that makes me extremely excited to see what we get in the fourth issue.

Overall Grade – 9.7/10

Let us know in the comments what you thought of the third issue!