The Amazing Spider-Man Halloween Special #1

Published by Marvel Comics

SPOOKY SEASON IS UPON US and swinging in this week is The Amazing Spider-Man Halloween Special #1! Of course, Marvel’s most famous webslinger is the perfect candidate for his own special of petrifying proportions (I’m channeling Stan Lee this morning!). The special hits on a variety of levels, delivering a fun and action packed foray into the Spideyverse. The art is colorful and creative. The writing fun, exciting, and engaging. While The Amazing Spider-Man Halloween Special #1 doesn’t add anything new, it provides a snack-sized one shot into the Spider-Man universe.

Spider-Man loves Halloween. What other holiday can he hide in plain sight, camouflaged by leagues of pint-sized and adult-sized Spider-People? Things are going wonderfully. The candy is flowing, the children are laughing, and all is going as it should. That is, of course, until Hallow’s Eve arrives to disrupt the festivities. This webslinging one-shot provides more than enough action and spectacle for any fan of Spidey and anyone looking to dive right in and swing along.

Creative Team:

Writer: Justina Ireland
Penciler: Mike Hawthorne
Inker: Wade Von Grawbadger
Colorist: Erick Arciniega
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna

Writing:

What fun it must be to be granted a character like Spider-Man to write an all but blank canvas in which to paint. Justina Ireland clearly took this opportunity and made the most of it as her story is exceptionally written and self contained. The Halloween Special #1 adds nothing new to the Spideyverse, outside of the establishment of Halloween as Spidey’s favorite holiday, but it didn’t need to. The goal, of course, was to provide a fun self contained issue that works and Ireland nailed the assignment.

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The Halloween Special #1‘s choice of villain is where it shines in particular. Hallow’s Eve is, very obviously, the perfect “villain” for this type of story. Her ability to utilize different masks is the perfect theme for a holiday predicated on becoming someone OR something else. Ireland focusing Hallow’s Eve’s powers on “classic” monsters was a nice touch to an already packed and easter egg filled issue. The book felt like Halloween, providing the perfect read to get into the spirit to celebrate the spirits.

ART:

The art of Mike Hawthorne, Wade Von Grawbadger, and Erick Arciniega flies from the pages of this special with action-packed precision drawn on every page. Arciniega’s focus on the colors orange and black set the scene and tone for a book based around the spooky season’s high holiday, Halloween. In particular, Arciniega’s decision to change the traditional blue and red of Spidey’s suit to the orange and black associated with Halloween was a touch of brilliance. It draws the reader in and sets the scene exquisitely. Von Grawbadger and Hawthorne provided the perfect palette for Arciniega to provide his color work. The line work is refined and precise, never feeling muddy or lazy. It is apparent that this team put their all into this issue and readers will reap the benefits.

The Halloween Special #1, more so than most comics, is dependent on the work of the Letterer to help drive the story and make it complete. Joe Caramagna, like his colleagues, was up to the task. Caramagna’s lettering was easy to follow and digest. It never faded into the background or presented itself as confusing, flowing effortlessly across the page to tell the story. The flair that lines with in the lettering is where Caramagna shined. His presentation of “Hallow’s Eve” was eye catching and clever. For instance, highlighting the so-called villain of the story. The combination of art, color, and lettering has made this comic a stand out of the week, providing a new classic in the Spidey-verse.

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Final Thoughts:

The Amazing Spider-Man Halloween Special #1 is a colorful and spooky addition to the Spidey-verse this holiday. The story is compact, yet manages to pack a lot into its pages. Ireland, Hawthorne, Von Grawbadger, and Caramagna have provided a new holiday classic that can be read by anyone regardless as to whether or not they are current on The Amazing Spider-Man. This is a must read for anyone that is looking to make this haunted season a bit more spooky.

Overall Grade: 9/10