Spider-Verse #1 Review
Sound On Site - May 27, 2015
In the great wide Battleworld of Secret Wars spin-offs and tie-ins, Spider-Verse #1 stands out as a unique story that seeks to better understand the confusion and strange sense of familiarity our characters (and readers) find themselves in. With a variety of alternate worlds and timelines mashed together is a bizarre patchwork, one has to wonder which characters still exist and what they remember from their past lives. Written by Mike Costa with art by Andre Araujo and Steven Sanders, this debut issue is a fun and intriguing set-up for a tale of multiverse mystery.
Spinning out of the Spider-Verse event in Amazing Spider-Man, the plot revolves around Spider-Gwen, Spider-UK, Spider-Man India and Spider-Girl Anya Corazon. Costa opens with a narration from Spider-Gwen, who can’t seem to shake the memories of a different life. An issue made all the more troubling by the fact that she’s supposed to be dead in this new world. Gwen’s narration is written with a deadpan humor that offsets the dark and more depressing aspects of Gwen’s new life. Looking to investigate the death of another Gwen Stacy, she takes a job with the man that most likely murdered her: Norman Osborn.
SpiderVerseGwenPanelSpider-UK and Anya continue their post spider-verse mission to protect worlds that have lost their Spider-Men, although they don’t really seem to recall why and have completely forgotten about their previous team-up. Pavitr Prabhakar (Spider Man: India) observes their efforts from afar before joining in. Costa does an excellent job of distinguishing Pavitr from other Spider-Men, by giving him a seemingly unintended sense of humor where he casually assures a criminal that, “falling this distance into water is nonlethal.”
Costa does a great job establishing character voice and bringing the cast together, and also manages to connect the two plots in a subtle way most readers may miss. Our heroes may not remember everything about their past lives, but it’s clear that Norman Osborn is still harboring some complicated feelings towards Gwen and anything resembling a Spider-Man.
The backup tale “Pick in the City,” follows Spider-Ham through a hilarious slice of life story, as Peter Porker struggles to survive in an unfamiliar world. The short is fun enough on its own but also adds a bit to the main story, leaving the reader with a smile and a hunger for more ham.
Full of fan-favorite characters, vibrant art and a story that will hopeful answer some Secret Wars questions, Spider-Verse #1 is off to a strong start. Hardcore Spider-Fans will find plenty to enjoy, while others can appreciate the book as a more self-contained tie-in that doesn’t rely on the reader picking up another twenty Secret Wars books.