We’re universe-hopping with this week’s “So You Want To Read Comics”.  This is our weekly feature where we take a look at a single topic or genre, then give you two comic book recommendations, perfect for new readers, based on that topic or genre.  This week we’re taking a look at comics to check out if you’re a fan of Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse.

Released on June 6th, 2023,  Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse continues the adventures of Miles Morales, Gwen Stacy, and the other Spider-Men introduced in Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse.  This time though the ante is raised with the introduction of even more versions of Spider-Man from a plethora of different dimensions.  The original movie received large amounts of praise for its story and animation style and it looks like the sequel is poised to take a similar spot amongst fans and critics alike (at the writing of this the critics and audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes scores sit at 96 percent and 95 percent respectively).  The inclusion of so many different versions of Spider-Man, it might be difficult for fans of the movie to know where they can jump into the comics and read the adventures of their favorite version.

So, if you’re looking for places you can satisfy your Spider-Verse cravings while waiting for the next film, maybe give one of these series a shot.

SPIDER-GWEN: GWENVERSE

Writer: Tim Seely
Artist:
Publisher: Marvel Comics

One of the best parts of Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse is all the nonsense that comes with parallel dimensions and alternate realities.  It’s fun to think about what it would be like if your favorite character took a right instead of a left and how that looks.  So let’s kick that all up a notch with this recommendation.  In this series, Ghost Spider aka Spider-Gwen, who is herself an alternate version of Spider-Man, finds herself on a journey through time and space to correct a mistake.  Along the way, she encounters alternate versions of herself that resemble some of the most well-known heroes in the Marvel Universe.  While the story itself is fun and enjoyable, a lot of the fun of this series is seeing all the different versions of Gwen and then figuring out what sort of weird series of events put them in the position they’re in, rather than being bitten by a radioactive spider.  This is a fairly new series having started in 2022, so this while being a good place to go after seeing the movie, it’s also a little bit of an introduction to the current state of Marvel’s current lineup.

SPIDER-MAN 2099: EXODUS

Writer: Steve Orlando
Artist: Dave Wachter
Publisher: Marvel Comics

For those who have seen the movie, or even a trailer, know that Spider-Man 2099 has a prominent role.  First appearing in the long-forgotten year of 1992, Miguel O’Hara’s version of the web-slinger from the future has been a fan favorite since then.  Operating in Nueva York,  Miguel goes toe to toe with a new breed of villains and a fair share of corrupt corporate shenanigans.  The whole idea behind the 2099 line of comics was to bring versions of everyone’s favorite heroes into the future and imagine what that would look like.  Some worked, many did not. In this particular series, the reader finds all sorts of characters alerted to the arrival of a “paradise” in the middle of the wasteland.  This triggers all sorts of characters including Miguel to head out to investigate and go head-to-head with a mysterious group calling themselves The Cabal.  The issue with some of the original Spider-Man 2099 comics is that they can be pretty confusing and there are some wild swings in quality, while this series is pretty consistent and the events are mostly self-contained, so outside information isn’t really needed to enjoy this one.

What did you think of Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse? What did you think of these recommendations? Let us know in the comments section below.

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