Bailey Briggs spent over a year as Spider-Man’s sidekick, only to be erased from the Web of Life. Now, he has returned, but not even Spidey remembers anything about him! Your Major Spoilers review of Spider-Boy #1 from Marvel Comics awaits!
SPIDER-BOY #1
Writer: Dan Slott
Artist: Paco Medina/Ty Templeton
Colorist: Erick Arcienega/Dee Cunniffe
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Editor: Ellie Pyle
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $5.99
Release Date: November 1, 2023
Previously in Spider-Boy: After the events of The End of the Spider-Verse, Spider-Boy’s secret history as Spider-Man’s sidekick was nearly forgotten forever. But now those mysteries will be revealed while they embark on exciting new adventures… TOGETHER!
TWO STORIES, NO WAITING
The place is the Lucky Lanes Bowling Alley in New York City. The situation is an attack by one of Spider-Boy’s most dangerous villains, a man wielding twin pin-shooters and wearing a bowling ball on and/or for his head. He is GUTTERBALL, the Bowling Alley Bandit! Fortunately, Spider-Boy hasn’t come alone, having brought the elder spider with him, allowing him to explain to Spider-Man what nobody remembers about his history. For his part, Gutterball isn’t impressed with the kid claiming to be his archfoe, but when the Spider-team not only outwits but outPUNS him, he nearly begs the police to carry him away. Unfortunately, the public has seen the photos of Spider-Boy turning into a spider-creature and biting Electro, and worries that he is a bigger threat than the villains. Spider-Man arranges a special ceremony at the bowling alley to try and turn the tide of public opinion, with… mixed results. After that, Spider-Boy and Squirrel Girl team up to battle another of Bailey’s forgotten Rogues’ Gallery, the man known as Professor Helio, The Balloon Man!
Or, at least, they will team up, if Squirrel Girl can stop giggling at his high-pitched voice.
DID YOU SAY… TY TEMPLETON?
The real stars of this issue aren’t Spidey or Bailey, but the “returning” Deadly Foes of Spider-Boy. In addition to Professor Helio and Gutterball, there’s also the Hellifino, who is part elephant, part rhinoceros, and has unexpected ties to Spider-Boy’s origins, the beginning of which are outlined in this issue. Even better, the two artists don’t conflict with one another, instead showing us a pretty smooth and consistent take on Spider-Boy. The legendary Ty Templeton, who handles the second feature, is a little bit more to my liking, but there’s nothing wrong with Paco Medina, whose action sequences are top-notch. The sight of Gutterball going head-first through the wall is silly, dynamic, and fun.
Slott’s script balances the need for a lot of exposition with naturalistic dialogue, revealing that Bailey Briggs and Peter Parker share a sense of humor, and also giving Spider-Boy some tragedy in his past. There’s even a moment where Spider-Man has to argue with Robbie Robertson about the Daily Bugle’s reporting of his new partner, in which neither man comes off as wrong or belligerent at all. That’s a neat trick to pull off.
BOTTOM LINE: A LIKEABLE DEBUT ISSUE
With two different, equally good artists in play and a story that keeps the humor balanced with the existential horror of being torn from reality, Spider-Boy #1 makes a good showing for its young hero, and even though it seems like the concept of a sidekick for Spider-Man absolutely shouldn’t work, this issue pulls it off for 4 out of 5 stars overall. Old-school Spider-fans who remember the days of Lee/Romita or Stern/Romita Jr. will likely find this book a breath of Bronze Age fresh air, albeit with a modern tone and pacing.
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SPIDER-BOY #1
Spider-Boy's first issue features a lot of humor, a lot of heart, and some truly heinous and wonderful puns. If you've wondered what in the world a sidekick in Spider-Man's world would be, this is an unexpectedly joyful example.
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Writing8
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Art8
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Coloring7
Once upon a time, there was a young nerd from the Midwest, who loved Matter-Eater Lad and the McKenzie Brothers... If pop culture were a maze, Matthew would be the Minotaur at its center. Were it a mall, he'd be the Food Court. Were it a parking lot, he’d be the distant Cart Corral where the weird kids gather to smoke, but that’s not important right now... Matthew enjoys body surfing (so long as the bodies are fresh), writing in the third person, and dark-eyed women. Amongst his weaponry are such diverse elements as: Fear! Surprise! Ruthless efficiency! An almost fanatical devotion to pop culture! And a nice red uniform.