Spider-Man’s not around, but his sidekick has a new temporary mentor in the red, white, and blue Avenger. But is even that enough to handle The Taskmaster? Your Major Spoilers review of Spider-Boy #2 from Marvel Comics awaits!
SPIDER-BOY #2
Writer: Dan Slott
Artist: Paco Medina/Ty Templeton
Colorist: Erick Arciniega/Dee Cunniffe
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Editor: Ellie Pyle
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: December 20, 2023
Previously in Spider-Boy: Spider-Boy’s history of punching up has been wiped from the memory of most of the Marvel Universe, but that doesn’t mean he can’t hold his own! Plus, Spider-Man gets a lesson in sidekicks from none other than Captain America!
THE CAP’N AND THE TASKMASTER
As our story beings, Bailey Briggs is celebrating the holidays at the F.E.A.S.T. shelter in New York City, since his existence was somehow wiped out during an unseen adventure in Spider-Man’s past. When he asks a kid to take a picture of him and his friends, the boy instead makes a run for it with Bailey’s phone, not only his lifeline, but the place where the only pictures of his seemingly erased mom are. Before he can follow and get it back, though, his Spider-Sense goes off, warning him about an innocent in danger… one of the volunteers at F.E.A.S.T. But when he tracks that man down, he finds that it’s Steve Rogers, Captain America, and that Cap is ferrying an important cargo to cold storage: The Super-Adaptoid!
And the Taskmaster has already infiltrated his crew.
FUN STUFF
The second story features art by Ty Templeton and the second part of the last issue’s Thanksgiving Squirrel Girl story, including a guest appearance by a very jolly old elf, which I’m sure is going to tick off the “all superhero stories must be badass tales with lethal consequences” crowd. The epilogue features a lovely callback to that, but I suspect that both Taskmaster’s mission and the missing phone are going to be coming back later. There’s also a mention of a villain called Killionaire, which is definitely coming back, reminding us that Slott’s writing is reminiscent of the Bronze Age, with plots simmering on the back burner for later, and moments that won’t make sense just yet. That’s a common complaint among those who dislike his writing, but I find it to be quite pleasant. The tongue-in-cheek tone of the second feature is also something that I expect to be divisive, especially the use of a “real” Santa Claus, but I like the idea of the pre-teen Spider-Boy having fun, kid-friendly adventures.
BOTTOM LINE: HAS ITS MOMENTS
With a very keen, and very judicious use of its guest stars, Spider-Boy #2 comes together nicely, combining two narratives and two different art teams, uniting the narratives in the epilogue and giving us some fun, borderline silly antics, earning 4 out of 5 stars overall. If I had to tell you why I recommend it, though, it’s Captain America reminding Spider-Boy that he, too, was once a man out of time, and offering his help and guidance as Bailey reacclimates to his new world, a moment that shows us clearly who both heroes are and also sets up the possibility of more Cap in the future.
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SPIDER-BOY #2
Spider-Boy faces two different battles with two very different mentors, and both have some pretty excellent art. As long as you can deal with Dan Slott's long-game plotting, this book is a winner.
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Writing7
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Art8
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Coloring8
