Oi! Spider-Punk, comin’ in hot! ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR! Your Major Spoilers review of Spider-Punk #1 from Marvel Comics awaits!

SPIDER-PUNK: ARMS RACE #1

Writer: Cody Ziglar
Artist: Justin Mason
Colorist: Morry Hollowell
Letterer: VC’s Travis Lanham
Editor: Danny Khazem
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: January 28, 2024

Previously in Spider-Punk: Hobie Brown is THE ANARCHIC SPIDER-PUNK, the spider-hero whose job is to protect Earth-138 with his ax in hand and his chaotic band of punk rockin’ heroes backing him! Norman Osborn may be dead, but will the chaos he’s created be too much for Spider-Punk and gang to handle?

TIME TO REBUILD

After a one-page origin for our hero, we are thrown right into the middle of combat, as the Spider-Band (Hobie “Spider-Punk” Brown, Captain Anarchy, Mz. Marvel, Riotheart, and Daredevil) confront The Lzrdz, a wannabe criminal team and/or rock band, managed by The Vulture. The team of Stegron, Sauron, The Iguana, and The Lizard are no match for Hobie’s team, which calls into question why they’re focusing on small-time villains. It’s a question that T’Challa and Shuri, the Black Panthers of Wakanda have for Spider-Punk, along with questions of why their battles involve so much collateral damage. Though he’s a natural leader, Spider-Punk spends the issue trying to dodge responsibility, instead trying to talk people into helping him rebuild the Spider-Van. With the power vacuum left by the dissolution of the corrupt Osborn administration, though, other bad folks are stepping up to try and wrest control… including Doc Ock, who has reprogrammed a Sentinel, recently acquired by his partner Justin Hammer!

VIPERS IN THE HEDGEROWS

The idea here is an interesting one, putting the rebellious punk in the position where he has to become, or at least remake the very machine against which he is wont to rage. As with many alternate reality stories, there is fun to be had in seeing the divergent versions of familiar characters, with an older T’Challa, an unusual take on Captain America, and the fun pairing of Mattea “Daredevil” Murdock and her bestie, Kamala Khan. (Their battle with Bullseye is a very skillful example of how to define characters through action and conflict, using a very limited page count.) This issue features the reunited creative team of the previous series, but I find that I like Mason’s art a little better here, though I can’t quite put my finger on why. Maybe it’s just a matter of cleaner linework, which makes the storytelling easier to follow. Or, it could be something as simple as a new colorist, working with a more vivid color palette than before.

BOTTOM LINE: GOOD STUFF

Whether you only know Hobie from Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse, or you’ve been in Hobie’s corner since he debuted in 2014, Spider-Punk: Arms Race #1 will serve as a good launching point for new adventures on Earth-138, earning 3.5 out of 5 stars overall. Here’s hoping that people still remember the movie and are willing to give Punk a chance.

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