SPIDER-VERSE #1
Written by Mike Costa
Art by Andre Araujo, Rachelle Rosenberg
Published by Marvel Comics
Release Date: May 20, 2015
The characters of Spider-Verse come to Battleworld as Mike Costa, Andre Araujo and Rachelle Rosenberg kick this tie-in off in style.
The fan favourites of Spider-Verse are all over this one, with ample time for Gwen, Spider-Man UK, and more as Mike Costa throws down a fun first story here. Gwen is the main focus here, and that’s a good thing. She’s a dynamic character who is more than able to headline a book like this, and the other Spiders Costa brings in add a nice flavour. They’ve cooked up one heck of a villain here for the crew to face off against, and this territory of Battleworld is more than a bit dangerous. Any fans of Spider-Verse will be very happy with the tone of this first issue, and despite Slott not helming this one, Spider-Verse #1 totally works. Costa has a solid handle on these characters and their voices are exactly what I remember from Spider-Verse. The characters chosen are an interesting mix and there are some well timed reveals here. Time will tell where all this goes and we’re a long way from a conclusion, but the foundation for a good mini-series were set up here.
The art by Andre Araujo is solid, and his work in the Marvel Universe is only getting better with time. He captures Gwen’s fearlessness well, and the attitudes of the different Spiders are represented well in his visuals. Rachelle Rosenberg’s colours are pitch perfect and set the tone nicely for the series. Everything is crisp and bright at the right time, but there is an insidious undertone that fits so well. This is an artistic team that definitely has the skills to impress as this series goes along, and I liked what I saw in issue #1.
Spider-Verse #1 captures the best aspects of the Spider-centric event and brings it to Battleworld with a solid dose of mystery and a seedy undertone that ripples under the dialogue at all times. That mystery will drive things along nicely and Costa, Araujo and Rosenberg have set up what could be a really fun series going forward. This is just the kind of fun the dynamic of Battleworld and Secret Wars can bring and if you enjoyed the event in Amazing Spider-Man, you have to pick up Spider-Verse #1.
The Verdict: 8.0/10
