Smashing onto the scene last year was a long-lost sidekick of Spider-Man named Spider-Boy. Created by writer Dan Slott and artist Humberto Ramos, the character nabbed his own series, which is collected this week in Spider-Boy Vol. 1: The Web-Less Wonder. It’s a great jumping-on point for anyone curious about the character as it features the first four issues of the main series, as well as key chapters from Edge of Spider-Verse and Amazing Spider-Man #31.
This collection opens with the Spider-Boy story from Edge of Spider-Verse #3. For the most part, the Spider-Boy story is a good one, giving far more details about him than we knew before. I will say we’re still very much in the dark, though, and we’ll likely get a meatier backstory later. What we do get is his general vibe which is extremely positive, and some details about how he’s connected to Spider-Man’s world. It’s much easier to imagine how he fits into Spider-Man’s life if he really did exist, yet the world has forgotten him.
Humberto Ramos kills it on the art, but what else is new? The polyptych of Spider-Boy hopping around in the opening full-page splash looks cool and reminds us he doesn’t use webs. Instead, he’s super fast and is always hopping about. Ramos is very good at drawing long and lanky characters, including Spider-Boy, who may be short but certainly looks stringy, like elastic.
From there, Spider-Boy #1-4 continues his adventures. It’s pretty apparent at this point creating a character who everyone forgets is a unique way to get back into a new origin and a slew of new characters. Slott maximizes this right off the bat with Spider-Boy and Spider-Man fighting Gutterball. He’s a villain with a bowling ball for a head who is a bonafide bowling ball bandit. If that sounds ridiculous, that’s because it is, but it’s super fun regardless. The humor doesn’t stop there, as animal/monster mashups enter the story with equally silly names.
I kinda love this new villain.
Credit: Marvelpider-bo
Some may argue there’s no need for a character like this, but if you ever loved the quirky, quippy side of Spider-Man, you’ll fall in love with the entire vibe of this book. That includes the story, but Spider-Boy himself. There’s a vibrancy and youthfulness we don’t always see with Spider-Man that’s turned up to eleven here.
As the series progresses more is revealed as far as how Spider-Boy came to be, including a Dr. Frankenstein type of villain who creates human and animal hybrids. Her general Saturday morning cartoon vibe suits Spider-Boy who is chipper, but with a dark edge.
Also contained here are side adventures including “Baloonacy,” “X-Mas Ex Machina,” Spi-Lingual,” and “Missing Pieces.” “Baloonacy” features art by Ty Templeton in a story that’s proof of how highflying fun this series is trying to be, this backup will make you believe it. The villain literally weaponizes the hot air balloons at the Thanksgiving parade with a carnival barker-style costume to go with the outrageous idea of committing crimes. Along for the ride is Squirrel Girl, who also doesn’t remember Spider-Boy, and she adds to the over-the-top silliness of it all.
Spider-Boy is a ton of fun and quirky with a burst of visual storytelling that’ll please fans young and old. There isn’t a goofier comic out right now, and that’s a compliment.
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!
You must be logged in to post a comment.