Sometimes creators take big swings with miniseries that expand your mind and your imagination, and Deadly Neighborhood Spider-Man is one of them. Launched back in October 2022, Taboo, B. Earl, and Juan Ferreyra’s series mixes science, nightmares, and sound together in an epic tale.
Deadly Neighborhood Spider-Man opens with Spidey in full nightmare mode with long dagger fingers and burning flame eyes as we move closer in on his eyes. He’s telling us that being positive and chipper comes at a cost when you’re not smiling. Smash cut to a double-page splash of Spider-Man soaring over a city, with every building rendered in high detail, and you have one epic opening.
You’ll note the first issue is visually impressive, from panel to layout design and everything in between. This Spider-Man design goes hard and better be made into an action figure soon. Ferreyra has been one of my favorite artists since I discovered his work on Green Arrow, and he’s only gotten better, yet the quality has always been impressive. His style is awe-inspiring, with nightmare imagery in this issue that suits the Halloween spirit going on right now.
Those horror visuals are juxtaposed well against Los Angeles daytime scenes, which detail Peter Parker’s mission. The plot is fairly simple as we learn Peter is working on an experiment to destroy sick cells using frequency and water. The story essentially drops Peter into unfamiliar territory while he’s dealing with some nightmares that happen during waking hours, or so it seems. I can’t say the science or nightmares make much sense in this first issue, but it’s a mystery to uncover over the following few issues. There is, however, a mysterious rock that seems to pop up out of nowhere with no explanation. Again, likely there’s some explanation, but at this juncture, it seems to drop into the narrative for plot reasons alone.
Hell yeah!
Credit: Marvel
If you’re a fan of stories within stories, the second issue opens with a full-page story of a myth. Told from a grandparent to a child, we learn about the coyote, the rock, and the spider. You will like this page if you’re a sucker for mythical tales packed with a deeper meaning. Told via panels broken up by a hairy, spindly spider, the page helps convey that Peter’s facing off against something that may be ancient and deeply rooted in culture.
This opening page smash-cuts to Spider-Man fighting the Demon Bear, but only he can see it. In his nightmare mode–flaming eyes, long spiky fingers–Spider-Man is fighting the Demon Bear after seemingly calling to it using some high-tech science. These opening scenes stand out the issue, with an incredible layout that forces you to read the comic in a spiral. It’s a neat way to create a mesmerizing effect. It also helps hold your interest while the Demon Bear delivers exposition to Spider-Man. The rules of the game are imparted, and the trap is set.
As the story progresses, Dream Spider-Man is introduced, an epic war of dreams and nightmare takes place, and there are visuals here that will put your jaw on the floor. Seriously, this book’s inventiveness and creativity are so incredible that some of these pages belong in a museum.
Deadly Neighborhood Spider-Man is visually impressive with a casual-reader-friendly story that drops readers into a Peter Parker adventure that stands alone. Blending science experiments, nightmares, and epic superhero art, Deadly Neighborhood Spider-Man is an enlightening experience.
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