Everyone’s favorite new sidekick is back this week with Spider-Boy #2. The promise of origin story reveals is high, while our patience most probably wanes. Can Dan Slott and Paco Medina keep our attention up while serving a fun and more kid-friendly Spidey book? I think the answer is yes, as I found the first issue‘s kid-friendly heart delightful.
If the first issue was a nice reintroduction for new readers, the second issue is a classic team-up tale. When you crack this issue open, you’ll discover a nice Christmas theme, which is a nice touch given the time of year. It opens at the F.E.A.S.T. center, and a teenager steals Spider-Boy, a.k .a. Bailey’s phone. After a quick recap of how his Spider-sense works–he can see a possible future after touching items–he’s rushing to find the person most threatened by Taskmaster.
This all leads to a Captain America fight scene in a helicopter. There’s nothing too spectacular about the stakes, but it’s nice to see Spider-Boy interacting with a legacy character like Cap. Paco Medina draws a strong action scene with a bubbly, cartoony look to his lines that suits a more young reader-friendly visual style. There’s an ever-so-slight hook for the next issue, but it’s safe to say this is a fight comic through and through.
Team up time!
Credit: Marvel
Also contained here is the ongoing backup story by Slott and Ty Templeton, with Squirrel Girl and Spider-Boy fighting the Balloon Man. It’s as absurd as it sounds and a kid-friendly affair. It wraps up nicely with a major inclusion of Santa. Again, this issue is far more holiday-centric than one might think from the cover!
Wrapping up the issue is a nice epilogue page that connects to the backup in a cute way. Nothing earth-shattering, but it’s a nice sentiment for this time of year.
As you can tell, I wasn’t bowled over by this issue. Nothing new is discovered in Spider-Boy’s past, even with so many questions to be answered. The adventure is fun but self-contained enough to make this easy for anyone to read and skip if they aren’t feeling up for it. Bailey’s childlike personality is clear even in the Cap fight, but it lacks much of an attempt to have them connect by showing and not telling.
Spider-Boy #2 is a nice fight comic with a strong, kid-friendly vibe. Pick this up for a young friend or family member who wants a bit of fun and nice holiday cheer for the season.
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