Marvel is exploding with young heroes like Spider-Boy, and now Spider-Girl gets her own series. Spider-Girl is a mutant with a special ability: If she can look you in the eyes, she can gain your skills. She also has barbed wire webs and the proportional strength of a spider. Hot off the heels of Spider-Boy and escaping Bullseye, she’s on her adventure, trying to make friends and, well, not die!
Spider-Girl #1 is a fun, all-ages-friendly opening issue. It appropriately introduced readers to Spider-Girl as a newfound hero who has the hopes and dreams of being a regular pre-teen kid. Thanks to her powers, she’s very good at hand-to-hand combat, but that gets in the way of making friends when she can’t help kick her classmates butts in karate class.
Torunn Grønbekk does a good job of capturing Spider-Girl’s youthful personality and persona. She wants to be the best, but also needs to navigate this whole hero thing. She took the test at one point, which forced her to use her fighting ability, as well as her unique mutant power. She’s a bit like Taskmaster, but without the adult seriousness.
That wall slam deserves a “bonk.”
Credit: Marvel
As a Spider-Man-style character, Grønbekk gives Spider-Girl plenty of quips and comedic bits of dialogue. It suits the Spidey vibe, though it’s unclear why she does it when that’s not how she is with her costume off. Maybe it’s the darker backstory involving Bullseye, but at face value, it’s well done, but seemingly there just because.
André Risso draws the issue well, capturing the agility of Spider-Girl as well as crafting her webs. The style is reminiscent of Simone Di Meo’s on some level, with a fluidity that’s somewhat anime-like. His rendering of Spider-Girl outside the costume captures the age of Spider-Girl and her karate classmates.
Spider-Girl #1 is a promising start that balances youthful energy with superhero stakes, setting the stage for a likable new character to carve her own corner of the Marvel Universe. With expressive art and a solid grasp on tone, this debut issue is an entertaining entry point for readers of all ages, even if a few character beats need more clarity.
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