Given how many times Spider-Man characters team up only to disband quickly after saving the multiverse, you’d think a comic like Spider-Versity would have come around earlier. Then again, having Norman Osborn as their teacher probably wouldn’t be a first choice for most, but Peter Parker has forgiven him and given him another chance. In the first three issues, we’ve seen Norman is up to mischievous things, like hiring villains to attack the kids, but is he doing it in their best interests? Given this issue’s cliffhanger, the answer is clear!
Amazing Spider-Man: Spider-Versity #4 opens on Maka Akana, aka Spider-Girl, who has recently acquired the Carnage symbiote. You’d think this young child would be afraid, but we quickly see that her power has made her giddy. Through captions, we see the symbiote speaking to her, and it’s clearly manipulating her, so the hero underneath hasn’t broken bad quite yet. The opening is very much like a horror movie, with the monstrous Carnage covering the child as she swings around in the dead of night inside the school.
Soon, the story shifts back to the group where Spider-Woman is doling out accolades, and then the group splits off. In one subplot, we have Miles and Ghost Spider swinging around for a workout, while Spider-Woman and Norman go at it to get their cardio up. Other characters are absent but pop up later, so really nobody is left out, and the ensemble feel remains strong.
Pretty creepy Carnage is using a child.
Credit: Marvel
As turning point issues go, plenty happens. Another C-list villain gets to show off, Norman’s plans come home to roost, and even Carnage gets to let loose. There’s no decompression going on here; it’s full-tilt plot progression.
Pere Perez draws the issue and brings his trademark kinetic style, with plenty of super-agility on display. While the action that kicks into gear for the last few pages is great, some of his best work in this issue is Miles and Gwen swinging around. He stretches the page with a beautiful double-page splash. The Norman and Spider-Woman fight doesn’t disappoint either, with solid fight choreography mixed in with both dodging dangerous training robots trying to kill them. While the last three pages feel a little stretched, the art makes these moments intense and scary.
Amazing Spider-Man: Spider-Versity #4 wastes no time moving the story into its next major phase. The ensemble cast continues to shine as each character gets meaningful moments, while Norman Osborn’s questionable methods finally begin catching up with him. Pere Pérez delivers fluid, energetic artwork that elevates both the quieter training sequences and the explosive finale. By the closing pages, the stakes have risen considerably, leaving readers eager to see how this young Spider-team responds.
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