With a new Spider-Verse movie on the way, Marvel Comics has kicked the Great Web for a new comics event titled Edge of Spider-Verse. The first issue blended fun alternate reality Spider-Man characters while creating a new threat for the heroes to band together and defeat.
Like the last issue, readers get four stories in Edge of Spider-Verse #2. Kicking things off is Mallory Rosenthal and Ig Guara’s “Gig of Nightmares,” focusing on Ghost-Spider. Running six pages long, I can’t say this is the strongest story in the series. Guara’s art is great, and the punk style is obvious, which is also thanks to the colors by Rico Renzi. The problem is it feels like any other Ghost-Spider fight as it’s mostly things we’ve seen in Ghost-Spider stories a thousand times before. It features her band and a familiar bad guy for most of it. The only reason this story needs to be in this collection is the last two panels that tie it into the larger events.
Next up is Spider-UK in “The Spider and the Dragon” by Ramzee and Ruairi Coleman. This story is super fun, tackles the obvious head-scratching element of there already being a Spider-Man from the United Kingdom, and expertly introduces a new Spider-Man-themed hero. Ramzee is efficient in layering new info about her powers, the world, and how she functions as a hero. Add in the fact that she’s Muslim, and we have a fantastic new Spider-Man character. This story also ties into the main event at the last minute, but you’ll enjoy getting to know this new hero. Brian Reber colors the issue quite well with great lighting effects as needed.
You’ll love this new hero.
Credit: Marvel
Dan Slott and Paco Medina deliver the third story titled “A Single Thread.” If you’re unfamiliar with Loomworld, it’s where the Web of Life resides, first introduced in Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 3) #9. If you enjoyed Dan Slott’s previous Spider-Verse tales, you’d dig this flashback story. Not only is this story hugely important in understanding the main villain and the conflict ahead for these heroes, but it does a great job of establishing ancient connections to other Marvel properties. I’ll say no more to avoid spoilers, but Medina draws a great tale here that’ll make you feel icky thanks to the villain, and it quickly introduces a few god characters too.
Wrapping up the anthology is “Mini Marvels” by Chris Giarrusso, and it’s required reading even though it’s one comic-strip style page. Not only does it recap what’s going on, but it does it in a funny way. High marks for the art style will bring you back to the days of reading comic strips in the newspaper.
Edge of Spider-Verse #2 continues to slowly unveil the main threat, but if you have the patience, it’s a rewarding read. Not only does it feature an electric new Spider superhero, but it gives readers something substantial to cling to in figuring out where this conflict goes from here.
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