King in Black: Spider-Man #1 Synopsis: ALL WEBBED UP WITH NO PLACE TO GO!
Rated T+
Writer: Jed MacKay
Art: Michele Bandini and Carlos E. Gomez
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $4.99
Release Date: March 17th, 2021
We all know it’s Peter Parker’s fault that this Knull/Symbiote stuff is even happening, right? I mean it IS his fault! Well if you didn’t, we’ll find out why it is and what exactly, if anything Spidey can do against an alien god, and planet Earth overrun by symbiotes!
A few housekeeping items right of the bat that are a bit nitpicky, but could greatly help newer readers. Or any reader for that matter that hasn’t read Secret Wars 2. It is Peter’s fault that this whole mess is happening. I’m a BIG fan of editor’s notes. They help fans who want to dig deeper into the back story and may go buy MORE Marvel comics! Imagine that? That is if there are in fact editor’s notes. Unfortunately in this issue, there are not. If fans want the story of how Peter and the symbiote coming to Earth came to be, check out Secret Wars 2! It’s quite a mini-series… Our cover page vaguely references it, but to say he got the symbiote in “a Secret War” is being kind of lazy and not precise honestly. That’d be like saying that Pearl Harbor was attacked during “a Word War”. Get it??
And just in case you forget that it’s Peter’s fault, he tells us. Numerous times. It is a bit too much for me. The “woe is me” attitude by Peter in this issue as well as the main ASM book is growing a bit trying. Whatever happened to the whole “with great power comes great responsibility” deal? I guess he could be responsible and woe is me, but I prefer a confident hero.
But, we don’t always get what we want in life though. Now, anxiety is a very serious deal and nothing to take lightly. So while I may have been briefly annoyed, I applaud MacKay’s take on a serious issue that hinders and even paralyzes people in a sense, including myself. Anxiety! After a brief bit of self-doubt, anxiety, and mass confusion…
we get to the real story! That being a team-up of sorts with Reptil, that is also a set up to a solo series. Also, and more importantly, how Peter overcomes his anxiety and self-doubt, and how he and Reptil can do something, anything, to help in this seemingly insurmountable battle against Knull. You’ll have to pick up the issue to see how things pan out!!
Jed MacKay seems right at home writing Spidey and it’s nice to read a different writer’s vision/take on Spidey. I’d certainly like to see him writing him again in the future. A mini or satellite book perhaps Marvel??
And as a huge variant cover fan, we get some great ones for this issue!
Final Thoughts:
Despite a few nitpicky personal issues, Jed MacKay gives us an in-depth look at self-doubt, anxiety, and how Spider-Man deals with it. This issue also ends up being one of the better tie-ins to King in Black. Check it out! It’s well worth it!!
8.3/10
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