Spider-Geddon #4 sees alliances shift and former allies betrayed as 2018’s big Spider-event moves toward its climax. The Inheritors race to resurrect Solus, while the many Spider-people of the Multiverse fight to stop them. However, the team’s greatest threat might come from within.
The plot feels a bit rushed here, leading to some less-than-developed motivations. It’s a solid chapter in the ongoing story overall, but not a standout moment.
The Writing
Overall, the keyword to describe writer Christos Gage’s work here is economy. Spider-Geddon #4 does what it needs to setup the climax coming in the next issue, but doesn’t take many chances outside of that. As a result, this issue doesn’t deliver much in the way of surprises.
There’s the follow-through on a betrayal telegraphed in the previous issue, involving the character you’d most expect to double-cross the others. Another betrayal in the issue’s last few pages came as more of a twist; however, I didn’t feel it was setup as effectively as it could have been. New developments introduced feel like they’re carried-out in the interest of plot expediency. For example, it’s not much of a spoiler to say the Inheritors resurrect Solus, as it happens within the first five pages with little setup or fanfare.
If you’ve followed Spider-Geddon up to now, you should find this latest chapter engrossing enough. However, I enjoyed the previous issue a bit more.
The Artwork
With an event book carrying the hype of Spider-Geddon, it would have been pretty easy for artists to cut corners. As with previous issues, though, the team behind Spider-Geddon #4 offers a coherent, strong presentation.
Figures feel lively against the detailed backgrounds. In every panel, characters maintain a sense of animation and kinetic energy. The settings and design never feel boring, despite half the issue taking place aboard Leopardon.
The page layouts land the beats of the dialogue well, and give us a good range of wide, panoramic views and tight close-ups.
Final Thoughts
Spider-Geddon #4 isn’t the strongest chapter of the Spider-Geddon event thus far. You get the sense that Gage was forced to compact certain elements to fit the five-issue run. However, it’s not a bad entry, and it gets us where we need to be for our next issue.
