Spider-Man: Enter the Spider-Verse #1 continues the dimension-hopping adventures from the soon-to-be concluded Spider-Geddon. The one-shot sees surviving Web Warriors hopping between worlds to tie-up loose ends from an old Spider-Man adventure.
Despite the title, I don’t expect this to be a “must-read” item before the movie hits theaters next month. In fact, the story is not a particularly pressing entry in the larger Spider-canon at all. However, it can scratch the itch if you’re really hungry for more multiverse adventures.
The Writing
Spider-Man: Enter the Spider-Verse #1 isn’t necessarily targeted at younger readers. However, I feel this would appeal more to the all-ages demographic.
Marvel legend Ralph Macchio helms writing duties here, but don’t expect a ground-shaking adventure or anything. The team find themselves up against alternate universe versions of some familiar villains, though they never seem to pose much of a threat. The writing is light overall, choosing to eschew dramatic tension in favor of banter. That’s the main issue I have here: the book doesn’t read like a standard one-shot. Instead, the story feels like it should be an episode in a larger story. There’s not a lot in the way of plot, which can leave readers less than satisfied.
The book’s second half is occupied by a reprint of issue #1 of Spider-Man (2016). This reprints the first adventures of Miles Morales in the main Marvel universe, prepping readers for the upcoming Spider-Verse film.
The Artwork
The line work from artist Flaviano is solid throughout Spider-Man: Enter the Spider-Verse #1. Character designs are appealingly-detailed for the most part, and figures carry a sense of dynamic movement.
That said, the trade-off is that settings are sparse throughout the entire book. The artist elected to focus the characters and neglect backgrounds in favor of a more stylized look. While not unappealing, it would be nice to have a more even balance of style and substance in the backgrounds, as this can leave us unmoored in terms of setting and make it hard to orient ourselves.
Erick Arciniega’s colors are one of the book’s highlights. Everything is vibrant with a not-quite-but-almost-neon palette.
Final Verdict
As mentioned before, Spider-Man: Enter the Spider-Verse #1 will satisfy if you’re really desperate for more Spider-Verse adventures. However, it’s not an essential story, and it’s probably not one you’ll miss if you don’t pick it up.
