Spider-Punk #1 (2022)

There's a risk when you take a cool background character like Spider-Punk and put them in their own series. Sure, you loved him in Spider-Verse (how could you not?) and enjoyed him in Spidergeddon (seems like severely diminished returns there), so is there enough blood to squeeze out of this particular stone? I'd answer with a soft 'yes'.


What's good: The high energy artwork by Justin Mason is a mix of Chris Samnee and Daniel Warren Johnson. It doesn't read as a fully formed style yet, but it does put him on the radar of artists to watch. It also has a Jerry Only'd version of Taskmaster, and that works.

What's less good: If you're going to use The Misfits as your visual guideline, why not just use The Fiend as Taskmaster? Are your punk deep cuts deep enough if your referencing MC5, the Dead Kennedys, and the Misfits?

On the plus(?) side, Marvel has printed this book on pre-rolled up paper so there's no speculation that this is intended as anything other than an item of commerce to be read and enjoyed, but remember, this album of anarchy is brought to you under the watchful eye of Disney. Fake evil empires may fall in this universe, but the real ones are safe.