Spider-Man: Reign 2 by Kaare Andrews Review

It’s the future so the Matrix is real and Peter Parker’s stuck in there because. Where’s MJ? Well, the sensible thing to do is time-travel with a mini Black Cat and actual goblins(!?) to fight Venom as MJ to not prevent the dystopian future that an Akira’d out Kingpin will enact for some reason. Time to get your dumbrellas out everyone - we’re heading back into Kaare Andrews’ Reign!

Ultimate Spider-Man, Volume 1: Married With Children Review (Jonathan Hickman, Marco Checchetto)

In Ultimate Invasion, The Maker made it so that the origin stories of superheroes in an alternate world never happened - which means no magic spider ever bit a teenage Peter Parker and this world never had a Spider-Man! Instead, this world’s Peter is a middle-aged photojournalist at the Bugle, married to MJ, a PR exec, with a couple kids. The perfect life - except Peter can’t shake the feeling of dissatisfaction… that he should maybe be doing something else with his life…

The Amazing Spider-Man, Volume 8: Spider Man's First Hunt Review (Zeb Wells, Patrick Gleason)

Queen Goblin gives Kraven a magic spear to turn Norman Osborn gobbly again - but not if Spider-Man can stop him! Also, Bizarro Spidey Rek-Rap returns to solve a case about a debt collector after Randy Robertson - but not if Spider-Man can buh buh…!

The Amazing Spider-Man, Volume 7: Armed and Dangerous Review (Zeb Wells, Ed McGuinness)

Doc Ock wants to mess up Norman Osborn’s good streak - but Normy don’t wanna be baaad! Spider-Man gets astoopid agin for anuvver book!

The Amazing Spider-Man, Volume 6: Dead Language, Part 2 Review (Zeb Wells, John Romita Jr)

Spidey and co. face down the wannabe god of death the Emissary in a final battle. Also revealed at last is what happened with MJ - how did she suddenly get a family separate from her relationship with Peter? All this and more in the second and final part of Dead Language.

Spider-Man: Torment by Todd McFarlane Review

The Lizard is killing random people in New York - but whyyyyy?

The Amazing Spider-Man, Volume 5: Dead Language, Part 1 Review (Zeb Wells, John Romita Jr)

Since the dawn of Zeb Wells’ Spidey run readers have been axing themselves what that opening scene meant and wha hoppen to him and MJ’s relationship - how come she married to Some Guy wiz kids not Peter’s? Well, five books in and Zebby’s now answering them q’s with some a’s. And, as always when it comes to Pete and MJ, it’s… complicated.

Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Year One Review (Zeb Wells, Kaare Andrews)

Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Year One is a Doc Ock origin story and his and Spidey’s first encounter. And it’s not bad for all that - Zeb Wells did alright given the tone of story he was going for and the characters he’s working with.

The Amazing Spider-Man, Volume 4: Dark Web Review (Zeb Wells, Ed McGuinness)

Madelyne Pryor, the Goblin Queen of Limbo, along with Ben Reilly, infamous Peter Parker clone, make edgy Pepe the Frog memes for the lulz and do illegal things using a VPN bring Limbo, and ensuing chaos, to New York City in Dark Web.

The Amazing Spider-Man, Volume 3: Hobgoblin Review (Zeb Wells, John Romita Jr)

Hobgoblin rides again - but with both Ned Leeds and Roderick Kingsley around, which one is Hobby this time? Also: crossovers galore and the prelude to Dark Web!

The Amazing Spider-Man, Volume 2: The New Sinister Review (Zeb Wells, John Romita Jr)

Peter’s birthday party is interrupted by Doc Ock…’s robot arms. But where’s the Doc? And when Adrian Toomes’ granddaughter finds out about her granddad’s supervillain past and disowns him, he suspects Spidey’s involvement - and the Vulture sets out to get revenge.

The Amazing Spider-Man, Volume 1: World Without Love Review (Zeb Wells, John Romita Jr.)

Spider-Man does what a spider hero does and inadvertently starts a gang war between Tombstone and the Kingpin’s son, The Rose. Tombstone must reassert control over his criminal empire - and Spidey’s gonna help him, whether he wants to or not.

Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Volume 2: Hostile Takeovers Review (Tom Taylor, Ken Lashley)

Prowler’s back on the… prowl… because of some baddie abusing crowdfunding… or something… Then Spidey’s back down in Under York to start a revolution with the Fantastic Four. Also, a day in the life of MJ and the continuing, er, adventures of May going through chemo.

Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Volume 1: Secrets and Rumors Review (Tom Taylor, Juann Cabal)

Anachronistic goons from the 1940s with super-strength are hunting a mother and her two kids for reasons - who’s gonna help? Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man!

Spider-Man: Spider-Verse - Spider-Gwen Review (Jason Latour, Brian Michael Bendis)

Yeezus, can we get mention spiders some more in this title, please??? Spider-Man: Spider-Verse – Spider-Gwen is a taster spider-collection of the spider-character for new spider-readers who liked the recent Spider-Verse spider-movie, so everything spider-here has been spider-printed before in previous spider-collections. I haven’t read any Spider-Gwen before though so it was all spider-new to me. And my spider-instincts to avoid it the first spider-time around were right – it’s nay very good!

Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Volume 4 Review (Brian Michael Bendis, Oscar Bazaldua)

Oh thank god it’s over! Brian Bendis finally delivers the mercy kill to his aimless, tortured Miles Morales run and it’s as bad as the last few books have been! It was fantastic under the Ultimate banner but the series has never been good post-Cataclysm and I’ve only been reading out of the vain hope that the series will return to its past glory (spoilerz it DIN’T!).

Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man, Volume 2: Revelations Review (Brian Michael Bendis, David Marquez)

Miles and a newly-resurrected Peter Parker take on a newly-resurrected Green Goblin - AGAIN! - before Miles finds out his girlfriend Katie Bishop’s “shocking” family secret. And speaking of secret, Secret Wars abruptly puts an end to this series, forcing Brian Bendis to awkwardly slam the brakes on his (admittedly absolute shite) storylines. Ta-da…

Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Volume 3 Review (Brian Michael Bendis, Nico Leon)

It’s time for another edition of Brian Bendis Attempts To Obliterate My Interest in Miles Morales! In (good grief) Volume 3, the increasingly uninspired writer finds the laziest pseudo-storylines on which to hang his copious amounts of uninteresting, soapy melodrama!

Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Volume 2 Review (Brian Michael Bendis, Nico Leon)

Hmm. Yeah, unfortunately the post-Secret Wars Miles Morales stuff isn’t an improvement over the post-Cataclysm crap. Event comics have completely ruined this character. And if that wasn’t enough, here comes another one in the form of Civil War II to compound the fuck-up! Jesus, what a mess Brian Bendis ended up making of poor Miles’ series. 

Spider-Men Review (Brian Michael Bendis, Sara Pichelli)

Because bullhonky, Mysterio somehow creates a device that opens a portal to the Ultimates universe where (I think 616-Universe) Peter Parker gets zapped and meets Miles Morales aka Ultimate Spider-Man. They have some conveniently book-sized ‘ventures before the status quo is reinstated. And that’s Spider-Men. Any good? Nah. NEXT!