Time traveling is over for Spider-Man and his friends, so it’s time to kick butt in the present! After going back in time to figure out how to stop the Vedomi from destroying Earth, this issue kicks off the “Coming Home” story arc (and hopefully saves Earth).
So what’s it about?
Read the preview.
Why does this matter?
The things Chip Zdarsky and Adam Kubert have done with this series is delightful. If you ever wondered what the premiere Tinkerer story is look no further. The character has had some wicked twists in this series and is a big league villain to be sure. On top of this, Zdarsky is exploring the Peter and J. Jonah Jameson relationship splendidly. It might be the strongest development of their character dynamics ever.
Fine, you have my attention. What’s good about it?
This issue opens with the Vedomi nearing the completion of destroying all life forms on Earth for good. Always at the last minute, right Spider-Man? He, his sister (!!) and Jameson have what they think is a magic bullet that can turn the tide in this war. Some people might be wondering how this fits into the bigger MCU storylines, but this story deals with time travel so let’s all assume it’ll be brushed under the rug soon enough. That means we get some elseworlds style twists and turns that, hopefully, the Spidey gang can fix.
The biggest takeaway from this issue is Zdarsky’s undying love for Spider-Man being the most selfless character ever. He shows off his heroic nature twice and in both cases he cares not for himself as long as it saves others. There are dramatic beats in the story that make you love the character even more (and you probably didn’t think that was possible).
Kubert shows off why he’s one of the best in a few places in this issue. Be it the cliffhanger with a rather cool super suit shown off, some flashes of memories Peter gets, or a great sequence showing off how sticky Spider-Man can be, there’s plenty here to enjoy.
It can’t be perfect can it?
Even though this is the first issue in a story arc I wouldn’t recommend starting here. There’s a lot that’s required to enjoy this and I’d go as far as to say you should start with volume one. This issue also suffers due to its event-level premise and yet it never opens up and shows us the bigger world. It probably doesn’t matter — this is Spider-Man’s book after all, but it would help elevate the stakes if we did get a broader stroke.
Is it good?
A good issue that highlights the self-sacrifice of Spider-Man. He’s the greatest hero because he’s so damn selfless. Zdarsky has done the impossible: he’s made me love this character even more.
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