Review: ‘Midnight Spider-Man’ #1 Takes The Familiar And Mixes It With Horror And Gore
by Tom Smithyman
Overview
This is an entire plus-size issue that manages to deprive readers of a glimpse of the Midnight version of everyone’s favorite wallcrawler. Instead of giving us a flashback to show off the new take on the character, the creators present yet another origin story — and only the beginning at that. What we do know is that it has horror and gore. Just no Spidey!
Overall
8/10Midnight Spider-Man is not the wallcrawler you know. Not exactly, anyway.
Sure there are familiar elements. Peter Parker is still a brilliant young student. His Uncle Ben is passing along wisdom. Felecia Hardy makes an appearance. As does a certain spider.
But despite these recognizable components, this Midnight Universe version of the loveable character is a mixture of more modern elements alongside pure horror — and even some gore. This is not your father’s Spidey. And it certainly isn’t for younger readers.
In this version, written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Peter is about to turn 18 and is already working for Dr. Curt Connors when he gets recruited by Oscorp. That massive conglomerate is leading the post-humanity arms race, looking to build a better human being. But the company isn’t having much success, as evidenced by a test subject who vomits up most of his organs along with hundreds of bone fragments. Illustrated by ScieTronc, it’s not a pleasant sight.
Mysteries abound. Peter’s parents seem to be dead, but we’re not sure. Aunt May is nowhere to be seen. Ben talks to someone on the phone. Maybe it was her. Otto Octavius’s name is dropped, but we haven’t met him yet. Most importantly, this first issue is just the beginning of Midnight Spider-Man’s origin. By the end, someone else is bitten by the radioactive spider.
Johnson leaves readers with plenty of enticing questions to come back for in future issues. If nothing else, fans are going to want to see the newest version of the super arachnid in action. You won’t find him in this opening chapter. That’s a bit of a bummer. Focusing on the story behind the story feels as though it’s robbing readers of why they picked up the book in the first place.
In some ways, this origin feels almost too familiar. With most of the original elements intact, we know where this story is headed (unlike with DC’s Absolute universe where the characters are more turned on their heads.)
ScieTronc is smart and talented enough to make the characters recognizable at the same time they are somewhat distant. Peter still looks like Peter. (Though Spider-Man — when he is finally introduced — will look much different from the versions we’re used to.) In addition to the gore, ScieTronc does seem to enjoy a little T&A — with an emphasis on T. His first-person rendering of Felecia is framed by her ample bosoms (complete with the requisite beauty mark). Again, this is not a kids’ book.
Who exactly Midnight Spider-Man is targeted to is still hazy. Do readers really want to sit through yet another Spidey origin story, let alone a very dark one? Is this aimed at the Spider-Man haters who think the traditional Peter is too cheery and optimistic?
At this point, only one thing is for certain: We need some Spider-Man in this title — and soon.
Midnight Spider-Man #1 — written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, illustrated by ScieTronc, colored by Neeraj Menon, and lettered by Joe Caramagna — is available today in comic book stories and on digital platforms from Marvel Comics.
