Peter Parker & Miles Morales: Spider-Men – Double Trouble #4: Two Spiders, One Thanos!

Spider-Men: Double Trouble #4 is a boatload of fun and heart, ending off yet another run of just plain fun books to a fantastic end. Yes, this is a series meant for younger readers like the previous two Double Trouble books, but that shouldn’t discount its value. Younger readers are the lifeblood of our industry, and when something well-made comes out it should be pushed and reviewed in the same way a good ol’ fashioned issue of Amazing Spider-Man would be.

As such, nailing characterization is important. Miles & Peter play off one another in ways that are funny and satisfying to read, bringing to the table the Spider-Men relationship we haven’t seen explored on its own since 2017’s Spider-Men II. As a reader who was about seven years old when Miles was just becoming Spider-Man, I can’t explain just how important the relationship between Peter and a younger Spider-Man can be. The team makes it a story point to establish Miles as someone who looks up to Peter but functions on his own. One of Spider-Man’s many cores is that he would never be a sidekick, and the team holds true to that notion.

That being said, it isn’t the most hard-line representation of the Spider-Man universe. The seriousness is toned down, while the goofy aspects are turned up to grab the attention of children. All of Spidey’s foes are affected by this the most, but in turn, they’re charmingly idiotic.

The comedy is cute and worthy of a couple of chuckles. It isn’t anything to write home about, but it isn’t cringe-worthy. It is well constructed with excellent timing. At worst, when a bit falls flat it, such as the Thanos admirer bit with the A.I.M. worker, you still get an entertaining moment out of it.

The plot of issue #4 feels tacked on to the original Mysterio story but is consistently fun enough to never feel drawn out. Thanos makes for a great endgame antagonist, resulting in a team-up between our titular Spider-Men that requires some outsmarting rather than out-punching. Gurihiru really brings this story together with their artwork. It lies, in style, somewhere between western cartoons and eastern anime, their work with expressions bringing the comedy together. While not genre-defining, it is the best in what it is. Their layouts are also spectacular and clear, even when they break a traditional paneling format.