Radioactive Spider-Man #1: There’s No Place Like Home

Radioactive Spider-Man #1 brings readers into a radically transformed New York, now a city dominated by mutants in the Age of Revelation. Amid the upheaval, the city has changed, with renamed neighborhoods and a whole slew of all-new superpowered criminals—both those employed by the government and those who are not.

From the very first pages of issue #1, Joe Kelly (The Amazing Spider-Man) delivers a sharp political commentary that is woven seamlessly into the narrative and delivered by the letters of Joe Caramagna (Uncanny X-Men), which also manages to accentuate Peter’s own struggles combined with his iconic optimism and unwillingness to give up on the fight for New York. From oppressive government agents to a rebelling lower class, the political themes of this issue are poignant, especially with the rise of the “pure” and “impure” mutant gene castes that dominate the city’s social and economic hierarchy and expand on the mutated future in the Age of Revelation.

Peter Parker, as Spider-Man, is a pariah to New York; he has seen both its past and its present and witnessed as the changes swept over the city and its people. Whether he likes it or not, the DNA of New York City, his home, is still there. It’s just been mutated. This creates a subtle but persistent feeling of continuity that serves as a compelling throughline for the story and world so far.

But New York City isn’t the only thing that’s changed in Radioactive Spider-Man. Peter himself has had to take on several mutations, both to himself and to his life and role as Spider-Man. From his four arms to a new love interest, Peter’s entire life seems to have changed as much as, if not more than, his beloved hometown.

The beautiful artwork by Kev Walker (Guardians of the Galaxy), with color by Chris Sotomayor (Return to Planet Hulk), brings out the vibrant life of the mutated city; both its highs, such as “Highside,” and lows, such as “Lowtown,” are well captured and serve as more than just background set dressing for the issue’s main action and storyline.

Both the immaculate storytelling and artwork come together to create not only an effective introduction to this strange new addition to the Spider-Man mythos but also an entertaining read full of action and world-building. The issue ultimately culminates in an unexpected twist on an iconic character that left me desperately wanting more despite the full-course meal the all-star creative team served up in its 32 pages.