Spider-Boy #1: Monster Mash

After months of anticipation, Spider-Boy #1 has finally been released, and it doesn’t live up to the hype. If you’ve been following Bailey’s story so far, you’ll find more of the same. But if you’re picking up this number one issue for the first time, you’ll be left wondering what you’ve missed. This issue isn’t accessible to readers who haven’t kept up with Bailey’s recent appearances in various stories. As a continuation of those narratives, how does it fare?

Well, it’s an acquired taste. Bailey’s world doesn’t seamlessly fit into the Marvel Universe, nor does it need a connection to Spider-Man to exist. Consequently, it can sometimes feel burdened by the same ties that initially piqued readers’ interest in the character. Bailey’s story resembles Jessica Drew’s more than Peter Parker’s, which is a positive for the character when he’s on his own. However, it loses significance when Peter is introduced into the mix.

Bailey doesn’t require Peter to be interesting, as demonstrated by the extended flashback to his past in this issue. He’s a superhero whose origins are rooted in the monstrous and horrific, a trope that’s somewhat overused in the Marvel Universe. Yet, his strong ties to the world of pulp horror place him in a category more akin to Blade. As an entry point for young readers into that realm, Bailey is a conceptual success. When he’s performing Spider-Man activities or collaborating with Peter, his appeal diminishes. There’s an inherent charm in a superhero whose origins are steeped in classical horror, even if Slott’s dialogue, which leans toward a more boomer-esque style, affects the book’s readability.

I don’t consider Slott a bad author, but his writing for this title feels like an attempt to mimic a young reader style that he doesn’t quite master. The plot is serviceable, but the dialogue, combined with a disorienting pace, constantly reminds the reader that they’re indeed reading a comic book. The disjointed plot, particularly in a number one issue, reinforces the feeling that this character comes across as a gimmick, a “monster of the week” in an ongoing cycle of Spider-Man stories that hesitate to deviate from the established mythos due to editorial constraints. I appreciate Bailey as a concept, and, like much of Slott’s previous work, but this debut issue falls short in several ways for me.

Regarding the artwork, both Paco Medina and Ty Templeton do their best, providing cartoonish yet engaging illustrations that are seamlessly complemented by the coloring team. Erick Arciniega, in particular, enhances the main story with his skillful use of colors, effectively matching the atmospheres needed to solidify the book’s visual identity.