THE AMAZING
SPIDER-MAN
ISSUE 009
It is finally here! Spider-Verse. Marvel has been building up to this for two months now, and it has all been worth it. As usual with Spider-Verse issues, the issue starts of with an alternate Universe version of Peter. This one is seemingly similar to the Peter of Earth - 616. That is at least until he receives a phone call from good O'l J. Jonah. Jameson telling him to grab photo's, juts like old times. Because of course JJJ is now a presenter on the "Fact Channel". Sadly s it has been with all alternate Universe Peters we have encountered, he is devoured by a Member of the Morlun family..on the moon. I like this alternate world, I just wish that somehow at the end of this some Spider Totems come back. If they are definitely gone I feel so bad for MayDay Parker (See Issue 8) and many other Spider Totems. This issue is "Spider-Verse Part One: The Gathering".
First Page, Second Page & Third Page
Back in Earth - 001, obviously where the Morlun family live, the Weaver of the great web is still imprisoned, and being forced to open portals into other worlds/ dimensions for the Morlun family to feast in. We also get a small taste of why Earth - 616 is just so important to the Morlun family.
Fourth Page
In Earth - 616 Peter is sound asleep..stark naked,when a particularly perky Cindy shows up to "talk". They just can not resist each other. It is times like this I am thankful that Peter is a gentleman and can hold his own, especially against temptation. Besides all of that, I wonder what Cindy's cure could be? Anything that messes with Peters senses could potentially be a threat.
Fifth Page & Sixth Page
Out in the open skies of New York City, some not so friendly criminals have hijacked some of SpOck's Spider-Ling gear and robbed a bank. Not particularly what I would use a huge Spider-Tank for, but it's a start. Silk and Spider-Man are swift and efficient in stopping the tank, but the men get away.
Seventh Page & Eighth Page
During the chase, three fellow Spider totems show up, Spider-man 2099, Spider-Woman, and her Protege Spider-Girl, oh hand also the real Spider-Girl MayDay Parker. Not to mention my favourite of the Spider-Verse members, Spider-UK. I am so happy to finally see this coming together. I haven't seen this many Spiders together including 616 before, and it's actually kinda cool. One side thought. If Cindy has found a way to stop her attraction to Peter, could that be used on the Morlun family to help mask their scent?
Ninth Page & Tenth Page
Now this is getting humorous, Spider-Ham. At this point I don't think Peter can take any more. He basically just saw a pig version of himself, and then got told that "all the strands of the great web are converging on you". To think that things were just looking up for him. Anyway, Peter is still not buying into the whole "Great Web" thing, but he is soon convinced upon seeing his would be daughter.. He then travels off into the safe zone.
Eleventh Page & Twelfth Page
Elsewhere in Earth - 616 Morlun's older brother has found Kiane, Peter's more bloodthirsty clone, who can also actually talk to Spiders among other things. I really hope that Nova and the girl are okay. Just as it seems Kaine is done for, like many of the other Spider Totems, another inter-dimensional portal opens up. It had never occurred to me that even Peters clones were at risk of attack from Morlun.
Thirteenth Page & Fourteenth Page
The portal reveals four more Spider Totems, Spider-Gwen, Old Man Spider?, a Ben Reilly Spider-Man, and a Bruce Banner Spider-Man. Now this is interesting...why would the Old Man Spider have his identity hidden...who could he possibly be...and a Bruce Banner that became Spider-Man not the Hulk..that takes some getting used too. Sadly Bruce Spider is captured and well..crippled by Morlun's older brother.
Fifteenth Page & Sixteenth Page
In the safe zone, all of the Spider Totems are gathered, and we learn more about how many Spider totems are there. I am surprised that so far there are only just about over 20, I thought we were going to see literally thousands of Spider-Men...guess not. I am actually quite happy to see a version of Spider-Man were he kept the power cosmic. So we are now aware that a huge war is coming - and as usual the fate of a whole race lies on our Peters head. So no pressure hey?
Seventeenth Page, Eighteenth Page & Nineteenth Page
In the Ultimate Universe, Earth - 610, Miles Morales is mourning his Mothers death...and he is interrupted by another member of the Morlun family. That finishes off the main segment to this issue. As I often say, if you want to read what comes next in the secondary segment, you will have to go out and read the issue.
Twentieth Page
My Overall View
What a FANTASTIC start for Spider-verse! First off I loved the drawing and colouring in this issue, Oliver Coipel and Justin Ponsor have done a wonderful job bringing this story to life. I honestly haven't been this excited fro a Spider-Man crossover since the Spider-Man 1994-99 Animated series' finale. I really can't wait to see how all of this plays out, hopefully Silk will be a key part. She really does need some more credibility to her name rather than just helping out with the petty crimes. Anyway. It's actually quite horrifying to think that the Morlun family go out to cripple Spider Totems and then bring them back home. They must be in agony. I also hope that the Weaver has a few tricks up his sleeve. I doubt that the Morlun family can monitor him 24/7, so what if maybe, just maybe, he has been creating a kind of 'Back door' for the other totems.