Comics Bulletin logo
Search
  • Columns
    Random
    • Interview With Alan Moore, Part 1

      Chase Magnett
      December 30, 2004
      Meth Addict
    Recent
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 2

      Daniel Gehen
      December 4, 2020
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 1

      Daniel Gehen
      October 30, 2020
    • Comictober 2020: DRACULA MOTHERF**KER

      Daniel Gehen
      October 27, 2020
    • What Looks Good
    • Comics Bulletin Soapbox
    • The Full Run
    • Leading Question
    • Top 10
    • The Long-Form
    • Jumping On
    • Comics in Color
    • Slouches Towards Comics
  • Big Two
    Random
    • Review: 'Aquaman' #19

      Chase Magnett
      March 20, 2017
      Big Two, Big Two Reviews, DC Comics
    Recent
    • 4.5

      DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      January 22, 2021
    • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

      Daniel Gehen
      December 3, 2020
    • Stan Lee

      nguyen ly
      November 7, 2020
    • DC Comics
    • Big Two Reviews
    • Marvel Comics
  • Indie
    Random
    • 2.5

      Review: BERSERKER UNBOUND #2 Barely Improves Upon The First

      Chase Magnett
      September 4, 2019
      Dark Horse, Indie, Reviews
    Recent
    • Review: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist

      Daniel Gehen
      December 14, 2020
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 2

      Daniel Gehen
      December 4, 2020
    • 4.5

      TMNT: The Last Ronin #1 Lives Up to the Hype (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      October 29, 2020
    • Reviews
    • Archie Comics
    • Boom! Studios
    • Dark Horse
    • IDW
    • Image
    • Oni Press
    • Valiant
  • Reviews
    Random
    • 5.0

      A Venn Diagram with a Nautilus Shell Inside a Mobius Strip: Arrested Development's Divisive 4th Season

      Chase Magnett
      May 31, 2013
      Reviews
    Recent
    • 4.5

      DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      January 22, 2021
    • Review: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist

      Daniel Gehen
      December 14, 2020
    • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

      Daniel Gehen
      December 3, 2020
    • Singles Going Steady
    • Slugfest
    • Manga
      • Reviews
    • Small Press
      • Reviews
      • ICYMI
      • Tiny Pages Made of Ashes
  • Interviews
    Random
    • Liam Sharp: A New Grammar for a New Medium

      Chase Magnett
      September 28, 2012
      Interviews
    Recent
    • Interview: Jon Davis-Hunt Talks SHADOWMAN

      Daniel Gehen
      June 8, 2020
    • Interview: Becky Cloonan talks DARK AGNES and Her Personal Influences

      Mike Nickells
      March 4, 2020
    • Simon Roy

      Interview: Simon Roy on His Inspirations and Collaborations on PROTECTOR

      Mike Nickells
      January 29, 2020
    • Audio Interview
    • Video Interview
  • Classic Comics
    Random
    • The Phantom by Don Newton: A Six-Pack of Greatness

      Chase Magnett
      May 9, 2014
      Classic Comics Cavalcade, Columns
    Recent
    • Countdown to the King: Marvel’s Godzilla

      Daniel Gehen
      May 29, 2019
    • Honoring A Legend: Fantagraphics To Resurrect Tomi Ungerer Classics

      Daniel Gehen
      February 15, 2019
    • Reliving the Craziest Decade in Comics History: An interview with Jason Sacks

      Mark Stack
      January 2, 2019
    • Classic Comics Cavalcade
    • Classic Interviews
  • News
    Random
    • Kickstarter Spotlight: E.X.O. — The Legend of Wale Williams Part One

      Chase Magnett
      May 2, 2015
      Kickstarter Spotlight, News
    Recent
    • 2020 Ringo Awards Winners Announced

      Daniel Gehen
      October 26, 2020
    • BAD IDEA Announces 2021 Publishing Slate

      Daniel Gehen
      September 29, 2020
    • A Full Replay of NCSFest 2020 is now Available

      Daniel Gehen
      September 15, 2020
    • Press Release
    • Kickstarter Spotlight
  • Books
    Random
    • 5.0

      Review: "Snowden" by Ted Rall

      Chase Magnett
      November 17, 2015
      Books, Indie, Reviews, Small Press
    Recent
    • Collecting Profile: Disney Frozen

      CB Staff
      November 22, 2019
    • Collecting Profile: NFL Superpro

      CB Staff
      August 31, 2019
    • “THE BEST OF WITZEND” is a Wonderful Celebration of Artistic Freedom

      Daniel Gehen
      September 15, 2018
    • Review: ‘Machete Squad’ is a Disappointing Afghan Memoir

      Jason Sacks
      July 31, 2018
    • Review: ‘Out of Nothing’ is the Antidote to Our Sick Times

      Jason Sacks
      July 23, 2018
    • Review: ‘Bizarre Romance’ Shows Rough Edges in the Early Days of a New Marriage

      Jason Sacks
      July 10, 2018
What's New
  • Collecting Profile: If I win Powerball, I will buy Amazing Fantasy 15
  • DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)
  • Collecting Profile: Batwoman
  • Collecting Profile: Daredevil
  • Collecting Profile: Floronic Man
  • Review of Cheetah in Wonder Woman 1984
  • RSS Feed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Contact Us
  • Write for us!
  • Visit Video Game Break!
Home
Big Two

Boris the Spider-Man: Spidey #7

Chase Magnett
July 9, 2016
Big Two, Big Two Reviews, Marvel Comics

When you talk about Marvel Comics, you often talk about franchises. You don’t just discuss the Avengers or X-Men book, but the Avengers or X-Men line as a whole. It’s how the publisher has organized their IP in order to better manage and sell it. This year, Comics Bulletin Co-Managing Editor Chase Magnett has been diving down the rabbit hole of these franchises in review series. So far he has tackled classic teams like The Avengers and X-Men as well as Marvel’s push to make the Inhumans happen. Now he’s looking at a franchise based not on a team, but a single character: Spider-Man. Is the massive proliferation of Spider-books resulting in quality or just quantity? Let’s find out.

Spidey #7

Written by Robbie Thompson

Art by Andre Lima Arrujo

Colors by Jim Campbell

Letters by  Travis Lanham

It is strange that the only approachable and kid friendly version of Spider-Man is completely disconnected from the rest of Marvel’s comics? Is it stranger that Marvel is publishing a series about young Spider-Man when they already have a young Spider-Man in the form of Miles Morales? Is the strangest thing of all that the series targeted at young readers reaffirms a white Spider-Man as the “real” one? The answers to all of these questions are yes and it’s something worth raising to the editing and marketing departments at Marvel Comics as a real problem. In spite of that strangeness though, Spidey #7 is a very entertaining comic and one I wish was part of Marvel’s “progressive” strategy.

One strategy Spidey #7 pursues exceedingly well is presenting an accessible superhero comic. Writer Robbie Thompson composes a complete story, including a moral lesson, superhero team-up, villain, and mundane sub-plot into 20 pages without any of them ever feeling overstuffed. There’s a breezy effect to his scripting as readers familiar with the genre will be able to see 10 panels ahead of each page. That’s a purposeful choice of tone and composition though. This is the shallow end of the pool designed for folks learning to swim or just wanting to get their feet wet. It is comfortable and finds its enjoyment in that tone.

 

Spidey #7 The Spot

That’s not to say this is purely a “kids comic” whatever that means. It strikes a tone that falls comfortably within the realm of all ages. I enjoyed the simple superhero fare aspect of it as a grown-ass man. Small sight and continuity gags are present for long-time fans of the characters. An early sequence of flashbacks includes some great references to classic Spidey villains including the very visually compelling D-lister The Spot. The plotting and pacing of Spidey #7 set a higher standard than many other superhero titles published for a more mature audience. Its different target appears to have set it free to focus on genre fundamentals, which it may not perfect, but understands quite well.

Artist Andre Lima Arrujo’s layouts are effective and could be easily read by those unfamiliar with comics without seeming redundant to those more familiar with the medium. Series of horizontal flashbacks are entertaining and both Arrujo and colorist Jim Campbell’s attention to detail help make them very effective. Readers can flip between pages and discover a consistent sense for geography both in and out of action sequences. Arrujo’s sense of physicality is off-putting when a teenaged Peter Parker fights alongside Black Panther, a grown man and king. Both characters bodies have proportions similar to those of a child, which makes their disparate ages difficult to discern and has the effect of altering how they are shown when their masks are off.

Spidey #7 Silent Fight

 

If there’s a central complaint regarding Spidey #7, it comes in missed opportunities. Simplicity does not necessitate a lack of innovation or challenge. In a fight with the super villain Klaw, Spidey realizes he must stop himself from hearing anything to win. A page turn is set up with an empty speech bubble tempting a silent battle, but it ultimately a let down. The very next page resolves everything in quick, simple fashion with this new mechanic providing only a Spidey-level (read: weak) attempt at humor.

Spidey #7 both lives and dies by its unique set of expectations. Its back-to-basics approach allows for streamlined, superhero storytelling. That selection of direct conflicts and resolutions is refreshing. However, it feels as though the comic doesn’t want to be more than a clarification of good tropes and genre motifs. There are opportunities to do more while maintaining this simplicity of story and approachable tone. With new readers must come new responsibilities, and Spidey needs to figure out what those will be.

Check Out Other Installments Here:

Amazing Spider-Man #14

Spider-Man #5

Spider-Woman #8

Silk #9

Spider-Gwen #9

Spider-Man 2099 #11

Web Warriors #8

Boris the Spider-Man: Spidey #7
3.5Overall Score

Robbie ThompsonSpidey

Share On:
Tweet
Boris the Spider-Man: Spider-Man 2099 #11
Interview: Brian Wood and the Books He’ll Be Remembered For

About The Author

Chase Magnett
Comics Theorist

Chase is a mild-mannered finance guy by day and a raving comics fan by night. He has been reading comics for more than half of his life. After graduating from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln with degrees in Economics and English, he has continued to research comics while writing articles and reviews online. His favorite superhero is Superman and he'll accept no other answers. Don't ask about his favorite comic unless you're ready to spend a day discussing dozens of different titles.

Related Posts

  • 3.5

    Boris the Spider-Man: Silk #9

    Chase Magnett
    July 7, 2016
  • 2.0

    Guarding the Galaxy: Venom: Space Knight #6

    Chase Magnett
    May 6, 2016

Support Us!

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

Friends of the Site

  • SOLRAD
  • Your Chicken Enemy
  • Psycho Drive-In
  • Women Write About Comics
  • The Beat
  • Loser City
RSSTwitterFacebookgoogleplusinstagramtumblr

Comics Bulletin is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, audible.com, and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, Comics Bulletin earns from qualifying purchases.

All content on this site (c) 2018 The Respective Copyright Holders