Wow, oh wow! This opening issue of Marvel’s Spider-Man event Edge of Spider-Verse really had me from the opening scene and made me even more excited for the event than I was previously. Let me cut right to it; I never read Spider-Man: Noir. Sure, I bought it and stuffed it into the long-box but I have never got around to reading it. So I obviously had no idea for the foundation of these characters here but it really doesn’t matter as it is pretty straightforward…it’s Spider-Man gone noir. Simple enough!
The concept of this incarnation of Spider-Man and his supporting cast is an exceptionally done reimagining of the classic Spider-Man character that we all know and love, just set in 1939. What makes it work is that writers Hine & Sapolsky are able to dial back the decades but maintain the feel of what makes each one of these characters so special and so enduring. Without that sense of familiarity the event could have suffered a disastrous opening but instead it worked brilliantly.
The inclusion of Mysterio as the main antagonist for this Spider-Man event is a fitting choice as the basis of Mysterio’s character fits the setting quite appropriately. Besides, Beck is one of those villains that despite everything you just end up loving. The scene in which Mysterio is placed into the giant fishbowl in an escape attempt to please the audience was awesome and I couldn’t help but correlate that fishbowl to the modern day Mysterio who wears a “fishbowl” on his head.
The Richard Isanove art was stunning and gorgeous. I don’t get why Marvel can’t give him more gigs on a regular basis because his product is astounding! His style here added to the vibe of 1940 New York and the colors were muted to fit the timeline which coincidentally made me reminisce of the classic Spider-Man cartoon. Each page and panel was a visual treat and it left me wanting more.
If the creators that Marvel lined up for this promising Spider-Man event can keep up with the excellent work that this lead-off team produced than Edge of Spider-Verse should serve to be one hell of a tale consisting of various web-slingers from the past, present and future!