Our coverage of Free Comic Book Day 2023 continues! Next up is an advance review of Spider-Man/Venom #1 – FCBD 2023from Marvel. This story includes teasers for upcoming stories in The Amazing Spider-Man, Venom, and Ultimate Invasion!
Creative Team:
Writers: Zeb Wells, Al Ewing,& Jonathan Hickman
Artists: Patrick Gleason, Cafu, and Bryan Hitch
Colorists: Marcio Menyz, Frank D’Armata, and Alex Sinclair
Lettering: VC’s Joe Caramanga & Clayton Cowles
The first story features a normal day in the life of our favorite web-head, as Spidey has to stop an attack from…an escaped gorilla? Okay, maybe it’s not his regular heroics, but Pete has to figure out how to stop this rampaging animal before he hurts the bystanders of NYC. With a little help from his Spider-Glider “Bug” (see The Amazing Spider-Man for more info) and some interesting tactics, our hero is able to successfully save the day. Although the gorilla was stopped, the people of NYC weren’t thrilled about HOW it went down…causing some new heartache for Spider-Man. As he deals with the feedback from his fellow New Yorkers, we learn that Kraven The Hunter was behind the release of the animal, leading to an interesting interaction between him and Doctor Octopus! To be continued in The Amazing Spider-Man…
The second short story takes place in the 1940s, and features the tale of FLEXO! Now, you might be asking who or what is Flexo? Using an organic alien sample of “live rubber” that they found in a meteorite, the Williams Brothers team were able to “grow” enough of the substance to create their flexible hero. While the creators recant the tales of his heroics to a new publication, readers will start to see that everything isn’t as it seems with their creation… as Flexo starts to take on characteristics of VENOM!? But does that mean a symbiote has been on Earth since the 1940s? Readers will need to check out Venom for more information on this interesting development.
The final teaser features Miles Morales and The Maker (a.k.a. evil Reed Richards) having a heart-to-heart about their previous universe. You know…the Ultimate universe that was destroyed during Secret Wars? The Maker wants to go home…and he wants Miles to come with him. How is that possible and what does that mean for the Marvel Universe? If the final page of the teaser is any indication, it doesn’t mean good things for our heroes as “this summer, Jonathan Hickman & Bryan Hitch reinvent the Marvel Universe in Ultimate Invasion“.
I will admit, these weren’t the stories that I was expecting to read today, but I truly enjoyed the direction that they went in. Spider-Man versus a gorilla was absolutely ridiculous, but the humor and entertainment value was on point (“were you cracking jokes to a gorilla?”. The interaction between Kraven and Doc Ock was a solid setup for misadventures, and I look forward to seeing what this means for our favorite web-head. The Venom story was particularly engaging, and could have larger implications for the Marvel Universe and the symbiotes. I loved the 40s style storytelling and classic comic book elements, leading to the reveal of the true version of Flexo. Venom versus Flexo is coming soon, and who knows what that really means… And lastly, the return of the Ultimate Universe sounds like it could be fun as long as it doesn’t get convoluted. Secret Wars streamlined various story elements, incorporating Miles and The Maker into the 616 universe. We’ve known for a while that The Maker survived, and now we finally get to see his plan in action. All three of these books are getting added to my pull list after reading these teasers, and I look forward to the ride that lies ahead.
Rating:
ComicsOnline gives Spider-Man/Venom #1 – FCBD 2023 – 4/5 adventures where no real animals were harmed in the making of this comic book.
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Matt interviewed MacGyver once (true story), and was invited on a submarine to the Arctic. It hasn't happened yet, but Matt hopes that some day he will get the call and he and Richard Dean Anderson will go off and have a wacky adventure.
