REVIEW: In SPIDER-MAN: SPIDER’S SHADOW, Venom’s Going Nowhere

by Rebecca Kaplan · April 16, 2021

In Spider-Man: Spider’s Shadow #1 by Chip Zdarsky, Pasqual Ferry, Matt Hollingsworth, and Joe Caramagna, with a cover by Phil Noto, readers get a glimpse of what might have happened if Peter Parker kept the symbiote suit, which might be better known to you by its other name, Marvel Blog True Believers: VENOM!

Photo: Marvel Comics

What? It’s What If Spider’s Shadow!

If you are wondering what the story is with a scary yarn about Spider-Man going bad, the answer lies with a concept which you will so be familiar with thanks to Disney+: the Mighty Marvel Comics tradition of “What If…?”

Stories that fall under the “What If…?” banner take place outside of regular Marvel Comics continuity, meaning they can feature strange twists on familiar stories (not to mention the fact that the characters can meet non-canonical fates, meaning the stakes can be very high indeed).

Photo: Marvel Comics

In 1977, the first issue of What If? was released, and in the years since, there have plenty more of these whack-y, off-the-wall stories released.

However, Spider-Man: Spider’s Shadow #1 launches a new line of “What If…?” stories, with a new twist! This time, these stories are not contained to a single issue but will run for four-issue arcs, meaning you might have some Mighty Marvel cliffhangers in the mix!

Photo: Marvel Comics

Spider-Man: Spider’s Shadow #1

Spider-Man: Spider’s Shadow #1 uses the fact that it has space to breathe to great effect. In a one-issue “What If…?” story, you only get 22 pages of storytelling. However, with four issues, Spider-Man: Spider’s Shadow will have a chance to spin a complicated web!

Photo: Marvel Comics

You get to see the beginnings of this benefit in the first issue, which allows Peter enough time to visit with Felica Hardy (A.K.A. the Black Cat) and go get a check-up from Mr. Fantastic (with the Human Torch making an appearance, because this is a Zdarsky-penned tale, after all).

Whether supersuit or symbiote, this issue really shows off the posterior possibilities! Photo: Marvel Comics

The Symbiote Suit’s Secret History

One of my very favorite parts of this issue is that it gives you a jumping-off point for further reading, and more reading is always good in my comic book!

On the recap page, you’re informed that the issue takes place around the same time as The Amazing Spider-Man #258 (1984) by Tom Defalco, Ron Frenz, Josef Rubinstein, Joe Rosen, and Bob Sharen, which (as the recap notes) is currently available to read on the Marvel Unlimited App.

Photo: Marvel Comics

This means if you’re intrigued by the first issue, you can spend your time waiting for the next one by checking out the original story that inspired the new “What If…?” while you wait for issue 2! And we have a hunch there may be some Easter eggs from these issues hidden in the remainder of Spider-Man: Spider’s Shadow.