Spider-Geddon #3 Review

by Harlan Ivester on November 07, 2018

Writer: Christos Gage
Pencilers: Carlo Barberi & Todd Nauck
Inkers: Jose Marzan Jr. & Todd Nauck
Colorist: David Curiel
Publisher: Marvel Comics

            Oh, man.

            I really have no idea what to make of Spider-Geddon so far. This issue is I think the most flawed of them so far. One of those flaws being out of character decisions. Major spoilers for Spider-Man on PS4 again: it makes no sense for that Peter Parker to be so fine with teaming up with Otto to kill the inheritors. He has shown that he has no problem standing up to Octavius. He’s shown that he doesn’t kill. Is he really going to bend on that just because this Otto happens to be wearing a Spider-Man costume? And if he is, are they really not going to acknowledge it at all? He doesn’t seem to be struggling with the decision. He questions Otto about his plan, but not the end result itself. Similarly confusing is the appearance of a Spider-Man that is none other than Norman Osborn. It’s weird. He just shows up, and of course has a heinous plan to screw over the rest of the team to save himself. The details that his plan relies on are brushed over so quickly, I thought surely I was missing an editor’s note along the lines of, “Hey, true believers! Check out Prelude to End of Spider-Pocalypse Part 2 #1 to see how that happened,” but alas, no such note exists. It makes me wonder if such a tie in was pitched but ultimately scrapped. If I can also throw in a relatively minor annoyance, there’s nothing special about Otto declaring the die cast anymore. He does it all the time.  On the bright side, the two teams at least do something smart in this issue. It’s nice to not feel like I need to scream at them through the panels to not be complete idiots.

            Barberi & Nauck excel when it comes to body language. These Spidey eyes are all so vocal, even the non-traditional ones. You can tell a lot about the dynamic of a duo just by their positions in a panel. I think action scenes feel slightly too crowded; a more distanced perspective would make the whole thing feel a little more comfortable. David Curiel’s lighting on costumes is something I really enjoy here. The way the different shades are staggered by webs makes them look almost like stained glass art, yet they don’t feel out of place.

            Spider-Geddon so far has been fun and unique enough, but this issue was a step back. It’s not without great qualities, but it’s bogged down by oddly placed developments that are weirdly under developed. The art is the better half of the issue, but it could be elevated further if the perspective was backed up to let us breathe. If you haven’t been hooked by the first two issues, then this is a good issue to bail on.
 

Our Score:

6/10

A Look Inside