Writer: Joe Kelly

Art: Chris Bachalo, Tim Townsend, Marcio Menyz, and VC’s Travis Lanham

Publisher: MARVEL COMICS

Price: $4.99

Release Date: March 10th, 2021

Prepare yourselves for the most exhilarating and palpitating thrill ride in recent SPIDER-MAN history. As the title suggests, SPIDER-MAN just doesn’t stop! Really?! Well, a problem at Empire State University shoves SPIDER-MAN into a voyage that breaks through in Manhattan which will eventually usher him across the world against some of the Marvel Universe’s toughest villains. Let’s jump into NON-STOP SPIDER-MAN #1 by Joe Kelly and Chris Bachalo to see if this heart-pounding adventure is really worth the wait.

If you’re interested in this comic or any of the others mentioned, simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon.

STORY

Well readers, this issue certainly lives up to its name. This SPIDER-MAN comic is truly “non-stop”. However, the premise of the series may be a bit too over the top for this Spidey-fan. The “non-stop” action came at the expense of the story and plot which I found myself confused, jumbled, and re-reading panels and pages way too frequently during even the first read. It wasn’t just the relentless and rather extreme action that managed to perplex and frustrate. The plot itself also provided mini time hops that added an extra layer to the chaos within the issue.

Readers jump 15 stories above this issue only to wonder who the bad guys are, who Peter’s friends are, and what the framework of the comic happens to be. Granted, before the conclusion of NON-STOP SPIDER-MAN #1, readers will get what “appears” to be the premise of at least this issue. Still, the backward retelling mixed with high octane action took the focus off any sort of build-up, character development, and simple introduction within this wall-crawling tale.

ART

Chris Bachalo thoroughly added to the relentless action taking this high-speed tale to an all-new level. That said, this comic was almost too busy. The unique panel layouts were definitely clever and made the issue feel more intense than it would be normally, especially with its sharp transitions. However, there was simply too much going on in small spaces to make sense of what was happening and where Spidey was. Mixed with heavy inner monologuing, Bachalo’s design for the issue just caused this reviewer to struggle to decipher who was fighting who, where SPIDER-MAN was at, and how he was being attacked.

Furthermore, Bachalo’s illustrations were a bit more cartoony than what I’m looking for in an issue. If that’s your cup of tea, then maybe you’ll dig this issue a bit more than I. Nonetheless, Travis Lanham delivers in spades throughout this issue with lettering that popped right off the page. Almost every punch, kick, or thudding blast exploded off the page with Lanham’s commanding lettering style from beginning to end.

 

FINAL THOUGHTS

In all reality, the parts of the issue I loved the most were the flashbacks before the “non-stop” action. Those scenes had the most clarity and simply made the most sense. Sometimes, too much of a good thing can be bad for you like cheese fries or colonoscopies. I think that may be the case with this concept steeped inside NON-STOP SPIDER-MAN this week. Kelly and Bachalo’s concept seems intriguing at first. Yet, the issue is cluttered, confusing, and lacks a driving plot or any real character development. Truthfully, I thought I’d get a bit more within this issue. That said, I’m not out on the series just yet. One single issue is hard to stake your claim on the entire series. So, I’m in for NON-STOP SPIDER-MAN #2… for now. Nevertheless, the leash is much smaller than it was before. Let me know what you think, have a great week, and God bless!

7/10

If you’re interested in NON-STOP SPIDER-MAN #1, click HERE or on the cover below