Spider-Man 2099: Exodus Alpha #1 Review

Written by: Steve Orlando
Art by: Paul Fry
Colors by: Neeraj Menon
Letters by: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover art by: Leinil Francis Yu, Sunny Gho
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: May 4, 2022

Spider-Man 2099: Alpha Exodus #1 brings Marvel readers back to the future as Spider-Man uncovers a plot by the Cabal to use the remains of a dead Celestial to create a priceless, new Garden of Eden.

Was It Good?

Well, Spider-Man 2099: Alpha Exodus #1 is certainly inventive, and I kind of liked it.

Orlando crafts a re-introduction to the future Spider-Man derivative with a story filled with action, tons (maybe too much) of futuristic technobabble, a Ghost Rider 2099 cameo, VR trolls, and a criminal organization plot that make Ultron’s plan in Avengers: Age of Ultron seem downright dull.

I like Orlando’s lack of restraint or groundedness in this issue. If you’re going to go big and futuristic, go for it, and Orlando certainly goes for it here. O’Hara gets wind of a Cabal plan to crash a piece of dead Celestial to Earth with the intention of mining the mutated crash site for whatever wonders sprout forth. The Cabal’s plans are deadly and destructive, but also put too much potential power in a criminal organization that already holds sway over governments and world leaders. O’Hara doesn’t stop the plan (not even close) but he does manage to find out the identity of the Cabal’s leader, setting up a quest to eradicate the Cabal by cutting off the head of the snake.

The minor down point in this issue is the reveal of the Cabal’s leader. Anyone familiar with general Spider-Man lore won’t be the least bit surprised, and frankly, the lack of surprise is a bit of a letdown. For all the effort going into this issue to make the setup big, crazy, and creative, the last place you want to be predictable is on the “shocking” last page reveal.

The art in this issue is very good to excellent. Fry goes to lengths to make O’Hara’s anatomy as creepy as possible and it has the desired effect of making Spider-Man’s physical presence as intimidating as his actions. 2099 Spider-Man’s clawed look has a monsterish edge that the current-day Spider-Man lacks, and Fry leans into it for a successfully effective visual.

Bits and Pieces

Spider-Man 2099: Alpha Exodus #1 is a fun, energetic, and wholly imaginative return for the character. The character designs are creepy, the setting feels futuristic in an unrestrained way, and the Cabal’s plan feels like a high-stakes threat. That said, the minor letdown is the last page reveal of the Cabal’s leader which is much too predictable in an otherwise fresh return for the titular character.