Spider-Man 2099: Exodus #2 Review

Written by: Steve Orlando
Art by: Marco Castiello
Colors by: Antonio Fabela
Letters by: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover art by: Ryan Stegman, J.P. Mayer, Marte Gracia
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: June 15, 2022

Spider-Man 2099: Exodus #2 recounts the strange and wistful tale of Asgard’s rebirth as the new city of the gods, reaped by the forgotten and outcast citizens of Earth. Oh, Spider-Man 2099 manages to show up for two pages.

Was It Good?

Continuing the trend of telling a Spider-Man 2099 story that has almost nothing to do with Spider-Man 2099, Spider-Man 2099: Exodus #2 follows the last remaining Asgardian, Loki, as he meets the last Valkyrie. He encounters the last remaining Valkyrie (not really) on a quest to undo the damage that left Asgard a barren wasteland. As a Valkyrie 2099 story, it’s creative and interesting.

However, the two down points are a mismatch in the timing (more on that in a minute) and the almost complete lack of Spider-Man 2099. Truly, Miguel is only present for two pages while he talks to another character. We’re three issues into a seven-issue run, and only one issue features the titular character. Make of that what you will.

Loki recounts how an attack by the creations of Alchemax’s Aesir Program wiped out the inhabitants of Asgard, leaving him the sole survivor. Loki comes up with a plan to restore and revitalize Asgard by getting to the Celestial Garden of Eden created by the Cabal’s machinations in the Alpha issue. The last Valkyrie (not really) comes along to atone for past sins and bring Asgard back to life.

Again, it’s an interesting 2099 story revolving around Asgard. The art is fairly good, the dialog is solid, and the premise is a unique and intriguing development in Marvel’s future. The first, glaring down point is the complete lack of Spider-Man 2099 in the issue. The entire premise is simply meant to be an origin story for Valkyrie 2099. If that’s your cup of tea, that’s fine, but if you’re expecting to read a story about Spider-Man 2099, look elsewhere.

The second down point is the mismatch in timing. Asgard’s “resurrection” is built on the idea that Loki can use the Celestial-infused waters of the Garden of Eden to create a new race of Asgardians. However, the final pages show that Loki’s plan works (with some consequences), but those pages would have taken months to years to pull off when the race to lock down the Celestial Garden of Eden is still a fresh conflict between Spider-Man 2099 and the Cabal. If Norman Osborn is so eager to lock down the Garden, how do so many people have the time and casual access to get to the Garden and take what they want? If the Garden was just created within the last few days, how was Loki able to get what he needed and create a whole race of Asgardians AND build a new Asgardian city within a few short days.

The central conflict of this arc is a race to lock down the Garden of Eden as the sole property of the Cabal, yet the Cabal isn’t moving with any urgency. Characters are entering and leaving the Garden with whatever they want, whenever they want. So, the timing of the entire series, including the last two issues feels completely off.

The comic looks good, and the chapter that’s presented is interesting, but the entire plot is on hold, and Orlando’s attempts to interweave the origins of new characters into the central conflict are poorly executed.

Bits and Pieces

Spider-Man 2099: Exodus #2 makes the bold move of telling two issues in a row in a Spider-Man 2099 arc that have nothing to do with Spider-Man 2099. the art is very good, and this new origin story about Valkyrie 2099 is interesting enough, but the timing of events is out of whack, and the main arc is at a complete standstill.