Spider-Man 2099: Exodus Omega #1 Review

Written by: Steve Orlando
Art by: Paul Fry
Colors by: Dono Sánchez-Almara
Letters by: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Cover art by: Leinil Franci Yu, Sunny Gho
Cover price $4.99
Release date: September 7, 2022

Spider-Man 2099: Exodus Omega ends the series with a knockdown drag-out fight between Norman Osborn and the forces of the Cabal and Spider-Man 2099 and the X-Men 2099, with a little help from Ghost Rider 2099.

Is It Good?

Well, if you’re going to end an arc, end it on a high note. Spider-Man 2099: Exodus Omega is possibly one of the best issues in the series, even if the end comes three to four issues later than it should have.

Orlando gives readers everything they could want in a comic, a big battle with a high-stakes prize for the victor, twists, turns, and a satisfying conclusion. Couple those elements with strong art from Paul Fry and Dono Sánchez-Almara, and you get a better-than-average finale.

The key to making this issue work is keeping Spider-Man 2099 (SM99) front and center in the action. The big complaint for the majority of this series is how little SM99 was in this series. Orlando seemed determined to use the series as a vehicle to launch new 2099 versions of characters such as Black Widow and Moon Knight rather than telling the journey SM99 is walking. In other words, when Orlando gets back to having SM99 be the main character in his own comic, the story works. When he’s not the main character, as with the majority of this run, it doesn’t work.

Now that the plethora of new character introductions are out of the way and all parties are gathered at the Celestial Garden of Eden, Fry and Sánchez-Almara deliver a proper clobberin’ time. The final battle has plenty of punches, explosion, severed limbs, and a satisfying conclusion once the stealth plan to take out the Cabal is pulled off spectacularly.

Is this a fantastic series? No. There are too many missteps with character origins that come off as time-wasting filler, massive plot holes (why did it take so long for Osborn to reach the Garden?), and clunky plot progression. But for all its faults, this is a stronger ending than the rest of the series combined, so that’s got to count for something.

About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Final Thoughts:

Spider-Man 2099: Exodus Omega ends the series with energetic action, tension, stakes, and excellent pacing. Does a strong finale make up for a troubled series? No, but at least the creators can walk away on a high note.