Written by: Dan Slott
Art by: Mark Bagley, John Dell
Colors by: Edgar Delgado
Letters by: VC’s Joe Caramagna, Travis Lanham
Cover art by: Mark Bagley, Edgar Delgado
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: March 1, 2023

Spider-Man #6 kicks off the penultimate issue as the remaining Spiders attack Shathra in her nest, hoping that the element of surprise will give the Spiders the edge they need to save the universe.

Is It Good?

Honestly, I’m struggling to find something good about this comic. All the piece parts for a multiverse-ending epic are present. You have big fights, overwhelming odds against the heroes to set up a major comeback, good (not great) art, and an unexpected cliffhanger.

So, why doesn’t Spider-Man #6 work? Because it’s an extensive, loud collection of heartless noise enabled by one contrived deus ex machina after another. Dan Slott throws everything and the kitchen sink at you to get you to believe you’re following the Spiders on a high-paced, whirlwind adventure. Sadly, it reads and feels like Slot is simply throwing everything at you to distract you from the fact that there are barely two pages of a worthwhile story hidden underneath the chaos.

When last we left the Spiders, we spent a tangent issue describing the life of a hobbled Peter Parker who never gained Spider powers, instead using his scientific prowess to develop gadgets for the “real” hero, Silk. None of that introduction seems to have mattered as the narrative shifts back to Morlun, Silk, and the surviving Spiders in their battle against Shathra.

Why did Dan Slott spend an entire issue setting up a depowered Peter Parker acting as Silk’s IT sidekick if he’s not used? Unknown. Perhaps he’ll come back in the finale, but it’s anyone’s guess now.
Through an unbelievable set of coincidences, contrivances, and happy accidents, the Spiders recover the Totem Dagger and attack Shathra head-on.

Does it work? Of course not, but we eventually learn Peter Parker was never the “Chosen One” in the first place. The real “Chosen One” is actually [REDACTED], which shouldn’t surprise anyone familiar with current-day Marvel.

Again, the big down point is the lack of story and heart. If you look at the distance the plot has moved in the last three issues, it barely accounts for a step or two. If you measure the number of heartfelt moments of drama and emotion, you could count them all on one hand with fingers to spare. Yes, Spiders are known for quippy, snarky jokes even in the direst of situations. Still, all Spiders are not the same, and Slott’s biggest misstep is having too many Spiders with similar voices while giving none of them a chance to differentiate themselves.

The art is decent. Bagley, Dell, and Delgado do the job with good panel composition, solid figure work, and excellent coloring. It’s not the best art from Marvel, but it’s good enough for an already busy story.

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 #6 completes the penultimate issue of the run, touting the end of the Spider-Verse, with a lot of action, noise, convenient contrivances, and not much story. If the goal was to end the Spider-Verse, Marvel is going about it in the sloppiest way possible.

6/10