- Written by: Steve Orlando
- Art by: Justin Mason
- Colors by: Jordan Boyd
- Letters by: VC’s Cory Petit
- Cover art by: Nick Bradshaw, Neeraj Menon
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: May 10, 2023
Spider-Man 2099: Dark Genesis #2 begins the next round of 2099 character reinvention bingo as Miguel O’Hara finds healing help from an unlikely source – the self-aware, flesh-eating zombie known as Blade 2099.
Is It Good?
Well, at least Orlando is doing a better job of incorporating Miguel this time. My biggest criticism of the last mini-series (also by Steve Orlando) is that the run turned into a cavalcade of one-shots introducing 2099 variants, and Spider-Man barely showed up for most of the issues except for the beginning and the end. In Spider-Man 2099: Dark Genesis #2, Steve Orlando appears to be repeating the approach, but at least the introductions are organic to Spider-Man’s story instead of popping up in a side quest.
When last we left Miguel O’Hara, aka Spider-Man 2099, he barely escaped with his life during a battle with the Carnage 2099. Now, Miguel wakes up on the mend and free of any symbiote infection thanks to the help of Spider-Woman 2099, Ghost Rider 2099, and the introduction of Blade 2099, a half-human/half-zombie doctor and monster killer. Since the original Blade is a half-vampire, it’s not clear why Blade isn’t still around due to the immortal nature of the vampire within him, but perhaps Blade met a violent end between now and 2099.
What’s great about this comic? There’s plenty of superhero vs. symbiote action to get your blood pumping. Blade 2099’s introduction is handled much better than the variant introduction in the last mini-series. Carnage 2099 poses a formidable threat. And the Alcehmax CEO is revealed to also be a supervillain with an intriguing look.
What’s not so great about this issue? The art is okay but not great. Blade 2099’s character design definitely doesn’t live up to his predecessor’s look. And there are multiple basic mistakes the editor should have caught (double spaces, grammatical errors, the wrong covers on the back page, etc.).
In aggregate, the story is okay and better than the previous series, but glaring editorial mistakes and so-so art bring the issue down in quality.
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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Bits and Pieces
Spider-Man 2099: Dark Genesis #2 takes the same approach as the previous mini by using the series as an excuse to introduce more 2099 variants into the Marvel universe. However, Orlando does a much better job this time. The story has stakes and good pacing with an overall sense of direction. That said, the art teeters on just average, and editorial mistakes are embarrassingly noticeable.
Weird Science Marvel Comics 