- Written by: Steve Orlando
- Art by: Justin Mason
- Colors by: Antonio Fabela
- Letters by: VC’s Cory Petit
- Cover art by: Nick Bradshaw, Neeraj Menon
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: May 31, 2023
Spider-Man 2099: Dark Genesis #5 brings the mini-series to a close with a last stand at Nueva York’s Tele-Port facility to stop Carnage 2099 from spreading globally.
Is It Good?
Spider-Man 2099: Dark Genesis #5 caps off Steve Orlando’s second run at the future Spider-Man with a big, frantic battle, a little pathos surrounding the nature of Punisher 2099, and a relatively clean ending that puts most of the characters back where they started.
When last we left Miguel O’Hara, aka Spider-Man 2099, he and his allies fought through the Hive (Carnage 2099’s enslaved horde of undead zombies) to stop Carnage from making it to Nueva York’s Tele-Port and spreading his infection across the globe. Now, the fight continues until it reaches its fiery conclusion.
What’s good about this finale and the mini-series as a whole? Well, all the basics a reader would want out of a 2099 story make up the positives. More Spider-Man 2099 is generally a good thing, especially in time for the next Miles Morales animated film releasing this week which features Miguel prominently. More 2099 variants of familiar Marvel characters (Punisher, Daredevil, Moon Knight) are a fun novelty. And Orlando wraps up the story in a neat little bow.
What’s not so great? As I noted in the previous reviews, the plot is paper thin, so you’re not getting a representation of Spider-Man 2099 that endears the character to readers or elevates the character. The seemingly endless parade of 2099 variants feels like a speculator cash grab. And the fiery ending for Carnage comes off as too easy, so the satisfaction level takes a negative hit.
Should Orlando come back to do more Spider-Man 2099? Eh, probably not. Marvel’s intention with Orlando on these mini-series is simply to set up 2099 variants, so the character is better served by engaging a writer with a powerful story idea instead a writer going through the motions.
Where do we go from here? Unknown. No formal announcement has come out from Marvel about Miguel, but if the Miles Morales film does well, Marvel would be foolish to keep Miguel on the shelf.
How’s the art? It’s fine. Justin Mason’s style verges a little too close to cartoony to give the action or drama the grit necessary to deliver high impact, but it works well enough to get the job done.
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 #5 brings the mini-series to a close with more 2099 variants and a fiery end to Carnage 2099. There’s plenty of action and character development for popcorn fun, but the paper-thin plot and mildly cartoony art don’t bring anything special to the titular character.
Weird Science Marvel Comics 