Spider-Boy #2

Written by: Dan Slott
Art by: Paco Medina, Ty Templeton (backup)
Colors by: Erick Arciniega, Dee Cunniffe (backup)
Letters by: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover art by: Humberto Ramos, Edgar Delgado
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: December 20, 2023

Spider-Boy #2 gives the fledgling (not really) sidekick hero a one-shot adventure when his Spider-precog powers signal an imminent threat to Captain America by Taskmaster.

Is Spider-Boy #2 Good?

Spider-Boy #2 is pretty okay. Dan Slott gives the timeline displace sidekick a complete one-shot adventure that gives readers a sense of his priorities and motivations while giving him an opportunity to show his usefulness to more senior heroes.

When last we left Bailey, aka Spider-Boy, he teamed up with his mentor to take down a bowling-themed villain. Now, Bailey’s yuletide celebration gets interrupted when his unique version of Spider-Sense picks up an imminent threat. The psychic signal leads Spider-Boy to a transport mission led by Captain America that’s about to get raided by Taskmaster. Let the hijinks begin.

No, Spider-Man does not appear once in this issue, nor do you learn any more about Bailey’s background, particularly his frequently referenced mother. Slott delivers a story that shows you what Bailey’s about and what he can do, but that’s about it.

What’s great about Spider-Boy #3? If you want a simple, light adventure to see Spider-Boy in action, this is it. Spider-Boy teams up with Captain America against Taskmaster, Taskmaster is defeated handily, and that’s it. No fuss, no muss.

What’s not so great about Spider-Boy #3? At the risk of sounding like a Negative Nelly, Slott hasn’t figured out how to justify Spider-Boy’s existence yet. Bailey’s costume and powers are a little different than Spider-Man’s, but is that enough to warrant yet another Spider-Man derivative running around? So far, the answer is ‘no.’

Backup Story

Spider-Boy and Squirrel Girl team up to save innocent bystanders from giant Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons turned into destructive menaces by Emilio Helio, aka the Balloon Man. When Squirrel Girl leaps to save Christina from a deadly fall, Spider-Boy gets superpowered help from… Santa Claus?

If you thought the first half of this story in issue #1 was wacky, you ain’t seen anything yet. Tonally, this backup is more in line with the main story, but it’s still pretty bizarre. It turns out Santa (this version) has super speed, a rapid-fire coal launcher, and more Christmas puns than Uncle Ernie during the annual Christmas Party after he’s had too much “adult” eggnog.

Yes, the backup is silly, and it does nothing to elevate Spider-Boy since Santa does all the work, but it should give younger readers a chuckle or two.

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-Boy #2 gives readers a one-and-done adventure with Captain America to stop Taskmaster. The tale establishes Spider-Boy’s usefulness in a fight against seasoned foes, which is a good jumping-on point for new readers. Slott keeps the tone light and shows Spider-Boy is a solid hero, but the character has yet to distinguish himself beyond yet another Spider-Man derivative.