Marvel Rival #1 Review

Written by: Paul Allor
Art by: Luca Claretti
Colors by: Dee Cunniffe
Letters by: VC’s Joe Sabino
Cover art by: Tokitokoro
Cover price: $6.99
Release date: April 2, 2025

Marvel Rivals #1, by Marvel on 4/2/25, follows two competing teams in Tokyo 2099 to prevent the destruction of the Web Of Life And Destiny. Unfortunately, both teams have different ideas about how to do it.

Is Marvel Rivals #1 Good?

Plot Synopsis

Marvel Rivals #1 begins with narration from Galacta as she oversees the myriad of team combats taking place across a fractured timestream. In this version of Tokyo 2099, Master Weaver and Spider-Zero are at odds over how to repair the disintegrating Web Of Life And Destiny. Master Weaver wants to gather Chronovium to give the Web a boost that will allow it to repair itself. Spider-Zero firmly believes the only solution is to plug the Web into Cyberspace to augment its function, like a prosthetic boost. To settle the matter, Master Weaver and Spider-Zero enlist Marvel heroes from the Timestream to fight each other for the best solution.

Spider-Zero’s team, led by Peni Parker in a mech suit, races to get to Stark-Fujikawa building to connect the Web Of Life And Destiny into Cyberspace, while Master Weaver’s team, led by Spider-Man, fights to stop them. As the fight and race proceed, old alliances are severed, new alliances form, relationships are tested, and families are found. In the end, the teams find a solution that combines both theories to restore the Web.

First Impressions

Well, what did you expect from a comic book adaptation based on a frantically-paced video game that’s best described as Overwatch with Marvel characters? Writer Paul Allor’s tale of team fighting, racing, twisting, and turning reads like a TikTok video with quarter-second jump cuts, so at the very least, you’ll get what you expect if you’re a fan of the game.

How’s the Art?

Luca Claretti’s art style is perfectly great and a perfect match for the source material. Having played the game recently, the characters look like the default skins, the action matches the moves in the game, and the flow of battle is a reasonable facsimile of the game as a whole.

What’s great about Marvel Rivals #1?

If you’re a fan of the Marvel Rivals video game, Paul Allor delivers the goods on practically every level. You get a somewhat clear setup, a reason for multiple Marvel heroes to fight each other for a greater cause, plenty of snappy/poppy dialog, and a twist ending.

What’s not great about Marvel Rivals #1?

The danger of reproducing a fast-paced video game adaptation is that you wind up with a comic book that reads like you’re reading a narrated video game match. Paul Allor’s plot is paper-thin. The character development, emotional beats, and stakes are practically non-existent. You get a lot of energy, action, and noise, but is it a story you’ll remember in a week? No.

Truth be told, most readers will pick up this issue because each copy contains an in-game bonus code, so it’s fair to say the story is incidental to the bonus benefit for game fans.

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

Marvel Rivals #1 delivers what you would expect from a video game adaptation. You get solid art, plenty of energy, and fast-paced action. That said, Paul Allor’s plot and depth are barely there, so don’t go in expecting anything more than a Marvel Rivals match on paper.

6/10

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