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Reviews

SPIDER-MAN NOIR #2 – Review

  • Written by: Erik Larsen
  • Art by: Andrea Broccardo
  • Colors by: Rachelle Rosenberg
  • Letters by: VC’s Joe Sabino
  • Cover art by: Simone Di Meo (cover A)
  • Cover price: $4.99
  • Release date: November 12, 2025

Spider-Man Noir #2, by Marvel on 11/12/25, presents the return of everyone’s favorite wisecracking detective in a trench coat. If you’re looking for classic noir, expect to trip over a Nazi rally, a pileup of gangsters, and a protagonist whose moral compass spins faster than the plot.

First Impressions

The opening pages slam the brakes on intrigue, swerving hard into forced tough-guy banter and heavy-handed social commentary. Instead of drawing you into a gloomy mystery, the book tries – and fails – to blend pulpy action with slapstick as Spider-Man bounces between bullets and quips. The result? A stumbling, unfocused introduction that promises more headache than hard-boiled drama.​ The founding Image creators are revered for their art, not their writing. This issue makes the case why.

Recap

In Spider-Man Noir #1, Peter Parker, bottom-of-the-barrel private eye, returns from world-hopping only to find himself broke, heartbroken, and up to his neck in trouble. Hired by Gwendolyn Stacy to solve her father’s murder, Peter uncovers a web of police corruption and missing clues that circle back to himself. The Scorpion Gang lurks, Aunt May nags, cash evaporates, and Nazi Man-Bat attacks the World’s Fair, all culminating in Parker realizing he’s the prime suspect in George Stacy’s death, setting up a nightmare for the next eissue.​

Plot Analysis

Spider-Man Noir #2 dives straight into the mess left by last issue: Spider-Man is smack in the middle of a gang war, dodging bullets while saving civilians during a wild restaurant shootout. The Scorpion Gang is out for blood, and Parker’s signature wisecracks barely mask his desperation as he fends off wave after wave of goons. The chaos spills out into the streets before Spider-Man is knocked out and wakes up on a rooftop, surrounded by grateful kids who present him with a mysterious item found at the docks; a relic tied to the murder case.​

Peter’s search for truth leads him back to Gwen Stacy, where he breaks down her father’s double life as a crooked cop entangled in gang business. A safe is discovered, possibly holding the final evidence needed to solve the case. Emotions run high as Peter struggles to reveal the painful truth, all while juggling his feelings for Gwen and the burden of his violent secret.​

Suddenly, the subplot swerves into political territory. A former acquaintance, dressed in a country bumpkin outfit, shows up at a bar for no apparent reason and enthusiastically invites Peter to a Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden. This interlude dials up the message, as Spider-Man sneaks into the rafters above a hate-fueled crowd and watches violence erupt onstage when activists clash with fascist goons. Spider-Man leaps into action, trading punches, speeches, and webbing with Nazi villains, who are depicted with cartoonish evil and even less subtlety.​

After the day’s chaos, Peter returns home only to find Gwen at his door. In search of comfort, she asks him to stay, shifting the issue’s tone from brawls and bombast to personal heartbreak and vulnerability; an abrupt but welcome breather before the next disaster strikes.​

Writing

The pacing is patchy, lurching from snappy fistfights to ponderous monologues without much rhythm. Dialogue leans heavily on stale zingers and detective clichés, never allowing genuine emotion or tension to build. The structure stutters as unrelated subplots – most egregiously, the Nazi rally – crash into the main murder mystery without any natural setup, leaving scenes tangled and out of focus.​

Art

Artistic clarity remains strong: dark cityscapes, punchy action panels, and period details pop off the page. Composition sticks to convention with lots of dramatic angles and brooding silhouettes, while the color palette swings between stormy grays and vibrant reds, maintaining a moody atmosphere even when the story takes a nosedive. Occasionally, visual storytelling outpaces the muddled writing, saving key moments from complete collapse.​

Character Development

Motivations are sketched in broad strokes. Peter’s guilt and confusion about Captain Stacy’s murder drive the story, but his personality fragments as every serious moment is undercut by a joke. Supporting characters like Gwen and Aunt May flicker in and out, more as props than people, and the Nazi rally pivot comes with zero organic connection to anyone’s arc. Consistency suffers, and relatability drops to near zero as the script tries to juggle noir grit with Saturday morning cartoon politics.​

Originality & Concept Execution

The idea of Spider-Man Noir wrestling with his own culpability in a murder is compelling, but execution veers into parody rather than pathos. The sudden, preachy subplot about fascism lands with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer, sabotaging original intrigue in favor of blunt commentary. Novelty is buried by clunky delivery, and the central premise fizzles just when tension should peak.​

Positives

The standout win here is the art, which bathes every page in atmospheric gloom and period style, giving even the weakest scenes a little visual muscle. Fight choreography and city backgrounds are sharp and immersive, occasionally salvaging interest when the script stalls. These elements are the comic’s most reliable assets, delivering fleeting sparks of engagement for anyone drawn in by classic noir visuals.​

Negatives: (Buyer Beware)

Writing is the comic’s Achilles heel, with dialogue that slips into self-parody and plot turns that feel stapled on. The Nazi subplot not only derails the story’s momentum, but it also swamps any meaningful exploration of Peter’s dilemma with ham-fisted moralizing. Character arcs remain stuck in first gear, and every attempt at dramatic tension dissolves in a hail of forced jokes, making this issue a test of patience for even devoted 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.Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

The Scorecard

Writing Quality (Clarity & Pacing): 1/4
Art Quality (Execution & Synergy): 2/4
Value (Originality & Entertainment): 0/2

Final Verdict

Spider-Man Noir #2 tries to serve up a hard-boiled mystery, a love story, and a history lesson, but the ingredients never gel. Art punches above its weight, draping misfires in moody charm, yet the botched script and clumsy messaging make this issue a poor investment of time for anyone seeking genuine suspense or sharp wit. If your comic budget is tight, keep moving. There are better stories lurking down the alley.

3/10

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