Spider-Man 2099 // Review
With every new version of the Marvel universe, there must be a Spider-person. It seems to be an unwritten rule at this point. Spider-Man, Spider-Girl, Ultimate Spider-Man, Spider-Man 1602, you get the idea. Spider-Man 2099 was one of the first, and with the relaunch of 2099, we get another Spider-Man of the future.
Spider-Man 2099’s one-shot is written by Nick Spencer, with art by Ze Carlos. Color duties are shared by Brian Reber and Andrew Crossley, while Cory Petit letters.
Miguel O’Hara has been having nothing but nightmares. His dreams, filled with mutilated half-spider people chanting the phrase Ouroboros. After waking from the latest restless night, Miguel experiences his life messages from friends and family, and something seems off. Miguel is twitchy, and his boss Tyler Stone knows what’s going on during a forced conference. Withdrawal. Miguel willingly ingested a drug called Rapture, which bonds to your body’s DNA and causes dramatic increases of intelligence and mental acuity. It’s impossible to get rid of, and withdrawal symptoms are lethal. With an attempt to score illegal Rapture down the drain, can Miguel find a way to survive?
The cover is more than a little misleading, as this is not actually a Spider-Man 2099 book. It is, however, a Miguel O’Hara book and easily lays out the path Miguel will eventually take to become the Spider-Man of the future. That said, the character work is strong and reminiscent of Peter David’s run on the original character without stepping on his toes or treading over old territory. The twist of the Rapture being Miguel’s decision actually adds a nice twist to the character’s inherent recklessness, and the world-building done around Miguel’s attempts to score more does a good job exploring the underworld of Nueva York. The cliffhanger ending just may confuse anyone who isn’t following the Amazing Spider-Man corner of this event, though.
Ze Carlos’ art is perfect for a Spider-Man book. The action we do get featuring a Spider-person looks wonderful and like it would be detailed and frantic. Shots of other 2099 heroes are wonderfully powerful, and characters straddle the line between realistic and cartoon with some loving detail and exaggeration. Cuts between the familiar and strange are fantastic, and the colors for this book simply make the page pop.
With the book ending with a “to be continued in 2099 Omega” rather than a The End, this is where the plot is found at for our 2099 experience rather than a one-shot tale about the hero. However, it’s not enough to make this book as enjoyable as a stand-alone experience like the other books. Unless you’re heavily invested in this series, you may want to wait for the trade or pick up 2099 Omega with it.
