The Good
I was aware of the x-treeeeeeme (to the MAX) cyberpunk world of SPIDER-MAN 2099 in the 90s simply due to the ubiquity of the titles and promotional materials, but true fandom for the 2099 brand eluded me. Ironically it would be Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions that got me even a little interested in the character Miguel O’Hara, so when Peter David was unveiled as the writer of that character’s new solo title, it screamed potential. And while the title has been good, if not a bit uneven, the storylines eluded my focused interest but now I’m back on-board with two of my favorite stand-outs from Spider-Verse. This issue is mostly focused on Lady Spider, Miguel and Six-Armed Spider-Man evading Daemos as he tracks them through the glitz and neon of 2099's Nueva York. It doesn’t go great, all told, but the interplay between the spiders is fantastic, along with his brother and the three of them. We also get a credible reason for Tyler Stone to actually HELP his archnemesis and it looks like next issue will be bringing us more info on the Inheritors.
Series regular Wil Sliney brings us an issue that is wall-to-wall, cover-to-cover action in the best possible ways. Sliney’s visuals are crisp and clear with a great narrative flow that keeps readers on top of things while still creating some incredible action and powerful force behind every hit, swing and strike. The utter physical domination that Daemos represents is one of the most striking things about how the story is told visually this issue. Antonio Fabela’s colors are, likewise, beautifully bold while still bringing the darkness of the future to the fore. 2099 is a beautiful universe, but that beauty only runs skin-deep and this palette does a great, subtle job of communicating that.
The Bad
Without giving too much away, one of our principal players is taken out of action very early and very unceremoniously near the middle of the issue. Now I understand that this is Spider-Verse and that life is cheap, but the other characters have next-to-no reaction and this had been a character we’d actually gotten a decent amount of time with. It felt more like a pruning of the hedge than a real, defining character moment.
Likewise, Lady Spider, much like Doc Ock when he arrived, adjusts with remarkable quickness to a world that would likely send her into at least minor culture shock. I understand that they’re in a life-and-death chase and that she comes from a more fantastical 1895 than what actually existed, but no comments on the titanic skyscrapers or perpetual light...or flying cars seems like another wasted opportunity for some characterization.
The Verdict
This is what a solid tie-in should be: directly related to the big event, but able to stand on its own and tell it’s own good story. If you’re just reading 2099, this still functions as a great story and the recap is all you’ll need to get caught up. If you’ve been reading Spider-Verse and need to grab all the tie-ins you can, this will STILL be completely natural and easy to follow. The visuals do an amazing job telling the story, and the writing has some genuinely great moments of banter and development to give it a great core. Now there may have been one or two lost moments, but this issue still stands either on its own or as a part of a larger narrative.