Noteworthy Issues: Spider-Man: Spider’s Shadow #2 (May, 2021)

OK, time for me to take a step away from all that often so-so Knight Terrors stuff and take a good look at a mini-series that, two issues in, I can safely say I am legitimately enjoying:  this What If story where Peter Parker kept the Venom symbiote.

Issue:  Spider-Man: Spider’s Shadow #2, May 2o21

Writer:  Chip Zdarsky

Artist:  Pasqual Ferry

The Plot:  Spider-Man is a killer now.

Commentary:  What would prompt Spider-Man to be a killer?  Oh, come on.  That’s an easy one.  On the one hand, the symbiote is prodding him to deal with his enemies in a more finalized manner.  On the other, Aunt May was violently killed by the Hobgoblin.  So, yes, Spider-Man killed the Hobgoblin.  He’s gone over the edge, and now he’s rationalizing what he did.

This issue is basically how other people react, and then how Spider-Man takes his newfound status as being what J Jonah Jameson always said he was.

For one thing, that involves breaking Jameson’s hands.  He’s scaring Mary Jane, he’s worrying the Fantastic Four, and he’s got the Kingpin putting a hit out on him, allowing two more of Spider-Man’s old enemies to die violent deaths while the others go underground to observe.

That Rhino and Electro were smart enough to stay hidden while the Shocker would take the Kingpin’s bounty says a lot.  How stupid do you gotta be when the guy who rams stuff with his own head knows to lie low.  Then again, Kingpin looks pretty stupid in this one as it is.

By the by, nice detail that Doc Ock has a bunch of goons in purple uniforms.

Anyway, Peter is going into a dark, dark place.  I’m interested to see if he can get out of there again.

Grade:  A