Spider-Boy, Vol. 1: The Web-Less Wonder

Spider-Boy (2023)

by Dan Slott

Spider-Man’s long lost sidekick, Spider-Boy, web-swings into his own series – but why don’t any of the other heroes remember him!?

SECRETS OF SPIDER-BOY REVEALED! Spinning out of the pages of DAN SLOTT and MARK BAGLEY’s monumental SPIDER-MAN run — here comes the spectacular SPIDER-BOY! After the events of the thrilling arc THE END OF THE SPIDER-VERSE, Spider-Boy’s secret history as Spider-Man’s sidekick was nearly forgotten forever. But now those mysteries will be revealed while they embark on exciting new adventures…TOGETHER!

Spider-Boy (2023) 1-4

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, Graphic Novels Comics, Spider Man, Young Adult

136 pages, Paperback

Published April 30, 2024

About the author

Dan Slott is an American comic book writer, the current writer on Marvel Comics' The Amazing Spider-Man, and is best known for his work on books such as Arkham Asylum: Living Hell, She-Hulk, Silver Surfer, The Superior Spider-Man, and Ren & Stimpy.

Reviews

[Jim Ef · Rating 4 out of 5]

7.2/10
There have been too many Spider-personas introduced through the years. Of course not all of them can be successful. I hope Spider-Boy will stick around.

Bailey Briggs a.k.a Spider-Boy, is Spider-Man's lost sidekick but for some reason nobody can remember him. Where was he? and most importantly why isn't he in anybody's memories?
This is mostly for younger audiences, but it's written in such a way that grown ups can enjoy it too. Most important thing is that Bailey is very likable and you actually feel sorry for him and want his life to become normal. Or as normal as it can be.

Really liked this one and definitely will continue reading Spider-Boy's adventures.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spider-Boy is really growing on me (like a fungus… kidding). I wasn’t sure what to make of him at first but now we’re starting to get to know his deal (although more explanation is still required as to why nobody remembers him… including the readers) I’m starting to really enjoy his escapades.

This is probably not a book for those of you who need your superheroes to be deadly serious. Personally, I quite like my funny-books to actually be funny sometimes and this one fits the bill. I had a blast reading this one and can’t wait for volume two.

[Sam Whale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well I absolutely adored this. I've been pro Bailey since he first showed up in the End of the Spiderverse book and it's been quite hard seeing him struggle living in a world where no one remembers him and where his mentor Peter Parker doesn't trust him either.

But we got some wins for Bailey in this book and it made my heart leap to see them. Team ups with Captain America, Thor and Squirrel Girl show a lot of Marvel's heroes are willing to give him a shot which was really lovely to see.

I also really like Spider-Boys all new rouges gallery, with the silly bowling enemy being the highlight for me!

Overall Spider-Boy is continuing to prove time and time again that he is a fun, interesting and unique new addition to New York's Webcrawling ensemble and I'm very excited to read volume 2 when it hits shelves.

[Juan Francisco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Qué cosa tan bonita!! Se nota que Slott tiene cancha libre para hacer lo que quiere. Tenía cero esperanzas en esta nueva incorporación al universo arácnido, pero he quedado sorprendido. No es un cómic con gran poso narrativo o emocional, no te cambiará la vida. Pero es un cómic divertido para todas las edades, que nos presenta las aventurillas que vive un Spidy monstruoso (y vagabundo) de 10 años. Así que te puedes imaginar el tono ligero que tiene. 100% recomendable para amantes de la spider-people.

Pd: un dibujo muy sólido y a la altura. Qué gustazo!

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fiquei bastante empolgado com a ideia de um gibi do Garoto-Aranha, que eu conhecia muito pouco. Gostei do visual, com a mascarazinha com vários olhos e os tenizinhos (que tem uma história própria!) e gostei que seria feito por Dan Slott e por Paco Medina. Ache interessante que a inimiga se chama Madame Monstruosidade e que ela tem uma obsessão por todos os monstros que foram criados no Universo Marvel. Também tem o fato de que Bailey Briggs, o Garoto-Aranha foi esquecido por todos porque foi cortado da Teia da Vida e trazido de volta. Isso o torna um personagem interessante e garante a ele algumas vantagens sobre alguns vilões, com o o Treinador, que memoriza e mimetiza os movimentos de seus oponentes. Um porém é que a primeira edição é muito cheia de trocadilhos ruins, e olha que pra eu dizer que os trocadilhos são ruins, tem que ser ruins. Isso acaba sendo atenuado nas edições seguintes, talvez porque o editorial tenha dado um puxão de orelha em Dan Slott. Fora isso, esse é um quadrinho muito legal e divertido e eu já quero ler a continuação desta série.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spider-Boy, the sidekick Peter forgot he had (long story involving the Web of Life and Destiny, overall not that important, and can be ascribed to "wibbly wobbly timey wimey") is trying to make a name for himself in NYC, but has two things against him. #1 - No one remembers who he is, and he's so young! #2 - He is mostly boy, but a little bit spider... a mutation experiment conducted by Madame Monstrosity, and his fangs scare people.
This book is fun and heartfelt, but also gives off a "Peter and Miles' books are now way too adult and involved and dark, and we need a Spidey book that is for our younger audience" vibe. Not that its a bad thing, but it does lead to the chaos of always needing the plot to include a laugh. Team ups a plenty here (Squirrel Girl and Captain America primarily) and several new villains (Gutterball, the bowling alley bandit; and Hellifino, a joke named elephant-rhino hybrid).
Overall, a fun read, but not something to get too attached too.
Recommend.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this and thought it struck a fun tone. It jumped around the stories within a little too much for my taste but kept going with a fast pace. Bailey himself is a very believable kid and uncovering his powers and where they came from made for a very interesting read. Definitely good if you're in the mood for a more lighthearted Spiderverse story. Plus, Squirrel Girl shows up, which is always a positive.

[Rahul Nadella · Rating 2 out of 5]

As someone who rolled his eyes upon Spider-Boy's introduction and was extremely skeptical of this new character, I got to give Dan Slott praise for how much fun I found this volume to be. Though I am not a target audience for Spider-Boy, the story was amusing enough. Slott just knows how to write great Spider-Man stories and nails a perfect balance of comedy and character work (unlike the current Spider-Man run) for a series that I'm excited for more. The backup stories are just goofy but might indicate that this is more of a Spiderman book for young teens.

[Alex Sarll]

Dan Slott is probably the writer who got me closest to liking 616 Peter Parker, but when his return to the character turned into an excuse to foist Spider-Boy on us, I began to think maybe he should have stayed away. Running through all the old kid sidekick tropes wasn't inspiring; the idea of introducing a new character and then saying they're actually an old character that everyone forgot because of timeline shenanigans used to be fun, but got tired surprisingly quickly. And the Spider-Man series about the two of them tentatively rebuilding a relationship only one of them remembered rapidly reached the point of having to point up its own incoherence in dialogue in the hope that might serve as an excuse. So I didn't have high hopes for its transition into Spider-Boy's own book, but this is surprisingly fun. It downplays most of the timey-wimey stuff in favour of being a classic kid-focused superhero series, giving us Bailey Briggs as a boy who's lost everything but is still trying to do what's right, assembling his own small supporting cast and a rogue's gallery full of suitably daft new villains like Emilio Helio, the Balloon Man. I could have done without Killionaire, the latest attempt at the influencer supervillain concept which so rarely sticks, and the big bad didn't need to double as a unified field theory of Spidey villains, but these are minor pitfalls. Art from Paco Medina and especially Ty Templeton contributes to a sense of clean, classic comics, often leaning comedic but just as ready to unabashedly dive into teen angst. In other words, beyond maybe being pitched a little younger, there are a lot of points in common with the original Ultimate Spider-Man, but where that was very deliberately positioned as an outreach title, this comes from a starting point nestled deep enough in the lore that even kids raised on Spider-Verse films seem unlikely to happen across it.

[Joey Nardinelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wobbled all over on this. First few issues couldn’t get their hooks into me and the split issues with the side stories in the back half really disrupted my reading pace. The stuff with Squirrel Girl felt throwaway, but the narrative buildup of everyone turning on Bailey, while rushed, felt like a fine direction to build to a twist of an ending to set up the next few issues. My problem is, I don’t really know who Bailey is either or if he’s just a contrivance for these stories in particular. I also get the sense that this is being written for a younger audience (Cap explaining every aspect of Taskmaster definitely feels that way), but some of the tongue-in-cheek jokes about the Fast & Furious franchise and a spoof of contemporary influencer culture feel a bit more…teen to adult in framing? If this rounded out with a single additional volume, I’d come back, but if it drags on into 3+, I might leave this one on the backburner.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Giving Spider-Man a sidekick has ended terribly in the past (looking at you, Alpha), but I'm pleased to report that Spider-Boy is a much better character. He's different, he's fun, and the supporting cast and villains that Dan Slott creates around him are some of the most hilarious I've read in a while. Hellifino, the elephant/rhino hybrid? Yes, perfect, pun and all.

Bailey Briggs has his own share of problems, and he reads like an actual child rather than one of those teen heroes that's just an adult in a smaller body. He faces dilemmas you wouldn't expect, like how to deal with being homeless, and what to do when your heroes just won't listen to you even when you're right, which sets him apart from the usual sidekick characters too.

It's clear from every page that Slott and his artistic collaborators are just having fun with this book, and I'm glad - comics are meant to be fun.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read. Fun characters. Lots of adventures. Over in a Spider-Man book, ten year old Spider-Boy shows up but no one remembers him. He had once been Spider-Man’s sidekick. His mother was missing and he’s living in F.E.A.S.T., a homeless shelter. Fortunately he has people looking out for him.

He’s had adventures so people become aware of him. He also comes across Boy-Spider, a mean (not evil) semi-clone, who is working for Madame Monstrosity. She’s behind Bailey gaining his powers and for creating the Humanimals, which includes Boy-Spider.

It’s a fun and adventurous book aimed at kids. Since Slott writes him like a kid, rather than a teen or young adult, he appeals to a young age group. But you don’t have to be a kid to enjoy it.

[Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you think of this as something similar to 'The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl', then you're good...

On the bright side, Spider-Boy brings some much needed levity to the Spider-Man universe. In spite of this, I don't think the character FITS into the books. Every interaction with the established Spider-Man pantheon is still in that awkward stage where there's explaining his origin and zero memory retention by the whole MU.

Is it cute? Yes. (Novel C-list villains and puns all over the place)
It's like a puzzle piece that ALMOST fits.
---
Bonus: One Super Adaptoid hand = Toy Soldier!

[Marc Pastor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cada vegada que sembla que ja està tot dit sobre Spider-man, Dan Slott apareix per desmentir-ho. Aquesta vegada, traient-se de la màniga un sidekick de l'home aranya i redirigint la sèrie a un públic més infantil.
El meu fill s'ho ha passat pipa amb aquest número i l'ha devorat d'una sentada. Les històries, els dolents, el caràcter del protagonista, tot està pensat perquè ho gaudeixi un nen de la seva edat.
Com adult, la sèrie està bé, però no està feta per a mi. Es deixa llegir, però no hi ha res que m'apel·li. Tampoc crec que sigui un problema. Simplement, no en soc el públic lector.

[Mr. R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spider-Boy could have been just another Spider-Man cash grab, but it's a surprisingly fun read. Bailey Briggs is a charming, distinct addition to the Spider-Verse, and Dan Slott's writing strikes a great balance of humor, heart, and kid-friendly peril, with some silly, yet appropriate, villains. The main drawback is the inconsistent art--Bailey's and Christina's appearances vary noticeably between issues, which hurts the overall polished cohesion. Still, the story captures the spirit of classic comics without feeling too juvenile. I'm definitely going to pick up Vol. 2.

Grade: B

[Fernando Duarte · Rating 4 out of 5]

lo disfrute más de lo que pensé, es un cómic muy entretenido y el personaje de spider boy es muy chido, me encantaron sus poderes y personalidad, la participación de spider man es interesante verlo en su rol de jefe por así decirlo, estuvo divertido lo de los celos a miles y los crossovers con chica ardilla y captain américa.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A clever way of introducing a new character is to say he has been around for years but was wiped from everyone (including the readers') memories.

Also interesting they are going with a child sidekick since that feels more like a DC thing to me.

Looking forward to seeing how this pans out.

[Braulio Valenzuela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cuando empecé a leer esto me dije "¿por qué te haces esto, Braulio? Ni siquiera has leído End of Spider-verse, ¿para qué leerías esto?". Pero sí estuvo bueno, no me arrepiento de nada.

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first time encountering Spider Boy, and it was really fun! Will definitely read more.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess I'm not part of the target audience. This was so cute it hurt at times...

[Matt J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming, fun and upbeat. It’ll be a sad day when Marvel kills off Spider-boy in a big event sacrifice.

[Daniel Butcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very much all ages. Solid but hey there’s a new hero in town (guest star) who’s fast at the holidays. And it’s 616 canon.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25
This is actually pretty good. The character has grown on me.

[Ondra Král · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tohle fakt píše Slott? Spider-Boy mi při prvním setkání přišel divnej a jeho vlastní book (na rozdíl třeba od Silk) to nezachránil. Měl jsem pocit, že čtu trafikové Spider-Many od Egmontu.

[Kris Ritchie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounded up to 4 because frankly, I was just surprised to enjoy a Dan Slott Spider-family book for once.

[Robby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spider-Boy seems to be Slott's playground for absurd-but-deadly villains, and I am here for it! We also see clearly how Bailey's "monster form" both affects his psychology and ties into his origins.

[Sesana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this character just doesn't connect for me, and I'm not really convinced that he's a good idea in general.

[Minki Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

+ super charming, Briggs is very likeable
- Could have explained why everyone forgot him better

[Keegan Schueler · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot better than expected since was not excited about the character.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

One More Day soured me on Dan Slott, but this was FUN. A good all-ages book just as equally enjoyable for seasoned Spidey fans.