Around the Spider-Verse (Original Spider-Man Graphic Novel Anthology)

by Justin A. Reynolds, Pablo Leon, Roseanne A. Brown

Beloved Marvel characters Spider-Man, Ghost-Spider, and Araña star in three original Spider-verse stories! Don't miss this collection from bestselling authors Justin A. Reynolds, Roseanne A. Brown, and Eisner nominee Pablo Leon!Take a trip around the Spider-Verse (and New York City) in three comic adventures! The tour guide on his field trip to the Museum of Natural History has Miles Morales's Spidey Sense tingling... Gwen Stacy's punk band's concert at the Central Park Bandshell is interrupted by the Jackal ... and Anya Corazón must save her father from a trap laid by Kraven the Hunter at the Bronx Zoo. Filled with tons of action and laughs, this graphic novel is perfect for young readers in search of more spider-thrills!

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Comics, Fantasy, Superheroes, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics

128 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2025

About the author

justin a. reynolds has always wanted to be a writer. The earliest documentation of this desire was recorded on a sheet of green, learn-how-to-write-with-a-jumbo-pencil ruled kindergarten paper, which can be found prominently displayed in his mom’s office. OPPOSITE OF ALWAYS, his debut novel, was an Indies Introduce Top Ten Debut, a School Library Journal Best Book of 2019, translated in 17 languages, and is being developed for film with Paramount Players. He hangs out in northeast Ohio with his family, and is probably somewhere dancing terribly, or as his sister likes to say "doing the sports". His second novel EARLY DEPARTURES will publish in September 2020.


It's far more likely you can reach justin via Twitter (@andthisjustin) IG (@justinwritesya) or his website. Thank you so much for your support!

Reviews

[Jeni Enjaian · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of several graphic novels I read in December to help meet my yearly page goal.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️ Well I love Spiderman so in my opinion this deserves 3 stars just because it’s Spiderman!! However, I was expecting it to be more Miles Morales focused but that was on me for not reading the blurb properly before ordering it from the library!

[Hannah]

what can i say i do love me some spider-man

[Francesca]

Cool to be introduced to another variant within the spider verse (Araña). Sadly I don't think the stories were particularly memorable, like I'm struggling to remember what I read and I finished it in one sitting about a week ago, if that. But for a younger reader who loves Spiderman or Marvel, I'm sure it will be a fun quick read.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

This comic collects three stories from the Spider-Verse, the one seen in the movie series of the same name. I don't think these are canonical but they're close enough at least that they could be, maybe each set in yet another world in the Spider-Verse. The style and tone of the comic are intended for a younger audience but just like the movies it has enough depth to be enjoyable for a more mature reader as well.

In the first story we meet Arana, a mexican spider-person featuring Kraven and a personal story very much in the tone appropriate for the Spider-Verse. I liked this one quite a bit - I'm less familiar with this character and it was a fun read. Here, the tone between funny and serious is spot on.

The second story has Miles vs. Mystero in a museum. This one goes too much into slapstick to appeal to me and is definitely the weakest of the set.

The third one has Spider-Gwen joining MJ to form a punk rock band and the ever present difficulty of a superhero to combine friendships and hero duties. This one is also strong, if perhaps a bit long winded.

The art style in all of them is good, though not as good as we got in the movies - but still recognizable. It's not enough to draw you in but doesn't detract from the experience either.

As spider-man stories go, this one feels a middle of the pack set. I did enjoy the spider-verse tie-in and having the characters be actual teenagers. It's definitely an easy read so recommended for a younger reader but again nothing here that prevents it from being enjoyable for all readers. Reviewed from an advance reader coy provided by the publisher.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s not a huge amount of story in here, but we get three little mini adventures from characters around the Spider-verse.
I didn’t know Arana, but her “I don’t know sports” comments had me chuckling. There’s a lot of implied backstory, but if you’re at least semi familiar with the Spider-verse I think you can fill in the gaps quite adequately.
Miles doesn’t do his homework, and when a villain threatens the museum while he’s on a school excursion, his usual slapstick and comedy abounds.
Gwen is in a rock band with MJ and about to have their first concert when they have a falling out over her constant disappearances. The villain reasoning didn’t really make sense, but I don’t think kids will look at hard at why someone would drink a random potion in hopes of becoming a superhero, even if history has already proven it doesn’t work.
There were recycled villains in here, so kiddos should recognise at least one of them from somewhere.
There wasn’t a distinct style change between universes like they do in the movies, but there wasn’t really much to do with the movies in this book. It’s just a comic book from the Spiderman multiverse and if kids are expecting reflections from the movies they’re in for disappointment.

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of 3 Spider-Verse characters. First Araña busts an animal trafficking ring at the zoo and gets her dad to talk through his grief. Then Miles almost bombs a group project about an artifact at the museum, but catching the villain trying to misuse it gives him a crash-course on its properties. And lastly, Gwen's crime fighting is getting in the way of her band gigs and MJ threatens to kick her out of the band, but a guy with a crush and access to villain-turning chemicals means she hardly has a moment to talk things out.

This is a middle-grade-friendly collection of superhero adventures featuring likable characters. I like the variety of art styles employed in the different stories, and there's some healthy lessons about communicating with friends and family woven in.

Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: Superhero/supervillain battles, but they usually end with one tied up and no serious injuries.
Ethnic diversity: Hispanic American, Black Hispanic American, white American, Korean American and more
LGBTQ+ content: None specified.
Other: Grief, schedule balancing, miscommunication/lack of communication hurting relationships

[Joey Nardinelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't realize what this was when I put it on hold at the library -- but I have enjoyed some of the Graphix comics and think they are a great way to get 8-12 year-olds to read comic books (personally a fan of the current adaptation of Animorphs). As a Miles Morales-centered comic, I was a bit thrown off that he only appeared in one of the three chapters -- I really thought he'd be a side character in Spider-Gwen and Araña's stories. They all had very similar arcs, and really seemed to center friendship and family.

I feel like I have a tendency to persistently read in a series because it falls under the broader Marvel label or because I committed with even a single collection. I'm not feeling that will be the case for this, since there is very unlikely to be any carry-forward with these stories for future issues. I actually dig that, but don't feel compelled to come back to this series unless my son gets into them at some point and we're reading together.

[Michelle Tuite · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading 2026
Book 6: Around the Spider-Verse: An Original Graphic Novel Collection by Pablo Leon, Justin A. Reynolds, Roseanne A. Brown

Grabbed this book at the library after seeing it on the Texas Maverick List. January is the month that I try to grab as many of the graphic novels on the list from the library that I can. This GN is reviewed for middle grade readers.

Synopsis: Beloved Marvel characters Spider-Man, Ghost-Spider, and Araña star in three original Spider-verse stories!

Review: There are some stars on the Texas Maverick list this year that I had read before the list published. Spider-verse is not one of those stars. I liked one of the stories, the others were lackluster. My rating 3⭐️. I am a fan of the Spider-Verse movies and other stories, this book was not for me.

[AJ Easterday · Rating 3 out of 5]

This graphic novel collection is quite the mixed bag. The first story about Araña was really sub-par in my opinion. The jokes were not funny, and the emotional beats just did not hit. The second story about Miles was just ok. The third story about Gwen was the only highlight. I love that it focused on the friendship between Gwen and MJ. It was a fun and heartwarming story about girls supporting girls and taking down creepy guys.

[Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

With no Spider-Verse movie on the books for 2025, you better keep it in the public eye...

Just hand it off to Scholastic and they can figure out some way to keep the IP alive. It's nothing fancy. Miles and Gwen get a basic YA treatment. Arana (who always seemed too much like DC's Blue Beetle reboot) gets an origin and quick little YA story of her own.

It's nothing fancy, but it's there to make sure you don't forget about the characters from the Spider-Verse movies.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three short stories about three different spiders: Arana, Miles, and Ghost Spider. I enjoyed all three stories, I just wish they were all longer. I would have been far more excited to see three new middle grade graphic novels from Marvel, and I think the additional pages would have given each story the room it needed to breathe.

[Amanda Shepard (Between-the-Shelves) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

These stories were fun! Hits the essence of Spider-Man comics but created for a younger audience. Kids who really like the Spider-Verse movie will enjoy these stories, as well as seeing some familiar faces. It was definitely a great, quick read with some fantastic art!

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

My class are big fans of these Marvel graphic novels and when I spotted there was a new one, I needed to pick it up! This has 3 mini stories in of different spider people and they’re all real good fun! The artwork throughout is just gorgeous! Will be taking this in tomorrow!

[Lucy Kirby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun collection of three spider-verse comics that I think could've been elevated had they each been longer.

[Shireen Hakim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked Gwen Stacy's band backstory in this middle grade Spider-Man Universe graphic novel.
(Note, I don't think middle graders use the word 'sexist.')

Thank you Scholastic for the copy.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice middle grade spiderverse stories, all with different styles and tones. Probably enjoined the SpiderGweyn story the most.

[Vanessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5?
mid.

[Amanda Workman · Rating 5 out of 5]

3 separate stories all really fun!

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was fun! the ghost spider story was my favourite.

[Villain E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three short stories: Araña, Spider-Man (Miles), and Ghost Spider. Unlike some other collections aimed at kids, these stories all have decent character work.

[Nicole Hackney · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 Spiderverse stories

Araña - 5 Stars, loved her
Miles Morales story with Mysterio - 4 stars
Gwen Stacy/Ghost Spider - 4 stars

Physical book/graphic novel - Home Library

[Markus Seaberry · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s an anthology book, I liked most of the stories in the book.

[Stephanie Bishop]

Very good and funny

[Gabby Palomino · Rating 3 out of 5]

Take a trip into the Spider-Verse in this action-packed graphic novel collection of 3 mini-adventures. Each adventure features a lovable Spidey hero, chaotic villains, and relatable storylines. The vivid illustrations look right out of the big screen, which is sure to please fans of Marvel’s Spider-Man.

Best for Grades 6-8.