Spider-Man: Black Suit & Blood

Spider-Man: Miniseries

by J.M. DeMatteis

Celebrating the 40th anniversary of Spider-Man’s sensational black costume with the latest addition to the BLACK, WHITE, & BLOOD series!

An all-star lineup of writers and artists assemble to spin fresh tales of Spider-Man — “black, white & blood” style! J.M. DeMatteis returns to the pages of “Kraven’s Last Hunt” to tell a never-before-seen story of Spidey’s past! J. Michael Straczynski rips Peter Parker's (and the symbiote's) heart out! And Dustin Nguyen’s stunning take on the wall-crawler will bring Spidey to uncharted heights! And much more!

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

136 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2024

About the author

Also Credited As:
DeMatteis, John Marc
Ellis, Michael
Lombego, Wally

Bio:
J.M. DeMatteis was a professional musician/singer and rock music journalist before entering comics in the late 70's.

Credits include Spider-Man, Moonshadow, Brooklyn Dreams, Justice League, Abadazad, Hero Squared, the Life and Times of Savior 28.

Created I, Vampire , Creature Commandos, Moonshadow, Hero Squared (co-creator), Abadazad, Stardust Kid, Savior 28 and more.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.1 stars

The usual story with anthology books; some great stuff, some tosh, and no two people will agree on which are which. For a book that’s set at a specific point in Spidey history, there’s very little adherence to the continuity of the time, which is a shame.

[Khurram · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book. I enjoy the concept of the Black, White, and Red books. As usual, it is in the treasury A4 format. Four issues each containing 3 to four medium to small stories.

As usual, it is difficult to review everything as each story is done by a different creative team and is set in a different time period. Most of the stories are around the most famous black costume, the symbiote. However, there are stories of Spider-man in his cloth costume. The symbiote stories go over psychological effects on Peter and those closest to him. The darker impulses might be a reason he continued to wear a black costume after removing the symbiote.

The only story I did not really enjoy was the behind the scenes of the Secret Wars. This story did not actually have Spider-man in it. The rest were all good to very good. Anyone who enjoys pre Brand New Day Spider-man will enjoy this book. The black costume era was not my favourite Spider-man era, but it is a lot better than the current one (except the Ultimate Spider-man), where he is devolved to a teenager in a man's body. The book finishes with a varient covers gallery.

[Alex Sarll]

Secret Wars was the first superhero comic I properly followed, so I've always had a soft spot for Spidey's black costume: it's a cool visual, a nostalgic signifier, and the fact that while wearing it he was slightly less of a self-defeating wimp is a bonus. But even so, this anthology has far too many contributions which have nothing to offer beyond him properly smacking the shit out of some career supervillain who richly deserves it and then going 'Oh no, I didn't restrict myself to love taps, whatever could be wrong with me? Definitely not this inexplicable alien goop, no sirree', which only serves to make him look idiotic as well as ineffectual. Which, yes, I know has often been his MO, but all the same... And as for the story where the symbiote used his unconscious body to kill a character invented especially for the purpose, and who's never been seen before or since...I don't even like 616 Peter Parker, and I still think lobbing something like that into his backstory is the worst sort of impertinent, ill-considered retcon.

And worse than that is that, while the stories in these three-colour anthologies can often tend towards the flimsy, at least they usually have some interesting art. Whereas far too much of this just looks like regular Marvel house style with fewer hues – though I should note the Jurgens/Breeding/Sotomayor story as an honourable exception, given they clearly had a good think about what they could most effectively do with that palette before working out a story involving snow, Daredevil and ketchup. And Dustin Nguyen always looks good, even if, as with many of the stories here where artists turn writer-artist, I'm not so convinced by the multiclassing. On the script side, the highlights were pretty much where I expected; Elena Casagrande's art helps deMatteis deliver an Astro City-esque tale of one of the little lives in the margin of Spider-Man's world, and Al Ewing pushes the brief to its limits (as is his way) but delivers just the hit of timey-wimey Secret Wars referentiality that was always going to work for me.

[Shivesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black Suit & Blood is more than a nostalgic nod to Peter Parker’s darker days—it’s a curated plunge into the psyche of the symbiote era, refracted through a kaleidoscope of artistic interpretations. Each story in this treasury edition offers a distinct lens on the black suit’s allure and menace, from noir-inflected vengeance to cosmic horror. The anthology format works in its favor, allowing creators to explore the suit’s symbolic weight—power unmoored from responsibility, identity blurred by obsession.

Highlights include a gritty tale where Spider-Man stalks the night like a haunted vigilante, echoing Batman-esque tones but retaining Peter’s moral core. Another standout is a surreal, almost psychedelic confrontation with Kraven, rendered in swirling, chaotic panels that mirror the protagonist’s unraveling grip on reality. The characterizations are sharp: Peter is never reduced to a caricature of rage; instead, we see the tension between his empathy and the suit’s seductive aggression.

The artwork is wildly varied, and that’s its strength. From hyper-detailed realism to stylized abstraction, each artist brings a fresh emotional texture. Some pages feel like fever dreams, others like cinematic stills. The visual storytelling is as much a character as Peter himself—fluid, unpredictable, and often breathtaking.

This isn’t just a celebration of a costume—it’s a meditation on duality, temptation, and the cost of unchecked power. For fans of mythic resonance and visual experimentation, Black Suit & Blood is a compelling, layered read.

[Urbon Adamsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

PT Talvez um dos volumes mais consistentes desta coleção até agora.

Este livro reúne várias histórias curtas centradas no Homem-Aranha durante o período em que envergava o fato preto, sendo por isso recorrente a presença da influência do simbionte nas suas acções e decisões.

Há também inúmeras referências a histórias passadas, algo que será particularmente gratificante para quem acompanha as aventuras do Aracnídeo há muitos anos.

A lista de autores envolvidos é verdadeiramente impressionante. Destaco, em especial, Dustin Nguyen, um artista cujo traço aprecio muito a nível pessoal.

Como acontece em todos os volumes desta série, a direcção artística é o principal atractivo da obra, mas aqui surge acompanhada por histórias competentes — umas mais conseguidas do que outras — o que acaba por reforçar a solidez do conjunto.

--

EN Perhaps one of the most solid volumes in this collection so far.

This book brings together several short stories focusing on Spider-Man during the period when he wore the black suit, which means that in many of them the influence the symbiote had on his actions is clearly present.

There are also numerous references to past stories, something that will be especially rewarding for readers who have been following the Web-Slinger’s adventures for many years.

The list of contributing creators is truly impressive. I would especially highlight Dustin Nguyen, an artist whose work I personally love.

As with all volumes in this series, the artistic direction is the main draw, but in this case it is supported by solid stories — some stronger than others — which helps reinforce the overall quality of the book.

[Ángel Javier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historias decentillas, alguna sorprendentemente buena, pero en general simplemente legibles, con un dibujo que tampoco es cosa del otro mundo, ambientadas en la época en la que el trepamuros llevaba puesto el simbionte anteriormente conocido como «traje negro» y posteriormente infame por sus infames series. Prueba palpable de que DC se está comiendo a Marvel por los pies cuando un proyecto de cierto calibre como este no puede ni compararse a otros semejantes llevados a cabo por la empresa de Superman, como, por ejemplo, los excelentes y paradigmáticos Batman: Black and White o el mucho más reciente Superman: Red and Blue. De lo poco decente, la historia de DeMatteis que abre el volumen, obviamente, y alguna otra como aquella en la que una molécula desprendida del simbionte intenta convencer a Spidey para que se fusione con ella. En fin, que no está mal para los tiempos que corren en Marvel, pero no esperen ninguna maravilla...

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

For an anthology book, almost every creative team takes a different track with the idea - a Spider-Man story set in his black suit. Could be the original symbiote, one of the many times Peter's re-donned his fabric version, or anything in between, so long as it's told only in black, white, and red.

There are few stories here that didn't work for me - I think the only one that didn't was Mysterio one, mostly because it wasn't clear when the book was meant to be a double page spread, so I kept reading things in the wrong order, and the final Master Planner story which didn't seem to know what its meaning was meant to be.

Favourites included the Al Ewing Master Blood story that was tangentially tied into his Venom run, the Dustin Nguyen creepy 6 pager, and the Mary Jane story about her fears of the symbiote before even really knowing what it was.

[Joey Nardinelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

The aesthetic works really well for this issue — the reds in the blood, Spider-Man’s traditional costume, Daredevil’s costume, and the deep blacks of the symbiote — and arguably better than either of the Star Wars comics in this style to date (I remember like the Alien collection though). First story is probably the strongest, as it was the one most clearly tugging on my emotions. Definitely had some “oh god!” moments given how willing or accepting Black-suit Spider-Man is around murder and death. Art felt uniformly good but nothing really jumped out at me as being stylistically elevated. A lot of stuff in here felt very pulpy, which always looks a bit odd juxtaposed with more contemporary illustration styles.

[Warren Nast · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were some pretty good stories in this treasury edition. The symbiote to me was always a scary character and ranks as one of Spider-Man's best villains. Over the years Marvel has overused this character and watered it down. When you look at Spidey in future books the symbiote always shows up. Secret Wars was probably the most impactful of the Marvel mega events and the symbiote its most enduring character to come out of it. I bet Peter wishes he had never turned that machine on to make a new costume.

I thought the story with MJ hearing things in their apartment was very creepy.

[Nuno Ferreira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nestas antologias a Preto, Branco e Sangue, o argumento raramente é protagonista. São histórias curtas cujo maior impacto são os momentos de insanidade e sangue derramado. Este volume toca mais nos fantasmas oníricos do Homem Aranha e na sua relação com o simbionte, como um espectro negro com quem partilha a alma. É um bom argumento mas como as outras antologias do género, tem no vermelho e na arte as suas linhas-guia e a pedra de toque do seu prestígio.

[Dimitrios · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great anthology filled with wonderful art and stories. If you're a Spider-Man fan, this book is perfect. A lot of Spider-Man's history is put on full display here. So if you're someone who doesn't know too much about Spider-Man, I'd say read some earlier issues, or even watch some Youtube videos.

Overall, it was an amazing anthology with solid art and stories.

[Zuuru · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty nice little tales, though uneven in quality and effect, but that's that you get with so many different authors. Black Suit Spidey also isn't my fave, but Peter is on the whole very solidly written here - in all the stories, even! - so that's good to see.

[Andres Pasten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nunca espero mucho de estas antologías, pero soy fan del traje negro...

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars - interesting collection of stories around the symbiote, though they are a little uneven in quality. The art is striking and really shines in the treasury format.

[Andja · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some fun stories here and some that are not as fun. I'm not sure every book needs an anthology in this three-color format.

[alejandro galvez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good.

Really good. Its awesome. Very beautiful book. Stunning visuals. Highly recommend. Lots of fun to be had. Give it a read.