Spider-Man '94: The Return

Spider-Man '94 (2025) #1-5

by J.M. DeMatteis, Jim Towe (Illustrator)

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Spider Man, Graphic Novels

128 pages, Paperback

Published May 19, 2026

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

[Michael Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh....oh no....

I've been waiting for this since I was a kid. The Spider-Man Animated Series was MY TV show growing up. My next door neighbour's show was The X-Men, my best friend was Batman, but Spider-Man was mine. I had toys, comics, even PJs and VHS tapes (that I recorded off of the TV) of the episodes. I was Spidey's #1 fan (and loved all the villains as well...Carnage being my favourite).

The animated series also taught me a valuable lesson when it comes to super-hero stories: Never expect a conclusion. This has always helped me overcome the frustration in comics where an amazing set up is completely abandoned. I always just thought the final episodes of this show never made it to Canada and one day I'd be able to track them down...not realizing that, nope, that's all we ever got.

But here it is, the conclusion that I've been waiting for: What happened to MJ in the 90s TV show that I grew up watching. After the heartbreak of having the MJ that returned be a (30 year spoiler coming:) water clone to Hydro-Man, and then Spider-Man getting shoved off to take care of our very own Spider-Verse storyline orchestrated by Madam Web to help take down Spider-Carnage...This TV Show was trail blazing lots of a-mazing story lines for Spider-Man past and present...and even Future!

So...what happened to MJ and how did Spider-Man save her?

........

......

....

WHO CARES!!! The writers of this comic don't. MJ and Peter come swinging into this comic as if nothing happens with a little aside that says "explanation TBD Maybe?!?"

Remember The Inheritors from the Spider-Verse storyline? What if it's just Morlun and one clone.

Look, I can scream into the void on how utterly frustrating this was. I fell like J.M. DeMateis has been wanting to write ANY Spider-Man story and had this kind of story in mind, and didn't really care what conduit that was. So latch it onto Spider-Man '94 and we'll make it make sense later. Ok...so...but let's actually talk about what is on the page.

First the things I actually liked about this book:

How DeMatteis adapts the Inheritor's story line to be incorporated into the '94 cartoon was interesting enough, and made sense in the 94 Spider-Man world. I think they could have been a bit less 'sci-fi' centered, and a bit more science-y since that was at the crux of the '94 cartoon (heck, they were even able to explain Smyth's weird transformation through science). And showing how desperate and tapped out Spider-Man was, put real stakes in this comic series that was never really present in the 90s cartoon.

And their handling of three separate story lines that come together in the climax was handled well enough. I do wish they saved the whole 'Kraven's Last Hunt' storyline for it's own book / story, and spent more time flushing out the clone storyline a little bit more (You could see they DESPRATELY wanted to shoe horn Ben Reilly into this book). But the ending was satisfying enough and made sense in-universe, so I could give it a pass.

But now onto the things that didn't work for me:

First off, it honestly doesn't really FEEL like the 90s cartoon, which is what this book was SUPPOSED to be...it was supposed to be the continuation of that 90s cartoon, and instead it felt like it's own thing. Which is fine, but that's not what I picked up this volume for. I wanted answers to 30 year old questions.

I know this might seem like a nit-pick, but the art is also not good. All you had to do was draw it like the Cartoon! I have a bunch of comics from the cartoon that look better. This change up of style: Peter Parker not looking remotely like his TV counter part, everyone having weird lines on their faces, it all looking somehow flatter than their TV characters...it was really distracting and never made me believe 'this was the same universe as the original 90s cartoon'. At least everyone's wardrobes were the same.

Also, this book kept teasing us with more of the classic Spider-Man villains, and the only one that showed up was Kraven. We got villains that were never even in the TV show (The Kangaroo?! Leap Frog?? Who are these people?!?) rather than the usual rouges gallery. You have other animal style villains you could have used: Scorpion and Vulture are right there! I would have loved to see what Venom has been up to, now with so much more Venom lore to draw from, let's see how that would be incorporated into the Cartoon universe.

Honestly, this volume's biggest sin is not being interested in answering the biggest question we've had since the show was cancelled 30 years ago: What actually happened to MJ and where did she go. And the fact that the author didn't even want to start with that, or at least set this series before the events to Spider-Man finding MJ was really insulting.

This would have worked as a 'mini-series' in the animated series, but as a comic, it really fell flat. Answer those questions we've had for so long FIRST then you can go off and do your own thing. As it stands now, this book was more frustration than rewarding. Hopefully it will continue so that we can ACTUALLY get some answers.

[Khurram · Rating 5 out of 5]

I freely accept my bias. I grew up watching this cartoon series. It is close to 30 years since it finished and was never completed. I am also one of those who want Peter and MJ married forever!!! This is so much closer to the Spider-man i grew up watching/reading. Definitely not the man child in the current comics.

The real MJ is back. Her and Peter are together but the scars of there separation still remain. Peter watched a MJ clone die in his arms. Despite the emotional issues Spider-man must also protect the city, however he has not been targeted personally by this universe's Kaine and Morlun.

If i had one complaint of this book, it is that how MJ returns is not in this book. Part of me is holding out hope that this is because they want to release another volume or a updated cartoon series. I am up for either.

One thing I did like in this book is the fights are so much better. In the cartoon series I think Spider-man threw one punch per season. It was usually webbing up people, pushing the over or crashing into them. This in a number of episodes some of the writers forgot about about his super strength. I am glad all that was remembered here. This great book finishes with a variant cover gallery.

[Atheist Bale · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this in an hour. Very short read that skips over the main TV cliffhanger that everybody was waiting to see become resolved since the 1990s. I’m genuinely lost as to the point of this comic if it’s not going to do the thing that everyone wanted. I like the stuff with Mary Jane and her aunt, but Morlun/Kaine (plus Kraven’s Last Hunt) felt rushed. Only 5 issues, and it cost $18, ouchies. I would give this a 2.5 if Goodreads functioned like Letterboxd, but since it’s forgettable, we’re just gonna go with a 2 star. Meh.

[James Bowman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Doesn't look much like the 90s Spider-Man cartoon, and doesn't get the tone right either (in particular, too violent). The main villain is anachronistic. And we skip past the resolution of the series' big cliffhanger, which feels like a cop-out. Putting all that aside, it's an OK vaguely 1990s-styled Spider-Man story with a decent ending... but obviously could have been much more. (B-)

[Nicholas J · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nah... doesn't feel like the animated series, vibes off. Didn't like using Morlun again. Peter didn't look right, why draw his face completely different than the series? Skipping over the rescue of MJ to go back to it later and then still using a multiverse villain made no sense to me.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spider-Man '94 was my 90s cartoon. Most people will say Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League, or X-Men, but Spider-Man was my Thing, y'know? So I was very excited to see this comic continuation, even if it jumps past the awkward cliffhanger at the end of the cartoon to tell its own story.

The thing is, the story it tells is...weird. It's a strange attempt at doing The Other and mashing it in with The Clone Saga, by way of Kraven's Last Hunt. One or two of these things, I could probably get behind, but doing all three at once makes it overstuffed, and not as good at any of the three as it could have been if it was a little more focused. The Animated Series always interpreted comic stories rather than adapting them beat for beat, so it does fall in line with how the series used to do things, but I think in this instance, less would have been more.

The art feels in tune with the series at least. Jim Towe's visuals match the old cartoon without looking like he's been copying old animation cells, while the colours are bright and everyone's iconic single outfits are here.

This definitely tickled my nostalgia senses, but it wasn't quite as good as I'd hoped, unfortunately. Still, if this leads to more '94, or heaven forbid, a cartoon revival a la X-Men '97, then sign me up.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

This does a good recapturing the vibe of the Spidey '94 cartoon, credit to Jim Towe's art. I could go my whole life never seeing Kaine or Morlun again, but this was a pretty amusing use of them. The reviewers who really want a resolution to the cartoon's cliffhanger should reconsider.

What utterly bowled me over about this was what a nice synthesis of DeMatteis's excellent runs on Spidey from the late 80s up this was. We get references to Vermin, Harry through Molten Man's appearance, Kraven's Last Hunt, Legion of Losers, MJ defeating Chameleon w/ a bat, & one of the last things May says to Peter, what's it like swinging around up there? Even the final fate of Kaine & Morlun in the comic didn't work that well in terms of the story but was a nice callback to DeMatteis's excellent early 90s Dr. Fate. DeMatteis has recent several nostalgic Spidey minis recently, but this is the best of the ones I've read. As I started this mini, I was thinking that it's ironic that *The Return* as a subtitle for a revival series is both obvious & ruined by the excellence of *Twin Peaks: The Return*, then I thought that if any Spidey writer could approach the surrealism & grimdark of *Twin Peaks*, it'd be DeMatteis, and dang if he did not get far closer than anyone could reasonably expect for a tie-in comic.

[Andrew Pitkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm glad that Marvel is doing this type of book. The Animated Series for Spider-Man from the 1990's was, like most series (animated or otherwise) from that decade, the perfect embodiment of what all these different characters are supposed to be about. The 1990's was probably the last great decade we've collectively had, and I tell most people (and they agree) that the 1990's was a great period of time to live in - back before we had countless distractions from technology, urban overcrowding, and a world that wants us to do too many things at the same time.

The Spider-Man Animated Series is like a masterclass in story and design, and it as well as literally every other animated superhero series from that decade hit the nail so perfectly on the head that nothing else afterwards even comes close to catching what these stories are supposed to be about. The fact that they wrote a book that tries to resolve the cliffhanger of the Series, which is that Peter Parker was supposed to find Mary Jane after she was lost to a time-space portal because of the Green Goblin, and therefore attempt to find true happiness, is exactly what everyone who loves Spider-Man wanted back then. This book has some flaws, given that it picks up after he rescues MJ, but still - it's great when companies and writers make good on the unfinished parts of different Series from 20-30 years ago, and actually tries to set things on the right course.

[Michael Kikle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t hate this like a lot of Animated Series fans do, but it definitely pisses me off that they skip explaining the cliffhanger of the original series, when it was canceled. I figured it would explain it somewhere in this miniseries, since it’s only five issues long.

But guess what?

Never happens.

Instead, it’s more preoccupied with smashing a few classing Spider-Man events into one miniseries, while also throwing-in characters (this isn’t a spoiler, it’s in the first few pages) like Kaine from the Clone Saga fiasco of the comics in the 90s. I like Kaine, even though I absolutely hate the Clone Saga bullshit, and—matter of fact—I even like most what this book does with Kaine.

It has its moments, but it’s such a mess.

And don’t get me started on the art style for characters looking NOTHING like their original cartoon counterparts, aside from their clothing. This book gets so much right and so much wrong.

[Alex Barndollar · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have always wondered just exactly how Peter Parker and Madame Web tracked down Mary Jane Watson across the multiverse at the cliffhanger series finale of Spider-Man: The Animated Series. So when it was announced we were getting a mini-series to continue the show’s storyline, I was SO excited. This? This was not what I (or, I think, anyone) wanted. How and where did he find Mary Jane? You decide! Because the book sure isn’t interested in answering it. Of course, besides both Peter and Mary Jane mentioning, at least once an issue, “all the dangers they faced and sacrifices they made”.

The main storyline was boring; the artwork was meh at best. People didn’t look anything like they did in the show, besides their costumes. Thank goodness Mary Jane at least kept her signature outfit of canary yellow sweater, purple turtle neck, jeans and cowboy boots 🤪

This could have been, and should have been, so much better.

[Karl · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a missed opportunity.
When I saw this book, I thought it would finally give me the conclusion I'd been hoping for since I was around eight years old. But god, what a disappointment it turned out to be. We're given no explanation or even a glimpse of how Mary Jane was found and returned.
This should have been easy. Find an artist who can ape the style of the animated series, and tell a story of Spider-Man finding Mary Jane, then returning and having some fights with his classic rogues gallery.
For a project banking entirely on nostalgia, it fails to indulge in it properly. Apart from Peter, Mary Jane, Aunt May, and Aunt Anna wearing their basic outfits from the animated series, they bear only passing resemblances, physically or in characterization, to that source material. The art ranges from decent to bad, and fails to evoke the look and spirit of the series.
One of the few positives in the story is Kraven's involvement. The continuation of his last storyline in TAS and his alliance with Spider-Man as an antihero were pretty well done. The only other classic villain we see in a brief scene is the Kingpin. The majority of the book is a badly shoehorned storyline involving versions of Morlun and Kaine, two characters that probably never would or should have appeared in TAS. Though if they did, to DeMatteis' credit, it might have been executed as poorly as happened here.

[Kath · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 ⭐️

As a Spider-Man comic, I thought the story was great and I liked the introduction of Morlun. The ending felt a little rushed and was tied up a little too neatly too quick.

As a continuation to the animated series, it was disappointing. We don’t get to see how MJ returns, it hints at it being told later on, but with the ending it feels like the comic might already be concluded.

I think it was evident that John Semper wasn’t included in the making of this. If anyone wants to know how Peter found MJ, I recommend reading “Peter Finds Mary Jane: The Lost "Final" Episode #66” by John Semper.

[Shevek · Rating 2 out of 5]

Soy el mayor fan de DeMatteis, pero aquí no puedo salvarle. Ha intentado hibridar una de sus mayores obsesiones arácnidas (cierto personaje noventero) con el enemigo más relevante de Spiderman en el siglo XXI, pero el resultado es que ambos personajes quedan desdibujados para conseguir tal amalgama. Por extensión, el conflicto que supone para Spiderman queda muy deslucido. Y, lo que es peor, no reconozco el espíritu de la serie original para nada. El dibujo tampoco ayuda nada para esto; el atrezzo está ahí, pero la estética y los acabados no son para nada reconocibles.

[Lester Dominguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was nostalgic seeing the characters and this specific adaptation of spider man again, although the art style could’ve been better. I’m a little disappointed in the ending, it feels too childish, although this is based off of the cartoon. I was definitely expecting more of a continuation between Peter and MJ. Overall, it was a nice quick read, I feel like Kraven was wasted but it was nice seeing his character develop further. Wish they would have chosen a Green Goblin centered storyline instead.

[Cj · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the ‘90s Spider-Man cartoon and thought it was cool that they were reviving it with a comic. Overall, it’s not as good as I hoped, with some rushed storylines and average writing.

The art is amazing though, as is the ending. It’s a very sweet conclusion for this version of the character’s arc.

[Keegan Schueler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really awesome and fun Spider-Man story that starts off amazingly but I think the ending could’ve been a bit better. Hope this continues and takes on some more comic stories that weren’t done in the show before.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read the singles of this series before the collected edition has been published. Never watched any of the original animated series. This was an interesting re-mix of stories and lore from 616 continuity, but I much prefer the material it was drawn from.

[Javier Campos · Rating 3 out of 5]

quedo a deber mucho

[Elliot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun nostalgic spider-goodness

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Markymark · Rating 1 out of 5]

Considering this was the story to resolve the series ending cliffhanger of the Spiderman '94 cartoon, this comic was a major disappointment.

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love it but ended up liking it.

[Julia Pika · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind boring and convoluted, and this is coming from someone who hasn't seen much of the original show.

[Evan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art really killed this, and the storyline it doesn’t even pick up where the tv show left off it seems more like a cash grab since the X-men ‘97 show became so popular when coming back