Spider-Man has always been big business for Marvel. As the publisher’s most popular character, Spider-Man ongoings, miniseries, and one-shots have become a huge part of Marvel’s publishing schedule. The popularity of the Spider-Verse has led Marvel to putting out versions of the character from the movie, including Spider-Man Noir, a character that first appeared back Marvel’s ’00s Noir line. With an upcoming TV series, Marvel has decided to dust the character off for some adventures with a new comic. Spider-Man Noir #1 drops readers into this Spider-Man’s world for a good story that doesn’t really feel very noir so far, but definitely has potential.
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Writer/artist Erik Larsen leaving Marvel in 1992 was one of the worst things to happen to Spider-Man comics. Larsen has always been a good writer, and he had a great handle on who Spider-Man is. Larsen has done a lot more writing since the early ’90s and is a more well-rounded scribe, so him writing this book makes a lot of sense. From the beginning, he definitely has a handle on who Peter Parker is in this universe, and does quick world-building and housekeeping in the first couple pages, kicking off with a cool action scene and using caption boxes for character exposition so we know where the character is.
It works pretty well, and throughout the book, we get more of that. Larsen is an old school comic writer, so he lays out a lot of plot points in the book that he will pay off. They aren’t exactly subplots, but little nuggets of Peter’s noir life that works pretty well. The issue’s pacing is just right, and it definitely feels like you’re getting a good story for your money’s worth. The book sets up a cool mystery to solve, involving Gwen Stacy and the murder of her father, and the last page takes things to a very interesting place.
If there’s any problem with the writing, and I don’t know if this a personal opinion or not, it’s that the book just feels like a standard Peter Parker dropped into another setting, not a new version of Peter Parker. The Peter of this universe feels exactly like the Spider-Man of the 616 universe, and that broke my immersion several times. There also isn’t any of the darkness that you’re expect from noir. The humor is great, but it doesn’t always fit. Finally, editor Nick Lowe’s fingerprints and his Gwen Stacy obsession are all over the book. Peter and Mary Jane are broken up on the first page, and there’s definitely the feel that the book is going to go in the Peter/Gwen direction, although that could change. This is noir after all, and duplicitous women are a part of the trope.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
| Pros | Cons |
| Great humor throughout | It doesn’t feel like a different Spider-Man from another universe |
| The art is fantastic; kinetic and detailed | Too much of Marvel’s anti-Mary Jane agenda shines through |
| The mystery has potential | So far, it doesn’t really feel like a noir story except for the plot itself; there’s no noir atmosphere |
Spider-Man Noir #1’s Art Is Outstanding
Larsen is himself an artist, so he knows how to write for artists, and that skill is on display here. Artist Andrea Broccardo is on point from the first page. He’s able to capture the kinetic energy of Spider-Man actions scenes beautifully. From the opening fight against the Scorpion Gang to Spidey being chased out of a morgue by the police to a battle against Fliegende Fledermaus (Flying Bat in Engilsh, so I’m not sure if this is supposed to be a Nazi noir Vulture or not), there’s a sense of motion and excitement to every fight scene.
Broccardo’s detail and character acting are extraordinary throughout the issue. The detail never flags even a little bit, and he definitely is able to portray 1939 people well; the fashions look exactly on point, and it really helps bring the readers into the time period. Rachelle Rosenberg is the colorist and she does a great job of nailing the tone. When Peter’s in costume, there’s a sepia tone to the scenes that really hit the noir sweet spot. The art in this book is easily the best part, and it helps make up for some of the shortcomings I found in the book.
Spider-Man Noir #1 is an entertaining comic that does a good job of setting up the series’ plot. Larsen is a great Spider-Man writer, and that shines through. While not everything feels very noirish, you can tell that Larsen understands how to tell these stories; he does a great job of setting up the mystery, giving us a twist, and possibly setting up more twists to come. However, even with all of that, this doesn’t really feel like a noir at all times; Larsen often feels like he’s writing modern Spider-Man in 1930s drag. The art does a lot of heavy-lifting, and is wonderful. If you like Spider-Man, check this one out. It’s not perfect, but it’s still worth a read.
Spider-Man Noir #1 is on sale now.
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Image courtesy of Focus Features.
