Sinister War #1 Review: A Rowdy Start to a Villainously Crowded Romp

Spider-Man is back this week with an epic first issue in Amazing Spider-Man writer Nick Spencer’s biggest showdown with Spidey’s rogues gallery ever: Sinister War. After recently handling foes like Kindred and Mr. Negative, Peter finds himself cornered in one of his most-challenging battles yet. The Savage Six want nothing more than to exact revenge, and they will be gunning for Spider-Man alongside the Sinister Six.

Sinister War #1, overseen by Spencer, begins lavishly as Peter steps out of his costume and into a suit. The hero is left to focus on MJ as she celebrates her big movie debut. But with Mysterio lurking in the shadows of that event, fans know the hero’s peace will not last for long.

This comes to fruition quickly as the debut issue picks up steam. The fast pacing brings the Savage Six to the theater as a fight breaks out. Things get even more complicated when the Sinister Six arrives, and Mysterio is left to shield MJ while Spider-Man oversees crowd control. This frantic fight sequence is filled with action, and if you are not versed in Spider-Man lore, good luck to you in parsing it all. There are more than a dozen characters in this comic readers must recall, so Sinister War #1 is definitely not an issue to be read on the fly. Be sure you’re caught up on Amazing Spider-Man.

By the time the issue concludes, Mysterio and MJ are on the outs while Kindred leaves readers with a giant cliffhanger promising even more characters to arrive. Doctor Strange also drops a curious teaser as he gambles with the literal devil, so the stakes of Sinister War are higher than anyone may have anticipated. And with MJ missing, there is no telling how either battle will progress.

For fans of Spencer’s run on The Amazing Spider-Man, this debut feels comfortable with plenty of witty one-liners and quick exposition. It is a busy read, so casual readers will want to catch on recent issues of Amazing before diving into this adventure. With the Savage Six and Sinister Six already at war, there is a lot to love in this explosive climax.

Published by Marvel Comics

On July 14, 2021

Written by Nick Spencer

Art by Mark Bagley, Andrew Hennessy, John Dell, and Andy Owens

Colors by Brian Reber

Letters by Joe Caramagna

Cover by Bryan Hitch and Paul Mounts