Prepare to Enter The Spider-Verse

Marvel Comics and current Amazing Spider-Man writer Dan Slott have been busy this year. They have been preparing to take us through what’s been intimated as being the biggest Spider-Man event in years: Spider-Verse.
If you’re not already aware, the next few months will see the largest number of Spider-Men/Women/Girls (and even a Monkey and a Pig) from across the Marvel multiverse band together to combat a foe that Spider-Man hasn’t faced for over 10 years since the J.Michael Straczynski storyline ‘The Other’. This was a 12-part crossover story that ran across all the Spider-man books at the time.


The premise was that a mystical creature known only as ‘Morlun’ was intent on hunting and killing Spider-Man. At the end of the arc, Morlun was defeated and appeared to die. It would seem now that ‘Morlun’ has returned, and this time he’s brought his family.
The seeds for this story arc was planted during Slott’s Spider-Island arc in 2011, when Madame Web had her first premonition that the Web of Life was unraveling, and that ‘All the Spiders will die.’ It would appear that Dan Slott’s been planning this story for some time. It was later revealed that Slott’s intention was that Spider-Verse was to be a Superior Spider-Man story arc. However, the powers that be at Marvel insisted that it should be Peter Parker’s Spider-Man that faced ‘Morlun’ once again.


This time the outlook for Spider-Man is even more bleak. As Morlun and his ‘family,’ a group known as ‘The Inheritors,’ are hunting down and killing every and any Spider-Man, Woman, child, or animal they find in all realities across the Marvel multiverse.  They won’t find it easy, however, as for the first and possibly only time ever, Spider-Verse is set to become a story arc that features ‘Every Spider-Man…..ever’.


In a bold fresh and inventive tale, the plan is to incorporate every iteration of the character (that Marvel has the legal rights to use) into a huge storyline that is set to kick off in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man #9 on sale in November. The hype has already begun, and the prologue tie-in issues (Edge of Spider-Verse, Superior Spider-Man #32 – #33) are already on sale now. Reviews for those Issues can be found on this site here.


Marvel has announced that there will be various tie-in issues across the current Spider books in their stable. However, the core story that you need to follow will unfold solely in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man #9 – #14 in a self-contained 6 issue arc. Should you wish to obtain the wider story, then take out a bank loan, as you’ll be looking at around 29 issues for the whole picture, between now and January, once you factor in all the tie-in books. It is, however, the potential of the side-arcs within the tie-in that has me watering at the mouth, for just a few of the Spiders that are set to play a role within Spider-Verse include a return for characters and fan favourites such as Kaine, Superior Spider-Man, MC2 Spider-Girl, and also a resurrection of sorts for Benjamin Reilly, who incidentally will be “teaming up” with Kaine and Ultimate Scarlet Spider (Jessica Drew), in a tie-in mini-series called Scarlet Spiders, which I personally cannot wait for.

Another exciting element to this story arc includes the debut of ‘Miles Morales’ in the 616 universe. This will be a welcome addition following on from the fantastic success of Brian Bendis’ book Spider-Men from 2012. It’s also something that fans have been calling for: another meeting between 616 Spider-Man and his Ultimate comics counterpart.


As you can imagine, the size and scope of this entire arc is huge. There have even been tie-ins to this arc involving the ‘Ultimate Spider-Man’ cartoon series. Here, Peter Parker has been meeting alternate world Spider-Men and Women. 

If that wasn't enough there is also a mobile app tie-in as Gameloft the makers behind The console games 'Ultimate Spider-Man' and movie tie-in games 'Amazing Spider-Man 1,2' have released 'Spider-Man Unlimited' which is available on I-store and Android formats to download for free. (I'm beginning to sound like an advert).

 It shows just how hard Marvel are pushing and promoting this series. They are intent that this Spider-Man event will be the biggest ever, by incorporating ‘Every Spider-Man Ever’……Will it be Marvel’s biggest success ever? I guess time (and sales) will tell.

Have an opinion on Spider-Verse? why not comment below. or click the button to follow on google+ or follow on twitter @TelFirth for blog updates or additionally like our Facebook Page The Man who Collects Spider-Man

Thanks For Reading.