C.T. Smith Reviews: Web-Warriors #1

Spider-Verse and Secret Wars brought together an inter-dimensional team of Spider-Totems (men, women, and animals with spider-like abilities) aptly named the Web-Warriors. Web-Warriors #1 brings this unlikely group together once more, arming them with the objective of defending the weakened multiverse and lending help to dimensions that no longer have a Spider-Hero presence. The main roster remains the same as the Spider-Verse team shown in the Secret Wars: Spider-UK, Spider-Man India, Anya Corazon, Spider-Man Noir , and fan favorites Spider-Ham and Spider-Gwen.

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Web Warriors #1 opens with some biological factoids about spiders, namely that they very rarely work together, which juxtaposes the fact that the web warriors are a team of spiders working together. It implies that the very idea of a group such as the Web-Warriors goes against the nature of spiders. This may foreshadow some troubles for the team, but as the opening scene in the issue shows, teaming up doesn’t stop the Spiders from giving their foes the ole’ one-two beat down.

Having the first scene of the issue showcase a fight between the Spider-Team and the Sinister Six of the innocuous cartoon-world of 1960’s Spider-Man serves as an effective opener to how zany the concept of the book can be in practice. Not only do the members of the team originate from different worlds, they’re operating in a number of worlds whose very physics and nature are fundamentally different. Earth-3015 (home of the meme Spider-Man) is the perfect place to reveal how the rules of the world adjust in each dimension.

Spider-Gwen one shots the Lizard along with the classic flash of comic light to signify a hit, Rhino blasts her through a window and the damage is superficial at best, Spider-Ham’s webs change into cartoonish butterfly nets upon contact with the Green Goblin, and Spider-Gwen has no idea what her weblines are attached to, “just, like, the sky or something.” They essentially abide by the rules of whatever universe they’re in, and the best part is that they are aware of , and surprised by, these modifications.

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With the suspension of their disbelief, they experience and react to the shifts between each world as the reader experiences and reacts to them, which adds more credibility to the concept of dimension hopping rather than having the heroes fit in no matter where they go.

Electro and his own army of multi-dimensional counterparts are revealed to be the first arc’s villain, though it looks like there are also alternate Sinister Six members working in the background. It makes sense that the Web Warrior’s first antagonists are an army of Electros, as it is a parallel that allows the team’s first threat battle multiple Spider-Totems without being easily overwhelmed..Electro himself seems to be an interesting choice; although there are many iconic villains I could see in his place, his power set has always complemented Spider-Man’s in terms of utility which allows for dynamic battles that use speed, creativity, and intelligence. Better yet, the Electros also exhibit different idiosyncrasies, strengths, and looks, leading to as varied a cast of Electros as there are Spiders. The villains’ plans haven’t quite been revealed (besides the mass gathering of a certain resource) so we’ll have to wait and see what that entails. /

As all teams go, the Web Warrior’s are a mix of personalities and backgrounds. Rather than simply being a unified team of six Spider-Men, they all have their own motivations and thoughts toward the team. Spider-UK has nowhere else to go, Spider-Woman is torn between her family and helping the team, Spider-Ham feels out of place, and Anya is committed to the team’s objective. The internal conflicts and characteristics that each spider-totem brings to the table helps the book add an emotional/personal tone to the story, though it may be hard for each member to get their appropriate time to shine with a large cast (Anya barely gets any screen time at all this time around).

David Baldeon art fits well with the story, and his versatility is shown as his backgrounds are drawn to match the dimension they reside in, which suits the concept of the book well. In terms of design the characters have a cartoony feel to their look, with strong lines and prominent/clear expressions. Each member of the team has a unique appearance, with notable facial qualities that set them apart from each other. The color is vivid and packed with energy, matching the comic’s tone and making the issue very pleasant to look at.

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Overall the issue is a solid start that sets up a premise with the potential to offer up a strong story and awesome battles that are reminiscent of the great scenes of

Spider-Verse

. There’s a lot of setting changes from dimension to dimension which may begin to seem a little busy but is handled as well as it was during the Spider-Verse in that there’s always a smooth transition between scenes.

Web Warriors #1

accomplishes its job of building a strong foundation as the first issue of a new series. All that remains to be seen is whether the creative team will be able to flesh out a worthwhile plot, reduce any clutter that comes with such a wide cast of villains and heroes, and maintain the solid “rules” of dimensional travel it established early on with the cartoon world. I am definitely hopeful that the series will maintain the quality this issue has shown.

(One thing of note is that the story references Spider-UK losing his home due to an Incursion, but doesn’t mention the Secret Wars, Battleworld, or anything after the event. Whether they simply don’t remember what happened, or the world reset to a point after the incursion of UK’s world but before the final incursion (which is why many dimensions still seem to exist), the comic almost makes it seem as if the Secret Wars never happened at all. This seems to be a trend in many of the All-New, All-Different comics but perhaps will be explained in the conclusion of Secret Wars).

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