The Return of Noir in Spider-Verse #5
Miles Morales’ quest to repair the Web of Life continues in Spider-Verse #5. This time around, his quest brings some immediate results – and some fantastic news. A fan favorite of the Spidersonas is back once again, and his story is one we’re going to want to hear.
Spider-Man Noir had sacrificed his life during a previous encounter – a moment that haunted Miles to this day. Yet, there are ways for beloved characters to come back, a fact we all know well at this point. Given Noir’s appearance in the latest round of movies, his reappearance is not surprising – but I won’t complain.
Writing
Spider-Verse #5 was a great addition to this journey, not only because it brought back a brilliant Spider-Man alternate (though there is that). But because it directly connects to the previous conflicts involving the Web of Life and all of the Spider Characters.
More than that, this story allowed us to see Spider-Man Noir again and allowed Miles to verbalize the conflict and guilt he had been carrying with him. All of that made for a surprisingly powerful read – one that seemed to come out of left field.
Christos Cage took up the writing for the fifth issue in this miniseries, and they did a brilliant job weaving (pun intended) so many different elements together. Spider-Man Noir’s reappearance not only fit – it made complete sense. As did the reason for his continued survival.
The choice of antagonists was an interesting one. But it’s also a shockingly well-suited fit. Once again, we’re introduced to a new variant villain, and she’s not somebody I’d want to mess with. Honestly, I would have loved to see more of her battles against Spider-Man Noir had the series focused on them for a longer period of time.
The whole issue was an intense and captivating read, one that is admittedly enhanced by that Noir vibe. Okay, Spider-Man Noir’s penchant for amazing lines didn’t hurt things either. Those moments were pretty epic.
Art
Spider-Verse #5 took full advantage of that Spider-Man Noir vibe. Providing us with striking artwork. The significant absence of color allowed for some limited yet creative use of what there was – a pop of color here and there. It all intentionally draws our eyes to the most important features.
This whole aesthetic is pretty amazing. I’m not the only fan out there who would happily read a whole series about Spider-Man Noir. Especially if he keeps looking and talking like that, Juan Ferreya was the lead artist for this issue, providing both the lines and the colors. This might be my favorite issue of the series (okay, second favorite, that first one was amazing) as far as the artwork is concerned.
VC’s Joe Sabino was the artist in charge of lettering, and it’ll be no surprise to hear that he did a fantastic job, as always. They balanced the thematics of this issue with the practical nature of their craft, and the result is perfect.
Conclusion
Spider-Verse #5 was an intense and highly entertaining read. It may have once again brought back a hero from the dead, but given the results, I’m more than okay with that. By all appearances, Miles’ quest to save the Web of Life is nearly complete. And I, for one, am looking forward to seeing how it’ll all get wrapped up.
This review was originally written for Word of the Nerd, but has been ported over to Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks now that the site has shut down.
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