Spider-Boy Volume 1 – The Web-less Wonder 

Writer – Dan Slott 

Artists – Paco Medina and Ty Templeton 

One Sunday afternoon, I travelled to the Main Branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh in Oakland to peruse the latest books and graphic novels. After seeing Deadpool and Wolverine the day before, I wanted to see what collection of Wolverine comics they had available. I ended up borrowing Wolverine by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller.  The first volume of Spider-Boy was available and I added that to my pile for checkout. I only read Spider-Boy first since it’s a newer release and someone else may request it after me. 

After being restored to the Web of Life, Bailey Briggs is back in New York City as he tries to find a way to get back to the life he had before being erased from existence. After saving a young teen girl named Christina from Mr. Negative’s Inner Demons, her and her family take him into their care. Bailey must learn to balance his regular life and costumed activities as his creator, Madame Monstrosity, tries to find a way to bring him back to her farm, where her other Humanimals reside. 

I read this first volume over two days! I didn’t know what to expect with this collection and as I walked to return this book to the library one day after work, I thought it was a genuinely fun book and a light-hearted romp from start to finish. Spider-Boy’s Rogues Gallery includes an elephant/rhino hybrid named Hellafino, a young influencer named Killionaire, and a squeaky voiced balloon maker named Emilio Helio. I cannot wait to see which new villains Spider-Boy will fight next. 

When I tried to explain who Spider-Boy was to my friends at the TO Comic Book Club, one thought that dawned on me was that the Spider-Man family of titles is starting to get out of control like the Bat-family titles over at DC Comics. Both companies need to try to trim the fat with the number of titles and tie-ins featuring both characters and their extended families. Both Batman and Spider-Man are their top sellers but with so many titles out there, it’s only a matter of time before they face cancellation. Less is more, especially with the price of comics nowadays and the amount of time and attention we can set aside to sit and read these titles in the first place. 

Issues One through Four contain two stories each and I like this format. The main story features Bailey interacting with the Marvel Universe at large as Spider-Boy and the second feature provides more insight about Bailey’s life outside the costume. Some of the stories are inter-connected while others stand alone. Just as we learn more about this long-forgotten character, more questions pop up. One question that remains unanswered (for now) is the whereabouts of Bailey’s mom. Some clues are revealed at the end of Issue Four. I’m not sure if I should pick up the rest of the single issues and get all caught up or wait for the next volume to be released. Decisions, Decisions. 

If you’d like to see the debut of Bailey as Spider-Boy, look no further than Spider-Man – End of the Spiderverse and Spider-Man – Who is Spider-Boy? Check your local library for Spider-Boy Volume 1. It’s available to read instantly on Hoopla. Volume 2 will be released on Tuesday, September 10, 2024.