Synopsis: THE SECRETS OF SPACE REVEALED! Spider-Man takes on a challenge of single combat to save his new crew and finds himself between a rock and a GIANT ALIEN BEAST INTENT ON HIS DEATH! Not only does Spider-Man learn aspects of his quest that he didn’t expect, but his companions learn things about Spider-Man that THEY didn’t expect. Witness the first full appearance of a new major character!
The Story
Peter Parker is still off Earth, hurled into space following his confrontation with Hellgate. He now leads a ragtag crew of aliens and other misfits who were abducted and forced into service, including the morally ambiguous scientist Xanto. The terrain is cosmic: Spider-Man must navigate this jury-rigged team, ensure their survival, and uphold his own moral code. A new black-and-yellow “Techarch” suit plays a major role—it begins revealing unexpected capabilities, raising questions of control, identity, and power.
Mid-issue, the story pivots to a gladiatorial-style confrontation: Peter is thrust into single combat against a gigantic alien beast called Betty, part of the cosmic tournament-style stakes his crew is caught in. While fighting, he learns deeper truths about his teammates, and they, in turn, discover more about Spider-Man than they ever expected. The issue underscores that, despite the bizarre setting, Peter’s core values remain unchanged: responsibility, sacrifice, and putting others ahead of himself.
By the end, the emotional weight is clear—Peter still hasn’t returned home and hasn’t fully left his Earth-life behind, yet he is committed to his alien crew. The issue closes strongly on character relationships and the spectacle of space adventure, even if some threads, like Xanto’s redemption, feel slightly rushed.
Artwork
Pepe Larraz does a great job with the art in this issue. I loved the battle between Spider-Man and Betty, the giant alien creature he’s forced to fight. However, the best moment comes when Techarch — the AI lifeform that makes up Spider-Man’s new cosmic suit — reboots itself and becomes an extra opponent for the creature. In a hilarious twist, Techarch actually convinces Betty to quit the fight after pointing out how poor the promoters’ labour laws are. It’s a funny, unexpected moment that fits perfectly with Spider-Man’s offbeat cosmic predicament. Even funnier is the fact that Spidey only got involved in the fight in the first place to help Rocket Raccoon pay off a debt.
Overall
This was a fun chapter that focuses heavily on Spider-Man’s relationships with his new crew, particularly the friendship he’s developed with Rocket Raccoon. Spidey is doing his best to help Rocket in this book, but of course, Rocket being Rocket, he’s not exactly thrilled about it and resists at every opportunity. Their banter is sharp and entertaining, adding plenty of humour to the cosmic setting. Meanwhile, Spider-Man’s continued collaboration with Dr Xanto — as they work on ways for him to build his strength before returning home — becomes a real sticking point for Rocket.
- Covers9.4
- Story9.7
- Artwork10
- Lettering9.4
- Colours10
Slightly off topic, but in KOTOR you would have visited a planet where your character would have had to fight different opponents in an arena in a kind of World War Hulk style setup. Only it was cut from the final game. I wonder if Spidey’s writers got their ideas from that game, ie Spider-Man leading a ragtag bunch of misfits in space and fighting Betty?
Also if Peter gets stronger from his adventures in space maybe he and Ben Reilly will truly be two different people. Ie Peter will have walked a different road by going into space and Ben Reilly can be his own person distinct from Peter.
Lol. It feels like your are living this story vicariously through my reviews heheh. Have you ever thought of trying to submit some comic book scripts to Marvel with some of your ideas. You never know. They may get looked at.
That’s a good idea Ian but I’m not sure how I’d go about that. I know the 2000 AD new writers and artists thing is happening this weekend (but I don’t remember where).
https://2000ad.com/news/art-and-writing-submissions-to-2000-ad/ there you go.