The Spectacular Spider-Men (2024) #11 review: It's time for whacky hero action

2025 is officially here, and we all know what it means: New exciting Spidey stories are upon us. To kick off the new year, Marvel gave us three Spider-Man-related comic book issues in the form of: Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2022) #28, Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider (2024) #9, and, of course, The Spectacular Spider-Men (2024) #11. The latter sees the dynamic duo battle their way across a very whacky adventure that feels different from anything done in the saga before. But is that enough to make it stand out? Or is it the first miss in the franchise?

Peter, Miles, and Elementary go to a brand-new world

The last time we saw the Spectacular Spider-Men, they were helping the new hero in town, Elementary, master her newfound powers. Issue #11 continues that story but it does so in a little different way. Instead of battling well-known villains such as Electro or the Lizard, the trio of heroes is shrunken down to be judged by Seelie given that Elementary is a human mastering all four elements. You know, the usual whacky comic book story to kick off the year.

The Spectacular Spider-Men (2024) #11 is different from previous entries in the saga or any other ongoing Spidey comic-book run, for that matter. The story it tells might not be for everyone to enjoy given its unique nature and lack of true stakes. But in a time when Peter Parker is literally dying eight times in a row on the main-line series, it feels like a breath of fresh air. Sometimes everything you need to see is a shrunken-down Peter Parker and Miles Morales escape from a snail while a council of faires determine whether they're true heroes with a good heart.

If you're up to date with The Spectacular Spider-Man (2024), you know the run has seen its fair share of illustrators. This time, Von Randal enters the scene with his iconic gothic art. While such a style worked wonders in Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider (2024), it was in part due to the dark nature of that story. After all, readers discover a city flooded with fear gas in Gwen's saga — an event that brings New York citizens' worst nightmares to life. However, The Spectacular Spider-Man has always been a rather optimistic series, meaning this contrast between an uplifting story with gothic art isn't the best match.

Furthermore, the whole Seelie storyline completely interrupts the Electros' arc. Granted, we still get a glimpse of what the two supervillains are up to in The Spectacular Spider-Man (2024) #11, but they're not the main center of attention. That results in a weird pacing for the series as a whole, given that they were the main bads of issue #10 and will be back in #12. When you look at the big picture, it's impossible not to feel like issue #11 feels like a simple filler whose only purpose is to show Elementary has a good heart — something that readers already knew beforehand.

Verdict: A fun, yet flawed entry

The Spectacular Spider-Men (2024) #11 tells a whacky story that might not be for everyone's liking, but one that is undoubtedly fun. It feels like a breath of fresh air compared to previous events in the saga or any other ongoing Spidey comic book run. However, its gothic illustrations don't always blend well with its lighthearted story, and it also interrupts the Electros' current arc. It's easy to see this isn't the best issue in the series, but on the bright side, it doesn't do any harm either.

The Spectacular Spider-Men (2024) #12 will be released on Feb. 05, 2025.