The Spectacular Spider-Men (2024) #9 review: a new hero enters the scene

Dealing with the fallout of a big catastrophic event in superhero tales has been something I always enjoy seeing. Most of the time, these huge battles take place in the Marvel Universe and their ramifications are rarely explored. That's why The Spectacular Spider-Men (2024) #8 was such an amazing issue, as it saw Peter and Miles saving the day through therapy sessions with all those affected by the Arcadium. Yes, it's a very different tactic than suiting up and punching bad guys right in the face. However, as simple as said group therapy may seem, it brought a lot of conversations and "human moments" that elevated the saga to another level.

With that in mind, issue #8 was always going to be a hard act to follow. So we have to ask the question: did the newly released issue #9 manage to achieve the impossible and improve upon its predecessor? Well, that's what we'll find out! But before we begin it's important to note there will be spoilers ahead. So if you don't want any surprises ruined make sure to bookmark this page and return once you are up to date. Ready? Great, then let's quick things off.

The Spider-Men deal with a new situation; mentorship

Somehow, for as random as it may seem, Juliet Marcos developed superpowers after surviving the Arcadium. It's also explained she's not a robot, a Mutant, or an Inhuman, so readers are left with this huge mystery that comes quite literally out of nowhere (even if it's hinted magic is involved). While it would've been great to get a little bit of build-up to Juliet's story, its ramifications are very interesting as both Spider-Men now have to teach the new superhero in town how to use her powers... except it's not necessarily them who end up doing the teaching.

Most of the fun in Spectacular Spider-Men (2024) #9 comes courtesy of its guest characters. Vivian Vision, Kamala Khan, Hydro-Man, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm all show up ever so briefly in an attempt to discover what happened to Juliet and teach her how to control her powers. It was a nice explanation as to why we get to see many familiar Marvel faces that are normally disconnected from the overarching story. Besides, Khamala's appearance allows for Miles' arc to be followed after the events of the Arcadium, even if it was just for one short panel. However, the presence of these heroes also meant the spectacular duo of Spider-Men did not have much to do.

Peter and Miles' roles were relegated mostly to calling other heroes and asking them for help, which is unfortunate considering how pivotal they were to helping the survivors of the Arcadium deal with their lost lives. Besides, the best moment in the series comes when our two protagonists bounce off each other's dialogues - which didn't happen too much here. Even then, it's nice to see both Spider-Men are always willing to help others; whether it is by fighting bad guys, expressing their feelings in group therapy sessions, or attempting to teach another hero how to use her powers. It allows for a fun and even heartfelt series that keeps acting as a nice contrast to the events of The Amazing Spider-Man.

Last, but not least, we also see the setup for an upcoming Electro face-off in the next issue. While that conflict feels a bit disconnected from the main narrative at the moment, it's just a matter of time before it collides with the story of our two Spider-Men. When that happens, Jules' first "superhero class" could see her confront two well-known (and powerful) supervillains, allowing for a very high-stakes and interesting scenario which is always nice to see.

Verdict: an entertaining, yet flawed entry in the saga

If I had to describe the Spectacular Spider-Men (2024) series with one word, it would be "fun". So it's nice to see issue #9 followed that same pattern courtesy of guest appearances by other big Marvel heroes. Granted, that came at the cost of Miles and Peter not having much to do this time around other than asking other characters for help. Furthermore, the conflict between the two Electros is completely disconnected from the main story, which can make it distracting. However, the pieces are now set for the next entry in the saga to deliver on the frenetic action we've seen before with the two wall crawlers (and a brand new hero) front and center.

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