Review by Ian Keogh

Spider-Verse established Peter Parker and Miles Morales were far from the only Spider-Men, who in fact came in all varieties across the multiverse. They’ve been united several times, and Spider-Society spins out of short chapters featured in Edge of Spider-Verse: Spider-Society. Araña has brought people together in the absence of Madame Web.

This is the first multiversal Spider-Person team-up without the involvement of Dan Slott, and unfortunately it shows. Alex Segura’s plot isn’t as imaginative and in essence repeats what’s previously happened because the threat is an all-powerful organisation stretching across the multiverse dedicated to wiping out Spider-Man alternates. Substituting for the Inheritors is the Sinister Squadron, alternate versions of the regular Spider-Man’s enemies, many of whom have familiar identities, a trick Segura plays too often.

The Spider-Versers isn’t without notable moments, nice use of Weapon VIII being one, and Araña’s use is strong throughout, but there’s not the overall inspiration and beyond an initial betrayal a general lack of surprises.

Perhaps, then, the art might add the missing shine. Allowing for the lack of backgrounds Scott Godlewski draws the people attractively over the long first chapter, but by the second there’s fraying around the edges. We then have pages nicely drawn by Andrès Genolet and a whole chapter from Ruari Coleman who loves a close-up, but given the artistic changes may well be working in a rush. Why is it that so many superhero stories over four chapters require multiple artists? Godlewski is back for the finale, but for a lot of the time you’d not know as over a dozen characters are running about the place and there’s no individuality.

All in all, disappointing.