Ultimate Spider-Man #1 is a hit for Marvel Comics. Kid Venom joining the main Marvel Universe. Star-Spider heads to Edge of Spider-Verse. All on Comic Book Club News for January 19, 2024.
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Episode Transcript:
Ultimate Spider-Man is a hit for Marvel.
Kid Venom heading to main Marvel Universe.
Star-Spider hits Edge of Spider-Verse.
This is Comic Book Club News for January 19, 2024.
Ultimate Spider-Man #1 Is A Hit For Marvel:
Seems there’s still life in that old Spider-Man yet. In a remarkable bit of synchronicity that doesn’t seem to be inspired by a press release from Marvel, multiple sources are calling Ultimate Spider-Man #1 the first big, hit comic of 2024.
Specifically, PopVerse touts Covrprice’s Top 10 sales chart, which boasts eight of ten slots taken up by the new issue. That’s because of variant covers, by the way, with Kid Venom, and Echo’s original appearance in Daredevil filling the other two slots. Additionally, according to PopVerse, the main cover showed an aftermarket bump of 340% the week after, meaning collectors certainly feel like there’s something of note here.
Less of note, but the top trafficked article on the Comic Book Club website last week was our preview for Ultimate Spider-Man #1. And chatter on social seemed to be through the roof with anticipation for the title. Presumably, that has something to do with the creative team — Jonathan Hickman on writing, Marco Chechhetto on art — as well as the official kick-off of the new Ultimate Universe line from Marvel.
And — spoilers past this point — plot points like the return of Uncle Ben, Peter Parker being married to Mary Jane with two kids, and more all leaned heavily into geek out/fan moments that cause buzz online and off. Plus, as David Harper mentions over at SKTCHD: the issue was good.
That said, Harper also throws a little cold water on the event, noting that the debut of Ultimate Spider-Man could have been bigger. It certainly didn’t make national news, and while big in comics circles both devoted and lapsed, it doesn’t seem to as of yet leaked through into the mainstream the same way Ultimate Spider-Man did several decades back. Granted, we’re only one issue in, but it’s safe to say this is a big hit for Marvel in 2024. For the comic book industry as a whole? TBD.
Kid Venom Is Joining The Main Marvel Universe:
From one Marvel Universe to another, great news: we’re getting yet another Venom. Mere days after we discussed What If…? Venom, a new miniseries that will introduce Marvel heroes and villains as Venom, we get word that the main, 616 is getting another Venom: Kid Venom, to be precise.
Spinning off of the backup stories in Death of the Venomverse, and his recent one-shot, April will see the debut of the new four-issue miniseries appropriately titled Kid Venom. Written and drawn by Taigami, the series will find Kid Venom heading from his 10th-century Japanese village to the modern-day Marvel Universe, interacting with Spider-Man and other Marvel characters.
Said Taigami via press release: “It is an honor. I was a big fan of the Marvel Universe since I was in school, so this feels unreal that the characters and the stories that I came up with are in that Universe, and I still can’t believe it!”
Kid Venom #1 will goop its way into stores on April 17.
Star-Spider Hits Edge of Spider-Verse:
How about one more Spider-Man-related reality to round out today’s podcast? In Edge of Spider-Verse #3, Marvel will introduce a new character named Star-Spider, written by Justina Ireland with art Pete Woods.
Said Ireland via press release: “Getting to work on anything Spider-Verse is awesome and getting the chance to create a new Spider is bananapants awesome. Star-Spider is an homage to everything I loved as a kid: sci-fi, awkward characters, and super heroes! She’s smart and silly and a bit out of her depth, but also tenacious and I hope everyone loves her as much as I do.”
The new character will fly through space on a Silk spaceship, and traverse alien landscapes. Sounds fun! The issue hits stores on April 11.
For Comic Book Club News, I’m Alex Zalben. And this podcast does whatever a spider can! Which is podcast. That’s one of the things spiders can do.
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