Tuesday, July 30, 2024

Feels like this should be "Spider-Man 2099 Forever."

Hey,  a recent comic! From 2024, Symbiote Spider-Man 2099 #1, written by Peter David, art by Rogê Antônio.
I had been behind on reading these, and just sat down to read like the last 10 Spidey 2099 issues the other day: the Miguel O'Hara: Spider-Man 2099 run is five issues, single-issue stories introducing new 2099 characters. (Or re-introducing characters in the 2099 setting, like Dracula and Terror, Inc.) Then, Peter David's Symbiote series, which picks up from 1996's Spider-Man 2099 #43, which was David's last unaltered issue of the original series. Get your back issues if you need to catch up! And while Antônio does a good job, it's a shame original artist Rick Leonardi couldn't come back at least for the opener, which recreates a scene from Spider-Man 2099 #1 and Spider-Man 2099 Meets Spider-Man, as a group of joyriding teens this time run into Venom 2099! It goes worse for them than usual; and this really isn't even "Venom 2099" as much as a venomized Sub-Mariner 2099, Roman. Miguel tricks him into riding a Public Eye skycycle, which explodes without its authorized rider; then returning to the Atlanteans, Roman casts the symbiote out. 

Back at Alchemax, which Miguel currently had control of, he gets the bad news that his half-brother, Kron Stone, had escaped from an ambulance; which Miguel put him in after a stout beating. A bloodied and swollen Kron returns to his apartment, while Miguel has a stern talk with a Dr. Hibby, who had been running a Super-Soldier program, with symbiotes. Which had spawned, for good measure. Miguel orders him to destroy the symbiote, then asks his holographic assistant Lyra to check on that:
Miguel suits up, to see if Dr. Hibby would maybe take Spider-Man's advice, but he sics the symbiote on him. The symbiote seems to find S-M more interesting, though. Meanwhile, a pouting Kron wonders how wimpy Miguel kicked the crap out of him, but is advised not to worry, he'll be dead in a few, courtesy of Punisher 2099! Who is so thrilled to have another chance to kill Kron, that he talks more than he probably did in much of his series; but is momentarily distracted when Kron's shower has "plumbing problems." Namely, the symbiote returning to Kron! Punisher is outclassed, and intends to get Spidey 2099 for help, but is instead murdered by the real Venom 2099. (This would be another break with previous 2099 continuity, as I'm pretty sure Jake Gallows gets got in Punisher 2099 #34? Or 2099 A.D. Apocalypse #1.) Venom then gets blown up by the Punisher's skycycle; it's a common safety feature! Meanwhile, back at Alchemax, the other symbiote has bonded with Miguel, which arguably would make him Carnage 2099, but I don't think we're going there.

If you like David's stuff previously, you'll dig this. Also, another 2099 character makes an appearance later in the run; and David maybe plants seeds for a later storyline, or continuing one from 1996: shades of the Hobgoblin, but the reveal of Green Goblin 2099's identity wasn't what he had planned, and he was maybe steering back to it. 

1 comment:

Mr. Morbid said...

I’m sure it’s either a case of time-travel shenanigans or David not having read Savage Avengers, because Jake was not only alive, but helped the team defeat Ultron before resuming his personal mission in life.