Review: Spider-Verse #4 (Secret Wars)

Posted on August 24, 2015 by Nina Perez in Spider-Verse // 1 Comment

Previously in Spider-Verse #3 (Secret Wars)

I had high hopes for this tie-in when Secret Wars began. It hadn’t really lived up to the intrigue presented in the first issue… until now.

Spider-Gwen told the other Spiders + Norman to kick rocks. At the cemetery, she encounters Peter Parker, who everyone believes is dead. He is powerless, a husband, and a father, and out of the superhero game until “the Peter in the coat and black mask” found him. Venom interrupts their little chat and Gwen has to take him on and protect Peter at the same time.

Meanwhile, Spider-Ham convinces Anya to hit up the Ozcorp buffet seeing as how they’re the only two not contributing to all of the scientific talk surrounding the mysterious web of dimensions. While they eat, he mentions Norman sitting in a throne-like chair, wearing a crown, and yelling about storming the gates of heaven. Of course, this is something Anya needs to see for herself.

Gwen relies on her experience defeating Carnage to take care of Venom - and her experience being a member of a kickass rock band. Then she devises a plan to lure Norman to them and it involves Peter sending him a video message that they need to talk. It works, and Norman leaves with his crew of villains.

Spider-Ham takes that opportunity to show Anya and the others this “Ceasars Palace” chair - it’s a chair with a headpiece (Kind of like Professor X’s Cerebro) that is linked to the power created by the web. Norman thinks he’ll be able to use it to see Doom’s true face and grind it under his feet. O-KAY.

And you know who tends to show up in Battleworld when people start badmouthing Doom? That’s right. A Thor.

Overall Thoughts:

This issue was a much-needed jolt of energy for the series. Not only are Norman’s motives becoming clearer, it finally has some connection to Battleworld. The idea that the Spiders were able to have memories of their prior lives in their “real” worlds is what drew me to the series. As we get closer to the end of Secret Wars, I’m anxious to see how this plays a role in Doom’s undoing or whatever comes out the other side.
Spider-Ham and Anya were a definite highlight in this issue. While Spider-Ham is always a riot, it was nice to see a bit more of Anya’s personality and that she’s smart too - even if she’s not a giant science nerd like the others.
Okay, Peter using Snapchat to contact Norman was simply brilliant.