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Spider-Man Noir #1 doesn’t swing; it slouches into the 1930s New York gloom. Peter Parker has ditched the spandex for a fedora and trench coat, transforming into a hardboiled private eye by day and a gun-toting vigilante by night. Writer Erik Larsen and artist Andrea Broccardo reintroduce this version of Spider-Man to his classic noir setup, subjecting his “great responsibility” to a gritty, smoke-filled stress test.

The story wastes no time establishing Peter Parker’s grim reality in 1939. Being a world-famous costumed crime-buster with the proportionate strength of a spider sounds fun enough, but Peter admits his life isn’t all peaches and cream. He’s reeling from a string of bad luck: losing his apartment due to late rent, a near-eviction notice on his office, Aunt May’s declining health, and a painful breakup with Mary Jane. To make matters worse, he’s barely scraped up enough cash to appease his landlady, Mrs. Wong, who is tired of his rent excuses.

Peter Parker’s life as a private eye gets a major shake-up when the gorgeous Gwen Stacy strolls in, hiring him to find her dad’s killer. Her father, Captain George Stacy, was found in the East River, shot and drowned. Gwen is convinced the cops are crooked and might even be behind the murder, as her dad warned her not to trust them. Peter takes the case, grabbing a much-needed retainer, and promises to find the killer.

Things immediately get messy. Peter finds out that Captain Stacy was secretly mixed up with an old gang, the very crew Spider-Man recently fought while they were ripping off a gem shipment and murdering dockworkers. The real bombshell? The killer might be Spider-Man himself!

The art team of Andrea Broccardo, Rachelle Rosenberg, and VC’s Joe Sabino masterfully establishes the book’s noir tone, although it leans into a modern aesthetic. Broccardo’s gritty, kinetic line work is perfect for the action sequences. Spider-Man’s initial fight against the Scorpion Gang is a chaotic, bullet-riddled ballet, captured by the many intense BLAM sound effects lettered in bold, dramatic style by Sabino.

Rachelle Rosenberg’s colors are subdued and moody, shifting to fiery oranges and yellows during the dockside gunfight, emphasizing the danger and heat of the moment. However, the book shines brightest when the colors invoke the distinct style of classic noir film, contrasting the bright, hopeful palette of Gwendolyn Stacy’s ruby-red dress and blonde hair with the darkness of Peter’s life and office. The lighting is heavy on shadows, especially when Peter revisits the morgue as Spider-Man, creating a palpable sense of secrecy and danger.

This issue really nails Peter Parker’s internal monologue, creating a fantastic mix of cynical inner thoughts and his trademark Spider-Man humor. He’s constantly letting us know that even though he saves the world, life is still tough. This version of Spider-Man feels so real because he’s grounded in the universe’s harsh economic reality, stressing about things like the World’s Fair while also trying to fit in a movie date with Aunt May, who, as always, is ready with a bit of unsolicited crime-fighting advice.

This issue is also surprisingly funny. Larsen has a great voice for Peter, and I found myself laughing repeatedly while reading this issue. Now, I’m not super familiar with Spider-Man Noir, so I wasn’t expecting him to be the quipping type, but it works well here. With the new live-action Spider-Man Noir series coming, this is a great time to hop on the noir train.

Spider-Man Noir #1 is not too deep, but it does have some poignant meta-commentary that speaks to both the ’30s and our current times, along with a great mystery and fantastic character moments all around.

It’s an engaging, hilarious debut that perfectly blends the familiar drama of Peter Parker with the shadows and secrets of the detective genre. If you love your Spider-Man a little hard-boiled, you should definitely consider picking this one up!

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Spider-Man Noir #1 doesn’t swing; it slouches into the 1930s New York gloom. Peter Parker has ditched the spandex for a fedora and trench coat, transforming into a hardboiled private eye by day and a gun-toting vigilante by night. Writer Erik Larsen and artist Andrea Broccardo reintroduce this version of Spider-Man to his classic noir setup, subjecting his “great responsibility” to a gritty, smoke-filled stress test.

The story wastes no time establishing Peter Parker’s grim reality in 1939. Being a world-famous costumed crime-buster with the proportionate strength of a spider sounds fun enough, but Peter admits his life isn’t all peaches and cream. He’s reeling from a string of bad luck: losing his apartment due to late rent, a near-eviction notice on his office, Aunt May’s declining health, and a painful breakup with Mary Jane. To make matters worse, he’s barely scraped up enough cash to appease his landlady, Mrs. Wong, who is tired of his rent excuses.

Peter Parker’s life as a private eye gets a major shake-up when the gorgeous Gwen Stacy strolls in, hiring him to find her dad’s killer. Her father, Captain George Stacy, was found in the East River, shot and drowned. Gwen is convinced the cops are crooked and might even be behind the murder, as her dad warned her not to trust them. Peter takes the case, grabbing a much-needed retainer, and promises to find the killer.

Things immediately get messy. Peter finds out that Captain Stacy was secretly mixed up with an old gang, the very crew Spider-Man recently fought while they were ripping off a gem shipment and murdering dockworkers. The real bombshell? The killer might be Spider-Man himself!

The art team of Andrea Broccardo, Rachelle Rosenberg, and VC’s Joe Sabino masterfully establishes the book’s noir tone, although it leans into a modern aesthetic. Broccardo’s gritty, kinetic line work is perfect for the action sequences. Spider-Man’s initial fight against the Scorpion Gang is a chaotic, bullet-riddled ballet, captured by the many intense BLAM sound effects lettered in bold, dramatic style by Sabino.

Rachelle Rosenberg’s colors are subdued and moody, shifting to fiery oranges and yellows during the dockside gunfight, emphasizing the danger and heat of the moment. However, the book shines brightest when the colors invoke the distinct style of classic noir film, contrasting the bright, hopeful palette of Gwendolyn Stacy’s ruby-red dress and blonde hair with the darkness of Peter’s life and office. The lighting is heavy on shadows, especially when Peter revisits the morgue as Spider-Man, creating a palpable sense of secrecy and danger.

This issue really nails Peter Parker’s internal monologue, creating a fantastic mix of cynical inner thoughts and his trademark Spider-Man humor. He’s constantly letting us know that even though he saves the world, life is still tough. This version of Spider-Man feels so real because he’s grounded in the universe’s harsh economic reality, stressing about things like the World’s Fair while also trying to fit in a movie date with Aunt May, who, as always, is ready with a bit of unsolicited crime-fighting advice.

This issue is also surprisingly funny. Larsen has a great voice for Peter, and I found myself laughing repeatedly while reading this issue. Now, I’m not super familiar with Spider-Man Noir, so I wasn’t expecting him to be the quipping type, but it works well here. With the new live-action Spider-Man Noir series coming, this is a great time to hop on the noir train.

Spider-Man Noir #1 is not too deep, but it does have some poignant meta-commentary that speaks to both the ’30s and our current times, along with a great mystery and fantastic character moments all around.

It’s an engaging, hilarious debut that perfectly blends the familiar drama of Peter Parker with the shadows and secrets of the detective genre. If you love your Spider-Man a little hard-boiled, you should definitely consider picking this one up!