Comic Review: Uncanny Spider-Man #1

September 21, 2023

by Christal Kennedy, Reporter

Official Description:
THE NIGHTCRAWLING WALL-CRAWLER! On the darkest of days, he is the spark in the shadows! After the devastating events of the Hellfire Gala, Kurt Wagner is on the run – and having the time of his life?! Swashbuckling about NYC in disguise, the Uncanny Wallcrawler sets aside his mutant angst and dedicates himself to the hero’s life: saving civilians, hanging with fellow wallcrawlers, battling baddies, and hunting down the best pizza on the planet. But he can’t ignore the mutant plight forever… Si Spurrier and Lee Garbett launch a joyful, sexy series that will shake Nightcrawler to his foundations – and have a hell of a good time doing it!

Creative Team:
Writer – Si Spurrier
Artists – Lee Garbett
Colorist – Matt Milla
Lettering – VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover Art – Tony Daniel & Sonia Oback
Variant Covers – Dave Wachter, Lee Garbett, Sam De La Rosa, Israel Silva & Skottie Young

Who’s that swinging through NYC? Why it’s our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man…or is it? Seems like we have a new Spidey in town, one that has pointy ears and a devil tail. Hmmm…that doesn’t sound like any Spider-Man I know, but that does describe another wall crawler. Nightcrawler has thus far survived being hunted down by the Sentinels. Hiding in plain site as one of the web-slingers with the help of the real Spider-Man, Kurt is trying to stay alive, clear his name and help as many people as he can.

Nightcrawler has a close encounter with a Sentinel but eludes capture as his mutant gene is undetected. Why and how long will Kurt be able to continue slinging under the radar? Will his need to continue to help humanity be what gets him caught? Especially when a daring rescue leads to a surprise that Kurt never saw coming.

Spurrier and Garbett have knocked it out of the park. The Fall of X story arc has already given us whiplash with all the plot twists and interwoven storylines and these guys have just added one more dynamic character to the mix. Nightcrawler is one of my favorite X-Men and I am loving this collab with him under the guise of Spider-Man. It is such a clever way to keep another mutant on Earth fighting for their race after the events of Hellfire Gala. I cannot wait to see what else Spurrier has in store for wall crawler and I am eager to see how all these story lines fall together to determine the fate of our heroes.

Rating:
ComicsOnline gives Uncanny Spider-Man #1 – 4 out of 5 web slingers.