AUTHOR: PETER DAVID | ARTIST: GREG LAND | PUBLISHER: MARVEL COMICS | FORMAT: SINGLE ISSUE | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Spider-Man’s iconic black symbiote suit is most famous for going on to become Venom, and other than its original conception, that tends to be where much of the focus surrounding it lies. Symbiote Spider-Man takes the focus back to before Venom when our hero first adopted the suit himself. This series takes place after the events of the original Secrets Wars arc and fits around the original The Amazing Spider-Man comics from that time. Spider-Man has returned from space with a bold new look, and is now dating the Black Cat, Felicia Hardy, who’s getting to see the Peter Parker side of him. He’s also dropped out of college, much to his Aunt May’s disappointment.

The comic has an interesting take, showing two perspectives – one being the usual perspective of Spider-Man, and the other from the standpoint of a much more humanised version of Mysterio.  The fresh slant does a good job of bringing to life that villain, making the reader much more sympathetic to his story. Rather than the evil genius we’re all used to, Mysterio is painted more as someone who made some mistakes and just wants to go back to being a regular person. It’s his actions, and Spider-Man’s mistaken interpretations of his actions, that make for interesting reading.

That said, not a great deal happens in this first issue, but it does a solid job of setting the scene and managing to cram a lot of character interactions in. The art style is modern and full of detail, and it’s interesting to see this particular era re-imagined with a contemporary aesthetic. Symbiote Spider-Man may be off to a slow start, but it’s certainly a refreshing take on an old character and sets the groundwork for a series rife with potential.