Beyond evoking the MCU with its title, Spider-Man: Long Way Home is misleadingly labeled. Despite being the title character, Peter Parker is barely in the book! Looking past these issues, however, it becomes an amazing comic that offers a perfect introduction to the world of Marvel Comics for newcomers and movie-goers.
The action centers around US Marine Frank Castle, nicknamed Punisher. Castle is part of an elite squad dispatched to raid an Advanced Idea Mechanics (AIM) base in search of “the device.” Unfortunately, the terrorist group HYDRA is conducting their own raid as he arrives.
Things become complicated almost immediately. “The Device” turns out to be a reality-altering object called the Cosmic Cube, and the Incredible Hulk shows up looking for the Cube. All of this is explained to Spider-Man, who is brought in by SHIELD to investigate the aftermath.
None of this fits the early history of the main Marvel Universe or the MCU. The Hulk is not publicly known as this story opens, Frank Castle didn’t start using The Punisher name until after the death of his family, and SHIELD does not routinely pull in Spider-Man to consult on superpowered weirdness.
Continuity wonks will have a bad time trying to make this story fit any established timeline. However, the actual content of the comic is as enjoyable as it is accessible. Accordingly, this makes Long Way Home an ideal starter comic for those who only know these characters from their variants in the MCU.
Spider-Man: Long Way Home is a friendly first comic
Writer Robert Kirkman has proven that he knows Marvel characters forwards and backwards. Long Way Home distills the characters down to their core, with no need to know their history. Punisher is the eternal soldier, fighting to avenge his fallen team, Hulk is the noble-hearted monster seeking a cure for his condition, and Spider-Man is the eternally put-upon hero, pressed to do the right thing even when he’d rather not get involved.
Artist Adam Kubert presents a similarly classic take on the three main heroes visually. Kubert is rightly recognized as one of the best artists in the business and his work here shows why. The panel flow of this issue is stupendous, with alternating splashes and grids that subtly steer the story. As a result, Long Way Home is never dull to look at, even in the rare static scenes of people talking. By the same token, colorist Arthur Hesli and letterer Ariana Maher vary their own contributions to maintain that constant visual interest.
The only real flaw to Spider-Man: Long Way Home is its deceptive title. This can be forgiven, however, given everything else makes it the perfect comic to offer anyone interested in reading more comics after seeing Brand New Day. And with legends like Kirkman and Kubert on deck, longtime fans will love it too.
Grade: 9/10
Spider-Man: Long Way Home #1 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
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