written by Cody Ziglar
drawn by Michael Dowling
colored by Jesus Aburtov
And just like that, three months into the new, "Beyond" status quo, Marvel has amassed six issues, enough to fill a decent-sized trade paperback (though one wonders if they might go for eight, instead).
For the first time since Nick Spencer's meandering slog "The Hunted" Kraven the Hunter briefly returns to Spider-Man's life, even though it's a different Spider-Man he's facing this time, and again, Ben Reilly finds both himself and the resources of the Beyond Corporation put to the test as he has to contend not just with the murderous hunter but with the potent hallucinogens he unleashes upon Ben.
I have to say, six issues in, that this particular approach to storytelling appears to be working pretty well. These stories have been pretty well-curated, and quite notably, I am happy to see that even though there have been three different artists in as many months working on this title, there is a remarkable consistency to the aesthtic that's being employed here. Relative newcomer Michael Dowling employs an art style which is notably consistent with those of both Sara Pichelli and Patrick Gleason, even as it retains its own distinct identity. That, and the fact that TV writer Cody Ziglar turns in another solid, complete mini-story, makes this an enjoyable read which ends on a cliffhanger showing Beyond planning its next move.
I wasn't particularly thrilled to see Kraven against so soon after Nick Spencer's messy "Kraven's Last Hunt" sequel, but seeing Dowling render Ben Reilly's trippy hallucinations was a visual treat reminiscent of the work of Bill Sienkiewicz and so, if nothing else, this two-issue mini story was quite pretty to look at. I also found Jesus Aburtov's color palette to be particularly vibrant as well, so even though Cody Ziglar story basically had the character treading water as we move ever closer to finding out what the Beyond Corporation is really up to, it was still worth checking out.
At this point it's worth pointing out that "Nextwave" was already halfway through its overarching narrative six issues in, given how wonderfully packed full of content each issue was. In contrast, Spider-Man's Beyond era has given up precious little. Apart from seeing Reilly fight a new villain every other issue, and the occasional glimpse at the malevolence of Maxine Danger, we're not getting nearly as much as readers of "Nextwave" had at this point in that book's life cycle. I'm guessing that Marvel plans to stretch this particular story out to far longer than just twelve issues, but I'm still hoping for meatier stories than what I've been getting so far.
I've genuinely enjoyed these past six issues, but I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't getting impatient for something bigger to happen to Ben Reilly and even Peter Parker.
7.5/10
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