#spider versity

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Todd Nauck - Spider-Versity

[wordishismart9]

Ahem, the X-Men don't kiss enough, Spider-Boy

Amazing Spider-Man: Spider-Versity (2026) #1

[heckcareoxytwit]

The Young Spiders (consisting of Miles Morales, Bailey Briggs, Maka Akana, Anya Corazon, Silk and Spider-Gwen) are in the hall of the Empire State University, waiting for the training session with Norman Osborn. Miles Morales is giving a speech when he notices Bailey Briggs and Maka Akana are slacking off with their poses and gestures much to his chagrin. Most of the Young Spiders question Miles' insistence that they need to train together more, with Gwen in particular bringing up how they all punch way above their weight class on a regular basis. Miles does acknowledge her point, but brings up how their recent pyrrhic victory against the Goblin Slayers is reason enough that they can't afford to get complacent. While everyone are talking, they get attacked by Norman Osborn who is seemingly acting like Green Goblin. The Young Spiders try to fend off but Osborn was too prepared for them. It seems that a lot of Osborn's tactics against the Spiders exploit how naturally chaotic they are when coordinating as a team. While he did need specialized equipment to specifically deal with Miles, Anya, and Maka, Osborn was able to take down the others by simply pointing out their own flaws such as Gwen's impulsiveness, Silk's childishness (despite being Peter's age range) and Bailey's passiveness born from Peter forbidding him from ever fighting villains out of his league. Even in Anya's case, his contingency essentially hinged on whether or not Anya was slacking on her sorcery skills.

Then, Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew) crashes in and knocks down Osborn with her motorcycle. Spider-Woman is fiercely protective of the Young Spiders as she believed that Norman had gone back to his Green Goblin shenanigans so she beats him up until the rest of the Spiders explain that his attacks was just a part of a training exercise and plead for her to stop. It turns out that this training exercise was to prepare the Young Spiders for any ambush attacks and do more teamwork. Even though Miles, Gwen, Anya, Cindy, Bailey and Maka are all technically Peter Parker's legacies, he barely did enough job to actually prepare them as vigilantes or teach them how to coordinate as a team. This is especially poignant in regards to Miles, as Osborn singles out his flaws as the direct result of being Peter's actual protege.

Amazing Spider-Man: Spider-Versity #1, 2026

[comicgeekscomicgeek]

Well, they’re not wrong.

(Who’s not wrong? Yes.)

[northernkingoffrogs]

Spider-Versity #2

I’m delighted to see more Norman-led content; however, my main complaint so far is that Jess's constant undermining of Norman is both tedious and annoying. I understand that she doesn’t trust him and wants to "keep the kids safe," but neither she nor Peter has adequately prepared the other Spiders for tougher foes. 

Alt: A panel from Spider-versity #2, Peter once again saying they should trust Norman

Many of Peter's pieces of advice are actively detrimental to the Spiders. Peter Parker is a terrible teammate and an even worse teacher. His loner attitude and fear of anyone getting hurt, while he puts himself in harm’s way, make him a liability. This fear has even extended to the children. 

Regardless of their thoughts on child superheroes, if children are going to fight crime, they need to be prepared. Simple, non-lethal exercises that promise no harm won't suffice when facing opponents like Carnage, who would kill anyone without hesitation, even children. I agree with Norman that they need to learn to fight in tough situations. He prepared them over a few weeks—having them memorize flashcards with counterattacks and what to do in specific situations—so it’s not like he’s just throwing them into the deep end. They were given background information before facing spider-slayer bots. The bots were the application of the knowledge, like reading a training manual before practicing. Plus, let's face it, the younger spiders aren't taking any of this seriously, which is a problem if you're risking your life.

Alt: Three panels from Spider-Versity #2 Norman's using a spider-slayer bot with vulture powers to train Bailey Briggs. The other spiders and Jess express doubt and believe Bailey cannot defeat the bot.

Jess is clearly undermining Norman and sowing doubt, which complicates instruction. I get that she’s nervous, but her presence is causing problems. I’ve experienced this before while instructing a class. It’s awful to have someone publicly undermine you, especially when they lack the expertise themselves; it only frustrates those trying to learn. It also makes people doubt your expertise and, honestly, makes it so much harder to accomplish the task at hand. You can disagree privately later, but if you constantly fight in front of the students, the only outcome is doubt. 

Alt Text: Jess and Norman at a nearby bar, Jess once again telling Norman she disagrees with his teaching style and making threats toward him Alt Text: Jess and Norman hand their phones over to the Bartender, meanwhile the spider-slayer bots are wrecking havoc nearby on the university campus where the younger spiders are located

In my opinion, Norman going behind her back is justified. I would have done the same, given that all the Spiders agreed to train with him. Miles and Norman discussed it, and all the Spiders consented to being trained. If they weren’t constantly undermining him, perhaps he wouldn’t need to resort to subterfuge. It shouldn't be a surprise when he says, “I’m trying to help so the incident at Oscorp doesn’t happen again,” especially since they all almost died there. No one wants more dead civilians or extensive property damage.

Alt Text: Turns out Norman was testing the younger spiders with the spider-slayer bots, he hired Overdrive to test the kids without Jess's interference.

I’m sure some people will disagree with me. I acknowledge my bias—I’m a Norman Osborn fan. But honestly, he’s trying to be better, trying to help, and learning. Once again, Peter trusts him. Yet, as is often the case, whether in fiction or reality, no one seems to want to see a villain redeemed.

Overall, I like Spider-Verity, Norman's redemption arc, and seeing him try to grow and change. It may not be popular, but it's fun, fresh, and interesting. Plus Norman is my special blorbo, so let me enjoy things <3 

[chucksnerdthoughts]

The Amazing Spider-Man Spider-Versity #1

That was a good, fun read! I'm really excited for more Silk. I've missed her. Plus it's nice to see Ana and Spider-Girl/Boy. I figured the whole fight thing was just a training exercise. But it was still enjoyable to read. I figure that's how the whole thing will go. Like, more or less predictable, but a fun read. I can get behind that! And who doesn't love seeing more Jess!

-Chuck

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Rickie Yagawa - Spider-Versity

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Simone Bianchi - Spider-Versity