Sinister War #1
- WRITER
- Nick Spencer
- Artist
- Andrew Hennessy, Andy Owens, Mark Bagley, John Dell
- Letterer
- VC's Joe Caramagna
- Cover Artist
- Paul Mounts, Bryan Hitch
- Publisher
- Marvel Comics
- Price
- 4.99
- Release Date
- 2021-07-14
- Colorist
- Brian Reber
In Nick Spencer and Federico Vicentini's Amazing Spider-Man #70, several nefarious characters gathered together, motivated by the mysterious Kindred and their hatred of Spider-Man. Now, in Sinister War #1 by Nick Spencer, Mark Bagley, Andrew Hennessy, John Dell, Andy Owens, Brian Reber and Joe Caramagna -- heroes and villains clash in a fairly predictable battle that struggles to balance its many moving parts and villains.
Sinister War #1 finds Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson attending the premiere of her movie. The duo walk the red carpet as Peter reflects on how happy he is to see M.J finally receive the recognition she deserves. Sadly, Vulture's team of villains, the Savage Six, burst through the screen before the film starts to attack Mysterio, the reformed villain turned film director. Then, Doctor Octopus's team, the Sinister Six, adds to the chaos looking to recruit Mysterio. The villains square off while Spider-Man tries to put a stop to the mayhem.
If its debut issue is any indication of what's to come, it's difficult to understand why Sinister War merits its own line. Its story could have easily been a continuation of Spencer's Amazing Spider-Man. Spencer does an excellent job of exploring Peter's inner life. The hero's interior monologue is funny and insightful and represents Spencer's keen eye for detail, which clashes with the ham-fisted nature of the rest of Sinister War #1. Spencer briefly explores the Vulture and his cohorts' motives for crashing the premier, but the Sinister Six's appearance seems arbitrary. If they're trying to recruit Mysterio, interrupting his film seems like a bad strategy.
The lack of exposition in Sinister War #1 leads to a nebulous and unsatisfying climax. Spencer manages to end things on a bit of a cliff-hanger, but the stakes remain fairly ambiguous. At a certain point, this issue feels more like a long fight scene rather than a story. Readers who are up to date with Spencer's Amazing Spider-Man will be able to make sense of this issue without too much difficulty, but new readers are likely to be lost in the chaos.
Penciller Mark Bagley and inkers Andrew Hennessy, John Dell and Andy Owens do their best to juggle the twelve villains, Spider-Man and a sea of movie-goers. There are some thrilling moments, but the crowded page leaves little room for choreography. There is a fairly engaging skirmish between Spider-Man and Tarantula, which demonstrates Bagley's talents, but it's quickly interrupted by the larger battle -- much of which is well-drawn but hard to follow.
Sinister War #1 reads like a competent but crowded extension of Spencer's Amazing Spider-Man series. The creative team gathers some of Spider-Man's most compelling adversaries but fails to give them enough room to shine on their own or as a team. Rather than rooting for one group of villains, audiences find themselves hoping for a time-out in the fighting so that they can make sense of things. As Kindred's role becomes more clear, the series may become more exciting, but the series' first issue struggles to connect all of its moving pieces.