Marvel comic books are published every Wednesday, giving fans a constantly growing variety of stories to choose from. Which new comic books should you invest in this week?
New Marvel comic books worth mentioning that won’t be explored in-depth here include Marvel’s Voices: Legends #1, Wolverine #42, and Avengers Inc. #5. This week’s breakdown will focus on The Incredible Hulk and several characters from Peter Parker’s corner of the universe, specifically Spider-Boy, Carnage, and Spider-Man 2099. The Marvel Universe is going all-in with body horror in the Hulk and Carnage comics, which feature some truly disturbing panels.
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Spider-Boy is a new character in the webhead’s universe. The so-called “Webless Wonder” was allegedly Spider-Man’s sidekick for a time before his very existence was wiped from reality and the memories of those he knew.
Spider-boy #3 is the next chapter in this sidekick’s saga, and Miguel O’Hara: Spider-Man 2099 #5 features Miguel going head-to-head with the Man-Thing of the future. Spidey fans will want to keep an eye out for both. Without further ado, let’s get up to speed on these 4 fantastic new issues published by Marvel Comics on Jan. 31, 2024.
Marvel’s Spider-Boy #3
DISASSEMBLY REQUIRED! The richest jerk on the planet now owns the deadliest fighting machine of all time! How can Spider-Boy even hope to stop…the Toy Soldier?! Watch out, kid! This one-of-a-kind collectible can KILL! Also…the Webless Wonder teams up with Thor, Son of Odin, as a creature from Asgard threatens Bailey Briggs’ friendly neighborhood.
Spider-Boy may have been wipewd from the Web of Destiny before, but he is back in action and ready to prove himself as Peter Parker’s sidekick. Bailey Briggs is a young teenager who was subjected to horrible scientific experiments by “Madame Monstrosity”. She merged his DNA with that of a Spider, effectively giving him Peter Parker’s powers in the process. One unfortunate drawback of his mutation his that he sometimes appears with multiple eyes and a scary, spider-like face. He also lacks webslingers. But otherwise, he is just like Pete.
Well, maybe not when it comes to jokes or villains in his rogues gallery. In the first issues of Spider-Boy, Bailey Briggs fought another human-animal hybrid called “Helefino”. The poor soul is a cross between a human, an elephant and a rhino. Spidey and Spidey-boy (?) team up and fight another villain, one who has an indestructible bowling ball for a head. His name? Gutterball. His helmet is, as Bailey describes it, “indestruct-o-ball”. Bad puns and wordplay are half of Spider-Boy’s adventures, but they aren’t the whole thing. Spider-Man goes to the Daily Bugle for running this youth’s name through the mud, and Bailey works with Captain America in a surprisingly great and heartfelt team-up. Learn more about Bailey’s secret history and watch him work with Thor in the newly available Spider-Boy #3.
Miguel O’Hara: Spider-Man 2099 #5
BEWARE—REBIRTH OF THE MAN-THING! SPIDER-MAN must find a way to save the lives (and data) of the people of NUEVA YORK from the touch of MAN-THING 2099! What does this new shambling monstrosity mean for the future of Nueva York? Also featuring the return of THE SPECIALIST!
Miguel O’Hara is Spider-Man 2099, a web-slinging hero of the future. He works in Nueva York, the digitized, corporatized, militarized dystopian version of New York in this timeline. Spider-Man 2099 has been fighting versions of classic Marvel monsters lately, from Werewolf By Night to Zombie to Lord Dracula himself! His war on monsters is coming to an end with the fifth issue of this miniseries.
Miguel O’Hara: Spider-Man 2099 #5 features the greatest challenge that Spider-Man 2099 has faced lately. The Man-Thing is coming back, reborn in a new way. Seemingly possessing none of the altruistic qualities of the original, Man-Thing 2099 also possesses the ability to interact with data. How will Spidey combat this unique threat? More importantly, where will our beloved hero find themselves as this comic book reaches conclusion?
The Incredible Hulk #8
THE EPIC CONCLUSION OF HULK’S THROWDOWN WITH THE WWII GHOST RIDER AND THE WAR DEVILS! The Personification of Rage and the Spirit of Vengeance have their own vengeful spirit to conquer! When the Hulk and the undead Ghost Rider of the past finally come face-to-face with the monstrosity controlling the war devils, a bone-crushing brawl follows!
Bruce Banner is best when he is battered, beaten and broken. Well, not his best, but certainly his most interesting. This is a fundamental part of the character that Al Ewing’s landmark series, The Immortal Hulk, not only understood but exemplified. Ever since the conclusion of that 50-issue series, Marvel has struggled to replicate the success or quality of such immaculate work. Writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson, artist Nic Klein and colorist Matt Wilson are finally changing that with their new series The Incredible Hulk.
The Hulk is a monster at war with a man. Bruce Banner tried to end the war by locking The Hulk away in a mental prison, completely under his control. Hulk did not appreciate that treatment, and now he is hellbent on taking over Banner’s body once and for all. Hulk has never hated Banner more than he does now, and he has a human sidekick whose mission is to make life hell for Bruce when the big green guy can’t. The world of monsters wants the Hulk, and his fight against the creatures is bloody and terrifying. The artwork becomes violently gorey at times, but not excessively so. Don’t miss out on the scariest, most gripping Hulk story in years.
Carnage #3
SACRIFICES MUST BE MADE! Cletus Kasady has returned and has his sights set on the biggest prize of all, but first, he must face a reality-altering face-off the likes of which the Marvel Universe has never seen!
Carnage is one of Spider-Man’s most infamous villains, though the two have yet to face off on the big screen. He is the son of Venom, but he is far more cruel and homicidal than his father. Carnage bonds with Cletus Kasady, a serial killer, and the two go on to raise hell together. Carnage has been on a mission of self-improvement prior to the events of his new comic book. The symbiote has managed to increase his power by removing weakenesses to fire and sound while showcasing new abilities.
In Carnage #1, the creature is teleported through a wormhole to the same prison cell where he was born. Carnage eats the prisoner he finds there. He rearranges his DNA internally and then regurgitates a newly born Cletus Kasady. Carnage believes himself to be a god, and he does have the power to create life now.
This new series explores what happens when an extremely vicious alien develops a god-complex and the power to inspire worship. Writer Torunn Gronbekk has a tight grip on the inner workings of this iconic madman, and the illustrations from artist Pere Perez and colorist Erick Arciniega beautifully render the blood-soaked insanity on the printed page.
Carnage is becoming a god of murder in the Marvel Universe. The Incredible Hulk wants to destroy his human half, but he has an army of monsters to smash first. Spider-Man 2099 has to fight for the future by defeating a technologically enhanced Man-Thing. Even Spider-Boy has a lethal battle to fight when he faces off against the deadly Toy Soldier.
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The stakes are high for the superheroes of the Marvel Universe this week. And if heroes aren’t your thing, Carnage stands facing a literal pile of bodies in his new comic book. To find out how these heroes and villains fare on their respective journeys, visit your local comic book store today.
Which new Marvel comic books are you getting into this week? Let us know on social media, and thanks for reading! We are always watching.
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