Edge of Spider-Verse #1 (Spider-Man Noir)

 
Writer: David Hine with Fabrice Sapolsky
Artists: Richard Isanove
Cover: Richard Isanove
Publisher: Marvel  
Multiverse stories are fun because we get to have all of our favourite characters, and then play around with them for a bit. As far as a Spider-Man Noir story goes, this isn’t revolutionary, but it slides quite nicely into the story being built into the Spider Verse. Truly what it is a break and fresh take on characters that we’re all so already familiar with. Mostly, I’d go with interesting for this issue.
 
There are fan favourites involved—Aunt May, MJ, Mysterio, Kingpin, and Black Cat, and while they ring similar to the same characters we’re so engrained with, the characters are still a little different too, which is what makes this episode of Spider-Man Noir so enthralling to begin with.  I love the take on MJ, Kingpin, and Black Cat in particular and then the problem becomes that we don’t get any more of these characters (at least not presently). The story does take place a few years after the most recent Spider-Man Noir series, but prior knowledge isn’t key to understanding what’s currently happening. They bring about some of the more gripping features from what we’ve already seen in previous Spider-Man Noir stories and if anything, I think this issue will do good to raise enough intrigue to bring readers back to get some more. Which is pretty cool, in my opinion.
 
As for the ‘noir’ aspect of the story, it takes it in its most barest of sense, which is fine, it’s an introductory piece, to give the readers enough backstory to understand this verse’s Peter Parker, and it’s not as noir as the actual nor series itself. Isanove gives it a good artistic flair to it though, making the time stamp on it, fairly apparent throughout.  And looking at the larger scope of the series, the lighter take will probably slot itself into the rest of the Spider-Verse series which so far has built itself pretty well so far, and to see the rest of the Spideys and where the story goes is definitely going to be interesting.
 
This issue is a solid recommendation for any Spider-Man fan, Spider-Man Noir fan, or for anyone who’s looking for an intro into the Spider-Man Noir universe.