Midnight Spider-Man #1 (Marvel, 10/7/26): Writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson & artist ScieTronc imagine an alternate universe where young Peter Parker is courted to join Oscorp, unaware of the deadly experiments behind closed doors. Marvel’s shot at a fresh take on a familiar hero gets to where it’s going, but the pacing needs work. Verdict: It’s fine but nothing special.
Credits:
- Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson
- Artist: ScieTronc
- Colorist: Neeraj Menon
- Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
- Cover Artist: Steve Beach (cover A)
- Publisher: Marvel Comics
- Release Date: October 7, 2026
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $5.99
- Page Count: 42
- Format: Double Sized Issue
Covers:
Analysis of Midnight Spider-Man #1:
First Impressions:
Midnight Spider-Man #1 is fine for what it is. I have to admit that I was skeptical going into the issue because Marvel is banking on this imprint to be the answer to the juggernaut that is DC Comics’ Absolute line. So, if you put this comic up against Absolute Batman, it falls short. Up against Absolute Flash? Now you’re getting warmer. It’s not bad. It just didn’t do anything special or grab me in any way.
Plot Analysis (SPOILERS):
The issue begins with a brief flashback to Peter Parker when he was a six-year-old child. When he and his family returned from a family trip, Peter realized too late that all the provisions he put out to keep his cat fed were useless because he accidentally locked the cat outside. The cat died during an encounter with a rough dog, setting the stage for Peter’s understanding of power and death.
Years later, Peter is a brilliant 18-year-old college student who works as a TA for Doc Curt Connors by day and writes as a sci-tech blogger under the handle of Sagan Ritual, who takes down corporations like Oscorp that do nefarious deeds. He lives with his Uncle Ben, who suffers from an undisclosed illness that may or may not be caused by Oscorp, resulting in medical bills, expensive pills, and a very lengthy lawsuit that’s lost in red tape.
Elsewhere, we see that Oscorp is involved in shady experiments with unwitting volunteers in the quest to find a way to create post-human upgrades. Typical results fail and are organically gruesome. One day, Peter is approached by Felicia Hardy – a femme fatale recruiter for Oscorp – with an offer to work for Oscorp. Peter believes the offer is his shot to deal with financial woes, help Uncle Ben, and get a little recognition. Uncle Ben tells Peter NOT to sign anything because he has secrets about Oscorp. The issue ends with Peter arriving home on his birthday from the Oscorp visit, not realizing a special spider hitched a ride.
How is the story in Midnight Spider-Man #1?
Again, it’s perfectly fine as a horror-themed take on the classic Spider-Man origin story. Truth be told, the story is a little closer in theme and logistics to the first Amazing Spider-Man film that starred Andrew Garfield. The spiders are part of dangerous Oscorp experimentation; Oscorp is a big corporation with many moving parts that disguise terrible actions behind the scenes. Peter finds himself pulled into a bigger conspiracy, and the issue ends on a cliffhanger with the spider attacking Peter.
Therefore, the success of this line will hinge on two factors: 1. Does it feel fresh? And because it’s a horror-themed universe, 2. Is it scary?
First, does it feel fresh? It’s too soon to tell. From the first to the last page, the details and specifics of Spidey’s origin are “tweaked” but not enough that you wouldn’t recognize the classic story.
Second, is it scary? So far, no. There are brief scenes of gore, particularly with two separate deaths, but gory isn’t the same thing as scary.
Generally, Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s story construction is solid. The constructed world feels well thought out and lived in. You can feel the effort that went into thinking about the world around Peter in this story. That said, the weak point beyond the First and Second points above is the pacing. Kennedy Johnson needed every bit of those 40 pages just to get to the point where Peter is about to get bitten because it’s all setup and world-building. World-building isn’t a problem, but this first issue needed to grab you with wow moments or something special, and I fear that too much time spent on world-building left not enough time for readers to see anything Amazing or Spectacular.
How is the art in Midnight Spider-Man #1?
The art is the other weak area. ScieTronc’s art style feels like Peach Momoko lite, which lends itself to a Manga undertone for the story. Characters are detailed and attention-grabbing in the dramatic moments, but the details are sketchy in the more mundane panels, which make up the majority of the comic. Plus, Neeraj Menon went with a subtle, muted color palette for the comic, which renders several panels washed out.
To be clear, I didn’t hate the art in this book. The key takeaway is that the loose art style, combined with the muted coloring, rendered the overall visual experience quite dull.
Characters
Peter Parker is front and center, as he should be. It’s a bit odd that Peter is recruited by Oscorp for his brilliance, but we’re never shown it and instead are told how smart he is. It would have been nice to see him engaged in some kind of high-level experiment to show his prowess, but otherwise, Peter Parker is the brilliant-but-aloof kid you would expect.
Originality & Concept Execution
As noted above, the originality isn’t there just yet. Beyond some logistical tweaks, all the standard pieces of the Spider-Man origin story are present. Kennedy Johnson constructed a fully realized world, but very little sets it apart from Earth-616.
Pros and Cons
Art Samples:
The Scorecard:
Writing Quality (Clarity & Pacing): 3/4
Art Quality (Execution & Synergy): 3/4
Value (Originality & Entertainment): 0.5/2
Final Thoughts:
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Midnight Spider-Man #1 presents the tried-and-true Spider-Man origin story with a few tweaks and more gore. Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s story takes the scenic route to allow for heaps of world-building, and the art team’s visual presentation is fine, albeit flat.
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