I keep forgetting Spider-Man 2 is coming out this year because of how little of it we’ve seen. The only thing we’ve seen from the game so far isa reveal trailerduring one of PlayStation’s Showcases back in 2021. That trailer revealed that the game will feature both Peter and Miles, as well as Venom and Kraven the Hunter, but those remain the only details we have about the sequel. There’s been no gameplay, no interviews, and not even a release date. For a massive PlayStation exclusive that’s ostensibly only a few months away, it’s surprising how little we know about this game.
Part of me has doubts that Spider-Man 2 is still getting released this year, but luckily Sony has dropped us a lifeline with a new prequel comic for Free Comic Book Day. If you’re not in the know, FCBD is an annual event that takes place at comic shops all across the US. On the first Saturday of each month, comic stores open their doors early and hand out thousands of free comic books in hopes of attracting new readers. There’s usually a wide variety of books up for grabs, from cartoon tie-ins to attract kids, to teasers for upcoming big summer events. This year, attendees can grab Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, a prequel to the upcoming game, which teases some interesting details.
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The comic tells a mostly standalone story, but there’s a few hints to pick up on. It takes place sometime after the events of Miles Morales and catches us up on some things that have happened since Peter and MJ returned from Symkaria. MJ wrote a worst-selling book based on her experience in Silver Sable’s domain, and as a result finds herself being interviewed by J Jonah Jameson on his “Just The Facts” podcast. The interview is interrupted by classic Spider-Man villain Tarantula - a moniker held by several supervillains, including Peter Parker clone Kaine - while Peter and Miles fight him.
During the fight, Peter makes a reference to his run-in with Tarantula during the events of the Spider-Geddon series, a cross-over sequel to the Spider-Verse series. This is interesting because it canonizes the events of that comic in the story of the Spider-Man video games. There’s been some suggestion that the new game will have multiverse elements, but this confirms that the PlayStation version of Peter and Miles have already been on a multiverse adventure.
The Big Bad of this story is The Hood, a petty-thief-turned-crime-boss who, in the comics, derives his power from a demonic cloak and pair of boots. The Hood is leading a gang of magic-wielding gangsters that have just started making waves in New York. Per usual, Peter and Miles have to find a way to balance their normal responsibilities with the super-powered threats of New York.
The Hood and his lackeys aren’t actually using magic, and it turns out that all of his crimes were done to pay for his dying mother’s medical expenses. It all wraps up nicely in the end in a way that suggests The Hood isn’t going to be part of the game’s story, but there’s a few key takeaways.
In their first run-in with The Hoods gang, Peter, MJ, and Miles are on their way to the electronics store so that Miles can upgrade the decoy devices that MJ used during the stealth missions in the first Spider-Man. MJ tells Miles that she always wished they had offensive capabilities, and Miles is able to tinker with the device so that it’s able to disrupt cloaking technology, like the one The Hood uses. While not a confirmation, it certainly suggests that MJ will once again be flexing her stealth skills in the sequel.
The comic also updates us on the status quo of our heroes. MJ is now an editor at the Daily Bugle and, as we find out on the final page, J Jonah Jameson has sold his podcast and purchased the Bugle, which he intends to run himself. Meanwhile, Peter has obtained a teaching degree and is struggling to keep up the mortgage on Aunt May’s house. He asks MJ to move in with him to help cover the bills, but she intends to stay in the city. Miles has decided to apply at ESU where he can study music technology and blend his two passions. He needs Peter to give him a reference, which Peter agrees to right at the end of this story.
The book doesn’t give too much away, but I’m happy to take it as a confirmation that Spider-Man 2 is still coming out this year. If you can’t make it to a comic shop this weekend you can check out the digital version in the Marvel app. I’m expecting a big PlayStation showcase ahead of Summer Game Fest next month, so I’m considering this prequel comic to be the official start of the Spider-Man 2 hype cycle. Tears of the Kingdom better watch out, here comes the Spider-Man.
