Summary
Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Spider-Man: Black Suit & Blood #1!It may seem strange to consider thatSpider-Man, one of the brightest and most optimistic characters in the entire Marvel Universe, would effectively turn to the dark side of comic book fiction by going full horror, but in his most recent title, that’s exactly what he’s done - and it’s awesome. In fact, this tone would actually work perfectly inthe MCU with Tom Holland. At least, once the black suit symbiote is introduced, that is.
In a preview for the new anthology seriesSpider-Man: Black Suit & Blood#1, readers are given a sneak-peek at three of the stories: “Losing Face” by J.M. DeMatteis and Elena Casagrande, “Inside the House” by Alyssa Wong and Fran Galán, and “Fade to Black” by J. Michael Straczynski and Sumit Kumar. While the first one is more of a touching tribute to a lost ally, the second and third stories are full-on horrorshows.
The preview for “Inside the House” features MJ in her and Peter’s apartment, rehearsing her lines for a play, when she hears a strange skittering across the floor somewhere in the darkness. The perspective then shifts to Peter, who’s running atop rooftops, out of costume and clearly afraid. The preview for “Fade to Black” then amps up the horror, as Peter is thinking back to when he first got the symbiote suit, and how thankful he was that he’s free of it. Until he hears the sinister voice of the symbiote lurking in the darkest recesses of his mind.
Spider-Man Repeats His Hated ‘Deal with the Devil’ - Can Marvel Nail It This Time?
Spider-Man’s most hated storyline is arguably “One More Day”, and now, Marvel is repeating it, as Spider-Man is making another ‘deal with the devil’.
Spider-Man’s New Series Highlights the Cosmic Horror of the Symbiote Species
“Inside the House” is scary right from the title, and the symbiote skittering in the darkness as an unassuming MJ is home alone is something that’s seemingly pulled straight from a horror movie. Add to that the sheer dread and panic emanating from Peter Parker as he’s sprinting away from an invisible ‘monster’, and it’s as if fans are reading a horror comic akin toAlienorThe Thing. “Fade to Black” is similarly terrifying, with an almost ‘Shining’-esque inner voice tormenting Peter when he’s at his lowest - a living darkness creeping to the forefront of his psyche.
For the most part, the main continuity of Marvel Comics greatly underplays the cosmic horror element of the symbiote species. Sure, there are events likeKing in BlackorAbsolute Carnagethat show the symbiotes as major threats, but even those still lack all the elements that make the symbiote a true icon in the cosmic horror subgenre. And that is made up for in spades withSpider-Man’s new series.
MCU’s Spider-Man Should Make the Symbiote Scary, Especially After Sony’s Venom
The symbiote is inherently horrifying, and it’s time that that version of the Klyntar be adapted in the MCU - especially after the way it has been presented by Sony with the Venom films. While entertaining and a lot of fun, the Venom movies made the symbiotes more comical than anything else. Even Venom eating people’s heads is somehow funny, when the idea of an alien parasite doing something that horrifically gruesome is beyond terrifying. Now, however, the MCU has the chance to redefine the symbiote with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, and it should absolutely go the horror route.
While it would be awesome to see a Spider-Man horror movie featuring the symbiote as the ‘monster’, there’s no real pressure for the MCU to deliver that anytime soon now that fans have this new Spider-Man comic to look forward to, as it depictsSpider-Mangoing full horror in a bold (and perfect) new direction for the character.
Spider-Man: Black Suit & Blood #1is available now from Marvel Comics.
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is the name given to several individuals who have employed a spider-moniker throughout Marvel Comics. Typically gaining their powers through a bite from a radioactive spider, the different Spider-Man heroes employ super-strength, agility, and intellect while utilizing webbing to swing and tangle up their foes. The most notable of these Spider-Men is Peter Parker, who remains one of the most popular superheroes throughout the world.
