This article contains spoilers for the end of Marvel’s Spider-Man
Insomniac GamesMarvel’s Spider-Man was comfortably one of the best games of 2018, and easily one of the finest PlayStation 4 exclusives currently available. I’d probably say it was the greatest superhero game of all time, were it not for a certain Dark Knight.
Developer Insomniac Games managed to create a tight, fluid, and wonderfully immersive game that was an absolute joy to play. Even months after beating Spider-Man, I still find myself hopping back in every now and again to swing through New York, jump off buildings, and take selfies with the game’s awesome photo mode.
Insomniac GamesBut I think what really helped Spider-Man stand out from the crowded mess of other super hero games is that – like Arkham Asylum – it managed to tell a genuinely great Spider-Man story in its own right.
As I said in my original review, Insomniac’s take on Peter Parker and his world gave us one of the best versions of the beloved character in any medium, if not the best. The developer wasn’t afraid to take risks with established villains and supporting cast, and the result was a surprising, wonderful, often heartbreaking ride.
Obviously we’re still years away from a sequel, especially given Insomniac hasn’t actually announced one yet, but that doesn’t mean you can’t revisit this particular Peter Parker’s world and see what he’s been up to since the events of the game.
A brand new upcoming miniseries called Spider-Man: Velocity is set to pick up where the game left off, and will even dive into the backstory of Spider-Man’s Velocity suit a little bit more – one of the exclusive new costumes that was designed specifically for the game.
Marvel ComicsSpider-Man: Velocity will debut in August, and follows on from Spider-Man: City at War (which adapted the events of the game). City at War’s Dennis Hallum is returning to write the new book, with art from Emilio Laiso (Star Wars: Doctor Aphra).
Marvel wrote in an official reveal on its site:
After the events of CITY AT WAR, Spidey continues to balance his colliding worlds as he attempts to protect New York City against Super Villains like Swarm, while reporter Mary Jane Watson delves deep into an investigation with legendary Daily Bugle journalist Ben Urich. Learn the never-before-told backstory behind the Velocity Suit as unexplainable occurrences bedevil the city and our heroes come face-to-face with…a poltergeist?! Illustrated by Emilio Laiso with eye-popping covers by the inimitable Skan, you won’t want to miss a panel of the first all-original story following up the worldwide hit video game!
It’ll be interesting to see just how many threads from the end of the game the new book picks up – specifically the fact that Peter has started mentoring Miles Morales (which was shown in the DLC) and the idea that Norman Osborn is in possession of what looks an awful lot like the Venom symbiote.
Insomniac GamesIf nothing else, Velocity will be a great chance to check back in with a version of Peter Parker that I think we all fell in love with, and should tide us over until the inevitable sequel.
Ewan Moore is a journalist at UNILAD Gaming who still quite hasn’t gotten out of his mid 00’s emo phase. After graduating from the University of Portsmouth in 2015 with a BA in Journalism & Media Studies (thanks for asking), he went on to do some freelance words for various places, including Kotaku, Den of Geek, and TheSixthAxis, before landing a full time gig at UNILAD in 2016.