Warning: Spoilers for Spider-Boy #11 ahead!Daredevil S Enemies are known for being a particularly nasty bunch, though perhaps none are as morally reprehensible as the murderer, Bullseye. Case in point, Bullseye sinks to a new all-time low when it’s revealed that his latest hit is on none other than Spider-Man Official Sidekick: Bailey Briggs, The Spectacular Spider-Boywho is only ten years old.
Spider-Boy #11 – written by Dan Slott, with art by Paco Medina – features the fallout of Bailey Briggs being fully integrated into the Marvel timeline, such as going to school again, and his mother’s disapproval of his vigilantism. The end of the issue reveals a darker side to being a full-blown Marvel character, however: dealing with Marvel’s big-time villains.
The issue ends with a shocking scene: A ninja practicing for an assassination attempt on Spider-Boy, with Bullseye as her coach and mentor.
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Spider-Boy’s heroic career thus far has not prepared him to face BULLSEYE, Marvel’s most brutal assassin
Spider-Boy #11 – Written by Dan Slott; Art by Paco Medina; Color by Erick Arciniega; Lettering by Joe Caramagna
Madame Web is notably hesitant after stitching him back into the multiversal web of life and destiny in Spider-Boy #10, Worry that giving Bailey what he wants will “Always comes at a price.” That price has now been revealed.
Spider-Boy’s desire to fully be part of the Marvel universe is understandable: when the character debuted at the end of the ‘End of Spider-Verse’ event, no one was able to remember him despite his claims to be part of The Marvel Universe all along. But Madame Web is notably hesitant after stitching him back into the multiversal web of life and destiny in Spider-Boy #10, Worry that giving Bailey what he wants will “Always comes at a price.” That price has now been revealed: Spider-Boy now has to deal with actual supervillains instead of his much goofier rogues gallery.
The previous issues of Spider-Boy have largely framed Spider-Boy’s enemies as silly, gag-a-day style villains, with enemies like the bowling-pin shooting Gutterball or the squeaky-voiced Emilio Helio giving the series an overall comedic tone. This is even played for irony in Spider-Boy #8, when Bailey is desperate to bring photographic evidence to prove his existence to his mother, but is forced to contend with the puzzle man’s activity-book style shenanigans. When the Riddler accidentally erases the photo Bailey needs, Spider-Boy ends up having a full-blown meltdown, contrasting the high emotional stakes against the villain’s silly antics.
The comedic tone of Spider-Boy so far has not prepared readers for the appearance of Bullseye
Spider-Boy #11 is available now from Marvel Comics
Obviously, Bullseye is a villain of the noir/thriller genre, while Spider-Boy practically lives in a cartoon… but because of the shared nature of the Marvel Universe, they can now come face to face.
Bullseye is not stupid or funny. Daredevil’s nemesis is one of Marvel’s deadliest assassins, capable of turning any item in his hand into a deadly weapon through sheer skill alone. Arguably most famous for killing Elektra, herself one of Marvel’s greatest hand-to-hand combatants, in Daredevil (1964) #181, Bullseye has retained a prominent place atop the list of Marvel’s greatest killers ever and remains one of the deadliest foes Daredevil has ever faced. He is more than a murderer: he is a monster and a sadist who thrives on twisting the knife, both metaphorically and literally, in every encounter.
Clearly, Bullseye is a villain of the noir/thriller genre, while Spider-Boy practically lives in a cartoon. The two franchises are almost thematically incompatible – but because of the shared nature of the Marvel Universe, they can now come face to face. Not only does this show Spider-Boy the dangers of becoming a proper Marvel character, but Bailey’s relative innocence as a comedy-prone child makes the evil of the man overseeing his murder stand out even more starkly.
Bullseye targeting Bailey Briggs is the escalation Spider-Boy fans have been waiting for
Marvel raises the stakes While Spider-Boy’s powers make it less of a one-sided encounter, the fact that Bullseye is more than willing to kill a child sells just how much of a monster he really is.
As cathartic as Bailey Briggs’ reintegration into the Marvel Universe proper was for the character, and for fans who have followed his arc thus far, it was clear that it would have unintended consequences, which would pass. Spider-Boy In his next arc. Now, readers have a better sense of what the arc will be — and it will involve one of the most dangerous threats in the Marvel Universe. This raises the stakes significantly Spider-BoyWhich should be rewarding to fans who have followed the title As it emerged as one of Marvel’s funnest books.
Bullseye is a fully grown man and highly trained assassin who is now orchestrating a hit on a ten-year-old boy. While Spider-Boy’s powers make it less of a one-sided encounter, the fact that Bullseye is more than willing to kill a child sells just how much of a monster he really is. This is a new low for BullseyeDriving home the sheer depths Daredevil S Nemesis is ready to stoop to – while Spider-Man Sidekick Spider-Boy remains blissfully unaware that his story has just jumped from comedy to suddenly deadly stakes.
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Spider-Boy #11 (2024) |
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