Bad dreams and a creepy earworm are putting Peter Parker off his game, but he soon discovers he's not the only one suffering this way.
To make matters worse, Spencer Smythe and his robotic Spider-Slayers are once again creating a nuisance for Spider-Man.
But the two seemingly unrelated strands are interwoven in unexpected ways, and it's not long before Peter is fighting for survival in the realm of dreams.
Spine-Tingling Spider-Man was originally created as an Infinity Comic, some sort of online deal designed to be read on your phone. Which explains why I'd never heard of it before. It's my old, fuddy-duddy belief that comics are only meant to read off the printed page (not tablets, phones, whatever).
However, somewhere between the original Infinity iteration and this squarebound, mini-graphic novel (with a $9.99 price tag) some kind of magical alchemy has occurred.
While Saladin Ahmed's story is suitably unnerving and full of surprises, it's the amazing artwork and page layouts of Juan Ferreyra that make this so special and really sells the central theme.
Spider-Man, probably more than any other main Marvel character, exists among the skyscrapers and apartment blocks of New York City, leaping across rooftops, swinging between the edifices of glass and steel.
But I don't recall seeing a comic recently that depicts this as vividly as Spine-Tingling Spider-Man with its abundance of striking vertical, page-length, panels and splash pages capturing Spider-Man in motion, whether he's swinging, climbing , or - on occasion - falling.
There's also a dramatic contrast in styles as the narrative switches from the waking world to the dream world, where the creative panel layouts make for a deliriously disorientating read, truly capturing the feeling of being in a dream... or a nightmare.
It's rare that a comic claiming to depict dreams really feels like a dream, but that ambition is achieved here to great effect. And, of course, this allows for some delightfully monstrous creations to emerge and challenge the sanity of our protagonist.
While I wouldn't describe Spine-Tingling Spider-Man as a scary read, it is most definitely creepy, slightly disturbing, and a great gateway into telling more horror-orientated Spider-Man stories.
I'm so happy to know that the Spine-Tingling brand is now going to continue (as a 'proper' comic).
To make matters worse, Spencer Smythe and his robotic Spider-Slayers are once again creating a nuisance for Spider-Man.
But the two seemingly unrelated strands are interwoven in unexpected ways, and it's not long before Peter is fighting for survival in the realm of dreams.
Spine-Tingling Spider-Man was originally created as an Infinity Comic, some sort of online deal designed to be read on your phone. Which explains why I'd never heard of it before. It's my old, fuddy-duddy belief that comics are only meant to read off the printed page (not tablets, phones, whatever).
However, somewhere between the original Infinity iteration and this squarebound, mini-graphic novel (with a $9.99 price tag) some kind of magical alchemy has occurred.
While Saladin Ahmed's story is suitably unnerving and full of surprises, it's the amazing artwork and page layouts of Juan Ferreyra that make this so special and really sells the central theme.
Spider-Man, probably more than any other main Marvel character, exists among the skyscrapers and apartment blocks of New York City, leaping across rooftops, swinging between the edifices of glass and steel.
But I don't recall seeing a comic recently that depicts this as vividly as Spine-Tingling Spider-Man with its abundance of striking vertical, page-length, panels and splash pages capturing Spider-Man in motion, whether he's swinging, climbing , or - on occasion - falling.
There's also a dramatic contrast in styles as the narrative switches from the waking world to the dream world, where the creative panel layouts make for a deliriously disorientating read, truly capturing the feeling of being in a dream... or a nightmare.
It's rare that a comic claiming to depict dreams really feels like a dream, but that ambition is achieved here to great effect. And, of course, this allows for some delightfully monstrous creations to emerge and challenge the sanity of our protagonist.
While I wouldn't describe Spine-Tingling Spider-Man as a scary read, it is most definitely creepy, slightly disturbing, and a great gateway into telling more horror-orientated Spider-Man stories.
I'm so happy to know that the Spine-Tingling brand is now going to continue (as a 'proper' comic).
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