Thought Spider-Man 2099 was overhyped, now I get it

I was totally that guy who rolled my eyes at everyone calling Spider-Man 2099 the best alt-universe Spidey. Picked up the first trade from 1992 at a con last month for $8 and burned through it in one night. What finally sold me? The way Miguel's world feels like a real, broken future instead of just a gimmick. Anyone else sleep on a character for years and then flip completely?

2 comments

2 Comments

skyler_kim8d ago

I read somewhere that Peter David based a lot of Migual's world on his own feelings about the 90s... like corporate greed and pollution and people just being tired. And you can feel that in every panel. The first issue where Migual's boss at Alchemax literally tells him "you're replaceable" really hit me hard. Plus the whole thing about the "future" being run by giant companies that treat people like numbers... it's not that different from today honestly. It clicked for me when I realized this isn't just a Spidey story, it's a story about surviving in a system that's already decided you don't matter. The suit design and the claws are cool and all, but the attitude is what makes it work.

oliver_ward148d ago

Yo that first issue scene with the boss is brutal. I remember reading it and feeling sick because I've been in that exact spot. My old shop manager used to say stuff like "we can find someone else who wants the job more" when I asked for a day off. That whole replaceable thing is real. It's funny how a comic about the future feels more honest about work than most stuff coming out now. Miguel's whole attitude of not taking it lying down is what stuck with me too. He's not some perfect hero, he's just a guy who got pushed too far.