Barely one month after the A.X.E.: Judgment Day event, the X-Men are caught in a new crossover. However, this one also revolves around Spider-Man. Written by Zeb Wells and drawn by artist Adam Kubert, Dark Web is about clones. Here is the official synopsis:
“The worlds of Spider-Man and the X-Men collide, thanks to the unholy alliance of Madelyne Pryor, AKA the Goblin Queen, and Ben Reilly, now known as Chasm! The two most famous and famously wronged clones are back…and they’re going to claim what’s rightfully theirs! The Dark Web they spin over Manhattan is going to change the NYC skyline forever!”
So, the Dark Web event involves Spider-Man and the X-Men, but also Mary Jane Watson, Black Cat (Felicia Hardy), Venom (Eddie Brock), Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan), and Scarlet Spider (Ben Reilly).
What to Read Before Spider-Man Dark Web?
If you have missed Amazing Spider-Man Beyond (see reading order), you may need to take a look at it in order to discover what happened to Ben Reilly (also for the first Mary-Jane/Black Cat team-up!).
- Amazing Spider-Man: Beyond Omnibus
Collects Amazing Spider-Man (2018) #75-93, 78.BEY, 80. BEY, 88. BEY, 92. BEY, 74 (Ben Reilly Story); Free Comic Book Day 2021: Spider-Man/Venom #1 (Spider-Man Story); Mary Jane & Black Cat: Beyond (2022) #1.
As for Madelyne Pryor, it’s in the recent Hellions book by Zeb Wells that she made her recent comeback, then in the New Mutants:
- Hellions By Zeb Wells
Collects Hellions (2020) #1-4, 7-18. - New Mutants by Vita Ayala Vol. 3
Collects New Mutants (2019) #25-28.
Of course, Dark Web being a Spider-Man event, you may want to familiarize yourself with the beginning of the actual run written by Zeb Wells:
- Amazing Spider-Man By Wells & Romita Jr. Vol. 1: World Without Love
Collects Amazing Spider-Man (2022) #1-5. - Amazing Spider-Man by Wells & Romita Jr. Vol. 2: The New Sinister
Collects Amazing Spider-Man (2022) #6-8. - Amazing Spider-Man by Wells & Romita Jr. Vol. 3: Hobgoblin
Collects Amazing Spider-Man (2022) #9-14.
And for Venom, who apparently also plays a notable role in this Dark Web event, it’s Ram V and Al Ewing who recently took over the book. Here are the last books:
- Venom by Al Ewing & Ram V Vol. 1: Recursion
Collects Venom (2021) #1-5. - Venom By Al Ewing & Ram V Vol. 2: Deviation
Collects Venom (2021) #6-10.
Spider-Man Dark Web Reading Order: Collected Editions
- Dark Web
Collects Dark Web #1, Amazing Spider-Man (2022) #15-18, Venom (2021) #14-15, Dark Web: X-Men #1-3, Dark Web: Ms. Marvel #1-2 and Dark Web Finale #1.
Some of those issues are also available in:
- Amazing Spider-Man by Wells & Romita Jr. Vol. 4: Dark Web
Collects Amazing Spider-Man (2022) #15-18, Dark Web #1, and Dark Web Finale #1. - Venom by Al Ewing & Ram V Vol. 3: Dark Web
Collects Venom (2021) #11-15. - More to come soon, came back later for an update!
You can also find the other tie-ins in:
- Gold Goblin
Collects Gold Goblin #1-5. - Mary Jane & Black Cat: Dark Web
Collects Mary Jane & Black Cat #1-5.
Spider-Man Dark Web Reading Order: Issue by Issue
This is a temporary reading order based on what was announced by Marvel (aka the publication order). This list below will be updated as the event progresses. Leave a comment on this article if you have suggestions to make the reading order better, thanks.
- The Amazing Spider-Man (2022) #14
- Free Comic Book Day 2022: Spider-Man/Venom (optional, referenced in ASM #14)
- Venom (2021) #13
- Dark Web #1
- Dark Web: X-Men #1
- Amazing Spider-Man (2022) #15
- Dark Web: Ms. Marvel #1
- Mary Jane & Black Cat #1
- Gold Goblin #2 (optional)
- Amazing Spider-Man (2022) #16
- Venom (2021) #14
- Amazing Spider-Man (2022) #17
- Dark Web: X-Men #2
- Gold Goblin #3 (optional)
- Dark Web: Ms. Marvel #2
- Mary Jane & Black Cat #2
- Venom (2021) #15
- Dark Web: X-Men #3
- Amazing Spider-Man (2022) #18
- Venom (2021) #16
- Dark Web Finale #1
After Spider-Man Dark Web
Too soon to say, came back later for an update!
