As soon as you look at this BOOM! Studios cover, you’ll realize you’re about to step into a completely different world. As far as you can tell, there are spiders and some kind of tentacle monsters with faces attached. If that doesn’t get you to open to the first page immediately, perhaps the story or overall imagery will make you curious to what’s going on.
We find Sid, part of a syndicate, questioning a friend for answers to an unsolved crime against “the family.” Questioning? Threatening? You can decipher that for yourself. Now to be a part of this crime organization, The Weavers, there’s one price for entry that isn’t voluntary; it’s a bug and it doesn’t go down smoothly.
This spider gets inside with no other goal than to eventually take over, at least that’s what it seems. Sid tries to keep his sanity enough to work out his own end game, all while being involved with the family business. This character might have some anger issues, but the writer, Simon Spurrier, does a fantastic job in this issue to give some likeable details into the main character’s history. As Sid shares his story, it really brings a reader in and finds a connection that’s worth sticking around for.
The story works almost like a gritty detective novel, with Sid either being twisted around by his employer or the bug inside. And like most detective / organized crime stories, there’s always someone that’s going to get beaten (or worse) to “spill the beans.”
We have the cover – vibrant blue, orange, and white – with unique imagery. Then, we have a story involving Sid who you might not even be sure is a “good guy,” but he’s worth cheering for simply to figure out his ultimate goal or to find out more about his past. The illustrator, Dylan Burnett, does a wonderful job at providing the reader with grotesque scenes, showcasing how powerful and deadly these bugs are that control people from the inside.
One of the more creative parts of this comic relies on the artist’s ability to splinter a couple of pages; one page looks like shattered glass and the other like a spider’s web. In both instances, intricate details are drawn into each tiny section of glass or web, giving us more story than we know what to do with at that point. It provides a level of intrigue and foreshadowing that, much like this entire issue, you keep wondering what’s going to happen next.
If you find yourself drawn to this issue, perhaps you realize how much you enjoy a good mystery. Maybe you enjoy a scrappy underdog that’s trying to avoid being squashed by the “big boss.” Then again, perhaps you don’t know what’s drawing you in, and maybe deep down inside that was the spider’s plan all along.
Weavers #5 will be available on Wednesday, September 14, in print and digital form.
