With great power comes great responsibility! These words permeate throughout most, if not all, Spider-Man media, as it is the very mantra of the character himself. The ethos of Spider-Man revolves around a perfectly normal guy being pushed into situations where he is forced to use his power responsibly as a hero. Spider-Man has had to learn that throughout his entire career as a superhero, but this story puts him in a situation where he is tasked with helping a young boy through that same lesson.
Spider-Man: Kizuna is a rather cartoony story, but succeeds at highlighting the appeal of Spider-Man in a traditional Japanese manga. The story revolves around Spider-Man, turned into a ghost who is bound to a cowardly and nerdy Japanese boy. When they work together, this boy can channel the powers of Spider-Man, and they’re doing their best to find a way to get him back to normal while also fighting against versions of Spider-Man’s rogues gallery. There is little explanation for why Spider-Man is in Japan, and the introduction of classic villains feels too convenient, but the series doesn’t take itself too seriously. Spider-Man’s humor is more at the forefront, and that blends well with the book’s incredibly exaggerated and cartoony style.
I could recommend this book for its appealing layout and art direction. It’s filled with so much charming personality that even when I come across things that don’t particularly resonate with me, I still find myself smiling over just how pretty the whole book is to look at. The story leans towards an exaggerated style that prioritizes big, round heads with wide expressions. Spider-Man himself translates well to this, and I was surprised how much I liked some of the redesigns of his villains, like the Goblin and Electro. The book is taking inspiration from Marvel Comics, which used a lot of bright colors, but the use of black for contrast makes this feel colorful despite the monochromatic palette. It’s difficult to explain, but everything just pops appropriately.
Spider-Man looks adorable in this, and it makes it easier for me to vibe with his characterization. Spider-Man is in full-on lighthearted mode for most of this book. He’s making a lot of jokes and leaning into the funny commentary. You can tell he’s doing his best to make sure that Yu is doing OK mentally. This kid is an absolute nervous wreck most of the time, but Spider-Man does a good job of making sure he’s properly learning from everything that he can.
Some moments in this book remind me of my favorite elements of Spider-Man in some of his standard comic stories. My only problem is that there are some moments where they lean a little bit too much into the humor with him to the point where he feels less like Spider-Man and more like Deadpool. That’s always a fine line to ride with Spider-Man sometimes, and the exaggerated style backfires occasionally when we hit those moments. Still, most of the time it’s very lovable, and I love the chemistry between these two.
This book has a lot to offer for people of all ages. Kids will love the style and the inspired character designs. I also think a lot of adults will appreciate the fact that this does still somewhat feel like authentic Spider-Man in a cartoon version of Japan. Putting Spider-Man in a position where he is forced to mentor a kid who represents himself when he was that lonely and nerdy kid ends up feeling very heartwarming. It doesn’t hit the mark all of the time, but ninety is still a really good score. I’m very curious to know what happens next, and I think you will be too after you pick this book up.