Marvel; $3.99

Though Spider-Man has taken out Mister Negative, things have somehow taken a turn for the worse after his mentor, Otto Octavius, unleashes a virus known as Devil’s Breath on the city of New York. Oh, and on top of that, several of his most dangerous foes have escaped from the Raft – Electro, Vulture, Scorpion, and Rhino, alongside Mister Negative. Now Peter must contend with the threat of the Sinister Six on top of having to uncover a cure for Devil’s Breath.

City at War is an adaptation of the Spider-Man video game for PlayStation 4 that released last year, and while it’s handling some things really well story-wise it has sometimes fallen flat in terms of conveying the tension experienced. Having to sneak around as M.J. without getting caught by Silver Sable or her goons is a nail-biting stealth sequence, and Spidey getting the absolute crap kicked out of him by the Sinister Six is meant to serve as a narrative turning point. In fact, the whole sequence on the Raft feels extremely watered down – in the game it’s a demonstration of Spider-Man’s skills right up until he encounters his nemeses, at which point he gets smacked back down to earth. In the comic version, it’s reduced to a couple of pages. I understand that this is just the result having to adjust the pacing of the story to fit a set amount of comic issues, but it feels as though it’s missing the mark in conveying the highs and lows that the game gave players. If you enjoy the book so far, definitely head back and experience the source material if you have a PlayStation 4.

-Carrie Wood