The Spider-Verse is an ever-growing web of Spider-heroes from all across the Marvel Multiverse, and now, that network is coalescing into a Spider-Society in which all Spiders everywhere are members by default.
Writer Alex Segura and artist Scott Godlewski are bringing the Spider-Society together later this summer to take on an equally impressive foe - the Sinister Squadron, a conglomerate of multiversal foes of Spider-Man.
We caught up with Segura ahead of Spider-Society #1's August 14 release to talk about what it's like writing a team that has nearly infinite potential members, who his personal favorite Spiders are, and how this all fits into the Spider-Verse we've seen so far.
And along the way, we've got some new interior pages from Spider-Society #1 that introduce the villainous Sinister Squadron.
Newsarama: Alex, you've been playing in the Spider-Verse for a little while now, but this is even bigger. How did Spider-Society come about, and how does it relate to what we've seen so far?
Alex Segura: Editor Nick Lowe reached out to me with the idea a while back and I immediately said yes. I've done a few Spider-Verse stories before this, specifically two Araña adventures in Edge of Spider-Verse and my novel, Araña/Spider-Man 2099: Dark Tomorrow, so Nick knew I had an affinity for the characters.
We talked about it being a team book pulling from the vast collection of Spider-Heroes and really leaning into the character drama that comes with that, which immediately got my wheels spinning. The added bonus was we had a little runway to plant some seeds in three Edge of Spider-Verse stories, drawn by the legendary Salvador Larroca, so that helped us get things ramped up so we could just dive into the first issue come August.
While those first three "prequel" stories aren't mandatory reading to understand Spider-Society #1, they do set the table for the adventure, and give readers some meaningful clues about who will end up on the team roster.
Spider-Society has been billed as bringing together every Spider hero in the Spider-Verse, and the covers we've seen certainly play that up. How do you manage a cast that big while also trying to give each character their due?
I think the big challenge is giving every hero their due and not shortchanging any of them, within reason. Every Spider-Hero is someone's favorite. The first issue is a huge dose of Spider-Heroes and then we'll see the roster of the actual team tighten a bit, so we know who we're following, but it is a society - and every Spider-Hero is a member by default, so we'll see a lot of characters pop in and out as the adventure rolls out.
Part of the fun of writing the series has been revisiting some of the great work other creators have done with these heroes, like Steve Orlando's work on Spider-Man 2099, Cody Ziglar's Spider-Punk, or Steve Foxe's Web-Weaver stories, and try to help nudge those bigger narratives along to honor what's come before. But the top goal is to tell a fun adventure, with drama, stakes, and some major surprises.
On that note, which Spiders have you found yourself connecting with most strongly as Spider-Society has progressed?
I would be lying if I didn't say I loved Araña and Spider-Man 2099. I came in as a big fan of both, and was honored to have written them in prose and comics. I was not expecting to come out of the first few scripts really rooting for Weapon VIII, a relatively new Spider-Hero, and Madame Web, but that's been the fun part of the creative process - tapping into each character's emotional journey and seeing what resonates most.
You've described the threat at hand in Spider-Society as "eerily familiar." What can you tell us about what that is, and what's at stake here?
The Sinister Squadron is unlike any iteration of the Sinister Six/Syndicate we've ever seen before - readers will feel some familiar echoes, but the plan and goals of the team will be very different, and it's unlike any attack the heroes have experienced. I don't want to say much more because we have a few fun twists along the way, but I would suggest readers don't assume too much out of the gate - this team of villains catches the Spider-Society completely off guard, and it takes a good, long minute for them to get their bearings.
You're working with artist Scott Godlewski on Spider-Society. How has it been working with him? How is he handling all the Spiders swinging around?
Scott is a treat, and such a talent - he brings an energy and style to the story that matches up perfectly with the kind of character-driven, high-flying adventure story I want to tell. I saw him in person at a con in Phoenix and made a point to personally apologize for the sheer number of characters I'd been asking him to draw, but he seemed totally fine with it! Which is great - because there are plenty more coming.
He does something that's very rare - he gives each character their own, unique body language and vibe while still not skimping on the big action moments. Each page really flows well, and Matt Milla's colors are just a delight. Every time I see new pages in my inbox I have to sit and appreciate them.
Bottom line, what do you want readers to know going into Spider-Society #1?
My theme for this book has been simple - what happens when the Spider-Verse is pushed to the brink, and the unlikeliest heroes have to team up to save the multiverse?
I think a lot of people are going to come into this book with expectations of what it's going to be, and I hope we pleasantly surprise them - it's a story of overcoming huge obstacles and defining yourself as a hero and a teammate, with tons of interpersonal drama and action in the classic Marvel style.
Every issue has what I hope readers will see as a big jaw-dropping surprise, and we are so excited for folks to read the first issue in August. Load your web-shooters, folks, it's gonna be a wild ride.
Even the weirdest versions of Spider-Man from across the Multiverse are part of the Spider-Society.
