Synopsis

“With great power comes great responsibility,” but what if you don’t have any superpowers? Yu is an average high school student with below-average grades and zero luck socially. One day, Yu stumbles upon the one and only Spider-Man’s costume, seemingly abandoned in an ally. He excitedly dons Spidey’s suit and soon realizes that even with no powers, this costume wields a lot of responsibility. With no Spider-Man to be seen, Yu must continue his charade until the real Spidey is found. 

Review and Recommendation

The story and art of Spider-Man: Fake Red are by the same manga artist, Yusuke Osawa, who is adapting the Mandalorian manga. Having read the Mandalorian adaptation, I prefer Fake Red because of its originality and fresh take on an iconic character. The Mandalorian is still enjoyable. However, being that it is an adaptation, the story limits the creative possibilities the manga could have achieved. Fake Red exceeded my expectations because the story pays homage to past characters and plots with an updated twist. The story does not stagnate; instead, it jumps from different plot points and connects them as it progresses. There are also several easter eggs and throwbacks to past Spider-Man movies and characters. The main character, Yu, is also highly relatable and is an excellent example of the story's central theme: what makes a hero a hero. Spider-Man: Fake Red was entertaining and a delightful entry into the Spider-Man lore. Fake Red was an excellent summer read! 

Cautions

*Spoiler Alert* (A spoiler alert is being issued because there are mentions of specific plot points that relate to the rating of this review.) 

Spider-Man: Fake Red has a rating of T and is recommended for ages 13 and up due to realistic and fantasy violence. After reading Fake Red, the panels in this manga closely resemble several past PG-13 Marvel movies. There are lots of fight scenes with a few instances of crude language (for example, Yu’s Spider-Man says “crap” a few times) and tight-fitting superhero/supervillain costumes. I agree with the recommended rating of this manga for ages 13 and up.