Overall, this was a solid read. I couldn't tell if this was going to be the only book or if Segura plans to write more. Either way, I wouldn't necessarily be opposed to reading another one.

A super fun take on the spiderverse. It was new perspective and I really enjoyed listening to this one.

I love the ways that superhero stories are becoming more relatable and accessible to more and more people. Good narration and a fun story.

I mostly liked this. This was my introduction to Araña, and I found her character to be compelling and well written. I like Segura's writing style and was mostly connected to the story, particularly once she travels forward in time. My biggest issue was in the villains. I found them less than compelling, and had a hard time taking a character named Judas Traveller seriously. The audiobook was really well performed and was an enjoyable way to take in the story.

My (12y/o) daughter is a huge Spider-Man fan. Every Spider-Man in every universe. She loves it. We listened to this audiobook together and really enjoyed it.

She loved getting to meet new characters and explores new worlds.

So if you’re a Spider-Man fan read this! I am not a Spider-Man fan of this level and only have basic knowledge of the Marvel world but I also enjoyed it.

Thank you to Disney Audiobooks and NetGalley for the chance to read/review.

This was uneven but a lot of fun. It felt both too long and too short. Arana is a fun Spider person and the time travel story was fascinating. Some of it was a bit too on the nose, but this would be a great way to introduce the characters to new readers.

Arana and Spider-man 2099: Dark Tomorrow
Written by Alex Segura
Narrated by Victoria Villarreal
Length: 7 hours and 31 minutes
Release Date: May 20, 2023 by Marvel Press
4/5 Stars
*An ARC of this title was provided by NetGalley in exchange for
an honest review. Receiving a copy in no way influenced my review*
People dying, whisked to the future, powers coming and going, superhuman bad guys going to destroy the universe…just another day in the office, right?
Arana (or Anya Corazon) is a young member of the spider team who is just getting started in learning who she is, what she can do, how to be a “hero”. Miguel O’Hara (or Spider-man 2099) is a former hero who kind of reminds Anya of the mentor she lost, except this Miguel is not hero. He quit. She does not need a quitter but she does need someone to help her home when she suddenly gets whisked to the future and meets this Miguel. Plus, there is the whole character of Judas Traveler who has a very evil connection to both of them, and may be a threat to the future, the past and all of the spiders in history.
STORY:
In general, the story is fun. This is not too long of a book and takes the tone of the spider-man stories it should, fun, wholesome, exciting, and not too serious. Alex Segura has captured the feel of the characters in their move from the comic page to the novel page. Anya is a fascinating main character to focus on, with him creating a new type of Tony Stark in Miguel (including the AI with an attitude who is a highlight!!). The biggest flaw in the story seems to come towards the end, where Segura writes a scene that seems to rip-off another major event of a character from one of the Marvel movies. It was a disappointing move, and leaves the story a little ambiguous for the end (which may have been intentional in case he wants to do a sequel).
NARRATOR:
I was happy to have a female narrator as most of the story is in Anya, the AI, or even Gwen Stacy (yes, she shows up and I love the fact he included her) voice. Only sometimes do we move to Miguel’s, and the narrator does a fair job with the voice of males to proving that distinction (even between different male voices such as Traveler, Miguel, Spider-man, and other villians). The only complaint I really came across on the audio was the opening soundtrack before the narration starts goes too long. I did not understand why the music kept going and they did not start the story earlier.
Over-all, the book was an easy, relaxing and fun listen that I would enjoy a sequel to and the chance to spend more time with Arana.