Web Warriors #8 delivers part two of the “Tangled States” storyline as writer Mike Costa and artist David Baldeon swing into action trying to reunite the scattered collections of webslingers from across the multiverse. The creative team is rounded out with tag-team inks by Walden Wong and Robert Poggi, combo colors from Rachelle Rosenberg and Matt Yackey and lettering by the singular Joe Caramagna.

Web Warriors #8 opens with a rare glimpse of Loomworld outside the chamber housing the Web of Life and Destiny, but that glimpse is over in a panel. In the chamber, Octavia Otto is working with Karn to determine the whereabouts of the Web Warriors; unbeknownst to the Loomworld command duo, the warriors are stuck witnessing giant mechanized versions of Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus duke it out. That team now contains only Anya (the de facto leader of the team), Lady Spider, Spider-Man Noir, Spider-Gwen, Spider-Ham, Pavitr Prabhakar, and the just-joined Spider-Punk.

The duo that Karn is desperate to reconnect with – Spider-UK (William Braddock) and Mayday Parker – are on Lady Spider’s Earth, trying to find their own means of communicating with their distant allies. They’re also on the world that is currently housing a bajillion Electros from the first storyline of this title.

Against all logic, Costa manages to give each of the characters slinging webs a chance to show off some of their individuality, even if it comes in the form of a throwaway line or in their positioning while charging into battle. The three tiers of the story allow for readers to catch their breath, process the situation, and move on, almost as though Web Warriors #8 were presented as an anthology, with a subplot stringing the tale together. By the end of the issue, however, Costa brings everything back together and leaves readers with a cliffhanger.

En route to that finale, Baldeon draws a lot of fun stuff for readers to check out. There’s a visit to Noir’s world, a check-in on Spider-Ham’s planet, the aforementioned giant robots, flattened cartoon pigs (bravo to Caramagna for matching the perspective with the word balloon) and eight hundred finger sandwiches. Basically, anything Costa can think up, Baldeon can draw. More importantly, however, Baldeon and his inking tandem keep the lines clean and sharp so the characters can be animated and organic, the backgrounds detailed but not crowded, and the story’s flow crisp and easy to navigate. Yackey and Rosenberg use bright, saturated colors throughout, giving Web Warriors #8 an eye-catching finished look. The coloring duo dials back the saturation on Noir’s world, letting the glow of L.E.D. signage (I know!) wash over the scene.

As the story moves on, strands are pulled on the Web of Life and Destiny, but those strands have resiliency to them and snap back into place. Like drops of water on a tree branch, when the branch is pulled back and let go, the drops don’t all go in the same predictable direction, and that’s where the issue sets things up for future installments.

A fun-filled exploration of the multiverse, not unlike Exiles from the early 2000s, Web Warriors gives readers plenty of offbeat action and adventure, interesting variations on a theme and a healthy dose of unpredictability. Web Warriors #8 also includes some sage advice from Anya Corazon: “We hit the one that doesn’t look like Spider-Man!” If you’re looking for a comic that brings a little bit of joy alongside your Marvel Universe favorites, then Costa, Baldeon, Wong, Poggi, Rosenberg, Yackey, and Caramagna can help you out.

Editor’s Note: It should be pointed out that all the characters on the cover are presented with white skin, despite both Spider-Punk and Spider-Man India having skin of a different color.