Spider-Man 2099 Omnibus Vol. 2

In summary, there are three "main" versions of Spider-Man 2099; the 90s, the 2010s, and the current version. This omnibus collects the majority of the appearances of the second version.This collection starts off with the classic 2099 Unlimited appearances. Contunity-wise these were kind of odd, and most of them didn't really fit in with the original run of Spider-Man 2099. However, they are decent stories and set the stage for the rest of the omnibus.The second arc is the Captain Marvel "Time Flies" story which saw Miguel guest starring in a time traveling adventure. This gave us an origin for Thanatos from the original run, which was unexpected but welcome. This was published 4 years after the end of the first series and was the first significant return of the character to Marvel. The Exiles version and the Timestorm mini were still another 4-5 years off so this was a real treat at the time. Some of the jokes fell flat for me. But it was written by the original series creator Peter David, so I can't complain too much.I was pleased to see that this omnibus included the Superior Spider-Man issues that brought Miguel back into monthly comics. This was pretty big at the time as we had only seen Miguel in guest stars and alternative reboots since volume 1. I never expected to see a monthly Spider-Man 2099 series return, let alone almost 20 years later. It set up the status quo for the following 2014 series and the big popular Spiderverse crossover. I especially loved what they did with Lyla. It made her a more active role in Miguel's life, rather than being stuck in his apartment all of the time.The 2014 series continues from the Superior Spider-Man stories. Miguel settles into his life as an assistant at Alchemax. There he tries to steer the company (and his grandfather) into a more positive direction than the future he came from. Miguel gets a new love interest and we see a fair amount of the Alchemax cast. This part also includes the crossover issues of Spider-Verse, but be warned it does not include the ending of that story. You will have to seek out the Spiderverse collection for that. After that, we get another Maestro story and the return of Strange (the Sorceress Supreme of 2099). This is the first distinctly altered version of 2099 that we see. Repairing the timeline becomes the central goal for the remainder of the omnibus.Secret Wars 2099 was a mini-series that was part of the crossover event of the same name. While not in-continuity with the rest of the volume it did introduce the Avengers of 2099. Those characters, especially Captain America and Iron Man, play a big role in the following 2015 series. Although seen only briefly, the Specialist returns which is pure nostalgia. We also get to see a version of Miguel who was in charge of Alchemax. The original series dabbled with that concept towards the end, but it was canceled before it could really go anywhere with it. This gave us some idea of what that could have been like.The 2015 series was the longest-running in this volume (25 issues). It gives us a time jump, a new suit, a new status quo, and a new cast of supporting characters. We also got an origin for the classic character Venture, which was great. We got a new Sinister Six team made up of returning characters like Kron Stone and Goblin. It added some new characters that are acceptable variations on the original version of the Sinister Six.This series has a main villain that is directly connected to the main goal of restoring the timeline. She is tied in with mainstream Marvel lore, but the only real benefit that we get out of it is a crossover with Electra.Roberta/Captain America gets a lot of screen time, and I enjoyed every moment of it. The powers and the personality are different enough from Steve Rogers that it felt like a unique spin. There were many classic 2099 characters appearing in this volume. The X-men, Ravage, the Punisher, Tyler Stone. They all had enough of a reason to be there that it didn't just feel like nostalgia bait.Tempest returns and has her own plot twists and turns from the start of the series. I didn't even realize that I had completely forgotten Miguel's former fiancee Dana back in 2099. I guess Tempest was a lot more memorable. It doesn't feel that jarring given the introduction of Anna, the romantic interest from the beginning of the Omnibus. It also sorta fits alongside the romantic relationship of the Exiles version of Miguel.I must confess that I wasn't a big fan of Miguel's new white suit. While cool, I didn't like it as much as the original. Thankfully we see the original return towards the end with the arrival of a new Spider-Man character from the year 2116. I don't really have much to say about this character as he seems to have been abandoned with the direction of the current version and he adds to the Tempest plot.This story wraps up its present-day plot in a satisfactory way. However, it does end on a cliffhanger non-ending the same way that the Omnibus Volume 1 did. Thankfully this version of the character gets a conclusion in the Amazing Spider-Man 2099, and Amazing Spider-Man 2099 Companion which are still easy to track down.In conclusion, I am glad I bought this and it was definitely worth the price tag to me. I would recommend it if you bought the first omnibus and want to catch up, or if you were introduced to the character through Spider-Verse crossover and want to see what's up with his side of the story. I enjoy having these stories in one convenient book that I put on the shelf next to Volume 1!I hope that they continue with a Spider-Man 2099 Omnibus Volume 3. There is plenty of character content that is out of print and hard to come by. The Exiles version, and the Timestorm version, are worth revisiting. Also, the 2099 World of Tomorrow and the Manifest Destiny stories have never been collected and are worth reading even though they diverge pretty far from the original settings. I would definitely buy another volume of this!10/10 highly recommend!