Created by writer Dan Slott and artist Humberto Ramos, the character first appeared in Spider-Man vol.
"[7] Slott later said Spider-Boy was created to be an entertaining Spider-Man supporting character, but became popular enough to get his own comic series.
[18] Eventually, Bailey managed to escape and, after training with Daredevil to gain more control over his powers became Spider-Boy, Spider-Man's sidekick, getting his costume from Mister Fantastic.
[24] As Spider-Man and Spider-Boy fight Gutterball, Madame Monstrosity sees a newspaper talking about the latter and decides to recapture him, sending her elephant/rhinoceros henchman Hellifino to do so.
Later, during a Thanksgiving parade, Spider-Boy takes Christina up a building where they meet Squirrel Girl and battle Balloon Man.
[26] Spider-Boy later battles Toy Soldier, a sentient action figure that Killionaire had Shannon Stillwell create by reverse-engineering the Super-Adaptoid technology and can replicate the powers of the Avengers.
[28] Spider-Boy is among the heroes who assist Spider-Man, Miles Morales, Spider-Woman, She-Hulk, and Daredevil in fighting Madame Masque.
After fleeing, Boy-Spider is calmed down by Monstrosity's servant Tabby, who is revealed to be Bailey's mother Tabitha Briggs.
While going over the previous PS locations, his spider-senses on the pen he's holding reveals to him that Christina will be targeted by Madame Monstrosity and Hellifino.
[33] However, Christina manages to contact Miles Morales, Squirrel Girl, Captain America, Thor, and Toy Soldier to rescue them.
Madame Monstrosity transforms into a Chimera of different animal specimens and attacks the heroes before being taken away by the High Evolutionary who plans to experiment on her.
As Spider-Boy wonders if he did something to cause everyone to not remember him as he sees the Simms Tower, Madame Web, Silk, and Lady Araña are working on how to deal with their new Spider-Friend.
Spider-Boy shows up to tell Lady Araña that he brought him back wrong and that he needs her help to fix it.
As Bailey travels the universe, visiting Earth-67, Earth-51778, Earth-51914, Earth-982, and Earth-92131 in the process, Lady Araña and Silk begin to remember his existence which led to him accidentally getting sucked into the Web of Life and Destiny.
Meanwhile, Bullseye and an unnamed female ninja take interest in him and obtain Daredevil's Golden Fang Trophy.
[37][38] Arriving in Madripoor, Spider-Boy and Daredevil had to obtain a Golden Fang Trophy by defeating the sumo wrestler Enormo and his student Hulkette.
In a flashback, Spider-Girl and Ms. Marvel had subdued Stegron who was in the middle of stealing dinosaur bones when Bullseye dispatched Funhouse to attack.
[40] After defeating Bengal and Tigris, Spider-Boy and Daredevil watch Spider-Girl and Bullseye face off against the Sisters of Stone.
[49] D. R. Bickham of Comic Book Resources called Bailey Briggs one of the most interesting incarnations of Spider-Man, writing, "While his youth, quirkiness, and awkward similarities to his mentor make him immediately endearing to fans, another contributing factor to Spider-Boy's newfound popularity and staying power lies in his unique rogues gallery.
[56][57] Sayantan Gayen of Comic Book Resources called Spider-Boy #1 a "positive debut issue," asserting that it offers the freshest take on an old formula from Marvel in recent history.
He praised the potential for the character, noting that Bailey's future looks bright if the creators invest the necessary love to help him grow.
[58] Matthew Aguilar of ComicBook.com gave Spider-Boy #1 a score of 4 out of 5 stars, praising the emotional depth of Bailey's origin story and the poignant reunion that unfolds, calling it a "heartfelt" experience.
He noted that the villains in the series have an appealing absurdity, which adds to its charm, with artist Paco Medina and colorist Erick Arciniega effectively embracing this whimsical style in their artwork and character designs.
Aguilar also highlighted the entertaining second story, "Balloonacy," by Ty Templeton and Dee Cunniffe, appreciating the inclusion of Squirrel Girl and Tippy-Toe.
He remarked that when Spider-Boy takes center stage, the series evokes a unique quality that feels special, leaving him eager to see where the story goes next.