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The Amazing Spider-Man (2022) (Single Issues)
The Amazing Spider-Man (2022) #1
WHAT DID SPIDER-MAN DO?! Peter’s on the outs with the FF. He’s on the outs with the Avengers. He’s on the outs with Aunt May! No one wants to see Spider-Man – except for Doctor Octopus. Ock’s on Spider-Man’s tail and the Master Planner has something truly terrible planned for when he gets his tentacles on Spidey. All that, and what does Tombstone have planned? Just in time for Spider-Man’s 60th Anniversary, a new volume of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN begins, and 2022 is going to be the biggest year for Spider-Man EVER! Don’t believe us? We brought John Romita Jr. back JUST FOR THIS!
46 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 27, 2022
About the author
Zeb Wells
656 books66 followersZeb Wells is an American comic book writer known for his work at Marvel Comics, as well as his work on the animated TV series Robot Chicken.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
April 27, 2022
This was my first time since Superior Spider-Man that I am picking up the mainline Spidey book, and it was okay. I love JRJR on art, but I think if anything I’ll just tradewait the rest of it. I’m also not angry at the ending like some are, but I honestly completely get why some are so mad, it is a little dumb.
June 27, 2022
For all that I'm a longtime comic book fan, and I often talk about the good old days, this was a little too derivative even for me.
Do you remember Digger, the gamma-powered mobster monster made up of a bunch of different gangsters fused together? I read about him in a back issue more than ten years ago. I don't usually pay attention to artists, but the exact same artist who handled that run of Spider-man appears to be back, and drawing in the exact same style now. And, hey, he brought Digger back! For all those fans who were clamoring for his return.
I'm tired of writers thinking that an essential element to Spider-man is having Peter Parker always broke and down on his luck. For me, it's just unpleasant static that I always need to endure. Do you honestly think I read comic books because I want to vicariously experience other people's financial problems? I can barely stand to watch "Bob's Burgers" because I find it so distressing to watch a lower-middle-class couple struggle to feed their kids.
The Human Torch makes an appearance and is drawn in his 90s style. Which, admittedly, makes me feel a little nostalgic.
Peter doesn't even mention Ben Reilly, despite the fact Ben has been Spider-man for the last several months. Ben is one of my all-time favorite characters, not Peter, so I'm still harboring a lot of anger and animosity about the fact the writers did Ben so dirty. I'm really not ready to forgive Peter for treating his brother like shit.
And then the issue concludes with more evidence that the writers are going to keep Peter and MJ apart some more. This was the same problem back when Joe Quesada was in charge of Marvel and trying desperately to find some way to split up Peter and MJ. He experimented with killing off MJ, or thought about having her leave Peter, and he hated the fact that the pair divorcing would somehow "age" Peter. This issue concludes with yet another obstacle to keep them apart, even setting aside the literal deal with the Devil that was Brand New Day. I still haven't spent money on a Spider-man comic since Brand New Day, because I'm boycotting that awful writing decision. We spent the last year getting hints that maybe Brand New Day would get undone, and then it just... wasn't.
Do you remember Digger, the gamma-powered mobster monster made up of a bunch of different gangsters fused together? I read about him in a back issue more than ten years ago. I don't usually pay attention to artists, but the exact same artist who handled that run of Spider-man appears to be back, and drawing in the exact same style now. And, hey, he brought Digger back! For all those fans who were clamoring for his return.
I'm tired of writers thinking that an essential element to Spider-man is having Peter Parker always broke and down on his luck. For me, it's just unpleasant static that I always need to endure. Do you honestly think I read comic books because I want to vicariously experience other people's financial problems? I can barely stand to watch "Bob's Burgers" because I find it so distressing to watch a lower-middle-class couple struggle to feed their kids.
The Human Torch makes an appearance and is drawn in his 90s style. Which, admittedly, makes me feel a little nostalgic.
Peter doesn't even mention Ben Reilly, despite the fact Ben has been Spider-man for the last several months. Ben is one of my all-time favorite characters, not Peter, so I'm still harboring a lot of anger and animosity about the fact the writers did Ben so dirty. I'm really not ready to forgive Peter for treating his brother like shit.
And then the issue concludes with more evidence that the writers are going to keep Peter and MJ apart some more. This was the same problem back when Joe Quesada was in charge of Marvel and trying desperately to find some way to split up Peter and MJ. He experimented with killing off MJ, or thought about having her leave Peter, and he hated the fact that the pair divorcing would somehow "age" Peter. This issue concludes with yet another obstacle to keep them apart, even setting aside the literal deal with the Devil that was Brand New Day. I still haven't spent money on a Spider-man comic since Brand New Day, because I'm boycotting that awful writing decision. We spent the last year getting hints that maybe Brand New Day would get undone, and then it just... wasn't.
August 8, 2023
Reihenauftakt für eine neue Spider Man Reihe, der Ikonen Wells/Romita Jr.
Marvel/Panini Zusammenarbeit
Mit etwas über 50 Seiten schnell durch, schön illustriert.
Nach einem Kampf mit einiger Verletzungen zieht sich Peter Parker zurück und verprellt damit alle Menschen in seinem Leben.
Gleichzeitig versucht er aber weiter Verbrechen zu verhindern. Nach einem Bombenanschlag und einer Auseinandersetzung mit Digger, wendet sich ein Gangsterboß an Parker mit einer Botschaft für Spider-Man. Wird er der Zusammenarbeit zu stimmen?
Der Band endet mit einem Cliffhanger und einem alten Bekannten
Guter Auftakt, auch wenn mir wieder einmal etwas die Zusammenhänge fehlen.
Marvel/Panini Zusammenarbeit
Mit etwas über 50 Seiten schnell durch, schön illustriert.
Nach einem Kampf mit einiger Verletzungen zieht sich Peter Parker zurück und verprellt damit alle Menschen in seinem Leben.
Gleichzeitig versucht er aber weiter Verbrechen zu verhindern. Nach einem Bombenanschlag und einer Auseinandersetzung mit Digger, wendet sich ein Gangsterboß an Parker mit einer Botschaft für Spider-Man. Wird er der Zusammenarbeit zu stimmen?
Der Band endet mit einem Cliffhanger und einem alten Bekannten
Guter Auftakt, auch wenn mir wieder einmal etwas die Zusammenhänge fehlen.
May 10, 2022
2.5 stars. More frustrating than anything. Book opens with the first page depicting some major tragedy that has happened then we get ushered ahead 6 months. Here, Peter is being weird and distant. Being kind of a dick to his friends, aunt May ain’t really feeling him and MJ won’t even speak to him. ( Seems like every Spider-Man writer plays hot potato with MJ. One writer has him with MJ then the next writer breaks them up. Then the next writer has them back again etc etc) Big departure from what we just read in what came right before this. In this issue, we get no answer, clue nor tease as to what has happened. Plus, in current times, John Romita Jr’s art isn’t the best. Everyone has these fat odd shaped faces. Sad thing is, his art from back in the day is awesome. Don’t know what happened. After reading this, I was just gonna stop pulling this title and just wait in the trade being as tho the last 30 or so issues of ASM have been average or dumb and I just don’t have it in me to wait for Zub to drag this on until we find out what happened. But, since we are so close, I’ll probably keep it going until issue #900 then stop it. Also, that ending with MJ. Huh???? Where did they come from?
April 28, 2022
Solid first issue.
Peter is not having a good time. Pages open to something horrible happening, big explosion maybe, and then reverts back to 6 months later and Peter is walking around moping. We get a gang war building up, MJ not wanting to speak to Peter, Peter getting yelled at my May, and Otto...well you'll see. Also a twist surprise at the end?
A lot of build up, but will it pay off? It's more around a 3 out of 5 but the art pushed me to a 3.5-4 so I'll land it there.
Peter is not having a good time. Pages open to something horrible happening, big explosion maybe, and then reverts back to 6 months later and Peter is walking around moping. We get a gang war building up, MJ not wanting to speak to Peter, Peter getting yelled at my May, and Otto...well you'll see. Also a twist surprise at the end?
A lot of build up, but will it pay off? It's more around a 3 out of 5 but the art pushed me to a 3.5-4 so I'll land it there.
April 30, 2022
This is just disappointing. I was hoping this series would be great, but this 1st issue was just ass. Atleast I can look forward to the punisher series and Zero War from marvel, and I hope this will get better after the first arc, but this is just disappointing.
Low 5.8
Low 5.8
April 28, 2022
Read it, nice story, good characters good art, still suffering from the same problem. Not married to MJ because of a stupid decision with the devil.
May 1, 2022
I read this book earlier today and I already can’t remember anything about it. Not memorable at all for me and I’m really not into this art style. I’ve honestly been really disappointed with spider man comics lately so I’m probably just gonna hop off for a while and focus on other characters until something cool happens. Have fun y’all see ya later ✌🏻
March 10, 2023
Look, there are spoilers here but the entire issue is floating on the web for anyone who stumbles across it so...
Proceed at your own caution, I guess? I don't feel like hiding the review. You're big people. You can stop reading and walk away if you really want to.
But do you?
I said, do you?
Good, because here comes Zeb Wells's lackluster follow up to his lackluster Beyond arc (written by several writers, true, but he's been credited as the "mastermind") in which the Spider-Office wasted a lot of pages without any real story to speak of just to turn Ben Reilly into a silly 90s-era style edgelord complete with ridiculous supervillain name ("Fear...THE CHASM!!! 😂) and Green Goblin-reminescent colors because apparently Marvel color codes their villains now. I guess it helps the heroes know if they are fighting someone from their own book or not. 🤷
(If you are interested in Beyond, the only issue of any real note is Jed MacKay's Mary Jane and Black Cat one shot. That's a really fun, super smart and witty comic. Or if you must, pick up the issues written by Pat Gleason and MacKay - they're decent reads, with good characterization, action and dialogue - it's just a shame about the overall story. Avoid the others. You'll thank me.)
So, when we last saw our titular hero, he was about to move in with Mary Jane - alas, Nick Spencer, we hardly knew ye and the engagement ring you introduced - hopefully Gog didn't eat it) - only for a literal deus ex machina to show up and mumble something about rivers of blood (side note: don't you HATE it when rivers turn to blood? Like, so much red and it's so sticky. Ew). The deus ex machina does its best Arnold impersonation about coming with him- although, had Peter and MJ known Wells was about to boot them backwards to the misery status of Brand New Day (an egregious dark chapter in Spider-Man history Wells happened to be part of; never has a "brain trust" been more hysterically mislabeled), Peter and MJ would have told the deus ex machina to take his glowing ectoplasm and fuck off.
ASM Volume who the hell can keep track #1: The Money Grab starts with Peter screaming in the middle of a crater of what remains of York, Pennsylvania. What happened? Was anyone hurt? Why is Peter's costume torn? Who the hell knows? Certainly not the reader, because this is also ASM Volume who the hell can keep track #1: The Mystery Box Because The Writer Can't Be Arsed To Tell A Story And Has To Rely On Cheap Narrative Sleight Of Hand to Keep the Reader Engaged.
(I don't think JJ Abrams is as terrible a storyteller as people like to make him out to be - I find his obsession with light flares far more annoying than his rather paint by numbers plotting - but the dude deserves all the shit he gets and more for making the mystery box the default storytelling crutch for a certain subset of writers - usually male authors of a certain generation who work on SF/F franchises. Stop it, male authors of a certain generation who work on SF/F franchises. It's a lazy way to manufacture suspense. And it usually bites you in the ass because you aren't as clever you think you are, so you keep putting off opening the mystery box, digging the story in deeper and deeper until you run out of room and are forced to finally lift the lid - and nothing but dead moths fall out.)
So, one page of Peter screaming followed by two black pages that proclaim: SIX MONTHS LATER. I'm sure readers who paid for this book will be happy to know that's where some of their story money went.
(Now, do we know when the explosion took place? No. For all we know, the explosion took place ten years after deus ex machina dude showed up. All we know - because this issue is nothing but one giant and wholly contrived Mystery Box - is that the events that are about to unfold took place six months after the explosion.)
Peter has a meal with Aunt May, who is upset with her beloved nephew for lying to her (yeah, no duh May, he's been lying to you since he was 15, I'm glad you found out - oh. Wait. She still doesn't know? This is a new lie? Okie-dokie). Apparently, this new lie was so heinous that May was forced to move to a smaller apartment. Why did Peter's lie make her move, when it was Spider-Man who blew up York, Pennsylvania? Who the hell knows --
--Wait, again. Peter knows. May knows. The only one who doesn't know is the reader. Because this is the extreme lazy version of the Mystery Box, the one where the characters have all the answers but they purposefully (via authorial control, of course) keep the information from the reader. Ugh. This is such a dishonest literary device, I can't even.
Peter then runs into Randy - remember Randy? He and Fred aka Boomerang were Peter's roommates? Remember Fred? Good, because apparently Peter and Randy don't. Fred is pushing up daisies and Randy and Peter couldn't care less. Randy, after questioning Peter about *can't tell you! Mystery Box!* announces he is about to propose to Janice Lincoln, aka the Beetle, aka Tombstone's daughter. He wants Peter to check in on his dinner to ask for her hand to make sure her scary daddy doesn't make him swim with the fishes.
Peter agrees, not at all thinking, "Gee, I was meant to propose, too" (DAMN EDITORIAL MEDDLING) even though this would have been the perfect place for that thought, and goes to sulk in the apartment that apparently Randy is still paying for because Randy really needs to learn how to set boundaries with deadbeat friends. We earlier learned that Peter is in deep to debt collectors who are harrassing May, and May apparently has no money either (is this because of Peter's big lie or because Peter burned through May's money due to Slott writing him as an irresponsible manchild who lost her investment in his company? WHO KNOWS - oh, wait, I forgot. Peter knows, but the reader is forced to be a mushroom, sitting in the dark).
Peter decides to wander around - he doesn't feel like patrolling, because MYSTERY BOX - but Johnny Storm comes by for no reason but to drop a load of exposition. See, Peter apparently stole from FF and that made Reed and Sue mad/sad so Peter can't go over to Johnny's house to play now. Johnny expositions that Peter wanted to screw up his life and the FF were trying to stop him. Peter basically says, "Nah bra" and leaves Johnny flaming in the sky by his lonesome. *Sniff* Sucks to be this Peter Parker's friend.
Meanwhile, there's a gang war brewing around some item Tombstone has and the Rose wants but Tombstone makes fun of the Rose so the Rose brings in gamma-irridated Digger as his muscle, leading to Tombstone agreeing to meet but on his territoy. Then he runs off to meet Randy. Their dinner goes well, because Janice is going to do what Janice is going to do and they both know and love that about her. Nice to have an acknowledgement in ASM that a strong romantic partner is an asset - but only for rarely used supporting characters.
Peter looks in on the meeting, sees that Randy is holding his own, turns to leave -- but wait!!! Hey, he knows those costumed goons! He puts on his underoos and hitches a ride, showing up to the Big Gang Meet where the White Rabbit is selling a Goblin Glider - gee, I guess Amazon isn't the Everything Store after all. Or maybe the Glider doesn't quality for One Day Prime Shipping. Spidey calls attention to himself, which is a mistake because he triggers Digger, who is very unhappy Spidey killed him the last time they met - plus there's the fact Spidey just broke off his fingers (can you get cancer from breaking off irridated fingers if you yourself are irritated from a spider bite? Telemedicine visits with your doctor in the Marvel U must be fun). Pow! Bam! Thwip! Spidey webs up White Rabbit but Digger and co. gets away.
And Peter goes home to sleep. I mean, he says he tried to find Digger, but Peter apparently has zero sense of responsibility now - stiffs his roommate on rent, avoids his friends, lies to May - so he's pretty much an unreliable narrator (not to mention, dude won't tell us what's in the Mystery Box even though he knows perfectly well what he did which also makes him annoying).
Oh, but the phone rings! It's MJ! Hiding in a closet (since when does MJ hide in closets?! Screw you, Wells. And the scene implies she's also lying/hiding from the people in her life. Screw you twice, Wells). She tells him to never call her again. Boy, you make one offer to move in together, a deus ex machina shows up, and a new/old writer decides to assassinate your character and undo all the good will of the previous writer just for the lulz. Sounds about Marvel.
Cut to: a Tombstone wearing Hugh Hefner's finest indulging in a glass of wine with his kitty companion (awww, gotta love a gangster with a cat). Hammerhead is bitching in his ear about Spider-Man wrecking the deal, to which Tombstone replies Spider-Man falls under force majuere (which I have to admit made me laugh). He hangs up on Hammerhead, and *sniff* Uh oh.
Digger blows up Tombstone's mansion, and eats the rose that was supposed to be left as a calling card (also made me laugh).
The cat survives. Oh, and so does Tombstone, but did anyone really worry? No. Concern about animals always come first. Anyway, kitty is angry but doesn't even looked scorched. Tombstone is both.
Peter wakes up and goes full on sad sack. Like, he makes the "Spider-Man No More!" Peter look happy and optimistic when that dude was a histrionic mess. He makes "I AM THE SPIDER" Peter seem well-adjusted and mentally healthy, and he was a grade A asshole of unmitigated misery.
Peter can't even muscle up the will to go web-swinging, which has always been his refuge. I'd care, except that Wells put Peter's motivations in the Mystery Box and they are completely opaque. So instead, we get to watch Mopey McMoperson Boatface wander around New York like the deadbeat Randy really needs to cut out of his life (or at least, out of his wallet. C'mon, Randy, grow some self-respect). So much fun. There's another portion of your storytelling dollars you're never getting back.
Peter wanders and wanders and wanders...and ends up in front of MJ's place, because apparently Peter is now a grade A stalker of ex-wives - I mean, girlfriends. No, fuck it, I mean wives because Mephisto didn't wipe MY memory, Marvel, you adorable little misogynists you.
But guess who just happens to by driving MJ's place? No, not Fred, Fred is dead. No, not Harry, Harry 1 and 2 are dead. (I think. Those last Kindred issues were convoluted, man. DAMN EDITORIAL MEDDLING.) No, not Flash, everyone just thinks he's dead, and he's the only one the cast mourned. Go figure.
It's everyone's favorite nearly barbequed gangster, Tombstone! Who apparently was stalking Peter while Peter was stalking MJ. Peter gets in the car and the two banter adorably, because Peter is back to sounding like an asshat (Alas, Slott, we did know ye. You can stay gone). No wonder MJ wants him out of her life: no grown adult wants a whiny manbaby around. Tombstone was stalking him to get a message to Spider-Man: there's a gang war coming and it's all HIS fault (which kinda seems unfair and irrational because Digger and his boss the Rose are the active aggressors here, but asking for characters to use their brains is apparently really pushing the envelope at Marvel these days).
Peter is now excited because he has a job (newsflash: no, you don't, Peter, honey. Not the kind you need, the kind that pays money). After another longing look at MJ's apartment, he leaves.
Cut to the interior of said apartment and guess is looking forlonly out the window, just as the knuckleheaded numbskulls at Marvel used to claim was why her character was so one note: MJ.
GAH. Look, you feckless farts, characters do what the writers make them do. DON'T FUCKING WRITE HER MOPING BY THE WINDOW AND THEN TURN AROUND AND SAY, SEE? THAT'S ALL SHE'S GOOD FOR. If the issue made me angry at all - and it didn't, it was boring and lacked a reason for me to care because Wells was too busy trying to keep the lid of the mystery box closed that he forgot to give the characters motivations - it was this scene. It's so reductive and cliched and insulting - and yes, I'm going to go there and call it sexist as well. Because it is.
Anyway, MJ moons over Peter 🤬 🤬 🤬 as he walks away. A nice professorial-looking guy named Paul comes into the room and asks if she is okay. She says yes, and he says good, because he can't hold them back any more.
And here come two adorable plot moppets running toward MJ, screaming "Mommy!" and flinging themselves into her arms. They seem to be around, I dunno, seven and five years old? Or eight and six? The boy is the oldest and he had dark hair; his skin tone is more golden than the girl, who has red hair and dimples and a cleft chin just like MJ.
Paul asks if MJ needs more time, but MJ, with the kids in her arms, says everything is great. The end.
Only not the end, because there is a two page epilogue with Doc Ock bloviating on a futuristic torture rack, being questioned by some dude with an elongated head who speaks in the Ultimate Universe's font and wants Doc Ock's plans to destroy "him." Three guesses as to who "him" is, and I doubt it's Paul. Who honestly seems like a very nice guy.
Art is JRJR at his usual. Great use of panels, fight scenes are dynamic, he draws a great Spidey, but his faces appear to have no bone structure, as always. I miss Patrick Gleason, but there's something comforting about JRJR's art - or maybe that's just nostalgia from the JMS era.
And there you have it. The gang war stuff is fun if nothing new - but that's okay! It doesn't have to aim for groundbreaking all the time! A fun story is good! Aim for fun, Marvel, not this ridiculous MYSTERY BOX shit! And not the asinine soap opera twists, becaused I know soap operas, soap operas are very good friends of mine, and this, Marvel, is not good soap. It's a troll and you know it. Shame on you.
A star for making me laugh a few times and a star for saving the cat (Blake Synder would be so proud!).
But is this going on my pull list? BWA HA HA HA HA. No way in Mephisto's corner of hell. I'm OVER Mystery Box being used instead of storytelling. In fact, the best parts of the issue were those had nothing to do with Mystery Box - the gang fight and Tombstone and Randy. And I'm sorry, but I refuse to support another run of Peter the incompent manchild. Nope. Nuh huh. That's Slott's bastardized version - he didn't exist before Slott got his fingers on the character. That's not Peter Parker.
MJ and the kids? SUCH a troll, you can see the lulz from space. Look, if the best Wells can do with her is make her mope by the window (AND HE DID THE EXACT SAME THING WITH HER IN BEYOND 🤬) then fine, saddle her with children and a nice partner and get her the hell out of the book until Quesada and Brevoort finally turn in their Marvel access badges and there are new faces in the Spider-office whose brains have evolved enough to understand female characters can serve more purpose than standing around imitating sad window curtains and being mommies 🙄 😡. But then, this being Wells, MJ and Paul will probably cook the kids and eat them. Wells has a strange fetish for killing children, from Curt Connors eating his own young son in Shed to rotting baby and child corpses and destroying Kwannon's chance to have her daughter back in Hellions.
Proceed at your own caution, I guess? I don't feel like hiding the review. You're big people. You can stop reading and walk away if you really want to.
But do you?
I said, do you?
Good, because here comes Zeb Wells's lackluster follow up to his lackluster Beyond arc (written by several writers, true, but he's been credited as the "mastermind") in which the Spider-Office wasted a lot of pages without any real story to speak of just to turn Ben Reilly into a silly 90s-era style edgelord complete with ridiculous supervillain name ("Fear...THE CHASM!!! 😂) and Green Goblin-reminescent colors because apparently Marvel color codes their villains now. I guess it helps the heroes know if they are fighting someone from their own book or not. 🤷
(If you are interested in Beyond, the only issue of any real note is Jed MacKay's Mary Jane and Black Cat one shot. That's a really fun, super smart and witty comic. Or if you must, pick up the issues written by Pat Gleason and MacKay - they're decent reads, with good characterization, action and dialogue - it's just a shame about the overall story. Avoid the others. You'll thank me.)
So, when we last saw our titular hero, he was about to move in with Mary Jane - alas, Nick Spencer, we hardly knew ye and the engagement ring you introduced - hopefully Gog didn't eat it) - only for a literal deus ex machina to show up and mumble something about rivers of blood (side note: don't you HATE it when rivers turn to blood? Like, so much red and it's so sticky. Ew). The deus ex machina does its best Arnold impersonation about coming with him- although, had Peter and MJ known Wells was about to boot them backwards to the misery status of Brand New Day (an egregious dark chapter in Spider-Man history Wells happened to be part of; never has a "brain trust" been more hysterically mislabeled), Peter and MJ would have told the deus ex machina to take his glowing ectoplasm and fuck off.
ASM Volume who the hell can keep track #1: The Money Grab starts with Peter screaming in the middle of a crater of what remains of York, Pennsylvania. What happened? Was anyone hurt? Why is Peter's costume torn? Who the hell knows? Certainly not the reader, because this is also ASM Volume who the hell can keep track #1: The Mystery Box Because The Writer Can't Be Arsed To Tell A Story And Has To Rely On Cheap Narrative Sleight Of Hand to Keep the Reader Engaged.
(I don't think JJ Abrams is as terrible a storyteller as people like to make him out to be - I find his obsession with light flares far more annoying than his rather paint by numbers plotting - but the dude deserves all the shit he gets and more for making the mystery box the default storytelling crutch for a certain subset of writers - usually male authors of a certain generation who work on SF/F franchises. Stop it, male authors of a certain generation who work on SF/F franchises. It's a lazy way to manufacture suspense. And it usually bites you in the ass because you aren't as clever you think you are, so you keep putting off opening the mystery box, digging the story in deeper and deeper until you run out of room and are forced to finally lift the lid - and nothing but dead moths fall out.)
So, one page of Peter screaming followed by two black pages that proclaim: SIX MONTHS LATER. I'm sure readers who paid for this book will be happy to know that's where some of their story money went.
(Now, do we know when the explosion took place? No. For all we know, the explosion took place ten years after deus ex machina dude showed up. All we know - because this issue is nothing but one giant and wholly contrived Mystery Box - is that the events that are about to unfold took place six months after the explosion.)
Peter has a meal with Aunt May, who is upset with her beloved nephew for lying to her (yeah, no duh May, he's been lying to you since he was 15, I'm glad you found out - oh. Wait. She still doesn't know? This is a new lie? Okie-dokie). Apparently, this new lie was so heinous that May was forced to move to a smaller apartment. Why did Peter's lie make her move, when it was Spider-Man who blew up York, Pennsylvania? Who the hell knows --
--Wait, again. Peter knows. May knows. The only one who doesn't know is the reader. Because this is the extreme lazy version of the Mystery Box, the one where the characters have all the answers but they purposefully (via authorial control, of course) keep the information from the reader. Ugh. This is such a dishonest literary device, I can't even.
Peter then runs into Randy - remember Randy? He and Fred aka Boomerang were Peter's roommates? Remember Fred? Good, because apparently Peter and Randy don't. Fred is pushing up daisies and Randy and Peter couldn't care less. Randy, after questioning Peter about *can't tell you! Mystery Box!* announces he is about to propose to Janice Lincoln, aka the Beetle, aka Tombstone's daughter. He wants Peter to check in on his dinner to ask for her hand to make sure her scary daddy doesn't make him swim with the fishes.
Peter agrees, not at all thinking, "Gee, I was meant to propose, too" (DAMN EDITORIAL MEDDLING) even though this would have been the perfect place for that thought, and goes to sulk in the apartment that apparently Randy is still paying for because Randy really needs to learn how to set boundaries with deadbeat friends. We earlier learned that Peter is in deep to debt collectors who are harrassing May, and May apparently has no money either (is this because of Peter's big lie or because Peter burned through May's money due to Slott writing him as an irresponsible manchild who lost her investment in his company? WHO KNOWS - oh, wait, I forgot. Peter knows, but the reader is forced to be a mushroom, sitting in the dark).
Peter decides to wander around - he doesn't feel like patrolling, because MYSTERY BOX - but Johnny Storm comes by for no reason but to drop a load of exposition. See, Peter apparently stole from FF and that made Reed and Sue mad/sad so Peter can't go over to Johnny's house to play now. Johnny expositions that Peter wanted to screw up his life and the FF were trying to stop him. Peter basically says, "Nah bra" and leaves Johnny flaming in the sky by his lonesome. *Sniff* Sucks to be this Peter Parker's friend.
Meanwhile, there's a gang war brewing around some item Tombstone has and the Rose wants but Tombstone makes fun of the Rose so the Rose brings in gamma-irridated Digger as his muscle, leading to Tombstone agreeing to meet but on his territoy. Then he runs off to meet Randy. Their dinner goes well, because Janice is going to do what Janice is going to do and they both know and love that about her. Nice to have an acknowledgement in ASM that a strong romantic partner is an asset - but only for rarely used supporting characters.
Peter looks in on the meeting, sees that Randy is holding his own, turns to leave -- but wait!!! Hey, he knows those costumed goons! He puts on his underoos and hitches a ride, showing up to the Big Gang Meet where the White Rabbit is selling a Goblin Glider - gee, I guess Amazon isn't the Everything Store after all. Or maybe the Glider doesn't quality for One Day Prime Shipping. Spidey calls attention to himself, which is a mistake because he triggers Digger, who is very unhappy Spidey killed him the last time they met - plus there's the fact Spidey just broke off his fingers (can you get cancer from breaking off irridated fingers if you yourself are irritated from a spider bite? Telemedicine visits with your doctor in the Marvel U must be fun). Pow! Bam! Thwip! Spidey webs up White Rabbit but Digger and co. gets away.
And Peter goes home to sleep. I mean, he says he tried to find Digger, but Peter apparently has zero sense of responsibility now - stiffs his roommate on rent, avoids his friends, lies to May - so he's pretty much an unreliable narrator (not to mention, dude won't tell us what's in the Mystery Box even though he knows perfectly well what he did which also makes him annoying).
Oh, but the phone rings! It's MJ! Hiding in a closet (since when does MJ hide in closets?! Screw you, Wells. And the scene implies she's also lying/hiding from the people in her life. Screw you twice, Wells). She tells him to never call her again. Boy, you make one offer to move in together, a deus ex machina shows up, and a new/old writer decides to assassinate your character and undo all the good will of the previous writer just for the lulz. Sounds about Marvel.
Cut to: a Tombstone wearing Hugh Hefner's finest indulging in a glass of wine with his kitty companion (awww, gotta love a gangster with a cat). Hammerhead is bitching in his ear about Spider-Man wrecking the deal, to which Tombstone replies Spider-Man falls under force majuere (which I have to admit made me laugh). He hangs up on Hammerhead, and *sniff* Uh oh.
Digger blows up Tombstone's mansion, and eats the rose that was supposed to be left as a calling card (also made me laugh).
The cat survives. Oh, and so does Tombstone, but did anyone really worry? No. Concern about animals always come first. Anyway, kitty is angry but doesn't even looked scorched. Tombstone is both.
Peter wakes up and goes full on sad sack. Like, he makes the "Spider-Man No More!" Peter look happy and optimistic when that dude was a histrionic mess. He makes "I AM THE SPIDER" Peter seem well-adjusted and mentally healthy, and he was a grade A asshole of unmitigated misery.
Peter can't even muscle up the will to go web-swinging, which has always been his refuge. I'd care, except that Wells put Peter's motivations in the Mystery Box and they are completely opaque. So instead, we get to watch Mopey McMoperson Boatface wander around New York like the deadbeat Randy really needs to cut out of his life (or at least, out of his wallet. C'mon, Randy, grow some self-respect). So much fun. There's another portion of your storytelling dollars you're never getting back.
Peter wanders and wanders and wanders...and ends up in front of MJ's place, because apparently Peter is now a grade A stalker of ex-wives - I mean, girlfriends. No, fuck it, I mean wives because Mephisto didn't wipe MY memory, Marvel, you adorable little misogynists you.
But guess who just happens to by driving MJ's place? No, not Fred, Fred is dead. No, not Harry, Harry 1 and 2 are dead. (I think. Those last Kindred issues were convoluted, man. DAMN EDITORIAL MEDDLING.) No, not Flash, everyone just thinks he's dead, and he's the only one the cast mourned. Go figure.
It's everyone's favorite nearly barbequed gangster, Tombstone! Who apparently was stalking Peter while Peter was stalking MJ. Peter gets in the car and the two banter adorably, because Peter is back to sounding like an asshat (Alas, Slott, we did know ye. You can stay gone). No wonder MJ wants him out of her life: no grown adult wants a whiny manbaby around. Tombstone was stalking him to get a message to Spider-Man: there's a gang war coming and it's all HIS fault (which kinda seems unfair and irrational because Digger and his boss the Rose are the active aggressors here, but asking for characters to use their brains is apparently really pushing the envelope at Marvel these days).
Peter is now excited because he has a job (newsflash: no, you don't, Peter, honey. Not the kind you need, the kind that pays money). After another longing look at MJ's apartment, he leaves.
Cut to the interior of said apartment and guess is looking forlonly out the window, just as the knuckleheaded numbskulls at Marvel used to claim was why her character was so one note: MJ.
GAH. Look, you feckless farts, characters do what the writers make them do. DON'T FUCKING WRITE HER MOPING BY THE WINDOW AND THEN TURN AROUND AND SAY, SEE? THAT'S ALL SHE'S GOOD FOR. If the issue made me angry at all - and it didn't, it was boring and lacked a reason for me to care because Wells was too busy trying to keep the lid of the mystery box closed that he forgot to give the characters motivations - it was this scene. It's so reductive and cliched and insulting - and yes, I'm going to go there and call it sexist as well. Because it is.
Anyway, MJ moons over Peter 🤬 🤬 🤬 as he walks away. A nice professorial-looking guy named Paul comes into the room and asks if she is okay. She says yes, and he says good, because he can't hold them back any more.
And here come two adorable plot moppets running toward MJ, screaming "Mommy!" and flinging themselves into her arms. They seem to be around, I dunno, seven and five years old? Or eight and six? The boy is the oldest and he had dark hair; his skin tone is more golden than the girl, who has red hair and dimples and a cleft chin just like MJ.
Paul asks if MJ needs more time, but MJ, with the kids in her arms, says everything is great. The end.
Only not the end, because there is a two page epilogue with Doc Ock bloviating on a futuristic torture rack, being questioned by some dude with an elongated head who speaks in the Ultimate Universe's font and wants Doc Ock's plans to destroy "him." Three guesses as to who "him" is, and I doubt it's Paul. Who honestly seems like a very nice guy.
Art is JRJR at his usual. Great use of panels, fight scenes are dynamic, he draws a great Spidey, but his faces appear to have no bone structure, as always. I miss Patrick Gleason, but there's something comforting about JRJR's art - or maybe that's just nostalgia from the JMS era.
And there you have it. The gang war stuff is fun if nothing new - but that's okay! It doesn't have to aim for groundbreaking all the time! A fun story is good! Aim for fun, Marvel, not this ridiculous MYSTERY BOX shit! And not the asinine soap opera twists, becaused I know soap operas, soap operas are very good friends of mine, and this, Marvel, is not good soap. It's a troll and you know it. Shame on you.
A star for making me laugh a few times and a star for saving the cat (Blake Synder would be so proud!).
But is this going on my pull list? BWA HA HA HA HA. No way in Mephisto's corner of hell. I'm OVER Mystery Box being used instead of storytelling. In fact, the best parts of the issue were those had nothing to do with Mystery Box - the gang fight and Tombstone and Randy. And I'm sorry, but I refuse to support another run of Peter the incompent manchild. Nope. Nuh huh. That's Slott's bastardized version - he didn't exist before Slott got his fingers on the character. That's not Peter Parker.
MJ and the kids? SUCH a troll, you can see the lulz from space. Look, if the best Wells can do with her is make her mope by the window (AND HE DID THE EXACT SAME THING WITH HER IN BEYOND 🤬) then fine, saddle her with children and a nice partner and get her the hell out of the book until Quesada and Brevoort finally turn in their Marvel access badges and there are new faces in the Spider-office whose brains have evolved enough to understand female characters can serve more purpose than standing around imitating sad window curtains and being mommies 🙄 😡. But then, this being Wells, MJ and Paul will probably cook the kids and eat them. Wells has a strange fetish for killing children, from Curt Connors eating his own young son in Shed to rotting baby and child corpses and destroying Kwannon's chance to have her daughter back in Hellions.
April 28, 2022
Love the art and like the way The characters are written so far I hate the cutesy silly billy version of Spider-Man a lot of writers like to go with.
November 11, 2022
If you were hoping a new writer would fix the selfish fuck up Peter Parker has been written as for a decade then you'll be disappointed.
June 28, 2022
Considerações de um leitor afastado há mais de 20 anos das HQs do Cabeça de Teia: a última lembrança vívida que tenho de ler assiduamente as revistinhas do Homem-Aranha datam do início deste milênio e da famosa história dos clones, da qual eu gosto, talvez por não lembrá-la tanto assim; considerando a má fama que esse arco possui hahaha... Além disso, houve a fase Millenium e as primeiras HQs em brochuras com aspecto de "luxo" publicadas pela finada editora "Abril". Em retrospecto, é seguro dizer que depois disso li muito menos histórias fechadas dele do que de outros protagonistas que nem chamavam tanta minha atenção na infância e adolescência. Na beira dos 34 anos, voltar para as edições mensais é uma mistura de novidade em razão de um novo hábito matinal e noturno, misturado com a mesma e velha "novelona" de sempre: Peter Parker financeiramente quebrado, brigado com a Mary Jane, esgueirando-se da Tia May e sem amigos (ou quase isso), tendo como único escape o combate ao crime. Há tantas outras séries em que mudanças dramáticas ocorreram e que provavelmente eu me sentiria perdido ao cair de paraquedas, então talvez venha a calhar que eu volte para esse arco noventista... e ver o que nos aguarda!
May 17, 2023
The newest Amazing Spider Man run starts off with a great issue. As a newcomer, it was easy to understand where this Peter is at in it's life and it really works well as a starting point. Clearly this issue is trying to setup the future more than referencing the past and I think that's good.
Peter's life is going terrible and the only thing that's keeping him going is his Spider-Man life. The first issue is about a brewing gang war and it was very fun to see how it is just starting out.
I think both the writing and the art was great as well so overall, I recommend this issue. You can also begin from it if you have never read a Spider-Man comic before. Can't wait for the next issue.
Peter's life is going terrible and the only thing that's keeping him going is his Spider-Man life. The first issue is about a brewing gang war and it was very fun to see how it is just starting out.
I think both the writing and the art was great as well so overall, I recommend this issue. You can also begin from it if you have never read a Spider-Man comic before. Can't wait for the next issue.
November 24, 2023
Pete is honestly such a dick here at times that he’s reminding me of the Peter we unfortunately all know from “Spider-Man: Lotus” a little too much.
That being said, the Spider-Man stuff itself is really fun, I like this dynamic between Peter, Randy, and Tombstone that’s being built, and I’m really intrigued by what the mystery from the first page actually is.
I don’t like Peter and MJ being separated to the extent they’re not talking, either, but it’s clear they’re going to end up together by the end of the run so that doesn’t really bother me too much.
I’m feeling a really strong six I think.
That being said, the Spider-Man stuff itself is really fun, I like this dynamic between Peter, Randy, and Tombstone that’s being built, and I’m really intrigued by what the mystery from the first page actually is.
I don’t like Peter and MJ being separated to the extent they’re not talking, either, but it’s clear they’re going to end up together by the end of the run so that doesn’t really bother me too much.
I’m feeling a really strong six I think.
April 27, 2022
Spider-Man and JR Jr. Back
As a long time Spidey fan it was really fun to be able to get back into the book.
The mystery of what Spider-man/Peter did is teased at nicely. The story had that old Gerry Conway feel to it and--
John Romita Jr. Is back on art duty. I
As a long time Spidey fan it was really fun to be able to get back into the book.
The mystery of what Spider-man/Peter did is teased at nicely. The story had that old Gerry Conway feel to it and--
John Romita Jr. Is back on art duty. I
April 27, 2022
As someone just getting back into new comics after several years, this was a fun read. It was easy enough to follow and moved along nicely. I am not a big fan of Romita's character art but the actions pieces were great. I love Spider-Man and am pumped to see how this develops.
April 27, 2022
Absolutely intriguing
The story starts off with a major unknown event. What happened, how did we get here? Very excited for vol. 2!
The story starts off with a major unknown event. What happened, how did we get here? Very excited for vol. 2!
April 28, 2022
I only bought this because I wanted the variant with MJ in the Spidey suit but it was a pretty good read. This run seems to be off to a good start.
August 1, 2022
4.5
A really good start to this run. Super impressed! A lot to build on for a character development arc.
A really good start to this run. Super impressed! A lot to build on for a character development arc.
November 3, 2022
A very fun issue to start this issue. I didn't feel lost at all jumping in on this issue which was a big bonus. It was good to see most of the characters were recognizable. Overall the action and plot was exciting. Looking forward to reading the next issue.
Read
November 9, 2022Finito alle 00:16 di giovedì 10/11, nel letto.
December 27, 2022
Good artwork and that is pretty much it. The story and dialogue could have been better.
September 22, 2023
Not fresh enough. Don’t think I’ll read the rest of this series.
November 3, 2023
don’t know why this took me so long, but loved the jimmy kimmel part icl
January 19, 2024
This hasn’t been my favorite run but it’s solid Spidey.
November 29, 2022
I liked this new adventure, a new course for my favorite superhero. I don't know who is Paul or why those kids call MJ "mom", some parts are not clear for me, but I enjoyed the 46 pages of the volume, really nice. I'm glad to know that Romita Jr. is back.
December 29, 2022
The once great Amazing Spider-Man has been in a bit of a lull since Dan Slott left. As much as I liked a lot of his work, his long form stories in particular were great - his ability to plant something that seems inconsequential at the time but would come to fruition with great effect at a much later date - however the title was ready for a fresh take, any long running series should not be left to go stale. But onward and upwards ASM editorial has not managed in the four years since Slott's exit. Nick Spencer's long, monotonous run ended up feeling like a 616 version of Groundhog Day that came to an abrupt end, leaving editorial to scrabble together the Beyond arc with a rotation of artists, writers and fill in issues. Total fluff; inoffensive and absolutely fine if it was a sister title, call it Avenging or Web Of and it'd be fine, but not what Amazing deserves.
Here we have another soft relaunch, there's much to like in the good: JR JR is ever reliable on art duties, he brings some classic feels back to the title even though some bodies and faces are odd and miss-shaped, the humour is on point, it's firmly back on the street level with classic characters in the mix. But there's enough on show to maybe not need to switch to red alert quite yet but maybe worthwhile having that red light bulb close to hand just in case. The opening six months later time jump is something that I loathe; we should be along with Peter on the ride, we shouldn't have information hidden from us locked away artificially to ponder about what the hell has happened, why Peter, May and MJ are acting the way they are here. It's just not entertaining. ASM should be a slice of Peter's life not a blind taste test and hope for the best. Slott knew that we should root for Parker, knowing that we know what situation he's in and marveling at just how his intelligence, wit and heroics in equal measure pulls through just when we thought he was on ropes. Here we don't even know what's going on to start to grasp the situation.
As Spider-Man fans we should learn to be patient and hold judgement, modern day Spidey has the potential to be the best when they try something different (ASM #700 upset led to the Superior period after all, which opened the door to all new opportunities for the wall crawler) but after Spencer's run we should be forgiven as fans if we've learned to be pessimistic.
Here we have another soft relaunch, there's much to like in the good: JR JR is ever reliable on art duties, he brings some classic feels back to the title even though some bodies and faces are odd and miss-shaped, the humour is on point, it's firmly back on the street level with classic characters in the mix. But there's enough on show to maybe not need to switch to red alert quite yet but maybe worthwhile having that red light bulb close to hand just in case. The opening six months later time jump is something that I loathe; we should be along with Peter on the ride, we shouldn't have information hidden from us locked away artificially to ponder about what the hell has happened, why Peter, May and MJ are acting the way they are here. It's just not entertaining. ASM should be a slice of Peter's life not a blind taste test and hope for the best. Slott knew that we should root for Parker, knowing that we know what situation he's in and marveling at just how his intelligence, wit and heroics in equal measure pulls through just when we thought he was on ropes. Here we don't even know what's going on to start to grasp the situation.
As Spider-Man fans we should learn to be patient and hold judgement, modern day Spidey has the potential to be the best when they try something different (ASM #700 upset led to the Superior period after all, which opened the door to all new opportunities for the wall crawler) but after Spencer's run we should be forgiven as fans if we've learned to be pessimistic.
July 5, 2023
First Spider-Man comic I ever read. Seems like I picked an okay spot to start as I was able to catch on quick enough. Interesting storyline. I’m stoked to keep reading the series…which is probably good seeing as I also bought the next 18 issues that are already out in this volume.
June 13, 2023
LGY 895
May 29, 2022
2.5/5
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