Spider-Man #10 Review

 

Writers: Dan Slott & Christos Gage

Artists: Mark Bagley, John Dell & Andrew Hennessy

Colorist: Edgar Delgado

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Mark Bagley & Edgar Delgado; Stephanie Hans

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: July 5, 2023

 

Haunted by his failure to save a fire victim, Peter Parker tries to amplify his Spider-Sense. His experiments with Norman Osborn succeed, but all the danger signals overwhelm him. Can he protect New Yorkers from Electro’s latest attack while coping with his newfound abilities? Let's leap into Spider-Man #10 and find out!

 

Story

Electro's surges of power sizzle through the air. They hit Spider-Man, wreck vehicles, and set buildings aflame. As bystanders flee, their fright and pain give Spider-Man a nuclear migraine. Spider-Boy rushes to Peter's defense, startling Electro, who isn't used to fighting kids. Meanwhile, Norman blames himself for allowing Peter to talk him into upgrading his Peter Tingle. He races to find a way to reverse the process before Electro incinerates Peter.

 

As the firefighters helped kick off this storyline, their reappearance gives symmetry to its closure. As for Spider-Boy, we can all identify with loneliness and feeling like we don't belong. Dan Slott and Christos Gage's story reminds us how much Peter Parker cares for others. While this burden costs him personally, all that matters is protecting others.

 

 

 

 

Art

Aided by his inking sidekicks John Dell and Andrew Hennessy, penciler Mark Bagley gives Spider-Man #10 a classic appeal. Electro steps out of a Bronze Age Marvel comic. Yet Norman Osborn, wearing his new Gold Goblin costume, looks like he belongs. With his bright, animated TV-style costume, Spider-Boy serves as a bridge between the Past and Present. Aunt May's features show her concern for Peter, while her gestures demonstrate how fiercely she's fighting for her nephew. Crowd scenes communicate energy as flames leap from buildings and explosions rock the ground. The spiders in Norman's lab enhanced this dramatic story with humor. Yet Peter Parker, as the amazing Spider-Man, never gets relegated to the sidelines.

 

Edgar Delgado deepens the art with bold colors and rich shading, giving Spider-Man #10 three-dimensional realism. He paints streets and buildings with richness and nuance. The raging fires writhe like the Human Torch in pain, while gray smoke reveals hints of yellow, orange, blue, and purple. Spider costumes shine from fires, vehicle headlights, and lights on nearby buildings. Norman’s work lights, and the glowing spider tank, give the lab a moody nighttime appeal.

 

Joe Caramagna web shoots lots of uppercase black letters into white dialogue balloons. Font style, letter size, and spacing between lines make Spider-Man #10 a migraine-free read. Nick Lowe's footnotes—accompanied by a red spider—remind me of how characters and story elements relate to earlier issues. Sound effects help you feel explosions, lighting crashing into buildings, and the crackling hum as Electro charges his batteries between attacks. Red letters grip your heart as they escape a white dialogue balloon, and Spider-Man doubles up in pain.

 

Final Thoughts

While striving be our brother’s (and sister’s) keepers, Spider-Man #10 reminds us that we must also care for ourselves.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.