Writer: Zeb Wells
Pencilers: John Romita Jr, Emilio Laiso & Zé Carlos;
Inkers: Scott Hanna, Emilio Laiso & Zé Carlos
Colorist: Marcio Menyz & Bryan Valenza
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Cover Artists: John Romita Jr, Scott Hanna & Marcio Menyz; Elena Cassagrande & Jordie Bellaire; Jim Cheung & Jay David Ramos; John Tyler Christopher; Greg Land & Frank D’Armata; George Pérez & Alex Sinclair
Publisher: Marvel
Price: $9.99
Release Date: August 9, 2023
Peter Parker’s friend Randy is marrying Janice Lincoln. Can Tombstone’s supervillain daughter be a good wife to a Daily Bugle editor's son? Can Peter be a Best Man without breaking out the old red-and-blue? Let’s fwip into Amazing Spider-Man #31 and find out!
Story
Tombstone wants his girl's big day to go without a hitch, so the crime boss insists all his associates attend. The night before, Janice parties like it’s 1999, while Randy's bachelor party in Atlantic City struggles. Yet the lovebirds’ final night of freedom proves magical in unexpected ways.
The next day, as the sun shines upon attendees in Marcus Garvey Park, Peter seats Hammerhead across the aisle from Aunt May. The psychopath’s associates wait for Peter to escort them. Things seem to go swimmingly, but as Tombstone quietly tells his daughter, getting married is always an insane decision. At least the crime boss has tried to make his daughter's wedding bulletproof.
While readers can look forward to a little Spidey action, this first story focuses on relationships: what makes them work and how and why they fail. How do you sustain a commitment to someone you care about? Can you know you’re the right partner for the one you adore? Zeb Wells’ story puts Randy and Peter's romances under the spotlight while highlighting how committing to the love of your life affects everyone else caught in your web.
This first story in Amazing Spider-Man #31 satisfies, even though it dwells on the more personal aspects of Peter Parker’s life. I wish Wells had foreshadowed Peter and Black Cat’s chat more. After following this run since issue #9, I identified with Randy's situation but didn't know him.
Art
An enticing array of villains populate Amazing Spider-Man #31. While I want to read more about them, Bunny and Hammerhead struck me as cold fish, and I couldn't help but warm to Tombstone.
The nightclub scenes are exhilarating. Later the ladies don their costumes and strut their stuff for energetic and electrifying fun. Peter and Randy's quieter evening pulses with energy, even if the boys are the stillness at the heart of the storm.
Sometimes Marcio Menyz and Bryan Valenza's colors look soft. At other times they're vibrant. They always provide contrast, give the characters individuality, and enrich the background. The glowing lights of Atlantic City, and the nightclub's dazzling illumination, evoke rapture.
Lettering
Joe Caramagna’s talents guide you through the stories in Amazing Spider-Man #31. Black uppercase letters inhabit white dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes. Rarely does the font shrink below the easily readable. I love how he intertwines Peter and Kamala's dialogue in the opening panel of the Ms. Marvel story, and his sound effects always impress. The final tale features lowercase words, while the partially colored, gently rounded narrative boxes remind me of Ultimate Spider-Man, which served as my introduction to Spidey—and contemporary comics--a decade ago.
Final Thoughts
Stories in Amazing Spider-Man #31 ask if love can conquer all barriers and tease upcoming Spidey titles, making this issue a must-read for all Spider-fans.
Rating 9.6/10
To preview interior art for this first story (and others) see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.
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