Writer: Zeb Wells
Penciler: John Romita Jr.
Inker: Scott Hanna
Colorist: Marcio Menyz
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Cover Artists: John Romita Jr, Scott Hanna & Marcio Menyz; Carlos Gómez & Rachelle Rosenberg; Tadam Gyadu & Romulo Fajardo Jr.; Marcos Martin
Publisher: Marvel
Price: $4.99
Release Date: February 28, 2024
Peter Parker teamed with Tombstone to fight the Gang War. Madame Masque and the Beetle staged a battle in Central Park to determine who would control the New York underworld. Team Spidey and Tombstone wanted to protect the Beetle and defeat Madame Masque. Instead, Tombstone retook control of his criminal empire. Can Tombstone’s forces and Team Spidey defeat Madame Masque’s militia? Let’s thwip into Amazing Spider-Man #44 and find out!
Story
Gang War has taken its toll. One brutal battle after another has left New York City in flames. Citizens feared for their families as villains fought for dominance. But now, with the Allied Spidey Tombstone forces presenting a united front, it's all over but the shouting. At least, that's what Spider-Man hopes.
Yet team dynamics are problematic among heroes. In Amazing Spider-Man #44, Tombstone knows Team Spidey will defeat Madame Masque. The crime lord remembers how he came out the loser when he helped Spidey take down the Rose. After reclaiming his organization, Tombstone has little reason to stick around.
Zeb Wells' story gives lesser characters a chance to shine. The expert chemist Trapstr uses her glue cannons to trap She-Hulk in a sticky situation. Shotgun, the undercover government operative, exerts revenge on Madame Masque. Elektra and Spider-Woman discover common ground, and Spider-Boy enjoys working with Ms. Jackpot. (Sorry, Bailey. Mary Jane says it's just Jackpot).
Amazing Spider-Man #44 also leaves us wondering what we haven’t seen. Chang Shi and Danny Rand mention one battle. Luke Cage also mentions something nonpowered New Yorkers have accomplished. It implies changes in his mayoral leadership post-Gang War.
Peter Parker’s not interested in those stories, though. Right now, he’s upset that his city is in flames and his best friend is lying at death's door. Madame Masque makes a convenient target for Spidey's rage. Yet she only manipulated the gang lords after she learned that her father had ordered her death. Madame Masque never wanted Hammerhead to hurt Randy. She bludgeoned the gang lord's head immediately afterward. Tombstone wanted his daughter to live happily ever after with Randy. Yet after Shotgun shot up her father, Janice fought with her betrothed and usurped her father's criminal empire. Tombstone let Janice wield his organization while he and Team Spidey took on Madame Masque. But when Shotgun admitted that the government had ordered a hit on Janice, Tombstone ripped off the Beetle’s wings and sent his little girl packing.
Amazing Spider-Man #44 leaves us wondering if the federal government wanted New York City in chaos. Janice Lincoln played a pivotal role in the Gang War. Yet, like Wilson Fisk's son, the Beetle played no part in its conclusion. Zeb Wells’ story also makes us wonder how the dynamics between Tombstone, Mayor Cage, and Spider-Man will change. Despite Spidey and Madame Masque’s separate claims, Gang War wasn't about Spidey obsessing over morality or Madame Masque's selfishness. Sure, there were opportunists. Perhaps Janice even fell into that category. Yet Gang War was about people trying to preserve themselves and those they value. The story's ending satisfies, with two friends reuniting as a new kingpin arises.
Art
Spider-Man punches out Madame Masque. Miles Morales takes on Rabble. Count Nefaria blasts Elektra and Spider-Woman with the power of the sun. Electro shoots She-Hulk. And all that’s on the first page! As Team Spidey takes on Madame Masque’s forces across two pages, smaller panels show Tombstone ordering the Rabbit to fall back. He may be a hardened crime lord, but emotions play over Tombstone’s face, creating an opening scene as dramatic as when his longtime rival Robbie Robertson grasped his son's arm and cupped his head in his hand in the previous issue.
John Romita Jr. and Scott Hanna pack pages with action and drama. Both aspects build off each other, creating a high-octane mix that fuels every scene. Particularly noteworthy are smaller panels, such as when Miles and Spider-Boy take on Rabble in the background while Madame Masque battles Spider-Man in the foreground. The artists pair Spidey's assertion--that she’s responsible for the violence, and it’s not down to chance--with a closeup of three matching diamond symbols on Jackpot's armbands. Affiliated heroes stand side by side: Miles and Spider-Boy, Elektra and Spider-Woman, Luke Cage and She-Hulk. Yet Amazing Spider-Man #44 ends with sunlight warming the city and emotions flooding Peter's expressionless face.
Marcio Menyz brings multi-hued majesty to the Central Park rivalry. Rabble's gauntlets fill the air with pink and lavender. Electro's suit matches She-Hulk's skin as they battle. Count Nefaria’s eyes and sigil glow as he unleashes yellow energy beams. Below Miles' venom sword, yellow dominates Madame Masque's militia as her A.I.M. army takes on the predominantly red Team Spidey.
Joe Caramagna wades into the vibrantly colored, highly populated panels with uppercase black lettering in white dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. Spider-Boy and Jackpot's conversation dances in syncopation as each learns to work with the other. Amid the noisy battle, a satisfying thwak and ka-boom follow a relatively quiet thwip. Spider-Man may still use his fists. But his web shooters pack the knockout punch in Amazing Spider-Man #44.
Thanks to Marvel for providing this essential chapter of the Gang War saga for review.
Final Thoughts
Amazing Spider-Man #44 crackles with energy and drama, leaving much to ponder as Spider-Man achieves a moral victory, empowers a villain, and helps inspire the citizens of New York City to achieve the impossible.
Rating 9.4/10
To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.
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