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; Giada Perissinotto; Chris Samnee & Romulo Fajardo Jr; Lucas Werneck
Publisher: Marvel
Price: $4.99
Release Date: May 8, 2024
Peter Parker strives to be a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. But when energy from another dimension blots out the sun, vampires fill the streets, fly through the air, and convert citizens to their evil ways. Peter prevented the Monster Metropolis from overtaking Murray Hill. He stopped Madame Masque from winning the Gang War. How will he tackle an undead invasion of New York City? Let’s grab some garlic, thwip into Amazing Spider-Man #49, and find out!
Story
Twilight strikes without warning and lingers into the day. So, Peter Parker takes advantage of his flex time at Oscorp to battle the bloodsuckers. Unlike the Gang War, Blood Hunt struck without warning. Peter didn’t have time to assemble a team. Perhaps his Spiderific buddy Miles could help, but he has his neighborhood to protect. Even the Avengers are MIA. If only Spider-Man had Anita Blake on speed dial.
Still, Peter prefers to help people than hunt them. When a mysterious caller asks for help, Spidey thwips off, only to get asked to put down a vampire. Zeb Wells brings the killers out to play in Amazing Spider-Man #49, from the vampire invaders to those who turn to Tombstone's hired help. Oh, and did I mention the person Kareem wants Spider-Man to kill? It's the Stabbity Bunny herself, White Rabbit!
The ethical morass Spidey sinks into grows clear as day when Spidey has an interview with a vampire. Spider-Man realizes he’s fighting a war in which how much good you accomplish is defined by tallying acceptable losses. If only Shay Marken could guide Peter out of this quip-free quagmire. But these are strange days when the criminal inmates at Ravencroft are safer than the law-abiding citizens going to work or visiting their local bodega.
With Amazing Spider-Man #49, Zeb Wells segues from his stories about insane supervillains and former superheroes who want counseling to tackle the plight of everyday monsters. What is the best way to punish those compelled to hurt others? Do they lack willpower or suffer from mental illness? Is it right to kill people because they can't defy their hurtful cravings? Is it ultimately a kindness to kill people to prevent them from hurting others and to save them from wrestling with traumatic memories of their actions?
The cowboys with a hankerin’ for Pace Thick and Chunky might not ponder such rascally questions. But the red sauce in New York City is precious to Spider-Man, and he won't readily spill a drop of it. Besides, how could Peter forget those he hurt when Kraven infected him with Norman Osborn’s sins? Did Peter have no say whatever in becoming the Black Goblin?
Art
Kareem kicks down the front door, walks through the empty shop, and ascends a darkened staircase. Blood drips from White Rabbit's mouth while a silhouette stands behind her, regarding him with glowing eyes. Is it fate that a gun scope tattoo adorns Kareem’s head?
Fires no longer rage thanks to the Gang War. Still, the dark streets of New York glow the same yellow and orange. Stalled cars fill the streets, their blazing headlights illuminating the panicked pedestrians and the vampires swooping down to nab their prey. The Darkforce energy scrubs buildings of details. The webbing on Spider-Man’s suit also fades in and out. When he began his career with a less detailed costume, Peter grappled with ethical issues. Now, Peter is just as perplexed with how to tackle the recently turned.
In Amazing Spider-Man #49, Peter doesn’t join Kareem on the street. John Romita Jr and Scott Hanna let him linger on a signpost, gazing down at the gangster. Marcio Menyz imbues interiors with a gray cast as Spidey and Gun Scope Head hunt White Rabbit. Yet blue tinges the air to reveal a man with gray skin when Peter hunts her vampire master. If Tombstone isn’t in this story, why does everything and everyone remind me of the gang lord who took Peter's friend Randy under his wing?
Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase black lettering into white dialogue balloons and narrative boxes with red borders in Amazing Spider-Man #49. The font grows bold for inflection, swells for increased volume, and rarely shrinks. Spine-tingling hisses prompt immense letters to burst from balloons while the sound of metal clanging against metal strikes harder than an explosive scream.
Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.
Final Thoughts
Spider-Man revels in an angst-free dustup until a killer convinces him to save the gangland lieutenant of his best friend's ex from a life hiding in the shadows in Amazing Spider-Man #49.
Rating 9.2/10
To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.
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