Amazing Spider-Man #14 Review

 

Writer: Joe Kelly

Penciler: Ed McGuinness & Todd Nauck

Inkers: Mark Farmer, Wade Von Grawbadger, Ed McGuinness, & Todd Nauck

Colorists: Marcio Menyz & Erick Arciniega

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Patrick Gleason & Marcio Menyz; Lee Bermejo (Amazing Visions); Cory Smith & Edgar Delgado; Jay Anacleto & Romulo Fajardo Jr; Joshua Cassara & Matthew Wilson (The Muppets)

Designer: Jay Bowen

Editors: Kaitlyn Lindtvedt, Tom Groneman, Nick Lowe, & CB Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: October 15, 2025

 

Hermes Crenshaw believes that Manhattan's new Take No Prisoners Spider-Man hails from a parallel universe. Instead, while Ben Reilly impersonates Peter Parker at Rand, Norman Osborn thwips the streets as Peter’s alter ego. But Norman doesn’t practice Peter’s restraint. And he hates losing.

 

When Miles Morales, Spider-Boy, Silk, Araña, and Spider-Gwen invade his web after losing his “cowardly” lawsuit against Roderick Kingsley, Norman lashes out. Can Spider-Norman placate New York's Spider-Society? And will the Sic Semper Monstrum club teach Roderick Kingsley their secret handshake? Let's thwip into Amazing Spider-Man #14 and see!

 

Story

Although Silk assured Norman that Peter still lives, he left their encounter feeling like a failure. So Norman seeks out someone else who has tried and failed to be Spider-Man. But Ben Reilly doesn’t want to share the same universe, let alone the same airspace, with Norman Osborn. And he’s far from alone in that sentiment.

 

While Ben impersonates Peter in Amazing Spider-Man #14, his growing closeness to Dr Maira Osmani-Milton drives his girlfriend crazy. Janine Godbe enjoys life in the shadows with Ben. Now he is chasing Peter's life again, and that's beyond frustrating.

 

 

 

While endangering his future with Janine, Ben shuts out the people who care about Peter. Aunt May feels cut off from the successful working nephew who hung photos in her living room when he was bombing interviews. And at work, Brian Nehring isn't feeling freaktastic as his childhood chum’s science outshines his mycoteria.

 

While Joe Kelly’s story urges us to understand what drives us, it also contrasts life in the shadows with exposing our actions to the light of day. Night patrols gave Norman the anonymity to act out his aggressions. Imitating Peter solely at Rand allows Ben to hurt everyone close to him. But people who exercise power responsibly inspire others. That's something a would-be hero learns in Amazing Spider-Man #14. 

 

 

 

Art

Ed McGuinness & Todd Nauck, Mark Farmer, and Wade Von Grawbadger contrast memories of the Spider-Society on a rooftop with Norman sitting alone in his exclusive penthouse. Janine’s masks feed her desire for easy victories but provide no lasting contentment. As Maira sits before an image of sunflowers, she makes a more understanding and accepting comparison with Peter’s not-girlfriend. Yet despite her words, Maira’s disdain for Norman struggles to dominate her face, suggesting a familiar jousting tournament with a business rival. 

 

 

 

Marcio Menyz and Erick Arciniega make Chasm and Hallows Eve look good together in purple, orange, red, and green. Maira and Ben’s blue attire emphasizes the growing connection between them. Norman’s dark gray suit seems a reminder that his self-esteem, if not his body, is trapped in the dark web of Limbo. An attacker's light gray and blue emphasize a cold, clinical approach to curing a disease. While the yellow and orange coursing across his body evoke Hellgate's inner fire, Kintsugi's gleaming suit recalls another cosmic hero.

 

Joe Caramagna fills white dialogue balloons with black uppercase dialogue. Words grow bold for inflection, enlarge for raised voices, and shrink for lowered voices. Faint lowercase handprinted letters reveal Norman's thoughts in irregular white rectangles, while Aunt May writes in tiny cursive. Sound effects hail a pleasant outing, a responsible use of power, and defiant dry-thwipping in Amazing Spider-Man #14. Thanks to Marvel for providing a review copy.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

While Norman Osborn struggles to overcome his past, Roderick Kingsley makes new friends, Brian Nehring gets desperate, and Astrid reveals a fondness for Battlestar Galactica in Amazing Spider-Man #14.

 

Rating 9/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Gotham Academy: First Year #2 Preview

 

After her mom set their apartment on fire, Bruce Wayne found Olive a new place to live. Gotham Academy is a school for rich kids. It may never feel like home. And it's hard to feel okay while her mom resides in Arkham Asylum. Still, she's made a new friend in Kyle Mizoguchi. While most of the girls make Olive feel like a castoff, Kyle makes her feel special. Will that be enough to help Olive get through the school year? And how seriously should Olive take Jonathan Crane's warning that her mom's condition may be hereditary?

Here's all the info from DC Connect: 

 

Gotham Academy: First Year #2

Writers: Brenden Fletcher, Karl Kerschl & Becky Cloonan

Artist: Marco Ferrari

Cover Artists: Karl Kerschl & Haining

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99

Issue Length: 40 Pages

Release Date: November 5, 2025

 

School is about making friends…and enemies!

 

Life at school is both terrible (pissing off the football team is never a good idea) and wonderful (almost kissing a cute boy is almost perfect), but Oliver Silverlock will never truly be happy until she knows her mom is safe. Visiting her mom in Arkham is supposed to be reassuring! But when Olive meets the man behind the scarecrow’s mask, will her serenity be torn away too?

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

 

Teen Titans Go! #9 Preview

 

Participating in the Azarath Trials By Fire may have seemed like a "world-endingly bad idea." Still, the Teen Titans saved everyone on Earth! What will they do with all the power they won? And like Aretha Franklin, don't they deserve a little respect when they come home?

Here's all the info from DC Connect: 

Teen Titans Go! #9

Writer: Sholly Fisch

Artist: Erich Owen

Cover Artist: Erich Owen

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $2.99

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Release Date: November 5, 2025

 

Let’s get evil!

 

The Titans love Jump City and Jump City loves the Titans (except for all the destruction and the antics, and did we mention the constant destruction?). So when Robin calls for a strike, he’s sure the city will miss their favorite superheroes. Or will they? Maybe if the Teen Titans turn to evil they’ll get noticed?

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

Little Nightmares: Descent to Nowhere #2 Preview

 

COVER A: JOSH HIXSON

 

I grew up seeing missing children every morning. Their faces adorned the quarts and half-gallon cardboard milk containers on our breakfast table. I often wondered who looked for the missing children, and why they went missing in the first place. This series probes the dark places of our souls. It asks: why don't we work harder to protect the endangered? How much will we risk to protect people we don't even know? 

Here's all the info from Titan Comics:  

LITTLE NIGHTMARES: DESCENT TO NOWHERE #2 (OF 4)

Writer: Lonnie Nadler

Artists: Dennis Menheere, Dearbhla Kelly

FC • 32pp • $4.99 • On Sale November 5, 2025

 

Against her better judgement, former detective MYRA WAN begins to poke at the shadows which linger in every corner of the Counties, searching for the mysterious missing HUSH. In the COUNTIES PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTE – the last place the little girl was ever seen – there are more questions than answers.

 

In the NOWHERE, Hush falls deeper into the dungeon without MONO to guide her. But she must survive more than just the JAILER, as something itches just beneath her skin, pulling Hush into more and more danger….

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

Here are more cover options:

 

 

COVER B: JENNA CHA

 

COVER C: TREVOR HENDERSON

COVER D: VIDEO GAME CONCEPT ART

Thanks to Titan Comics for sharing this preview with us.

 

Kanga-U: Tests and Tournaments Review

 

Writer: Sholly Fisch

Artist: Yancey Labat

Colorist: Monica Kubina

Letterer: Wes Abbott

Cover Artist: Yancey Labat & Monica Kubina

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $12.99

Page Count: 128

Release Date: June 10, 2025

 

Jumpa enjoys life with her friends in Ms Hoppa’s class. In her free time, she watches the Amazons train. The warriors have been perfecting their craft for centuries. When her friend Skippa arrives, Jumpa expresses her admiration of the young princess. But as Diana counters attacks from her more experienced kin, Skippa warns her that they are late for class. Will Ms Hoppa punish Jumpa and Skippa for their tardiness? Or will their teacher tell them something that will transform their lives? Let’s leap into Kanga-U: Tests and Tournaments and see!

 

Story

When Jumpa and Skippa arrive, Ms Hoppa doesn't punish them. However, she does select them for more difficult roles during their training session. After reminding her class of Amazonian history and the Kangas' role in Themysciran society, Ms Hoppa makes an announcement. The Amazons will select new steeds at the end of the week.

 

With Bonding Day coming so soon, Ms Hoppa accelerates her students’ training. Each of the young Kangas must do their best. Their performance in the forthcoming tournament will determine which Amazon they partner with for the next twenty years.

 

In Kanga-U: Tests and Tournaments, Jumpa dreams of bonding with Diana. The Amazons will partner with many Kangas throughout their lives. But the young princess is special. She is the first new addition to Themyscira’s Amazon population. Not only will Diana’s Kanga be linked with Queen Hippolyta’s household. But the young princess and her steed will experience everything together for the first time.

 

In addition to Jumpa’s four classmates, Sholly Fisch also introduces the competitive members of another class. Readers also meet Jumpa’s mother and witness Diana training with her instructor, Artemis. As Jumpa prepares for Bonding Day, she becomes more invested in her friends’ lives. Other Kangas assure Jumpa that bonding isn't about social prestige. It's vital to find the Amazon who best shares her interests.

 

Jumpa has her heart set on Diana in Kanga-U: Tests and Tournaments. Observing the princess inspires Jumpa to pursue a controversial strategy. Her friends warn Jumpa that it may inhibit her from doing her best on the most important day of her life.

 

Art

Yancey Labat adorns each member of the intelligent kangaroo species with unique attire. Ms Hoppa and her students each wear different styles of head, chest, shoulder, arm, and waist clothes and armor. The Kangas hop, run, climb hills, and fight with staffs. They use their tails to whap each other during training. They tap tails with their friends to celebrate achievements. But their intended purpose—the result of the training—will be to transport their Amazons into battle, where they will function in concert with their riders.

 

While Monica Kubina gives Jumpa and her friends different colored skin and adornments, gold links them together. Like the verdant land around them, the Kangas shine with bright and attractive colors. They inhabit a land of classic Greek architecture, with pruned trees, trimmed hedges, and temples. Amid the vivid colors of Kanga-U: Tests and Tournaments, Rooth points out the importance of gray when Jumpa urges her friend to see things her way.

 

Wes Abbott denotes time and locations in yellow panels topped by a brown-and-orange wave pattern. Black lowercase dialogue inhabits white dialogue balloons and boxes. Intonation italicizes and emboldens words. The words swell for raised voices and shrink for lowered voices. Giant colored dialogue accentuates jubilant cries. Music notes accompany chanting. Sound effects heighten the students’ training as contests and unexpected dangers threaten their futures on Themyscira. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

Aphrodite and Athena granted the Kangas long lives to serve their Amazon partners. Every twenty years or so, the Amazons hold a Bonding Day to choose the Kangas they will defend Themyscira with. While the Amazons cannot understand the Kangas' speech, Sholly Fisch takes us into the animals’ lives to share their hopes, struggles, interests, and triumphs in Kanga-U: Tests and Tournaments.

 

Rating 9.8/10

DC K.O. Knightfight #1 Preview

 

Batman argued in favor of the Quantum Quorum's plan. He warned Superman that he must crush his opponents to win. Yet before the contest officially began, Batman fell. Is this the end of the ever-resourceful Bruce Wayne? Or will the world's greatest detective find a way to return?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

DC K.O. Knightfight #1

Writer: Joshua Williamson

Artist: Dan Mora

Colorist: Tríona Farrell

Letterer: Tom Napolitano

Cover Artists: Dan Mora, Jonboy Meyers, Kaare Andrews & Fabrizio De Tommaso

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $3.99/$4.99 Card Stock

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Release Date: November 5, 2025

 

Superstars Joshua Williamson and Dan Mora test Batman like never before in this DC K.O. Tie-In!

 

Experience Batman’s epic journey during the explosive DC K.O. event! The Dark Knight is forced to take a different path in the tournament for the Heart of Apokalips—one that has turned Gotham into a deadly arena where Batman must battle against the Batmenof the future! Who are these Batmen? Stay tuned to find out!

 

Get ready for the greatest fight of Batman’s life in this over-the-top crossover miniseries!

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

Finally, here's an interview with author Joshua Williamson:

 

 Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

Updated Rocky Horror Show Video Game

 

Back in the early '80s, theaters advertised late night showings of The Rocky Horror Show. As a regular reader of Starlog, I wondered why the scifi/fantasy/horror entertainment magazine never covered it. So, I never snuck out of the house to catch a midnight showing. It would be many years until I could buy a DVD of the movie and watch it. Then I realized, "It's not a horror movie! It's a musical!" 

"D'oh!" 

With songs like Science Fiction Double Feature, Time Warp, and Over at the Frankenstein Place, I'm surprised that Starlog Magazine never mentioned them. Still, great movies survive the ages, even if great magazines don't mention them. Now, fans of The Rocky Horror Show can sing along to their favorite tunes while playing a video game! 

Here's all the info: 

Celebrate Halloween with Updated Rocky Horror Show Video Game on Playstation!

Bit Bot Media and FreakZone Games’ Rocky Horror Show Video Game Launches on the Playstation Store on October 31

Fans of Richard O’Brien’s cult classic Rocky Horror Show can do the Time Warp all over again this Halloween with Bit Bot Media and FreakZone Games’ Rocky Horror Show Video Game launching on the Playstation Store on October 31, 2025. The updated version of The Rocky Horror Show Video Game will include improved cut scenes and gameplay, bug fixes, Playstation Trophies, a "New Game Plus" campaign which unlocks after beating the main game, including Audience callouts and lots of surprises. 

Designed and developed by Sam Beddoes of FreakZone Games and released on Steam in 2024, The Rocky Horror Show Video Game faithfully recreates scenes and dialogue from the original stage play, allowing players to step into the shoes of Brad, Janet, and Dr. Scott. Each level is meticulously designed to capture the essence of the original sets in a nostalgic 8-bit format. Gameplay combines challenging but rewarding platforming and light combat elements, such as picking up and throwing objects at enemies and other experiments from Dr. Frank N Furter's laboratory. 

“As a longtime fan of The Rocky Horror Show, it was an honor to adapt the legendary musical into a video game,” says designer Sam Beddoes. “Now both new fans and veterans can enjoy a whole new take on the story and music in crunchy 8-bit goodness.”

 

 

 

 

Here’s what people are saying about the Rocky Horror Show Video Game

“I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face” – Biff Bam Pop!

“The recreation of the iconic music is so well done here… [and] the throwback visuals are handled well” – Otaku Authority

“The retro game style seems a great choice for The Rocky Horror Picture Show game, the side scrolling and chip tunes almost create their own Time Warp! “ – Impulse Gamer

In addition to the Video Game, Bit Bot Media recently launched the Kickstarter campaign for the first officially licensed original Rocky Horror graphic novel. Bride of Rocky Horror is a full-color, 95-page extravaganza by GLAAD Media and Eisner Award-nominated writer Magdalene Visaggio (Girlmode), artist Noemi Vettori (X-Men Unlimited), colorist Josh Rodriguez (Credit tk), letterer Jeremiah Lambert (Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver – The Dead Shall Rise) , and Bram Stoker Award-winning cover artist Soo Lee (Carmilla). In Bride of Rocky Horror, Janet Weiss has embraced a life of decadence and debauchery. But when a mysterious invitation draws her back into the orbit of her ex-fiancé Brad Majors, a new mystery unfolds. Who is the enigmatic Bridget Von Frankenstein? What secrets is Brad hiding? And is it, once again, time for the Time Warp?

These additions to the Rocky Horror saga will be published by Bit Bot Media, a new, cutting-edge multimedia company from Klayton (Celldweller/Scandroid), the multifaceted musician known for his contributions to major motion pictures, TV, and video games including Transformers, Malignant, and Killer Instinct, and Denver Post bestselling writer Joshua Viola (Soul Reaver, True Believers). 

Fans can add the Rocky Horror Show Video Game to their Playstation Wishlists here and support the Bride of Rocky Horror on Kickstarter now. For more updates, sign up at bitbotmedia.com for the Bit Bot newsletter and follow the company’s social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube. 

 

Here's some images from the game:

 

 

 

 

 

 

FreakZone Games, owned by Sam Beddoes, is renowned for its work on Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures and Spectacular Sparky, and worked as the lead developer of Toxic Crusaders for Retroware and developed ports for Spark the Electric Jester 3 for Feperd Games.

Bit Bot Media is a multimedia studio co-founded by musician Klayton (Celldweller) and bestselling author and film producer Joshua Viola, known for its innovative fusion of graphic novels, video games, film, and collectible merchandise inspired by cult-classic franchises.

 

Thanks to Superfan Promotions for sharing this announcement with us.