Amazing Spider-Man #3 Review

 

Writer: Joe Kelly

Artist: Pepe Larraz

Colorist: Marte Gracia

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Pepe Larraz & Marte Gracia; Alex Maleev; Ed McGuinness & Marcio Menyz; Rose Besch; Ario Anindito

Designer: Jay Bowen

Editors: Kaitlyn Lindtvedt, Tom Groneman, Nick Lowe & C B Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: May 7, 2025

 

Peter Parker has a new job. Thanks to Brian Nehring’s recommendation, Peter is now the Supervising Engineer of Cooperative Disciplines at Rand Industries. But his boss, Maira Osmani-Milton, ponders Peter's ability to focus on his duties. Peter’s conversation skills suffer as his mind keeps flying back to his childhood. And then there are the villains that relentlessly attack him, even if they look like Korean automobiles to everyone else.

 

Peter's mad rave started in the Rhino’s apartment. So he goes for an after-party chat. But with the Rhino staying in the Ravencroft Institute, Shay Marken wonders if she should let Spider-Man question her horned guest or give the superhero the room next to Doppelganger. Can Peter discover why Rhino went on a rampage before the perpetrators detonate his life like they did the FDA Product Safety building? Let's grab some Narcan, leap into Amazing Spider-Man #3, and see!

 

Story

Spider-Man finds Itsy Bitsy playing Dr Ashley Kafka with the Rhino. But Spidey doesn't want her to scramble Rhino's brain like Queen Goblin tried to clean up Ben Reilly’s muddled mind. So once again, Spider-Man and Itsy Bitsy come to blows. But this time, Spidey doesn’t have Deadpool backing him up.

 

Peter’s recent responsible behavior fuels Aunt May’s hopes. She has invested so much in her nephew, only to see him become the most unemployable scientist in New York. Seeing him get a position at Rand Industries, even if it came via a troublesome childhood pal, gives May a chance to think about finally relaxing that parental responsibility. Riccardo Villanueva volunteers at FEAST. In Amazing Spider-Man #3, she asks Riccardo for help at her apartment. But then Peter shows up, looking every bit the nephew in need of mothering. Again.

 

While Joe Kelly plants characters and situations that bloom with action and drama, Amazing Spider-Man #3 is rooted in guilt. Peter regrets Uncle Ben's death and the way May worries about him. He struggles to avoid recognizing that he is letting Brian Nehring and Dr Osmani-Milton down. Aleksei, aka Rhino, mourns his wife’s death. Norman wishes he hadn’t hurt people as the Green Goblin. Aiding Peter’s crime-fighting assuages his guilt. Perhaps Itsy Bitsy feels guilty over all the trouble she has caused Peter. As Spider-Man investigates how Itsy drugged Rhino, Peter doubtless wishes he could have helped her embrace a better life (and not played a hand in her death). 

 

 

 

Art

Pepe Larraz uses jarring camera angles that reveal Peter's distorted perceptions as he fights Itsy Bitsy. Despite not knowing what he can believe or where he stands with Shay, Peter's first inclination in Amazing Spider-Man #3 is a desperate lunge to save his would-be girlfriend. A meetup on a bridge spanning the Harlem River must provoke more bad memories for Peter. But seeing Peter climb the stairs to her apartment in another man's dripping wet clothes must remind Aunt May of her plea for Spider-Man to leave her nephew alone.

 

Itsy Bitsy's red, black, and blue uniform suggests a funhouse mirror reflection of Spider-Man. Her six arms wield red swords in a hypnotic rhythm like Kali's battle with Sinbad. Black and White memories overlay Marte Gracia's colorful people and places amid the living and the dead. Violet foregrounds in Ravencroft Institute emphasize that Itsy Bitsy’s swords are red for a reason. But when darkness tinges her spider-eyes, mask, and swords with magenta, Itsy forms a powerful connection with Spidey in Amazing Spider-Man #3.

 

Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase black lettering into dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. Words grow bold for inflection, swell, change color, and shrink for lowered voices. White letters in edgy black balloons hail a villain's return, while gray dialogue balloons drive daggers into Peter’s heart. Sound effects shatter glass, recall a stormtrooper’s stun beam, and suggest a villain’s fiery temper as Peter’s investigations continue. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Drugs helped Itsy Bitsy cope with life. Illicit chemicals enable Peter to connect the dots in his investigation. But Peter's brainstorm worries his friend Brian, who breeds magic mushrooms for a living. And despite Peter's plea, Norman says, "No more." As Peter struggles to discern reality, the drugs twist his childhood memories into an unending nightmare in Amazing Spider-Man #3.

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Amazing Spider-Man #45 Review

 

Writer: Zeb Wells

Artist: Carmen Carnero

Colorist: Marcio Menyz

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: John Romita Jr, Scott Hanna & Marcio Menyz; Carmen Carnero & Alejandro Sánchez; Alex Maleev; Vitale Mangiatordi

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: March 13, 2024

 

Peter Parker brought a poorly decorated cake to Anna Watson’s birthday party. Mary Jane’s enraged aunt attacked her niece, Peter’s aunt May, and her other party guests. Mary Jane's quick thinking and Spider-Man's timely thwipping landed Aunt Anna in New York’s Ravencroft Institute. Can Spider-Man cure Anna Watson and help her return home? Let’s thwip into Amazing Spider-Man #45 and find out!

 

Story

Shay Marken wears a brave face as she carries out her duties. Yet the inmates at Ravencroft Institute frighten her. Chief among those is Anna Watson. Sure, the kindly senior citizen projects an air of sweetness and gentleness. But when Anna’s Krakoan Derangement Syndrome manifested last year, she hurled her party guests around like a supervillain. Anna unleashes a torrent of abuse upon Shay as the young nurse arrives to feed her. It's a good thing the Ravencroft staff keep Anna in a straitjacket. Were Anna to get Shay in her clutches, there’s no telling the violence she could unleash.

 

Peter Parker feels sorry for Anna when he sneaks into her cell. He promised Mary Jane he would carry her out of the Ravencroft Institute after delivering the antidote, but Anna objects. The woman’s manipulative and malicious ways vanish. She remembers hurting the people she cared about. In Amazing Spider-Man #45, Anna Watson refuses to leave until the Ravencroft staff releases her.

 

 

 

Norman Osborn has led a troubled life. The businessman has spent far more time as a villain than a hero. Peter hasn't seen Norman much lately, as his boss sat out the Gang War to protect Oscorp. In their last interaction, Peter fears how Norman will react to his latest proposal. It could cost him his job and livelihood, but Peter believes it's the right thing to do.

 

Like leaving Aunt Anna in the Ravencroft Institute for the Criminally Insane until the staff and the city of New York release her. 

 

 

 

Art

Lights reflect off the transparent cell walls and floor, leaving the hallway in Ravencroft’s residents’ wing awash in light. While the blue in Spider-Man’s costume blends with the light blue ceiling, the red webbing seems impossible for Nurse Marken to miss. Norman looks far more interested in his food when Peter visits his office. Norman seems more remote than before he freed Peter from the sins that turned Peter into Black Spider-Goblin. Is it just business concerns that cloud Norman’s mind?

 

Marcio Menyz enhances Stormbreaker artist Carmen Carnero’s institutional scenes with cool blues, beiges, and grays. Menyz imbues Carnero’s realistic faces with warm skin tones. Foliage casts dappled shadows across Spider-Man’s red and blue suit as he peers through the orange-and-yellow sky at the Ravencroft Institute. Mary Jane’s vibrant hair and red, white, and black Jackpot attire stand out amid the surrounding greenery as the two friends meet, then turn away.

 

 

 

Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase black lettering into white dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. The font grows bold for inflection and rarely shrinks. Enlarged colored letters and colored balloon borders enhance sentences. Zeb Wells’ story doesn’t give Caramagna much license for sound effects. Yet a crunch and resultant yowl could hint at future developments in Amazing Spider-Man #45.

 

Thanks to Marvel for providing this essential chapter of Peter Parker’s life for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Former villains remind Spider-Man that no one is above the law, Dr. Curtis Connors has something on his mind, and a new coalition threatens to give Peter Parker nightmares in Amazing Spider-Man #45.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

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

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi--Jabba's Palace #1 Review

 

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi--Jabba’s Palace #1 Review

Writer: Marc Guggenheim

Artist: Alessandro Miracolo

Colorist: Dee Cunniffe

Letterer: Clayton Cowles

Cover Artist: Ryan Brown; Lee Garbett & Laura Martin; Peach Momoko; Alex Maleev

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: March 29, 2023

 

In Return of the Jedi, Luke Skywalker gifts Jabba The Hutt See-Threepio and R2-D2. The droid tasked with assigning duties mentions the last protocol droid angered Jabba and disintegrated him. C3PO watches as the droid gets torn apart. What's that droid's story? If you've got the mojo to enter Jabba’s palace, let's walk into Star Wars: Return of the Jedi--Jabba’s Palace #1 and find out!

 

Story

His name was Eightyem. He handled all of Jabba’s dealings. He was proficient at his job. Like Luke, the droid often gazed up at Tatooine’s twin suns at sunset and wondered if he could do more with his life. Remember the Twi’lek—the guy with the head-tails--who discovers Luke after he enters Jabba’s palace? When Luke says he wants to speak with Jabba, remember how the Twi’lek responds, "Jabba, no bother?" One day another Twi’lek joins his fellow. His name is Silvan Kaan. Like Luke, Kaan will eventually bother Jabba too. But first, Kaan will ingratiate himself with the master of Tatooine.

 

 

 

Kaan is a smooth talker who makes friends. He encourages Eightyem’s dreams of freedom and promises to remove his restraining bolt in return for three favors. The droid's actions—deviations from his duty to Jabba—give Kaan access to information that solidifies his position with Jabba. But not everyone is happy with the new order, and Eightyem is too naïve to realize the risks he’s undertaking.

 

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi--Jabba’s Palace #1 isn't a dialogue-heavy comic. Nor is it a five-minute read. Marc Guggenheim sprinkles in enough dialogue to help us feel what Eightyem experiences. The little protocol droid relates his story as a memoir. He understates and explains the accompanying visuals without drawing undo attention to his thoughts or feelings, waxing poetic, or blaming others for his errors in judgment. 

 

 

 

Art

Alessandro Miracolo’s art seems the perfect fit for the kid-friendly toy focus of Return Of The Jedi. He fills Jabba’s with all the aliens and bounty hunters we remember, including the little elephant musician. Eightyem looks cute but wistful. Clad in striking attire, Kaan affects dramatic poses. The Twi’lek’s eyepatch suggests he’s a pirate at heart. While most of the aliens look action-figure fun, Jabba never seems less than imperious. He is a Hutt and commands a criminal empire. Even more than in the movie, in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi--Jabba’s Palace #1, Jabba reminds me of Leto II Atreides, who ruled Arrakis—and thus, the civilized universe--for thousands of years in Frank Herbert’s novel God Emperor Of Dune.

 

Dee Cunniffe’s coloring may not be bold and vibrant, but his softer shades blend well with Eightyem’s memoir. Each character stands apart from his fellows. Nothing gets murky or lost in the shadows. His cinematic style makes Kaan and Jabba stand out as the orange rays of sunset stream through the circular windows of Jabba’s court. He even spotlights characters by subtly adding background light amid surrounding darkness. 

 

 

 

Clayton Cowles makes Star Wars: Return of the Jedi--Jabba’s Palace #1 easy to read with large print and bold stressed words. While most characters get circular dialogue balloons, Eightyem speaks with rectangular ones, and his connecting arrows resemble lightning bolts. Once, when Jabba is outraged, his giant words inhabit a white dialogue balloon outlined in red. But mostly, we follow Eightyem’s commentary of white letters in rectangular blue narrative boxes. Like Hansel and Gretel’s breadcrumbs, we follow the fragile protocol droid's footsteps until his journey ends.

 

Final Thoughts

This tale of a droid with grand dreams will charm lovers of Lucasfilm lore. Star Trek fans may hiss when Kaan makes his entrance; like Captain Kirk in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn, they may feel compelled to yell, "Kaaaaaaaannnnnn!" Eightyem reminds me of Yoda's words to Obi-wan in The Empire Strikes Back. While the droid's thoughts are always far away, he has patience. And while Luke has anger in his heart, Eightyem doesn’t.

 

Droids fill the Star Wars universe. Some, like R2-D2, have great character. Others—like C3PO—have great comic potential. Most merely do their jobs—clocking in and out of their duty shifts—without drawing attention to themselves. Eightyem reminds me a little of L3-37 in Solo: A Star Wars Story. He would have cared about droid rights. He might even have fought for them. Who knows what he might have done but for the restraining bolt that held him captive in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi--Jabba’s Palace #1?

 

Rating 8.7/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch