Omega Kids #3 Review

 

Writer: Tony Fleecs

Artist: Andrés Genolet

Colorist: Fer Sifuentes-Sujo

Letterer: Travis Lanham

Cover Artists: Rod Reis; Salvador Larroca & Guru-eFX; Adam Pollina & Edgar Delgado

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: December 17, 2025

 

After Revelation detonated his gene bomb, the X-virus killed Humans or turned them into Mutants. But not everyone loves his Mutant Paradise. So Quentin Quire oversees a network of Mutant children who report any potential insurrection. Chief among the Omega Kids is his task force of psychic killers. He trains them to read their fellow Mutants' minds. If they find any intent to harm Revelation, they should punish miscreants in accordance with their crimes.

 

The Omega Kids seem like his replacements. But unknown to him, they've gone off the rails. Can Quentin rein in his elite squad? Or will these psychic warheads wipe out everyone in the Revelation Territories? Let's leap into Omega Kids #3 and see!

 

Story

Unlike Curtis Terrell Jr, Nell Widows, and Ayla Bozkurt, Bailey Quin hasn't entered her teen years. Unburdened by contemplating the type of person she may become, the eight-year-old acts on her inclinations. Tired of Quentin Quire's strict procedures and work ethic, she helps her friends lock him in a psychic projection. Then, with Curtis and Ayla's help, Bailey initiates a psychic relay program. While the kids relax and enjoy a modicum of peace beyond Quire's control, their minds automatically roam the Revelation Territories, killing anyone with a negative thought about their leader.

 

Tim Seeley intertwines all his plot strands in Omega Kids #3. Readers follow Bailey and her friends, the rebels Bailey told Quentin about, and Rachel Summers. But the story focuses on Quentin Quire, as he gradually awakens from his psychic stupor. As rebels, enforcers, and a Phoenix fight, he experiences a rude awakening. Quentin may process a myriad of intelligent thoughts each second. Still, it takes him a while to contemplate how he feels about what the Omega Kids did to him, what they’re doing to their fellow Mutants, and how to respond to their actions.

 

Quentin trained his psychic task force to follow his commands. But a cultural and age gap separated them. Now, Quentin realizes that he was a more effective teacher than he suspected. Unfortunately, Quentin balled them out when they acted on their instincts and rewarded good behavior with food. Still, he is surprised when the kids he trained like animals yearn to escape their leash.

 

Perhaps the greatest irony in Omega Kids #3 remains Quentin's unshakable belief in Revelation. His leader delivered a paradise where Mutants could live without being persecuted by Humans. Then, Quentin conscripts children into his secret police squad and punishes his fellow Mutants when they dare to think, talk, and act as they wish. 

 

 

 

 

Art

Andrés Genolet intersperses scenes of suffering mutants with the kids relaxing in a realm of mathematics. Some of the rebels who surround Quentin look more like Mutants than he does. One rebel could be Quentin’s clone, contrasting their vastly different outlooks. Then Rachel Summers’ fiery form appears above him. Her posture evokes a puppeteer directing Quentin’s movements.

 

Fer Sifuentes-Sujo shows Rachel as a reverse silhouette inside a purple shadow portrait of Quentin. Yellow, orange, and lavender tinge what she sees. After comparing Quentin and his team to Peter Pan and the Lost Boys, Rachel's tiny glowing form evokes Tinkerbell in Omega Kids #3. Yellow and red define Rachel's attire. Yet they also dominate those with whom Quentin identifies.

 

Travis Lanham places black uppercase letters in white balloons and boxes. Balloon shapes differentiate spoken dialogue from radio transmissions, psychic communication, and sounds of distress or surprise. The words grow bold for inflection, swell for raised voices, and rarely shrink. Sound effects accompany psychic attacks and reactions to psychic control in this disturbing story about people prioritizing causes over community. Thanks to Marvel Comics and Comic Book Dispatch for providing a review copy.

 

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Quentin Quinn has the paradise he envisioned. But he won’t let his fellow Mutants enjoy it. He forces children to be soldiers. And when they misbehave, he says, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Omega Kids #3 is a startling reminder that Humans often fight against the peaceful unity they claim to value, and ideological leaders can be the most self-absorbed of all.

 

Rating 9.8/10

Omega Kids #2 Review

 

Writer: Tony Fleecs

Artist: Andrés Genolet

Colorist: Fer Sifuentes-Sujo

Letterer: Travis Lanham

Cover Artists: Rod Reis; Chad Hardin & Israel Silva; Carlo Pagulayan, Jazon Paz & Rain Beredo; Federico Vicentini & Matt Milla

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: November 19, 2025

 

The X-Men fought for Mutant equality. But no matter how hard they tried, the X-Men failed to stamp out prejudice, repression, and persecution. So, Doug Ramsey, aka Revelation, unleashed a virus that killed Humans or turned them into Mutants.

 

Revelation has created a Mutant paradise in the former United States. But pockets of resistance still linger. Terrorists and assassins attempt to kill the Mutants’ glorious leader. Revelation can strip dissidents of their ability to communicate. But how does he control his growing territory as the X-Virus spreads across the former United States? And how does Revelation nip trouble in the bud before it can bite him? Let’s leap into Omega Kids #2 and see!

 

Story

Once, Quentin Quire was one of Professor Xavier's brightest students. Now, he leads a surveillance network for Revelation. Quentin has Omega Kids stationed throughout the Revelation Territories. When the young psychics observe dissidents, protestors, and fugitives, they can report their findings to him. But within his vast network, Quentin personally oversees his Elite team. Curtis Terrell Jr, Nell Widows, and Ayla Bozkurt are teenagers. Bailey Quinn is only eight years old. Yet these kids help him prevent uprisings in Revelation’s capital city.

 

In Omega Kids #2, Quentin urges his team to find insurgents in a Philadelphia suburb. While they can kill rebels and terrorists with a thought, the kids can also edit people's memories to keep them out of trouble. But Quentin urges them to carefully assess each subject before rushing to judgment.

 

 

 

Quentin drives his top team hard. He is awed by their potential. But Quentin wishes he were closer to them. And he knows they are as capable of inflicting needless suffering and death as they are of safeguarding Revelation. Sadly, Quentin thinks he can have it both ways in Tony Fleecs’s story. Quentin believes he can employ classical and operant conditioning techniques to transform children into soldiers while maintaining a healthy parental relationship.

 

While the kids constantly signal that they don't share his views, Quentin struggles to close the distance to them. What Quentin doesn't realize in Omega Kids #2 is that the children have turned his strengths against him. Quentin may believe that the kids are all right. But Curtis Terrell Jr, Nell Widows, Ayla Bozkurt, and Bailey Quinn insist, “This is my generation.”

 

 

 

Art

Curtis Terrell Jr is an insecure redhead. Nell Widows has blue hair and horns. Ayla Bozkurt wears teal gloves, a turtleneck, and a light-green bandana in her dark hair. Even though skin covers her eyes, she frequently smiles. Bailey Quinn may be 8 years old, but the blonde radiates confidence and leadership. All wear black jackets bearing a lavender omega symbol. Fer Sifuentes-Sujo lavishes a loaded palette on "Doug's Green Hell," as Quentin calls it. But lavender dominates scenes. The children turn lavender in their astral forms and relax in their lavender refuge. Lavender smoke lingers after their attacks.

 

Bailey and her friends relax on a peaceful hillside beneath a sky filled with mathematical equations and symbols. The residents of Beverly, Massachusetts, may chafe at Carol Danvers' leadership as their shielded town falls into disrepair in the Binary series. But like Republic City after Korra allows the spirit world to mingle with her own, trees, vines, and plants climb walls and push through streets. When the children place their hands against their heads, Andrés Genolet shows their target’s thoughts and memories. An absent loved one takes on a ghost-like appearance. But when they rush to judgment, a familiar symbol rises in Omega Kids #2.

 

Travis Lanham places black uppercase letters in white dialogue balloons. Quentin's team shares their thoughts via clouds and wavy arrows. White letters in black boxes identify people and places. The words grow bold for inflection and swell for raised voices, while sound effects heighten attacks. Yet as Quentin affects his affable charm and struggles to contain his impatience, his T-shirt bears the inscription, "Magneto was weak." Thanks to Marvel Comics for providing a review copy.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Quentin Quinn can create a universe with his mind. But as he tries to instill his values in his students, they hide their thoughts and feelings from him. The children express these in their secret place, a construct of their own making. And while he tries to squash rebellions before they start, Quentin doesn't realize that one is brewing in his inner circle in Omega Kids #2.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

The Spectacular Spider-Men #14 Review

 

Writer: Greg Weisman

Artist: Andrés Genolet

Colorist: Edgar Delgado

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Production: Gabriel Mata

Editors: Tom Groneman, Nick Lowe & CB Cebulski

Cover Artists: Mark Bagley & Edgar Delgado; Andrei Bressan & Edgar Delgado

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: April 16, 2025

 

Curt and Martha Connors begged their son to live in Shift's Enclave. But Billy Connors didn't want to hide in the sewers with jackals and vermin. Angered by society's disdain for his appearance, Billy climbed up to the streets. But when he noticed Max Dillon and Francine Frye, the kissing Electros spotted an opportunity. They held Billy for ransom and forced Curt to help them fry The Spectacular Spider-Men.

 

Curt Connors isn’t the Lizard anymore. Still, the Lizard helped Curt force the Electros to take them to Billy. But when Billy wasn’t where they left him, the Lizard threw a hissy fit. Can Peter Parker and Miles Morales help Curt Connors and the Lizard find Billy? And how is Anna Romney doing after Max and Francine electrocuted her? Let's grab a "Parker" from Max Vinck, thwip into The Spectacular Spider-Men #14, and find out!

 

Story

Before she gained superpowers, Juliet Marcos enjoyed a whirlwind romance with Anna Romney. But all that was an illusion spun by Arcadium. When Anna stepped into the ESU Coffee Bean, Juliet introduced herself. As the two became friends, Rickie Lund wondered where she stood with her girlfriend. When Anna risked her life to protect Juliet, Rickie lashed out. Rickie hesitates to enter Anna’s hospital room in The Spectacular Spider-Men #14. How can Rickie face Anna after distrusting her and blaming Juliet for endangering her?

 

Peter and Miles bear responsibility for Juliet and Anna’s electrocutions. The Electros were after them, not the ladies. But when they awakened, Peter and Miles left the paramedics to deal with Anna so they could prevent the Lizard from devouring the Electros. They didn’t even wait to see if Juliet was okay. So after Max resuscitates Juliet, the young superhero reacts badly to being blamed for Anna's near-death experience in The Spectacular Spider-Men #14.

 

Shift has told Miles that he wants to belong somewhere. Like Billy Connors, Shift wants an identity and a life above ground. He may be Miles’ clone. Still, Shift also feels responsible for the people he looks after in the sewers. While Peter and Miles thwip and fight in the spotlight, Shift proves the most responsible Spider-Man in Greg Weisman’s story.

 

Art

The Lizard’s white lab jacket, purple slacks, and green skin evoke the Hulk as he battles Peter and Miles in the abandoned warehouse. The Lizard hits, slashes, and snaps his T-Rex-like mouth as he insists upon Billy’s return. The Electros may have left, but the Lizard seeks a target for his anger. Yet Andrés Genolet suggests that the Lizard's anger may also stem from his relationship, or lack thereof, with the boy he loves in The Spectacular Spider-Men #14.

 

Rickie's yellow and black hair echoes her black top and tan slacks. Edgar Delgado's coloring reminds us that we all wrestle with positive and negative emotions. The red-and-yellow print hanging in the room suggests Rickie’s link with superheroes. Rickie's future reverberates through Peter and Miles' flight past dark buildings with glowing yellow and tan windows as they search for the boy close to Curt and the Lizard's hearts.

 

Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase letters into white and colored balloons and narrative boxes. Dialogue grows bold, swells for volume, and rarely shrinks. The Lizard’s cloudy balloons fill with large letters, evoking the differences between the Hulk and Bruce Banners or the two Captain Kirks in "The Enemy Within." The names and descriptions in white boxes remind us how large Peter and Miles' circle of care has become in The Spectacular Spider-Men #14. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Amid drama, reconciliation, and an intense rescue plot, The Spectacular Spider-Men #14 reminds us families come in all shapes and sizes and to look out for the people we bring into our lives.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

The Spectacular Spider-Men #9 Review

 

Writer: Greg Weisman

Penciler: Andrés Genolet & Emilio Laiso

Colorist: Edgar Delgado

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Production: Gabriel Mata

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

Cover Artists: Emilio Laiso & Edgar Delgado; Dave Johnson; Josemaria Casanovas

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: November 13, 2024

 

The gang from the ESU Coffee Bean still gathers each Wednesday. But now, instead of taking individual tables, they circle their chairs and share their grief. Real or imagined, everyone lost a friend, loved ones, or a dream career when Arcadium died. How else might Arcadium have affected its captives? Let’s grab a latte to keep Max Vinck happy, thwip into The Spectacular Spider-Men #9, and find out!

 

Story

Juliet Marcos traveled the world with Anna Romney. Perhaps Juliet suspected their relationship was too good to be true. Even so, Juliet adored Anna and cherished their time together. But their whirlwind romance was an Arcadium fantasy, and on the ESU campus, Anna doesn’t know Juliet. So when Juliet's crush walks into the Coffee Bean during their weekly session and fails to recognize her, Juliet drops her coffee and turns into a water spirit.

 

In The Spectacular Spider-Men #9, Juliet disappears into a puddle. Before the friends can wipe up the spilled coffee, the liquids merge, and Juliet's coffee-stained water form rises. Anger transforms her into flames, and reassurance returns Juliet to her human form. As Dr Sierra Sinclair realizes she isn't qualified to help Juliet master her new abilities, Max wonders if he should have agreed to host the therapy sessions.

 

Greg Weisman's story forces Peter and Miles into leadership roles. Becoming Spider-Men and helping orchestrate the next phase of Juliet's life removes "Peter" and "Miles" from the weekly Coffee Bean session. Peter must put his grief over Gwen Stacy and his Arcadium family aside to help Juliet. When a special guest asks Ms Marvel to join them, Miles confronts his feelings about Kamala Khan. In the real world, Tiana Toomes is his loving and supportive girlfriend. Yet in the Arcadium, Miles wanted Kamala by his side.

 

As Juliet transitions between water, vapor, mud, and fire, she navigates the rocky first stages of a real relationship with Anna. With her forms changing beyond her control, the Spider-Men must find the right mentor to help her. And then there is Max Dillon and Francine Frye. Max saw Spider-Man and Silk defeat Francine on the TV in The Bar With No Name. It irks him that someone else is using his villain name. But for the spider-heroes to quash Francine on TV is bad for his brand. Like Max in the ESU Coffee Bean, Deke gets stressed when two Electros bump into each other over drinks. But then, that's why baristas and bartenders get big tips for serving delicious drinks, right? 

 

 

 

Art

While Andrés Genolet & Emilio Laiso bookend The Spectacular Spider-Men #9 with high-flying action, they supercharge the drama in the ESU Coffee Bean and The Bar With No Name with dynamic layouts and changing camera angles. Panel shapes change from rectangles to pie wedges, while Juliet owns the corners of a two-page spread in her four glorious forms. Superheroes treat the Coffee Bean like Avengers Tower, while sparks fly in The Bar With No Name. Juliet shows all the trauma of losing control of her body, and school teachers dealing with unruly classes will sympathize with Max and Deke.

 

Edgar Delgado makes the ESU Coffee Bean a beacon of light. Overhead lights make the greenish-blue floor gleam as Juliet turns from blue, gray-brown, to yellow and orange. Viv Vision's vibrant skin shines amid the apple green walls while Max Dillon sashays into The Bar With No Name in a darker green jacket. Amid the deep, rich colors of The Spectacular Spider-Men #9, Adam Blackveil’s pink shirt and Juliet Marcos' pink jacket link the superpowered college students.

 

Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase letters into white and colored balloons and narrative boxes amid Juliet's spectacular shapechanging. While dialogue emboldens, italicizes for intonation, and rarely shrinks, dozens of red-edged white boxes remind us of ongoing characters and introduce new ones. Amid all the splashing and spraying, Juliet pops more than a pan of Jiffy Pop popcorn. Yet even in her liquid form, Juliet savors the flavor of her favorite coffee. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

As Peter and Miles ponder the criteria for the perfect mentor in The Spectacular Spider-Men #9, a potential hero and a longtime villain struggle with how others perceive them.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

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

The Spectacular Spider-Men #8 Review

 

Writer: Greg Weisman

Penciler: Emilio Laiso & Andrés Genolet

Colorist: Edgar Delgado

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Production: Gabriel Mata

Editors: Kaeden McGahey, Kaitlyn Lindtvedt, Nick Lowe & CB Cebulski

Cover Artists: Humberto Ramos & Edgar Delgado; Cory Smith & Edgar Delgado

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: October 16, 2024

 

Sha Shan Nguyen requested Professor Raymond Aaron Warren’s help to find Peter Parker, Miles Morales, and her other missing friends. But Miles Warren, aka the Jackal, was masquerading as his brother. The Jackal used Sha Shan’s tip to find Arcadium and help it achieve its ultimate form. As Peter and Miles defeated the Jackal’s forces and KNAIVE, the robot AI child of Arcadium, Sha Shan, and Detective Shari Sebbens arrived to arrest Miles Warren, Hammerhead, Arcade, and Mentallo. Now, everyone from the Coffee Bean can thank Sha Shan, Peter, and Miles and resume their lives, right? Let’s grab a latte, thwip into The Spectacular Spider-Men #8, and find out!

 

Story

Professor Raymond Aaron Warren is dead. He was the incinerated corpse Peter, Miles, and Seymour Krepps discovered in Miles Warren’s lab. Unlike his brother, Raymond devoted his life to inspiring others. So, the friends from the Coffee Bean gather to celebrate his life with other former students and ESU faculty. Yet they have much more to mourn in The Spectacular Spider-Men #8.

 

Perhaps they should mourn the passing of KNAIVE, a newly born lifeform. They likely would if the AI infant hadn't tried to kill them. But the human relationships they lost weigh more heavily on their minds. Unlike the Avengers, the participants can't reclaim the friends they lost. Perhaps Coffee Bean newcomer Adam Blackveil feels this most acutely, as he used Arcadium to battle Thanos alongside his late friend Kevin. As for the rest, promising careers and marriage awaited them. Even the Infinity Stones can't help the friends reclaim those losses.

 

In Greg Weisman’s story, the friends convert their weekly meetups at the ESU Coffee Bean into therapy sessions. Peter’s friend Cindy Moon helps them find a therapist. But while Peter, Miles, and the others share their feelings with Sierra Sinclair, the villains aren’t sitting on their hands in The Spectacular Spider-Men #8. Unlike most participants, Turk Barrett used Arcadium to garner riches, defeat superheroes, and thumb his nose at society. So, after Turk pulled free of Peter and Miles' webbing, he helped Arcade and Mentallo evade Detective Shari Sebbens’ forces. Turk may lack Hammerhead's deep pockets. But as an enthusiastic beta tester, Turk wants to help Arcade and Mentallo rebuild and improve the augmented reality game in every conceivable way.

 

 

Art

Peter Parker claims two spaces on a Tic-Tac-Toe of torment before overtaking the entire board. The spider-men watch as Shari Sebbens’ officers force Hammerhead and Jackyl into a PDNY police van. Lights shine behind Sha Shan as she requests help finding Peter and Miles. So, two quick changes follow in The Spectacular Spider-Men #8. First, Manhattan’s Spider-Man “finds” Miles Morales. Then, Brooklyn's Spider-Man escorts Peter to his former schoolmate. While mourners gather across two pages to memorialize a beloved teacher, a smaller panel shows Shift celebrating a new life with the Vermin, the newly birthed Jackals, and the Unhoused in New York City sewers.  

 

The reds, blues, and blacks of the spider-men, Detective Shari Sebbens, and uniformed officers show off against the gray evening illuminated by blue-and-red lights. Mourners dress in gray and black to commemorate their fallen friend. Shades of yellow and green fill the sewers as Spider-Man and Silk battle a green-and-yellow-clad villain. Their teamwork precipitates an explosion of blue-white light evoking Estrella Lopez's rebirth as Supernova, while the primary colors of red, blue, yellow, and green accompany the emotional energy swirling through ESU's Coffee Bean.

 

After Emilio Laiso & Andrés Genolet's soulful portrayal of people in pain and Edgar Delgado’ sensitive, celebratory, and electrifying colors, Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase letters into white balloons and narrative boxes in The Spectacular Spider-Men #8. While dialogue emboldens, italicizes for intonation, and rarely shrinks, dozens of red-edged white boxes remind us of ongoing characters and introduce new ones. As the cast swells, sound effects accentuate a villain's rising anger and the sorrow of a departing friend. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

As friends regroup in ESU’s Coffee Bean to assess the wreckage of their lives, the threat of new villains and Arcadium hangs over them. The Spectacular Spider-Men #8 addresses the families we create and the joys and pain we experience as relationships evolve and end.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

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

Amazing Spider-Man #56 Review

 

Writers: Zeb Wells & Lee Gatlin

Penciler: John Romita Jr

Inker: Scott Hanna

Artists: Andrés Genolet, Ramon Rosanas & Lee Gatlin

Colorists: Marcio Menyz, Rachelle Rosenberg & Lee Gatlin

Letterers: Joe Caramagna & Lee Gatlin

Editors: Kaeden McGahey, Nick Lowe & C B Cebulski

Cover Artists: John Romita Jr, Scott Hanna & Marcio Menyz; Rafael Albuquerque; Joëlle Jones & Rachelle Rosenberg; Paco Medina & Jesus Aburtov; Pablo Villalobos

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $7.99

Release Date: August 28, 2024

 

Lonnie Lincoln once worked for Wilson Fisk. On a hunting trip, Wilson recognized Lonnie’s potential. So, he taught the new boy what it means to take power and retain it. During the Gang War, Wilson showed that he had changed. The former Kingpin was putting family before power. Now, Lonnie controls the criminal underworld of New York. Lonnie stripped his daughter of her wings. What else will he do to stay on top, and how will his actions affect Spider-Man? Let's thwip into Amazing Spider-Man #56 and find out!

 

Main Story

Peter’s life is a mess, but he doesn’t want it to be. He lost Mary Jane and Felicia Hardy. Now he’s got a chance with Shay Marken, and he doesn’t want to blow it. But that means getting his life under control. That’s not easy, given his responsibilities as Spider-Man. Creditors may no longer hound him, but neither does he have a job. A visit to the Daily Bugle knocks that possibility off Peter’s list.

 

Often, people who struggle in personal relationships throw themselves into work. Peter is better at being Spider-Man than he is at being Peter Parker. But if he’s such a great Spider-Man, why couldn’t he prevent Randy from getting shot? Nearly losing his friend plagues Peter, so Spider-Man takes his anger and frustration out on criminals. If he’s not hassling dodgy real estate agents, he’s making Tombstone look like a crook that other crooks can’t trust. Peter has good reasons to hurt Lonnie, Kareem, and White Rabbit’s reputations. But his actions not only make them look bad. Spider-Man’s duplicity could get them killed.

 

Lonnie Lincoln recognizes this. Like any leader, he knows his position is tenuous. If Spider-Man contemplates loose threads in Zeb Wells' main story, so does Tombstone. After he won the Gang War back in ASM #44, Tombstone told White Rabbit he'd have to kill Spider-Man. But like the new-and-improved Wilson Fisk, Lonnie has been holding back. In Amazing Spider-Man #56, Spider-Man wants to take down Tombstone. Tombstone needs to take down Spidey. But unlike Peter Parker, Lonnie Lincoln gets no pleasure from it. It’s just something he has to do.

 

Art

Peter’s eyes glow, and he smiles wide as Randy walks on crutches. His smile fades, and Peter's eyes narrow when Randy asks him to leave. Spider-Man looks like he's addressing flies from atop the villains’ van. Then he yanks the back doors open, filling the air with their blood. Spider-Man thwips the crate of guns away and rides atop Kareem's car. Then he thwips away, leaving a locator beacon on the roof. Lonnie dines alone in a restaurant while bodyguards wait nearby. He wipes his mouth with a cloth napkin as he studies photos of Peter Parker. Do Tombstone's thoughts return to Fisk's object lesson in Africa?

 

Marcio Menyz tinges John Romita Jr and Scott Hanna’s Daily Bugle newsroom with yellow. While Robbie Robertson’s head glows, the overhead florescent lights cast light diagonally into Robbie’s darker office. But they’re no match for the streetlight that shines over the silhouette of Janice on the sidewalk, casting shadows across her eyes and shoulders as she sniffs red roses. Light streaks the window and the mirror as Tombstone adjusts his tie. He wants to look his best when he rolls down the green window of his black limo and tells Peter to get out of the rain.

 

 

 

Proxy: Story

Spider-Man requests that She-Hulk meet him at Pigeon Coffee And Donuts. He wants to discuss building a case against Lonnie Lincoln, but Bulldozer gets in the way. She-Hulk helps Spidey take Bulldozer down, but she’s upset. She’s on her way to Ned Leeds’ hearing, and the brawl with Bulldozer ruined her favorite blazer. With so much going on in his life, Spider-Man forgot about Ned’s hearing. He wants to be there for his friend. But while She-Hulk heads directly to the courthouse, Spider-Man arrives late.

 

Ned is unhappy with Peter in Amazing Spider-Man #56. Like Randy Robinson and many in Peter’s life, Ned feels that Peter hasn’t stood by him like a friend should. In Proxy, Spider-Man may win, but Peter Parker loses.

 

Art

Like Jaws in Moonraker, Rhino consumes his side of a booth, while his date requires little. As they glimpse the fight on the street through the streaked coffee shop window, their guarded expressions relax, and they exchange smiles. Spider-Man thwips a car. She-Hulk rips a streetlight off the curb. Sparking electric cables cast a yellow glow on the rising smoke as She-Hulk throttles Bulldozer with the streetlight. As the villain lays face down on cracked concrete, She-Hulk doesn’t look at Spider-Man. Instead, she inspects her torn shoulder seam and ripped sleeve.

 

Rachelle Rosenberg paints Andrés Genolet’s courtroom in gray, beige, and brown. While She-Hulk dominates the room in her purple blazer, Ned echoes her color with his V-neck sweater. Bettie and her child wear light blue. The red, white, and blue American flag hangs next to her in the adjacent panel. Peter’s presence offers a weak glow, but his gray clothes diminish him as he pursues Bettie, Ned, and She-Hulk past brown wood and white marble walls. The overhead lights and the sunlight streaming in through the windows behind them give She-Hulk an angelic appearance, while Peter casts a black spider and a Spider-Man standing before a spider-web on the wall. 

 

 

 

Responsibilities: Story

Peter visits Mary Jane and Paul one night. Before he thwips away for an evening of crime fighting, he thanks them for Paul's delicious Chicken Korma. The time Paul took to learn how to make the Indian curry is another reminder of how Paul cares for MJ. But Paul's concern for others isn't limited to the woman he loves. In Zeb Wells' story, Paul is a visitor from another universe. Yet Paul made a list of people injured by his profit-driven focus before he traveled here. He can't help the people who died or still suffer there, so he helps their counterparts on Earth-616. The affecting story makes you wonder. What kind of Spider-Man might Paul become?

 

Art

Paul and Mary Jane’s apartment is a showroom of straight lines and rectangles. The panel doors, kitchen cabinets, wood floor, kitchen tile, picture frames, and the sleek couch exude ordered calm. When Paul ventures outside into the sea of humanity, he gives a street vendor money, even though he doesn't buy anything. Yet when Paul ventures into the apartment building of a person in trouble, the lines go askew. The building has fallen into disrepair, and the stark lighting creates drama.

 

Rachelle Rosenberg lavishes a loaded palette of appealing colors on Ramon Rosanas’ art in Amazing Spider-Man #56. The subdued colors of Paul and Mary Jane's apartment make it a beacon of light. The next day, Paul travels past beige buildings, vibrant foliage, and passersby dressed in colorful attire. Paul's memories of his business career reinforce Paul's former indifference to his world, while the warm greens and browns of the apartment he visits suggest the occupant's connection. By the time Paul leaves, the sky has turned gray, and rain pelts down, a final reminder that Paul's form of caring means investing time in others. 

 

 

 

Stark Kraven Mad

In Lee Gatlin's delightful cartoon, Kraven sits on one of the stone statues outside the New York Public Library when Spider-Man thwips into view. The soft green foliage surrounding Kraven evokes the jungle. Is the stone lion Patience or Fortitude? Given Spidey's antics, I can make an educated guess.

 

Aside from Lee Gatlin’s one-page story, Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase lettering into dialogue balloons and narrative boxes in Amazing Spider-Man #56. The fonts grow bold for inflection, swell and change color for increased volume, and shrink for lowered voices. Colored and transparent sound effects heighten thwipping, headbanging, gavel-banging, a car crash, police sirens, and a brutal brawl. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Mary Jane has her life in order. Randy Robertson and Ned Leeds are making progress. But Peter is more lost than ever. He wants to start something good with Shay Marken but doesn't even have a job. So he’s putting Spider-Man’s house in order in Amazing Spider-Man #56. But will becoming a more controlling Spider-Man create more problems than it solves?

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

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