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. 

Amazing Spider-Man #12 Review

 

Writer: Joe Kelly

Penciler: Ed McGuinness

Inkers: Cliff Rathburn & Ed McGuinness

Colorists: Marcio Menyz & Erick Arciniega

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Ed McGuinness & Marte Gracia; Lee Bermejo (Amazing Visions); Simone Bianchi; Rogê Antônio & Marcelo Maiolo; James Kerigan (Halloween Mask); NetEase Games (Marvel Mystic Mayhem)

Designer: Jay Bowen

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

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: September 17, 2025

 

Ben Reilly felt every moment of Cyra’s test thanks to his unspoken clone thing with Peter Parker. So, he impersonates Peter Parker while the genuine article is away. But Ben lacks Peter’s Freaktastic connection to Brian Nehring. And Chasm lacks compassion for the people in Peter’s life.

 

Norman Osborn has come a long way. Driven by Peter’s faith in him, Norman tries to fill his friend’s shoes while he’s gone. But no one likes Norman’s take on Manhattan’s webslinger. And while all that is going on, Roderick Kingsley is fending off Norman’s legal maneuvers and using Queen’s Cola to move weapons in Tombstone’s streets. Will Ben Reilly and Norman Osborn cost Peter Parker his job, his friendships, and his reputation as a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man? Let's thwip into Amazing Spider-Man #12 and see!

 

 

 

Story

We always feel like we know the right thing to do. Hermes Crenshaw thinks he knows what's going on with Spider-Man, but he rushes to judgment without substantiating his claims. J Jonah Jameson generally tries to do what's right. Sadly, his way of doing what's right often means hurting other people. Although he's working for another corporation now, Ben Reilly's still trying to be like Peter Parker. But he knows he's failing and realizes his time at Rand is beyond limited. And that hurts.

 

Of all the people in Joe Kelly’s story, Norman theoretically has the best shot at emulating Peter Parker. He knows the man behind the mask. And unlike Roderick Kingsley, Norman wishes to make amends for his acts as a goblin. But life has forged Norman into a predator who exploits weaknesses and crushes the opposition. That mindset has served him well in building a business empire. No matter how hard Norman wants to be good, his past forged him into a fighter who destroys his rivals. And that hurts.

 

In Amazing Spider-Man #12, New York’s Spider-Society confronts Manhattan's spider-poseur. But instead of attempting an intervention, they adopt Norman's tactics. They try to strongarm the Captain of Industry, who once stole Roderick Kingsley's business empire. And that's going to hurt.  

 

 

 

Art

Ed McGuinness and Cliff Rathburn show Norman swinging into action. He hurtles down pages and careers across two-page layouts. Norman thwips by night and corrals herds of paperwork at Oscorp by day. He slips off brick walls and crashes into cars. Norman hurries from one item on his packed itinerary to the next. And whatever he does, and wherever he goes in his trek toward redemption, Norman frowns.

 

While the paparazzi put Norman’s life under the microscope with their cameras, Brian Nehring tries to peer into Ben Reilly’s soul with his magnifying glass. The Mycoteria clinging to a shard of hovering steel reveal Astrid’s fears, even if it doesn’t justify her goblin-like disdain. But when Brian extends his hand, Ben shrinks from contact, just like Norman Osborn in Amazing Spider-Man #12.

 

 

 

Amid the beige and gray locale, where Tombstone showed Peter the limitations of the legal system, Marcio Menyz and Erick Arciniega's yellow-orange light suggests the sun is setting on Norman's legal maneuvering. A black, white, and red image forms a link with Norman's spider-suit, while a face shaded purple contrasts Norman's strategy with Peter’s when he had to justify his existence. While Norman crouches in a place that has often brought Peter peace, he confronts all the colors that better represent what it means to be a spider-hero.

 

 

 

Joe Caramagna fills white dialogue balloons with black uppercase dialogue. Font size shrinks when business giants whisper. Faint lowercase handprinted lettering reveals Norman's thoughts in irregular white rectangles. Sound effects reveal Norman's pain and his willingness to visit it on anyone who threatens to hurt him in Amazing Spider-Man #12. Thanks to Marvel for providing a review copy.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Pain forged Norman Osborn into an unstoppable empire builder. But when a victim from his past returns to judge his progress in turning his life around, Norman realizes he has a long way to go in justifying Peter Parker’s faith in him in Amazing Spider-Man #12.

 

Rating 9/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

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 #70 Review

 

Writer: Joe Kelly

Penciler: Ed McGuinness

Inkers: Mark Farmer & Cliff Rathburn

Artist: Cafu

Colorists: Alex Sinclair, Marcio Menyz & Frank D’Armata

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Ed McGuinness, Cliff Rathburn & Marcio Menyz; Skottie Young; Peach Momoko; Frank Miller & Alex Sinclair; Iban Coello & Jesus Aburtov; Björn Barends; Brent Schoonover & Rachelle Rosenberg; Netease (Marvel Rivals)

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

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $5.99

Release Date: March 26, 2025

 

Callix slew his siblings and Spider-Man. After threatening to murder his surviving sister unless she joined him, Callix left Cyra with the corpses to attack their father. Cyra never craved power like Callix. Instead, Cyttorak’s games made her feel like nothing mattered. Spider-Man's reverence for life taught Cyra to care about others.

 

So Cyra makes a pact with the Avatar Of Death. The scion offers Phil Coulson her immortality and magical power to revive Peter. Will Cyra’s sacrifice be worth it? And how will Peter Parker’s life change when he becomes the Unstoppable Spidernaut? Let's slip on our hazmat suits, leap into Amazing Spider-Man #70, and find out!

 

 

 

Story

The Blight is a force of nature. While Cyttorak sensed its hunger to devour life, he also felt the vitality of the universe. Cyttorak’s sensitivity to life and how the Blight yearned to destroy it tore at his heart. The god walled away this unendurable pain and fear by distancing himself from life, playing games with his family, and telling himself he didn’t care about anything or anyone.

 

When Dr Strange wanted the power of the Crimson Casket, he discovered the danger of the Blight. He made an offer Cyttorak could not refuse. Why not make a game of protecting life? All this worked fine until Dr Doom became Sorcerer Supreme. The Ruler of Latervia (and perhaps the world) didn't want to protect Earth's Borders and pretend the cosmic danger didn't exist. Strange's approach managed the menace and saved lives. But it also kicked the can down the road for future generations to take care of. In Joe Kelly's story, Doom appoints someone who reveres life and would never make a game out of protecting it. So what if a few million people die because Spider-Man won't play by Dr Strange's rules? Doom is building a better future.

 

In Amazing Spider-Man #70, the Blight festers in anyone who wonders if life is worth fighting for. It feeds off negative energy, empowering people to kill those who hurt them. And who can hurt you more than the people you love? Peter has tried Cyra and Cyttorak’s way of dealing with the Blight. Now, as the Spidernaut, Peter discovers a more direct way of combatting it. When his approach works against the symptoms of infection, Peter channels all his power to tackle the source of the disease.

 

 

 

Art

Spidernaut travels through realms of reality to strike stratospheric Callix. Peter’s punch hurtles Callix back to Earth as a crimson streak. The displaced air and explosion shocks Dr Doom more than the former Sorcerer Supreme. Humming with power, Peter Parker returns to Earth. His first act is to clasp Juggernaut’s shoulder. Callix, beaten but defiant, rises from the impact crater to radiate the Blight like a star in Amazing Spider-Man #70.

 

While the Blight’s infection spreads across him as red eyes and black appendages, Callix thwips barbed webs reminiscent of how Spider-Girl emulates Spider-Boy's powers. As the Blight distorts Callix’s appearance, its massive brown body hangs over New York like a MUTO, turning the sky yellow, orange, and brown. Infused by Cyra’s crimson magic, Spidernaut no longer wears Doom’s arcane armor. Instead, Peter wears a Juggy-shaped version of his familiar red-and-blue. 

 

 

 

When Spidernaut conjures a circle of blue and leaves a blue streak behind, Dr Strange questions his colleague in Amazing Spider-Man #70. Rather than answer, Doom turns away from the blue Dr Strange. Doom’s gray mask lightens, along with the yellow and brown sky.

 

While Alex Sinclair and Marcio Menyz lavish a loaded palette on Ed McGuinness, Mark Farmer, and Cliff Rathburn’s art, Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase black and blue lettering into dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. The dialogue grows bold for inflection, swells and changes color for volume, and shrinks for lowered voices. A giant shout emphasizes the power coursing through Spider-Man, while letters in pink balloons convey agony. Stylized lowercase letters in yellow boxes infuse a historical perspective on these apocalyptic events. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Cash Grab: Story

As Spider-Man pursues thieves, one opens a bag and hurls money from the hoverdisk. When the windfall causes pedestrians' attention to wander, Spider-Man abandons his pursuit to protect them. Joe Kelly's optimistic five-page story in Amazing Spider-Man #70 ponders how institutions weather tragedies that crush individuals.

 

Cash Grab: Art

Laser beams streak past Spidey as he thwips through a flock of greenbacks. Soldiers in black wearing Mandalorian helmets stand atop a hovering metal disk. Spider-Man asks a police officer to grab fluttering currency as he makes an impression on the patrol car roof. Cafu's art and Frank D’Armata’s coloring lend a dreamlike quality to Peter's struggle to live a double life as a superhero with a secret identity and foster friendships, a family, and a successful upfront career. 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Adopting a different suit helps Peter Parker identify with one of his greatest enemies in Amazing Spider-Man #70. Drawing on Dr Strange’s tutelage, Cyra’s endurance test, and Cyttorak’s crimson magic, Peter's courage and selflessness inspire others.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Amazing Spider-Man #69 Review

 

Writer: Joe Kelly

Penciler: Ed McGuinness

Inker: Mark Farmer

Colorist: Marcio Menyz

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Ed McGuinness, Cliff Rathburn & Marcio Menyz; Skottie Young; Amanda Conner & Paul Mounts; Ben Harvey; Netease (Marvel Rivals)

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

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: March 12, 2025

 

It felt like nothing mattered until Peter Parker saw Randy, Shay, Aunt May, and another volunteer sprawled before the FEAST center. Peter gave up his remaining Reeds of Raggadorr to revive them. Aunt May even thanked Spider-Man! But the danger to Earth remains. Spider-Man changed the future by shrugging off his role as Earth’s Champion. Callix broke Cyttorak and Dr Strange's pact by killing his brothers and sisters. Can Peter defend Earth against the all-consuming Blight? Let's don our arcane armor, leap into Amazing Spider-Man #69, and find out!

 

Story

Sadly, Peter Parker lies dead before the throne of Cyttorak, slain by the scion Callix. Peter could have survived the attack by keeping the Reeds of Raggadorr in reserve. Dr Strange would have. Instead, Peter went from seeing death as an inconvenience to giving up his life for others. It’s a fitting end for Manhattan’s friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. But right now, Earth needs a champion.

 

All this began because Dr Strange craved power. In Amazing Spider-Man #69, Dr Strange returns to help people in New York. But once again, he travels there in his astral form. The former Sorcerer Supreme seems more interested in scoring points with Dr Doom than helping people. Dr Strange could have helped Peter more throughout this contest. Or he could have asked Dr Doom to let him compete in the Contest Of Scions he founded with Cyttorak.

 

While Dr Strange comes off badly in Joe Kelly's story, Phil Coulson shines as the Avatar Of Death. Like Dr Strange, Cyttorak plays games with people’s lives. Most parents resort to psychological games at one time or another to help their children find their way. But Cyttorak has overplayed his hand, and now Callix acts like the leader of a country the United Nations refuses to recognize. So, Callix conquers other countries, and with each conquest, he asks, "Do you see me now?" Phil Coulson pierces the web of illusion Cyttorak has spun. In Amazing Spider-Man #69, he guides Cyra toward the truth like a parent should, without manipulation or games. 

 

 

 

Art

The monstrous Blight froze Spider-Man with terror in Cyttorak’s throne room. Now, it hovers over New York City, turning the sky orange as the X-Men fight. Cyttorak awaits acclaim while Cyra kneels over Spider-Man. As his slain siblings sprawl on a network of long, thin blades, Callix’s white face evokes a mask. But unlike Hallow's Eve's bag of tricks, his isn't easily removed.

 

Doom and Dr Strange share Callix's disregard for gravity in Amazing Spider-Man #69. The silver Sorcerer Supreme resembles an armored Green Goblin adorned with a red and gold cape. His yellow energy bursts deliver healing and hurt in equal measure. Yellow radiance also joins the red and blue energy that floods Cyttorak’s throne room, helping and harming those it touches.

 

 

 

While Marcio Menyz lavishes a loaded palette on Ed McGuinness and Mark Farmer’s art, Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase black lettering into dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. The dialogue grows bold for inflection, swells and changes color for volume, and rarely shrinks in this nearly sound effect-free issue. Coulson's blue-edged narrative boxes suggest a link with Dr Strange's (and another character's) blue dialogue. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Cyttorak refused to tell his children and subjects like Juggernaut what he expected of them. Cyra misinterpreted her father's intentions. In Amazing Spider-Man #69, Cyra revises her opinion about her father and what he tried to teach her. It's a revelation that helps the godling understand why she continued to observe Spider-Man after their battle ended.

 

Rating 9.5/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Amazing Spider-Man #64 Review

 

Writer: Justina Ireland

Artist: Gleb Melnikov

Colorist: Marcio Menyz

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Ed McGuinness & Marcio Menyz; Bengus (Marvel Vs Capcom 2); Skottie Young; Stonehouse

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

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: December 25, 2024

 

Doctor Doom selected Spider-Man as Earth's Champion. But whether he battles supervillains, struggles to keep a good-paying job, or maintains a treasured relationship, even when Peter Parker wins, he loses. Spider-Man has won three battles against the scions of Cyttorak. Yet each fight ended with his death. Can Peter break his losing-while-winning cycle? Let's thwip into Amazing Spider-Man #64 and find out!

 

Story

Peter Parker is no stranger to losing. That's why he works so hard to win. His Uncle Ben instilled this refusal to give up during Peter's adolescence. While conferring with Doctor Strange after his recent bout with Cyrios, Peter asks how he can improve. Doctor Strange tries to keep Peter focused on the prize. Thanks to the Reeds Of Raggadoor, dying doesn’t matter. But Peter must win each battle to prevent Cyttorak from unleashing pain and misery on Earth.

 

Unfortunately, Peter Parker isn't the Sorcerer Supreme, so he can't envision the contest like Doctor Strange and Doctor Doom. Worse, Doom relegated this duty to Peter as if defending his planet against destruction were unimportant. So, Peter seeks reasons to keep pushing, only seeing the constant, unending demands of being Spider-Man. Whatever trials beset him, Spider-Man can never fail. Nor can Peter take a raincheck in his personal life or crime-fighting career. Peter Parker doesn’t need Norman Osborn’s help to enhance his spider senses in Amazing Spider-Man #64. With more battles awaiting him and unable to choose the time and place of those bouts with Cyttorak’s scions, the dial of Peter’s spider-sense rises to eleven.

 

Peter's been trying to be more proactive lately. His attempts to throw Tombstone in jail may not have succeeded, but his relationship with Shay is going well. Unlike Black Cat, Shay Marken is a good fit for his life. Like Aunt May, Shay prefers helping people to hijinks and caring for others to crowns. So even though he can't be honest with her about his Spider-Man duties (at least not yet), Peter Parker is winning the battle of life. Unfortunately, he can't see it. In Justina Ireland's story, the greatest danger Peter faces is the inevitability of failure, given Peter's impatience to win each battle on his terms and get on with his life. 

 

 

 

 

Art

As Doctor Strange hovers in Peter's apartment, his blue astral form enhances his cold dismissals of his student's questions. Then, Randy Robertson backtracks on their agreement, insisting that Peter's colorful career must include photographs featuring blue and red. All the green-and-yellow villains that Spider-Man battles in Randy's collection evoke the device Peter built with Doctor Strange while anticipating his fights with Callix and Cyra. Merciless Marcio Menyz won't let Peter catch a breather at the luminous Gallery 862, as the colors adorning the owner and her father remind Peter of Cyttorak’s scions.

 

 

 

While Callix and Cyra study Earth’s champion, Callix talks big in Amazing Spider-Man #64. But unlike his otherworldly canines, Callix’s body language reveals his reluctance to fight. Gleb Melnikov shows Peter's eagerness to tackle his next challenge, leaping into battle fueled by confidence and anger. Yet while Spider-Man wails on a demigod, Shay's downcast expression and Aunt May's drawn features reveal the cost of keeping secrets from those we love.

 

Joe Caramagna’s thwips uppercase black lettering into dialogue balloons and red-edged narrative boxes. He bespells blue-edged balloons with blue words. The dialogue grows bold for inflection and rarely shrinks. White block letters guide us through this linear story about Peter fighting to keep his head above water. Beasts whose bite is worse than their bark fill scenes with vibrant vocalizing. Sound effects accompany Spider-Man’s efforts to level up and avoid an agonizing death in Amazing Spider-Man #64. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Peter grows so inured to the constant battles with demigods that he doesn't realize how fortunate he has been. He is so irritated by how these contests were foisted on him that Peter complains to the astral form of Doctor Strange about enduring the pain of each "temporary" death. So, when Peter attacks Callix in anger, the demigod hits him where it hurts most in Amazing Spider-Man #64. Yet, as Peter battles his latest foe, he fails to notice the similarities between him and a son overlooked by an uncaring father.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

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

Amazing Spider-Man #63 Review

 

Writer: Justina Ireland

Artist: Gleb Melnikov

Colorist: Marcio Menyz

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Ed McGuinness & Marcio Menyz; Rafael Albuquerque; Skottie Young; Lucas Werneck; Francesco D’Ippolito (Disney What If)

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

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: December 11, 2024

 

Since Doctor Doom dubbed him Earth’s Champion, Spider-Man has battled two scions of Cyttorak. Although he has defeated Cyntros and Cyperion, each victory comes at a terrible cost. Armed with the Reeds Of Raggadorr, Peter has met Phil Coulson in a magical place twice, and it wasn't Tahiti. Still, Peter has boned up on magic, thanks to Doctor Strange’s mystic tome. His scientific knowledge is another weapon in his arcane armory. But can Peter combat the Inevitability Of Time? Or will a demon riding a Tuffy bicycle trip him up? Let's thwip into Amazing Spider-Man #63 and find out!

 

Story

Uncle Ben taught Peter to always believe in himself and never give up. Failure may be inevitable, but success in life comes through helping others. While his loved ones and friends like Ben, Gwen Stacy, and Ms Marvel have died, Peter has helped villains like Norman Osborn embrace positive directions. So when Cyrios observes Peter's failures and consigns him to a stereotype, she misjudges why Peter keeps picking himself up and finding new ways to help others.

 

While Cyrios nabs the headline in Amazing Spider-Man #63, Justina Ireland continues Peter's struggle to meet everyday demands. Norman Osborn insulated Peter with flexible work hours so he could be Spider-Man. Now that Peter no longer commands a salary, Randy prepares a gallery show to sell his photography. Aunt May wishes the nephew she raised could head a family and hold a steady job. So she tries to give him a new purpose with FEAST, not realizing Peter is already a full-time public servant.

 

 

 

Distraction emerges as a theme and a threat amid this cosmic challenge. Doctor Doom claimed that Spider-Man often lacks focus. Cyttorak’s scions, Callix and Cyra, claim that Doctor Doom is distracted. Aunt May believes Peter lacks the focus to commit to people and employment. While using physical and emotional pain to weaken him, Cyrios claims that Spider-Man should embrace change. Yet Peter’s ability to react to change is likely why Doctor Doom so magnanimously entrusted Spidey with the Earth's future.

 

Uncle Ben may be gone. But in Amazing Spider-Man #63, Uncle Ben lives on through Peter Parker, who believes in himself and never gives up. Perhaps one day, Aunt May will see that and revise her opinion of her distracted nephew.

 

 

 

Art

After battling a muscular starfish-faced godling and his space beetle brother, Peter meets one of Cyttorak's daughters. Cyrios seeks to put him off guard by appearing as a sweet little devil. After using Peter's spell against him, Cyrios drags him along like a puppy with a glowing green leash through yellow circles bordered by orange. As Gleb Melnikov made adult Cyrios a silhouette while observing Peter’s childhood, her girlish appearance, bicycle, and Peter become silhouettes when they revisit one of Peter's failures. Doom's armor covers Peter like arcane venom when he spies a purple and green villain transporting a blonde damsel through the air with the greatest of ease. A faded Peter fights across the connecting corners of three painful panels before he faces adult Cyrios in a hallway.

 

 

 

Marcio Menyz lavishes a loaded palette on Peter’s battle with Cyrios as she forces him to revisit his nonChristmases Past. But Peter's not the only one who undergoes hardship in Amazing Spider-Man #63. Aunt May looks drawn as she frowns in red, blue, and dark gray. Black Cat struggles to smile in her glossy black catsuit trimmed with white. Shay makes Peter smile, whether gazing wistfully at him in her blue, purple, and dark gray or laying a red, white, and black checked blanket. Darth Maul-like Cyrios smiles the most with her red face adorned with black and framed with red and purple. But Peter banishes her smile by replacing the green tether linking them with a speckled band of red.

 

 

 

Joe Caramagna’s uppercase black lettering in dialogue balloons and narrative boxes grows bold for inflection, swells for increased volume, and never shrinks. Sound effects help us hear Spider-Man hit the wind, a gunshot that haunts him, and Cyrios repeatedly extending Anita Ward’s invitation in Amazing Spider-Man #63. (But will she be happy if he accepts?) Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Cyrios forces Peter to revisit Yesterday and laments his inability to Let It Be while ignoring that mindfulness and judgmentalism don't Come Together. As Peter struggles to prevent past failures from ruining his present, more scions of Cyttorak study him in Amazing Spider-Man #63. One seeks power, the other freedom, and both have likely watched Bill And Ted's Excellent Adventure.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

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