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 #65 Review

 

Writer: Joe Kelly

Artist: Cafu

Colorist: Frank D’Armata

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Mark Bagley & Richard Isanove; NetEase (Marvel Rivals); Elizabeth Torque; Luciano Vecchio; Skottie Young

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

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: January 8, 2025

 

Peter Parker may like Phil Coulson. Still, Peter doesn’t want to die to see him. So, Peter goads Callix into attacking him before the scion is ready and wins his bout. Will Spider-Man's contest with Cyra go as smoothly? Let's strap on our arcane armor, thwip into Amazing Spider-Man #65, and find out!

 

Story

Aunt May is pressing Peter to have a life. The woman who raised him wants her nephew to settle on a career, get married, and have children. Aunt May wants to feel like her sacrifices made a difference in Peter’s life. Unfortunately, Aunt May isn't the only one who has expectations of Peter. Randy Robertson is organizing a photography show to boost Peter’s career. Shay Marken wants to make a life with Peter. Black Cat wants her friend’s emotional support. Spider-Boy wants to thwip and quip with him. Yet, Peter fails them because he can’t meet everyone’s expectations.

 

Unlike Cyttorak’s other scions, Cyra shares Peter's resentment over being compelled to fight in these contests. But unlike Black Cat, Cyra finds no joy in what she does. Doctor Strange insists that dying is part of winning battles with the gods. Yet Peter survived his fight with her twin brother. So when Cyra forces Peter to face the Inevitability of Death in Amazing Spider-Man #65, Peter assumes he will not need the Reeds Of Raggadoor again. Nor does it seem as though Cyra will lash out and kill Peter if he wins.

 

Compared with the previous contests, Cyra’s challenge is not physically or intellectually demanding. He cannot rebuff her with strengths like his understanding of physics, his ability to master new skills, or his quipping and thwipping expertise. Instead, Cyra’s "Emo Fanfic" tests Peter's emotions. As Reverend Mother Gaius Mohiam tested Paul Atreides, Cyra judges Peter Parker’s humanity. Just as Paul believed his hand was burning, Peter agonizes over the death of his loved ones.

 

Ironies ripple through Joe Kelly’s story. Cyra asserts that nothing anyone does has any significance. Yet her brother desperately wishes to impress their father. Cyra hates Earth because Humans are an “unserious” species. Still, she finds value in one of Spider-Man's quips. Cyra infers that Humans should work toward a great plan that moves the species forward. But she doesn’t seem interested in accomplishing anything. Perhaps the biggest irony in Spider-Man #65 is that Cyra and Peter wield extraordinary power. Yet Peter sacrifices to help others while Cyra wants a drink and a bath.

 

 

 

Art

Unlike the other scions, Cyra is not haughty. She forges a connection with Spider-Man and shares the pain she inflicts. Cyra may be a god. Still, one of her head-tails lacks an end, and a scar mars her divine countenance. Perhaps an earlier attack on her invincibility shocked Cyra. Like Phil Coulson, she recognizes that her appearances only bring others pain. Overwhelmed by the truth she wields, Cyra urges Spider-Man not to struggle and accept the inevitable.

 

Frank D’Armata lavishes a loaded palette on Cafu’s art in Amazing Spider-Man #65. Amid layouts across pages, cosmic battles are red, silver, yellow, and purplish black. Purple and yellow remind us of the isolating power of disease, while green and yellow often accompany magic. Blue, yellow, red, and black color Peter's most traumatizing vision. Yet Spider-Man's red and silver arms passing through a figure clothed in black and green are heartbreaking.

 

Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase black lettering into dialogue balloons and red-edged narrative boxes. Cyra’s Emo Fanfic inhabits beige boxes. The dialogue grows bold for inflection, enlarges for volume, and rarely shrinks. Sound effects highlight one man's desperation for significance. Yet the blue uppercase dialogue in white dialogue balloons reminds us what makes Peter Parker unique and why Earth needs him to be Spider-Man. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Everyone loses in Amazing Spider-Man #65. Yet nearly everyone wins in this fifth battle for the late great planet Earth. Like life itself, Joe Kelly’s story is a matter of perspective. And even a god with everything to live for can embrace despair.

 

Rating 9.5/10

 

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

Amazing Spider-Man #58 Review

 

Writers: Zeb Wells

Penciler: John Romita Jr

Inker: Scott Hanna

Colorist: Marcio Menyz

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Editors: Kaeden McGahey, Nick Lowe & C B Cebulski

Cover Artists: John Romita Jr, Scott Hanna & Morry Hollowell;Chris Allen & Frank D’Armata; Giuseppe Camuncoli & Ramulo Fajardo Jr; Ryan Meinerding; Leonardo Romero

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: September 25, 2024

 

When Lonnie Lincoln lay on life support, Janice took his crime syndicate away from him. Lonnie teamed with Spider-Man in the Gang War because he didn’t want his daughter to become like him. Then he stripped Janice of her Beetle wings at The Battle Of Central Park, abandoned Spider-Man’s coalition in the fight against Madame Masque, and boogied home with White Rabbit and his gang. After his lawyer arranged bail, Lonnie sent White Rabbit after his would-be son-in-law and murdered the police outside his daughter’s apartment. Will Lonnie kill Janice to prevent his daughter from sending him back to Ryker’s Island? Let's thwip into Amazing Spider-Man #58 and find out!

 

Story

When Spider-Man admitted he convinced Janice to testify against her father, Lonnie Lincoln told Spider-Man, “You have no idea what you’ve done.” When Michele got Lonnie out of Ryker’s, Peter Parker asked Lonnie's lawyer, “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” No one expected Lonnie to attack his daughter in her apartment. They assumed Janice would be safe. But Janice is the key to locking her father behind bars, and as Lonnie once told her, "Whoever wins today will own everything and will have to be a monster to keep it."

 

 

 

Perhaps Shotgun’s indictment still rings in Lonnie’s ears. The government didn’t view him as a long-term threat and sent Shotgun to assassinate his daughter. But when Janice reminds Lonnie of his paternal relationship in Zeb Wells’ story, her father says, “Not anymore.” Lonnie once told Wilson Fisk, “It’s Tombstone when I’m working.” Intriguingly, whether wearing street clothes or his costume, Peter Parker never uttered Tombstone’s name when he tried to cage the crime lord in Amazing Spider-Man #57. But when he interrupts the family squeezefest in Amazing Spider-Man #58 and Tombstone races outside after his daughter, Spider-Man never utters Lonnie's moniker. Instead, Spider-Man repeats the crime lord’s name in the fading hope that part of the man doesn’t want to be a monster.

 

 

 

Art

When Tombstone took out the police guarding her apartment, Janice heard three shots. Yet when Tombstone enters her apartment, he replaces the magazine in his semiautomatic with a fresh one. As she dives behind the bed, crawls into the bathroom, and dons her costume, Tombstone sprays the apartment with bullets. When Janice knocks the gun from his hand with a laser blast, Tombstone tosses an EMP grenade that chokes the room with smoke. As Janice goes for his throat with both hands, Tombstone grabs one of her arms, hurls her to the floor, and squeezes the life out of Janice with his free hand. John Romita Jr and Scott Hanna respect page boundaries while delivering an average of four to six panels per page. The exception is a double-page spread with inset panels when Spider-Man makes a spectacular entrance in Amazing Spider-Man #58.

 

 

 

Marcio Menyz surrounds Janice's chocolate features with mauve-brown walls. When Tombstone points his gun at her, orange fills the background and illuminates her face. Tombstone's stony features and white skin suggest Frankenstein's monster as he relentlessly pursues his daughter. His purple vest echoes his daughter's Beetle costume. Tombstone's choice of shirt seems deliberate, as it links him with the other person determined to rob him of his empire in Amazing Spider-Man #58. 

 

 

 

Joe Caramagna’s uppercase black lettering in dialogue balloons and narrative boxes grows bold for inflection, swells and changes color for increased volume, and shrinks for lowered voices. While colored and transparent sound effects enhance the nonstop battle and chase, red dominates with gunshots and enlarged dialogue that often disrespects balloon boundaries like Madame Masque, Spider-Man, Janice Lincoln, and the US government have disrespected Lonnie Lincoln. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Janice Lincoln doesn’t want Spider-Man to rescue her. Lonnie Lincoln doesn’t want Spider-Man to prevent him from killing his daughter. As Tombstone, Lonnie always put business over family. But then Spider-Man found Tombstone’s weak spot. So, in Amazing Spider-Man #58, Tombstone seeks to eliminate it before his weakness destroys what he values most.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

Preview the interior art in my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Deadpool #4 Review

 

Writer: Cody Ziglar

Pencilers: Rogê Antônio & Eric Gapstur

Inkers: Jonas Trindade & Eric Gapstur

Colorist: Guru-eFX

Letterer: Joe Sabino

Cover Artists: Taurin Clarke; Jan Bazaldua & Federico Blee; Greg Land & Frank D’Armata

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: July 3, 2024

 

Ellie wants to be a partner in her dad’s business venture. Deadpool’s new mercenary team already acts like a family, even if Doug lacks superpowers, Taskmaster wants extra pay for fieldwork, and Wade's symbiote alien-canine daughter Princess wants to eat negative reviewers. (Ouch!) At least the rat in the water cooler seems content. Will Ellie emulate the rat? Or, like Kirk's little rascals on Sigma Iotia II, will Ellie demand a piece of the action? Let's leap into Deadpool #4 and find out!

 

Story

Deadpool’s life is dangerous. If Ellie won’t return to Terry and Emily's home in Arizona, Taskmaster insists Wade’s Human daughter learn to protect herself. Ellie works hard in Taskmaster’s lessons, but success doesn’t come easy. Still, faster than Harry Potter turned the tables on Professor Snape during their Occlumency lessons, Ellie surprises Taskmaster. Blame it on her hyperactive neurons!

 

Deadpool is proud of his Human daughter. She can learn to protect herself, and her super-healing ability insulates her from danger. But that doesn't mean he wants her to seek it out. Nor does he want her to go around killing people. Ellie sought him out because she wanted to participate in his life. So, in Deadpool #4, the Merc With A Mouth wonders how to shield his Human daughter from danger while encouraging her interests and nurturing her abilities.

 

 

 

Cody Ziglar doesn't let Deadpool dwell on his problems for long. Instead, he offers Wade Wilson a new one. Everyone loves a party, but Deadpool isn't wild about Death Grip's invitation. Sure, he'd like to stop the psychotic martial artist from hurling convention wreckers like Crossbones at him. Still, who can resist a rematch?

 

Deadpool #4 is a descent into brutality. Taskmaster's method of training Ellie involves seeing what he can break. Death Grip took the Muramasa blade from Solem, but instead of wielding it, the master of magic and martial arts became a sword-swallower. Now, a sword forged from the dark portions of the Human soul inhabits the leader of a death cult. Can the leader of The Touch kill the unkillable Deadpool? Or will the joke be on Death Grip?

 

 

Art

Rogê Antônio, Jonas Trindade, and Eric Gapstur pool their talents to portray Team Deadpool’s homelife. Princess looks on as Ellie battles sword-wielding Taskmaster in a boxing ring. A multiple exposure shot reveals when Tasky’s lessons hit home, and Ellie forces Taskmaster to drop his beverage can. Yet her vulnerability shows when she sits before her father at the dinner table.

 

Guru-eFX lavishes a loaded palette of appealing colors on the action and drama in Deadpool #4. As Deadpool and Taskmaster watch the fighting projected on the big screen, a shot from behind colors the two men light blue against an inked background. The sores covering Wade’s head blend with his costume, even when red hearts cover his eyes. A nearly Black and White invitation leads to gray-robed warriors in a pink and lavender lobby. Orange surrounds Wade’s head, a blue-white glow suffuses Taskmaster’s beloved weapon, and the background turns Deep Purple as Deadpool and Tasky reenact their version of Thor and Loki’s Get Help. Honestly! Who’d be a Soldier Of Fortune?

 

Joe Sabino stabs white and colored dialogue balloons and narrative boxes with black uppercase lettering in Deadpool #4. The font shrinks for lowered voices, emboldens for inflection, and swells for increased volume. Sound effects help us hear Taskmaster emulate Captain America, Ellie slams into a corner post, and gunfire rings out in The Touch's temple. A scream accompanies a panel of the inflamed pain centers of Deadpool's brain. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

Final Thoughts

When Death Grip offers Deadpool a deal he can’t refuse, the Merc With A Mouth discovers pain like he's never experienced and feels an emotion he's not used to in Deadpool #4.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

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

 

 

Blood Hunters #1 Review

 

Writers: Mark Russell, Christos Gage & Erica Schultz

Artists: Bob Quinn, Javier Garrón & Bernard Chang

Colorists: Matt Milla, Morry Hollowell & Marcelo Maiolo

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Greg Land & Frank D’Armata; Declan Shalvey

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: May 8, 2024

 

Day becomes night as Darkforce energy invites vampires to dine on our world. How can three superheroes prevent New York City from becoming their bloody smorgasbord? Let's grab our garlic, stakes, and symbols of our beliefs, leap into Blood Hunters #1, and find out!

 

The City That Never Weeps

Story

Mayor Cage may have nixed Fisk's Powers Act, but Hawkeye is on the lam in Blood Hunters #1. For some reason, people think he assassinated a UN ambassador. But when two police officers see through his disguise and try to arrest him for such trifles, the skies turn dark, and they find more important things to do. Mostly, they do a lot of yelling and screaming as vampires crash the diner. Hawkeye goes all Buffy The Vampire Slayer, but after defending his fellow patrons, he realizes his job isn't over. This neighborhood needs protection, and not from Tombstone's heavies.

 

In The City That Never Weeps, Hawkeye enlists a puppet therapist, a Spanish-speaking priest, and a burly Union worker to stamp out the Darkforce invasion. Writer Mark Russell's story reminds us how much like-minded people can accomplish when working together toward a goal. Russell uses the same low-key, playful dialogue and storytelling that made his recent Traveling To Mars series a joy to read. As the story nears its completion, and Hawkeye heads off for Shawarma, Russell also reminds us how important it is to heed government advisories during a vampire invasion and pack plenty of "light-to-medium-strength wooden stakes.”

 

Art

Bob Quinn ups the fun factor with Hawkeye marveling that the police recognize him with a mustache. While the police disappear amid the chaos, the young therapist wears a Save The Bees T-shirt and screams at his undead pursuer. But he joins Hawkeye on the roof of a restaurant to view the body-strewn street and vampires chasing citizens on the sidewalks. Later, he fights alongside Hawkeye in Blood Hunters #1, impaling vampires with his wooden puppet. Matt Milla sets the action under turquoise-streaked darkness, with streets and buildings muted, allowing people and vehicles to stand out. Interiors are more vibrant and help golden-haired Hawkeye glow with his purple outfit, bow, and arrows.

 

Joe Caramagna fires large uppercase lettering in white dialogue balloons and lavender narrative boxes while filling the air with loud hisses, screams, and crashes, the sounds of arrows leaving bows and plunging into bodies, and an intriguing but almost anticlimactic Ploof.

 

 

 

Blood Relations

Story

John waits for his father, J Jonah Jameson, to take him to lunch. But JJJ hurries past him to the balcony. John realizes the day is dark as the driver or assistant shouts a warning. A vampire bat crashes through a concrete wall. JJJ sees John transforming and begs him to let Spider-Man handle this, but John turns into Man-Wolf and takes the vampire for a ride off their roof.

 

Christos Gage peppers this action-packed story about a father and son protecting their city with MCU dialogue and complex character dynamics. Gage pokes fun at authority figures such as news and talk show personalities with JJJ's bluster, while John, even in werewolf form, proves the voice of reason. Yet JJJ is surprisingly proactive. He is the first to notice the darkening sky. JJJ quickly calls Spider-Man for assistance. He formulates plans to protect New York City. He quickly reduces a wood and cloth patio chair into stakes and a carrier bag to become J Jonah Jameson the Vampire Hunter! Take that, Abraham Lincoln!

 

Gage’s contribution to Blood Hunters #1 reminds us how families can weaken and empower their members, how we often yearn for authoritarian leadership, and

how beliefs can give us superpowers.

 

Art

His son may transform into Man-Wolf, but JJJ burns with frenetic energy in Blood Relations. John conserves his strength and remains calm and composed even in werewolf form. JJJ’s expression constantly changes as each new thought and feeling rocks his world. And despite all the money he's accumulated and the power he wields, he can only enjoy the view of his city from his high-rise apartment patio through cage-like iron bars.

 

Javier Garrón’s vampire-bat evokes Barry Windsor-Smith’s portrayal of Conan The Barbarian’s flying foes. Garrón also conveys John's amazement as he watches the Avengers battle a horde of vampire bats while he's just tackled one. In addition to the vampire-bat, other vampires menace father and son. Vampirism transformed them, yet their supernatural power accentuates their individuality.

 

Morry Hollowell brightens the darkened day with purple, maroon, orange, and yellow in Blood Hunters #1, pairs a silhouette with red to capture a violent moment, and pokes fun at JJJ’s fashion sense with flood-ready slacks and by making him carry a pink bag with white spots. Joe Caramagna hurls large-size uppercase black words into dialogue balloons, scares up crashes and impacts, and emphasizes that the humane way to kill vampires is a wooden stake.

 

 

 

Once More Into The Darkness: Part 1

Story

Darkforce energy consumed her partner. Without Cloak by her side, Dagger defends her adoptive home in New York City. Vampirism alters but doesn’t overpower villains in Erica Schultz's story, as drug dealers find a new way to prey on the citizens of NY’s Theater District.

 

Dagger's thoughts guide us through her battle against bloodthirsty drug dealers. Once More Into The Darkness: Part 1 is aptly named, as Dagger sympathizes with those she fights. Like a vampire, she has known insatiable craving. As more friends get drawn into dangerous situations, Dagger struggles to protect them from themselves.

 

Art

Bernard Chang brings big-screen appeal to Once Into The Darkness: Part 1. Dagger moves swiftly and athletically as she bounds, whirls, and flings psionic light daggers at her fanged opponents. Whether thin or muscular, the vampires show exceptional poise and definition, and their demonic features are haunting. Marcelo Maiolo brings a moody atmosphere to Blood Hunters #1 by contrasting cool browns and blues with bright yellows, oranges, pinks, and reds, giving this final story a film noir quality. Joe Caramagna breathes big uppercase letters into more narrative boxes than dialogue balloons, while the Shunk of psionic daggers gives Dagger hope before dispelling it with an immense heartrending scream.

 

Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Hawkeye soothes New Yorkers’ fright through spirituality, Man-Wolf forces J Jonah Jameson to confront his Spider-Man fixation, and Dagger battles the overwhelming power of addiction in Blood Hunters #1.

 

Rating 9.5/10

 

To preview art for all three stories in Blood Hunters #1 see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

Amazing Spider-Man #47 Review

 

Writer: Zeb Wells

Artist: Todd Nauck

Colorist: Sonia Oback

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: John Romita Jr, Scott Hanna & Marcio Menyz; Greg Land & Frank D’Armata; Peach Momoko; Alessandro Pastrovicchio

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: April 10, 2024

 

Mary Jane’s Aunt Anna has been having the time of her life since Peter cured her of Krakoan Derangement Syndrome. Anna has been hanging with Hippo and sharing the greenhouse with Sandman. What is she doing at New York’s high-security Ravencroft Institute now? And how might it impact Peter Parker’s awkward social life? Let’s thwip into Amazing Spider-Man #47 and find out!

 

Story

As Peter hurries toward a restaurant, he chats with Mary Jane via cell phone. Mary Jane is settling down for an evening with Paul. She wonders why Ravencroft or her aunt didn’t contact her about this meeting. The penny drops for both as Peter reaches Shay Marken and sees the disappointment in the caregiver’s eyes. Peter may excel at thwipping villains, but as he readily admits, he often fails in social situations.

 

Shay may have ordered Peter to leave Ravencroft when he upset William Baker, but she warms over his unease during dinner. She's no longer tasked with protecting her troubled patients and knows what it’s like to feel out of her depth. Whether Shay finds Peter's penchant for suddenly abandoning dinners—and leaving her to pay the bill—remains to be seen.

 

 

 

Betty Brant stands by her man in Amazing Spider-Man #47. Mary Jane sought her aunt's release. Now, Betty refuses to rest until she clears her husband's name. She hunts for the Winkler Device that Roderick Kingsley used to brainwash Ned Leeds. But Hobgoblin doesn’t take kindly to people poking their noses into his business.

 

Aside from Peter's awkward dinner date with Shay, the big talking point in Zeb Wells' story involves Chasm and Hallow's Eve. The lovebirds may never win an award for New York City's Most Balanced Couple, but both demonstrate that life apart hasn't aligned their mental wheels. Intriguingly, they partner with someone who exhibited remorse over a previous contretemps with Spider-Man. But that's why they're supervillains. Because they hold grudges and channel negativity.

 

 

Art

Todd Nauck pairs dark and gritty settings with violence in Amazing Spider-Man #47. Whether it's a machete-wielding thug or gunmen kicking down doors, these encounters hum with intensity. Spider-Man's thwip yanks a villain through a window. Then he leaps into the room between the man's still feet and whips another man to the floor.

 

Nauck readily transitions between violent encounters and heartwarming moments. Hallows Eve's transformations from menacing monsters to her familiar costume reveal Janine's youth and vulnerability. Nauck also imbues panels with a timeless quality, grounding scenes in abandoned warehouses and historic architecture. Peter wears an old jacket over his Oscorp polo shirt. Shay wears a pendant over her turtleneck sweater and skirt. Neither wears the latest fashions. Peter and Shay seem open with each other and share a refreshing optimism at the wonders of everyday life.

 

 

Sonia Oback steeps backgrounds in shades of gray and brown. Aside from Mary Jane's hair and Shay's blouse, few colors emerge from their surroundings. These links with the red of Spider-Man's costume remind us of Peter's past and hint at another potential love interest. Even the red in Spider-Man's costume seems subdued. The red reflects light and darkens in shade. Yet Chasm and Hallows Eve's costumes blaze like beacons at night, suggesting the power they'll unleash to take Spider-Man down.

 

Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase black lettering into white dialogue balloons and narrative boxes in Amazing Spider-Man #47. The font grows bold for inflection and occasionally shrinks or gets italicized. Sound effects help us hear Peter’s cellphone alerts, a window shattering as Spider-Man swings into action, and a “dog” with glowing eyes snarling in a dark room. And no, no one named this “dog” Indy.

 

Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Amazing Spider-Man #47 reveals an intriguing link between the living brain in Oscorp and New York City restaurants and hints at who arranged Peter's date with Tombstone's lawyer. After his great fall, Chasm finds a new champion. But can anyone put Ben Reilly together again?

 

Rating 9/10

 

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

Captain America Finale #1 Review

 

Writers: Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly

Artist: Carmen Carnero

Colorist: Nolan Woodard

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Carmen Carnero & Alejandro Sánchez; Greg Land & Frank D’Armata

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: August 23, 2023

 

Conflicting ideologies divide Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes. Can Captain America and the Winter Soldier join forces to destroy the Outer Circle? Let's leap into Captain America Finale #1 and find out!

 

Story

World War II forged Steve Rogers into an American hero. It wasn’t just his zeal to defend his country’s borders. Nor was it the Super-Soldier serum that enhanced his strength and endurance and slowed his aging. What mobilized Steve was fighting oppression, and what completed the transformation was examples of courage and heroism set by his friends.

 

Now, as Steve charges into battle against the Outer Circle in Captain America Finale #1, his friends fight alongside him. He leads his team of Invaders against an enemy that would dominate our planet. Together, they face the ultimate enemy of Humanity: one that stands against liberty and freedom in all its forms. Backed up by his friends, you know he'll bring it down. Or die trying.

 

 

 

 

Art

Writers Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly may rely too often on single-page scenes and bold, double-page spreads to evoke grandeur. In Captain America Finale #1, their teammate Carmen Carnero delivers their colossal vision. Nolan Woodard overloads his palette with an appealing mix of colors to make such big scenes leap off the page. Yet pages of smaller panels and those set within larger images also speak volumes.

 

Joe Caramagna enhances white time and space markers with Cap's distinctive shield. White dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes protect his black, uppercase letters in Captain America Finale #1. They're easy to read as they sweep across the pages. If you get lost, don't worry. Captain America's by your side!

 

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Captain America Finale #1 knits disparate story strands to deliver a rousing conclusion. Driven by the themes and people that make him a superhero, this issue reminds us of what Steve Rogers always fights for.

 

Rating 9/10

 

Preview interior art on my review at Comic Book Dispatch.