Amazing Spider-Man #54 Review

 

Writers: Zeb Wells

Pencilers: Ed McGuinness

Inker: Mark Farmer, Mark Morales, Wade Von Grawbadger & Ed McGuinness

Colorists: Marcio Menyz

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Ed McGuinness, Mark Farmer & Marcio Menyz; Gabriele Dell’Otto; Javier Garrón & Jesus Aburtov; Federica Mancin & Edgar Delgado; Yasmine Putri

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: July 31, 2024

 

Evil never dies, and no one eats sins for breakfast. Instead, the Green Goblin hid. It stepped out now and then to dance a fiendish flamenco with Spider-Man. Then, it slithered back to the darkness to plan its triumphant return. This time, it wanted a bigger prize. So it tempted Norman Osborn to infect Peter Parker with its malice. When Ms Marvel organized a rescue, the Walking Brain exploded, and Peter, Norman, and the Walking Brain’s head fell into a pit. Kraven sealed them inside and guarded the entry hatch, refusing to let the malice escape. Are Nancy and Ann Wilson right? Must Peter or Norman keep on sinning? And after a goblin glider struck his chest, is Rek-Rap heartless? Let's thwip into Amazing Spider-Man #54 and find out!

 

Story

Would you give up your life for your friends? Ms. Marvel died defending Peter Parker and Mary Jane. The Mutants gave her another life, but Ms Marvel didn’t forget the plans she made in her former one. Ms Marvel awaited the Green Goblin's return. She organized a team to protect Norman and Peter from the malicious spirit and led a raid into Norman’s domain to battle the Green Goblin. Ms Marvel stared Death in the face and punched its crazed smile. She would have battled on, but Kraven stopped her. The Hunter doesn’t want anyone else to lose their lives to the Green Goblin. The heroes underground must defeat him before Kraven releases them from the pit.

 

How much of your life will you devote to others? The Living Brain planned for the Goblin’s eventual return. When that happened, it sacrificed most of its knowledge and thinking capacity to inhabit a robot. Yet, like Ms Marvel, it never wavered in its dedication to the plan. Let’s hope the Walking Brain's forethought and sacrifice pay off, so when it emerges from the pit and reunites with its metal body, it can grab a cigar and proclaim, “I love it when a plan comes together!”

 

When riches, power, and responsibilities weakened Norman Osborn, he fell prey to the Green Goblin’s domination. But now, just like any abuser, the possessing spirit wants to discard Norman for a younger, more vigorous host. Thankfully, no one vomits a stream of split pea soup in the pit beneath Oscorp. Still, Zeb Wells’ story reminds us not to let others dictate our thoughts and actions. Help others in need, but choose your path and live your dreams. Don’t let anyone or anything subjugate, dominate, or derail you because you're thwipping awesome! That’s the message of Amazing Spider-Man #54.

 

Art

Ms Marvel pulls on a metal hatch with her stretchy arms and Dr Octavius' old metal appendages. A one-armed man asks a Hulk-sized hero if he needs help pulling a smoking metal glider from his chest. Kraven presses Doug to his abdomen with his forearm and wraps the fingers of his other hand around J. Jonah Jameson’s neck. Go on, Jameson! Blame Spidey for the Green Goblin’s return!

 

Mark Farmer, Mark Morales, and Wade Von Grawbadger enhance Ed McGuinness’ portrayal of a mournful Norman and an exultant Peter. Energy crackles from the Winkler Device helmet at the bottom of the spear while the bejeweled head evokes a Minbari White Star. Pipes and equipment line the excavated tunnel walls as Peter and Norman vie to wield the weapon and avoid the raging spirit that hungers to control both men. 

 

 

 

Lights shine on Ms Marvel’s dark hair and reflect off her colorful suit and metal gauntlet as she strains to pry apart blue-gray metal. Purple and green threaten to outshine red and blue amid brown earthen walls. The sinful spear trails a red ribbon in its wake before the spirit manifests as a disembodied jubilant face, its yellow eyes and white fangs whirling through the air like a Poltergeist and spooking yellow sparks from Spidey’s red mask in Amazing Spider-Man #54. Yet Marcio Menyz shows the tide of battle turn when Spider-Man crouches before a green metal head amid the battle for three people's lives.

 

Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase lettering into dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. The fonts grow bold for inflection, swell for increased volume, get italicized for machine-speak, and shrink for lowered voices. Colored laughter and anguished cries fill the air. Enlarged letters burst from dialogue balloons, and vibrant sound effects enhance the thunder below ground in Amazing Spider-Man #54. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

As Peter Parker’s friends strive to help him cast out a possessing spirit, three people test the limits of their bravery, ingenuity, and willingness to sacrifice to answer a question that will determine their destiny in Amazing Spider-Man #54.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

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

Deadpool & Wolverine WWIII #1 Review

 

Writer: Joe Kelly

Artist: Adam Kubert

Colorist: Frank Martin

Letterer: Joe Sabino

Cover Artists: Adam Kubert & Frank Martin; Gabriele Dell’Otto; Inhyuk Lee; Rob Liefeld & Jay David Ramos; Todd Nauck & Rachelle Rosenberg

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: May 1, 2024

 

Wolverine has a job. It's not one he wants, but it's necessary. A cop wants to end a killing spree. So she calls on Wolverine. Can he catch the superpowered villain that makes mincemeat of his victims? Or will someone else get in his way? Let’s extend our claws, leap into Deadpool & Wolverine WWIII #1, and find out!

 

Story

Superheroes deal with morality. Hunters kill. Wolverine's cop friend doesn't want anyone else to die. So, she calls on the human weapon with adamantium claws to put down a predator. Unfortunately, someone else has found him first.

 

Like the cop, Vancouver’s endangered citizens wanted to end the killing spree. So the victim’s families put up a bounty. Wolverine knows what Deadpool does is necessary, but that doesn't mean he likes it. Nor does Logan like how Deadpool finds humor in the killing. People shouldn't enjoy killing. They should never joke about taking another person’s life.

 

But what is life? Wolverine muses on that in Deadpool & Wolverine WWIII #1. Why even try to build anything significant? It’ll eventually end. Everything does. Dreams are just misfiring neurons, he concludes.

 

Joe Kelly portrays Wolverine and Deadpool as two brothers in arms. Their love/hate relationship binds them together and tears them apart. Yet in Kelly’s story, Wolverine does the tearing apart, while Deadpool tries to do a team-up. 

 

 

 

Only after they take down their adversary and Deadpool slips away does Wolverine realize what Wade said. But then it’s too late. Wade's gone, just like a dream or another crumbled monument.

 

So, another hunt begins. Logan tells himself he’s doing it to kill whoever created the mincemeat monster. But in Deadpool & Wolverine WWIII #1, Logan’s also doing it because of what Wade said. And because he failed to respond before Deadpool slipped away.

 

Joe Kelly probes Wolverine’s conscience as Logan tracks “the world’s crappiest trail of breadcrumbs.” Wolverine may hate the jack@$$. Still, he’s got a responsibility to Deadpool, not to mention those Wade could endanger in his quest to become more like Wolverine.

 

 

Art

Wolverine leaps across the Vancouver skyline. He crouches beside a rooftop pool, gazing down at the street. After an explosion of concrete, water, and fire, he gazes up to see Deadpool trade his rocket launcher for a sword and a machine pistol. Wolverine ignores the torrent of bullets, leaping into the fray as Deadpool follows up with a flurry of throwing knives. Their opponent dissolves Deadpool's assault with a shield. Wolverine, he bats away.

 

Adam Kubert reveals Wolverine's competitive nature as he shoves Deadpool into harm's way while charging the City Of Glass slicer and dicer in Deadpool & Wolverine WWIII #1. Kubert enhances the humor with Deadpool’s gestures, birthday greetings decorating the rocket launcher, and the way Deadpool leaps and lands on Wolverine’s shoulders. Yet as the living weapons watch paramedics load their opponent into an ambulance, Deadpool glances up at Wolverine, who refuses to return his gaze. Later, Logan sits at a bar and frowns at his drink. No girl clad in a hoodie sits beside him.

 

The sinking sun casts an orange glow over Vansterdam as Wolverine’s silhouette bounds across pink fields. Despite Deadpool’s sudden dislike for his footwear, his opponent’s boots shine brighter than the yellow in Wolverine’s suit. Yet nothing outshines the crazed killer's purple hooded shirt or the purple energy shields and tendrils he wields. 

 

 

Frank Martin adorns a bar mostly in yellow and brown, echoing Wolverine’s suit, even if Logan has changed into street clothes. Does the maple leaf on the wall and the bartender's long red beard remind Logan of Wade? Later, a red child's phone confirms Logan has found the right Skybnb, even if he didn’t arrive in time.

 

Joe Sabino casts Weapon X-worthy lowercase black letters into white and colored balloons and boxes. Whether it's lashes of sizzling electricity, barrages of gunfire, or the crash of shattered windows, Sabino enhances the energy propelling Deadpool & Wolverine WWIII #1 toward its heartrending conclusion. Yet the applause stretching like ribbons across the final pages reminds us why Logan has grown so disillusioned in Joe Kelly’s tragic tale.

 

Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

Final Thoughts

Wolverine hunts monsters. But is Wolverine a hunter or a monster? It’s a question Logan can't avoid when Wade Wilson reminds him of the difference between them in Deadpool & Wolverine WWIII #1.

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

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