Amazing Spider-Man #49 Review

 

Writer: Zeb Wells

Penciler: John Romita Jr

Inker: Scott Hanna

Colorist: Marcio Menyz

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: John Romita Jr, Scott Hanna & Marcio Menyz; Giada Perissinotto; Chris Samnee & Romulo Fajardo Jr; Lucas Werneck

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: May 8, 2024

 

Peter Parker strives to be a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. But when energy from another dimension blots out the sun, vampires fill the streets, fly through the air, and convert citizens to their evil ways. Peter prevented the Monster Metropolis from overtaking Murray Hill. He stopped Madame Masque from winning the Gang War. How will he tackle an undead invasion of New York City? Let’s grab some garlic, thwip into Amazing Spider-Man #49, and find out!

 

Story

Twilight strikes without warning and lingers into the day. So, Peter Parker takes advantage of his flex time at Oscorp to battle the bloodsuckers. Unlike the Gang War, Blood Hunt struck without warning. Peter didn’t have time to assemble a team. Perhaps his Spiderific buddy Miles could help, but he has his neighborhood to protect. Even the Avengers are MIA. If only Spider-Man had Anita Blake on speed dial.

 

Still, Peter prefers to help people than hunt them. When a mysterious caller asks for help, Spidey thwips off, only to get asked to put down a vampire. Zeb Wells brings the killers out to play in Amazing Spider-Man #49, from the vampire invaders to those who turn to Tombstone's hired help. Oh, and did I mention the person Kareem wants Spider-Man to kill? It's the Stabbity Bunny herself, White Rabbit!

 

The ethical morass Spidey sinks into grows clear as day when Spidey has an interview with a vampire. Spider-Man realizes he’s fighting a war in which how much good you accomplish is defined by tallying acceptable losses. If only Shay Marken could guide Peter out of this quip-free quagmire. But these are strange days when the criminal inmates at Ravencroft are safer than the law-abiding citizens going to work or visiting their local bodega.

 

 

 

With Amazing Spider-Man #49, Zeb Wells segues from his stories about insane supervillains and former superheroes who want counseling to tackle the plight of everyday monsters. What is the best way to punish those compelled to hurt others? Do they lack willpower or suffer from mental illness? Is it right to kill people because they can't defy their hurtful cravings? Is it ultimately a kindness to kill people to prevent them from hurting others and to save them from wrestling with traumatic memories of their actions?

 

The cowboys with a hankerin’ for Pace Thick and Chunky might not ponder such rascally questions. But the red sauce in New York City is precious to Spider-Man, and he won't readily spill a drop of it. Besides, how could Peter forget those he hurt when Kraven infected him with Norman Osborn’s sins? Did Peter have no say whatever in becoming the Black Goblin?

 

 

 

Art

Kareem kicks down the front door, walks through the empty shop, and ascends a darkened staircase. Blood drips from White Rabbit's mouth while a silhouette stands behind her, regarding him with glowing eyes. Is it fate that a gun scope tattoo adorns Kareem’s head?

 

Fires no longer rage thanks to the Gang War. Still, the dark streets of New York glow the same yellow and orange. Stalled cars fill the streets, their blazing headlights illuminating the panicked pedestrians and the vampires swooping down to nab their prey. The Darkforce energy scrubs buildings of details. The webbing on Spider-Man’s suit also fades in and out. When he began his career with a less detailed costume, Peter grappled with ethical issues. Now, Peter is just as perplexed with how to tackle the recently turned.

 

 

 

In Amazing Spider-Man #49, Peter doesn’t join Kareem on the street. John Romita Jr and Scott Hanna let him linger on a signpost, gazing down at the gangster. Marcio Menyz imbues interiors with a gray cast as Spidey and Gun Scope Head hunt White Rabbit. Yet blue tinges the air to reveal a man with gray skin when Peter hunts her vampire master. If Tombstone isn’t in this story, why does everything and everyone remind me of the gang lord who took Peter's friend Randy under his wing?

 

Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase black lettering into white dialogue balloons and narrative boxes with red borders in Amazing Spider-Man #49. The font grows bold for inflection, swells for increased volume, and rarely shrinks. Spine-tingling hisses prompt immense letters to burst from balloons while the sound of metal clanging against metal strikes harder than an explosive scream.

 

Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Spider-Man revels in an angst-free dustup until a killer convinces him to save the gangland lieutenant of his best friend's ex from a life hiding in the shadows in Amazing Spider-Man #49.

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

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

Amazing Spider-Man #33 Review

 

Writer: Zeb Wells

Artist: Patrick Gleason

Colorist: Marcio Menyz

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: John Romita Jr, Scott Hanna & Marcio Menyz; Giada Perissinotto; Joey Vasquez

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: September 6, 2023

 

Kraven The Hunter cornered Norman Osborn in his laboratory. But when he thrust a cursed spear at the Golden Goblin, Spider-Man got in the way. Will the injury turn Peter Parker into an unfriendly neighborhood Goblin? Let’s fwip into Amazing Spider-Man #33 and find out!

 

Story

After the Sin-Eater removed Norman Osborn's sins, the Beyond Corporation used them to transform therapist Ashley Kafka into the Queen Goblin. Her occult rituals transferred the Green Goblin’s sins into Kraven’s cursed spear. Thanks to Spidey’s insistence upon saving the endangered, Kraven stripped Peter of pity and compassion. 

 

 

 

In Amazing Spider-Man #33, Peter doesn’t visit the Emergency Room to get his chest sewn up. We don’t learn how Ashley Kafka fares after freeing herself from Norman’s sins or glimpse Rek-Rap’s latest exploits. Nothing breaks the tension as Peter contemplates Kraven’s actions and decides the world is better without him. In injuring Peter, Vladimir roused the beast. Now, he is the prey.

 

Zeb Wells draws inspiration from fan-favorite stories “Kraven’s Last Hunt” and “Grim Hunt” to forge a new direction for our favorite wall-crawler in Amazing Spider-Man #33. This time, Peter Parker vows, things will be different!

 

 

 

Art

Whether it's Norman arriving at Peter's apartment building, Vladimir Kravinoff studying a portrait of his father Sergei, or water spilling from a pipe into dark sewers, Patrick Gleason peers into Peter’s world from above. He’s no stranger to ground-and-floor views either, whether looking up at cobwebs binding Peter to his chair, Kraven clutching a rifle as his nemesis crawls across the ceiling, or black-clad Spidey raining webs upon his fleeing prey. Gleason scatters panels across scenes to showcase running feet, a knife falling through fingers, and eyes bulging from a squeezing hand. It’s the flight of Kraven’s life, conveyed in all its grandeur by penciler Patrick Gleason.

 

Shorn of compassion, the color leaches from Peter's world in Amazing Spider-Man #33. Even before he abandons his familiar red-and-blue, moonlight chills the blue-tinged darkness of Peter's apartment. Norman's flesh turns to ice as he leaves the lit stairwell to survey his friend’s unlit rooms. Kraven’s mansion glows with yellow and orange as all his hopes and dreams burn away. As he trades illuminated neighborhoods for the sewers, depth, and perspective fade in and out. Darkness encroaches and threatens to envelop him completely.

 

 

 

Joe Caramagna delivers Zeb Wells’ narrative-driven story as a series of narrative boxes. Peter’s are alternately white or red and feature dialogue-sized letters. Norman's thoughts appear in greenish-white and green boxes with similar-sized words. Kraven’s thoughts switch between orange and black with smaller lowercase letters. Shouted words swell to epic proportions, and the laughter that rumbles through the chasm of Peter’s soul threatens to shake the Earth. Ambition and fear create one terrible nightmare that severs each character in two.

 

 

Final Thoughts

A lack of confidence provokes desperate measures, and a hero’s failure returns to haunt him in Amazing Spider-Man #33.

 

Rating 8.8/10

 

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

Amazing Spider-Man #32 Review

 

Writer: Zeb Wells

Artist: Patrick Gleason

Colorist: Marcio Menyz

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: John Romita Jr, Scott Hanna & Morry Hollowell; Jan Bazaldua & Jesus Aburtov; Patrick Gleason & Marcio Menyz; Adam Kubert & Brad Anderson; Giada Perissinotto; Elizabeth Torque

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: August 23, 2023

 

Peter Parker’s friend Randy tried to marry Janice Lincoln. But the lovebirds' wedding plans got smashed by an attack that left Tombstone injured and much of his criminal organization dead. Can Peter and her friend Michele help Randy and Janice tie the knot? Let’s fwip into Amazing Spider-Man #32 and find out!

 

 

 

 

Story

Just like Randy and Janice, recent events have torn apart Peter’s web of significant relationships. Mary Jane’s lost to him, as is Felicia Hardy. Even though he’s dubious about Randy’s future as Tombstone’s son-in-law, he cares for his friend. He meets Michele for dinner, hoping they can find a way to rekindle Randy and Janice’s belief that love will conquer all.

 

Peter is also concerned about his boss in Amazing Spider-Man #32. The Sin-Eater removed Norman Osborn's sins, but recent events—Kamala Khan's death and Doctor Octopus' attack—could push anyone to the breaking point. Even if Peter doesn’t trust him with Aunt May, he likes the man Norman’s becoming and wants to be there for him.

 

 

 

 

Unbeknownst to Peter, an evil force regenerated the Goblin Queen. She works now to expel the sins the Beyond Corporation gave her. Who will she give them to? Who better than their original host: Norman Osborn?

 

Perhaps the staff at the Ravencroft Institute should have chucked her body in the furnace after all!

 

 

 

Art

Arcane symbols mix with primitive weaponry in Amazing Spider-Man #32. Fire surrounds figures cloaked in darkness. Images of insects and animals contrast with elegant surroundings, suggesting occult ceremonies among the privileged classes. A dagger pierces a portrait of Norman Osborn on the wall behind a dark-haired woman. Beside her stands a muscular hunter clutching a spear.

 

Peter and Michele look made for each other as they discuss their friends' problems. Shock overtakes his smooth face as glaring differences become apparent. While hers is slower to transform, the meal ends with both diners frowning.

 

 

 

 

Yellow and orange surround the Goblin Queen's red skin as she and the hunter ready their attack. Peter passes green, pink, purple, and blue graffiti as he walks along New York City streets in Amazing Spider-Man #32. Yellow streetlighting imbues a statue with a ghostly aspect and casts all else in lavender. Interior lighting colors Norman’s lab blue until an attack slathers Oscorp’s halls and rooms in red.

 

 

 

 

The hunter’s thoughts appear as lowercase black letters in orange narrative boxes. Yet orange letters in black narrative boxes also feel like they belong to him rather than the Goblin Queen. Spoken dialogue appears as uppercase black letters in white dialogue balloons, while large white letters help us hear mechanical sounds. All that changes when intruders enter Oscorp. Peter's distress colors his shout, swelling his utterance to epic proportions.

 

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Amazing Spider-Man #32 showcases Peter’s concern for his friends, casts the identity of the Goblin Queen’s partner in doubt, and leaves us wondering why the red-skinned woman seeks revenge. How much of Ashley Kafka remains and hates the villain she's become?

 

9.4/10

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

Amazing Spider-Man #29 Review

 

Writer: Zeb Wells

Penciler: Ed McGuinness

Inker: Mark Farmer

Colorist: Marcio Menyz

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Ed McGuinness & Marcio Menyz; Marco Checchetto & Richard Isanove; David Nakayama; Giada Perissinotto

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: July 12, 2023

 

Peter Parker opens his eyes to find he’s flying the friendly skies. Only he’s not enjoying a United Airlines flight. J. Jonah Jameson's carrying him from a great height. Using Doc Ock’s old legs, J.J. scampers above the street while Ock’s got Osborn strapped to a seat. Will Amazing Spider-Man #29 make you jump and shout? Let’s peer inside. We might find out!

 

 

 

 

Story

The Beyond Corporation has a lot to answer for. Peter Parker ended up in a coma while their scientists messed with people’s minds. Like Ben Reilly, Doctor Octopus wants to reclaim his memories. As he can't, his anger drives him to hurt anyone who's ever opposed him. And now Norman Osborn's going around, telling people he's a reformed person—that he's better than his former supervillain buds? Angry Otto can't have that!

 

Thankfully, with great power comes great opportunities. Embracing those could change Peter Parker forever. But to achieve that gain, he must endure the pain.

 

Amazing Spider-Man #29 reminds us how destructive envy can be. I like J. Jonah Jameson's concern for the man, employee, and superhero he once ridiculed. I love that—for the second issue in a row, the story features a cameo of a fan-favorite character. But most of all, I love how smoothly this story flows. It seems like the natural evolution of events and is a ride worthy of those rare E-tickets.

 

No worries, Disney fans: Amazing Spider-Man #29 includes a Fastpass, so you need not wait to enjoy this rock and roll attraction.

 

 

 

 

 

Art

Packed with muscle and menace, Doc Ock never looked meaner. His new tentacles attack like enraged pythons. Yet when not following orders, this gestalt companion detaches into individual mini-legs that exhibit a childlike fascination with their creator. Each sports glowing eyes like Ock and four octopus-like mini-mini-legs that scurry across workstations to see whatever he's doing. Bubbling tanks, glowing square monitors, and pipes dominate Otto's new digs. His Mad Scientist hideout contrasts with Norman's seamless, ultramodern Oscorp labs.

 

While murderous Doc Ock seeks affirmation, Norman Osborn shows his newfound heroism. He reasons (and yes, pleads) with Ock while battling the cold, crippling tentacles of terror. Although powerless and scared, he remains dignified.

 

 

 

 

Situations may momentarily shock him, but once Peter finds his feet, he's thinking and determined. He's the Spider-Man I want to see and not the fear-driven wreck of Amazing Spider-Man #23.

 

Like Doc Ock’s new legs, a rich blend of individual colors weaves together, making each page of Amazing Spider-Man #29 a beauty to behold. Spider-Man's scream and the gwarbling mini-legs shout their presence, while red uppercase words enhance the dialogue, and a rooftop billboard honors a series luminary. Older readers shouldn't sweat the smaller-sized dialogue and Nick Lowe's editorial note: the larger-sized dialogue will carry you through, and the sound effects will delight you.

 

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Amazing Spider-Man #29 reminds us how uplifting and fulfilling partnership can be and that memories should be celebrated instead of mourned.

 

9.6/10

 

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