Amazing Spider-Man #2 Review

 

Writer: Joe Kelly

Artist: Pepe Larraz

Colorist: Marte Gracia

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Pepe Larraz & Marte Gracia; Paolo Rivera; Chris Giarrusso; Pablo Villalobos; Tony Daniel & Marcelo Maiolo

Designer: Jay Bowen

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

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: April 23, 2025

 

After fifteen interviews in nine days, Peter Parker gets a break. Thanks to an internal recommendation, Peter is now the Supervising Engineer of Cooperative Disciplines at Rand Industries. But the Rhino nearly spoils Peter's party. A rampage through the street ends with a totaled truck and Rhino's heart going Big Bada Boom.

 

While enjoying drinks with Shay Marken and wine with Brie, Randy Robertson mentions that his clients in East Harlem are frightened. Peter dislikes coincidences, so he thwips over to the Rhino’s neighborhood for a superhero snoop. Instead, he finds a villain meetup that makes The Bar With No Name resemble The Electric Company. Is Spider-Man ready for a battle with the Terrible Twelve? Let's grab a packet of Jelly Belly beans, leap into Amazing Spider-Man #2, and see!

 

Story

Like fighting a tribe of Tuskin Raiders without a lightsaber, Peter's life has become a nightmare. But then, battling a supervillain dirty dozen will test even the strongest spider-hero. Worse, the civilians seem to shrink as he fights, making them rebel soldiers struggling to avoid getting squashed by a herd of rampaging AT-AT Walkers.

 

Recently, Spider-Man saved Bailey Briggs when he lost his anchor in the Web Of Life And Destiny. In Amazing Spider-Man #2, Peter Parker gets cut adrift from time. One moment, he fights for his life. The next, he awakens amid discussions at work. Like Michael Newman in Click, Peter’s universal remote has gone out of control. Peter is fast-forwarding through his life and awakening from battles to wonder what he has missed.  

 

 

 

Others consider Norman Osborn a geek celebrity, but Peter calls him a friend. Norman may be busy shutting down Oscorp, but he's still there for Peter. He wants to understand what happened to Peter in the Rhino's apartment. Given time, Norman can concoct an antidote. But whoever sent Rhino and Peter to hallucination hell is also harming people in East Harlem. Who knows how many people in New York could get hurt or killed from this strange malaise?

 

In Amazing Spider-Man #2, Peter races for a cure. Whoever infected Rhino also attacked him. Until he discovers the culprit, it could happen again. He could die. Worse, trapped in a land of illusions, he could kill others. And like Admiral Ackbar, Peter doesn’t want to wander into another trap. 

 

 

 

Art

Marte Gracia cloaks Spider-Man’s worst enemies in red and purple. As they battle amid yellow and orange, people in the full-color world behold the Arachnobatic Demolition Man. Monocolored foreground characters keep the focus on the action, while black-and-white memories weigh down Peter with guilt.

 

Pepe Larraz wraps Peter's hands like a martial artist in Amazing Spider-Man #2. Dr Maira Osmani-Milton seems an upscale version of nurse Shay Marken as she speaks of uplifting people through dignity. Brian Nehring smiles behind his glasses like Dr Ian Malcolm, linking memories of mayhem with the chaos detonating Peter's life. And in this era of deregulation, boots tramp through blood in explosive, cinemascope scenes. 

 

 

 

Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase black lettering into dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. Words grow bold for inflection, swell and change color for volume, and rarely shrink. White letters in edgy black balloons hail a villain's return, while green laughter suggests another revivification. Sound effects enliven a spectacular battle, an astonishing rescue, and a spine-tingling yell. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

As Peter Parker plays detective, the clock is ticking. Shay Marken demands his best in their relationship. His new boss, Dr Maira Osmani-Milton, demands Peter’s complete focus at work. And then there is his childhood friend. Brian Nehring claims he is looking out for Peter but also admits he breeds magic mushrooms. After frightening New Yorkers and South Korean auto workers, Peter must discover the culprit before they blow up his life in Amazing Spider-Man #2.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Amazing Spider-Man #60 Review: Five Short Stories

 

Writers: Zeb Wells & Joe Kelly

Pencilers: John Romita Jr & Ed McGuinness

Inkers: Scott Hanna & Mark Farmer

Artists: Todd Nauck, Paolo Rivera, Patrick Gleason & Mark Buckingham

Colorists: Marcio Menyz, Rachelle Rosenberg & Edgar Delgado

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

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

Cover Artists: John Romita Jr, Scott Hanna & Marcio Menyz; Adam Hughes; Stephen Platt & Dave McCaig; Alessandro Cappuccio & Mattia Iacono; Patrick Gleason & Marcio Menyz

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $7.99

Release Date: October 30, 2024 

 

Doctor’s Orders: Story

The Green Goblin impaled Rek-Rap with his glider. So, in Amazing Spider-Man #60, Spider-Man takes Rek-Rap to assess the damage. When the doctor looks down on Rek-Rap, Spider-Man doesn't stand up for the demon he inspired to become a hero. Thankfully, Rek-Rap doesn't need affirmation or credentials to know he is a hero. Once again, Zeb Wells distinguishes between those awarded the power and authority to help people and those who use it to benefit themselves.

 

Doctor’s Orders: Art

In the hospital examination room, Spider-Man perches against the wall. While Spider-Man's gesture suggests his embarrassment, the doctor removes his stethoscope and frowns. Ed McGuinness and Mark Farmer reveal Rek-Rap’s exuberance as he makes the exam table look like an ottoman. Marcio Menyz makes the Web-Whangers glow in their blue-and-red costumes against the green and blue interior.

 

 

 

Team-Up: Part Two: Story

When the Die-Chromator attacks a music festival, Spider-Man and Jackpot team up to stop him. After Zeb Wells brings back an obsessive guardian of lights and colors, the drama shines in this satisfying story about the give-and-take relationships demand. Becoming Jackpot gives Mary Jane a different perspective on Peter's life as Spider-Man. Despite his role in taking Mary Jane away from Peter, Paul demonstrates his willingness to be Peter’s friend and the concern for others he exemplified in Wells’ ASM #56 short story “Responsibilities.”

 

Team-Up: Part Two: Art

Todd Nauck portrays the Die-Chromator as a larger-than-life villain. Jackpot shows she can stand alongside Spider-Man any day of the week. But in Team-Up: Part Two, Jackpot stands before five Spider-Men as she faces down the colorful villain. Todd Nauck throws in a glimpse of a character who will reappear in a later story and shows J Jonah Jameson channeling his anger. Mary Jane's expression mirrors Peter's as they change into street clothes. She exudes happiness and incomprehension as Peter's sacrifice finally hits her.

 

Rachelle Rosenberg lavishes a loaded palette on Todd Nauck’s art in Amazing Spider-Man #60. The Die-Chromator’s technicolor (dream) cloak is iridescent, and each panel packs a colorful punch. Heroes and villains shine amid darkness, enhancing their power and appeal.

 

 

 

Bubs: Story

Before Dr Benjamin Rabin became the Emissary and wrecked Peter's relationship with Mary Jane, Spider-Man and Wolverine rescued him from Mayan warriors. So, when Wolverine faces a difficult time, Spider-Man stands by him. Logan may not be as effusive as Mary Jane. Still, he shows his appreciation. Like Doctor's Orders, superheroes help each other through their difficulties in another Zeb Wells' short.

 

Bubs: Art

Paolo Rivera's muted colors and art style give this story in Amazing Spider-Man #60 a classic appeal. Bubs also shows the characters' exhaustion as Spider-Man remains by Wolverine's side. The second page reveals things hinted at on the first page, while the weather outside is another reminder of the heroes' fight with the Mayans in the snow.

 

 

 

 

 

Mirrors/Same Spider-Channel: Story

This story marks Zeb Wells' final contribution to ASM for now. Yet Mirrors (or Same Spider-Channel) fits chronologically before Team-Up: Part Two. Chasm uses his experience to help Spider-Man take down Bushwacker. "Mirrors" reminds us of Ben's journey from the Scarlet Spider to the Beyond Corporation's Spider-Man to Chasm. It also reminds us of how difficult it can be to accept all you have if you don't own what you crave.

 

Art

Patrick Gleason kicks off this story on a sunny day in Central Park. Peter isn’t battling Madame Masque’s horde. Still, Bushwacker proves hard to apprehend. After the villain unleashes a gun that would make Rocket Raccoon drool, the Spider-Men confront each other. What Chasm grips suggests that he should have the life he wants. But to paraphrase Lonnie Lincoln, that's not how the world works.

 

After delivering vibrant colors in the park, Edgar Delgado reminds us of the Spider-Men's genetic makeup. Peter's mustard-yellow shirt matches the jacket he wore when protecting Aunt May from Sandman, while Ben’s blue coat and reserved manner evoke his namesake. A page of stunning color links the story with Team-Up: Part Two, while the final panel evokes Saladin Ahmed and Juan Ferreyra’s Spine-Tingling Spider-Man series.

 

 

 

Ride’s Over

In Joe Kelly’s contribution to Amazing Spider-Man #60, Spider-Man attacks the Night Bank. Perhaps he should be going after the people who run it. Instead, Spider-Man attacks the man who broke into the villains' headquarters. Joe Kelly’s story is a reminder that the world economy can be hacked and manipulated. But while Spider-Man protects everyone's money, someone watches him and reflects on why he often succeeds despite overwhelming odds.

 

Art

Mark Buckingham opens with a high-energy battle between police helicopters and laser-toting soldiers. Spider-Man crashes through a skylight, leaps among the descending glass shards, and wields webs like netting. He channels Ethan Hunt, evading high-tech traps designed to guard the computer banks inside a vault. Then Spider-Man faces off against Override. The villain wears a Robocop suit and wields Tron-like powers. Edgar Delgado's subdued red, greens, and blues suggest someone glimpsing the action from afar.

 

Lettering

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. Enlarged and colored dialogue threatens to burst dialogue balloons in Amazing Spider-Man #60. Colored and transparent sound effects amplify Spider-Man’s battle with Sandman, Rek-Rap having a blast, Mary Jane striking it lucky, Ben enjoying his coffee, and Spider-Man earning his Ramen. Yet the sound that lingers is the gavel slamming down in this era-ending issue. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

While criminals work outside the law, so do costumed superheroes. In Amazing Spider-Man #60, Zeb Wells resets the game board by drawing on classic characters and situations to remind us who Peter Parker is and why he usually wins battles, even if he loses the wars. Additional stories remind us of Spider-Man’s past and forecast his deadly future.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

Curious about the main story in ASM #60? Check out my review from yesterday!

 

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

Scarlett #2 Review

 

Writer: Kelly Thompson

Artist: Marco Ferrari

Colorist: Lee Loughridge

Letterer: Rus Wooton

Cover Artists: Marco Ferrari; Karl Kerschl; Gleb Melnikov; Paolo Rivera; Annie Wu

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: July 3, 2024

 

Snowjob dropped Scarlett on a remote mountain and bugged out. Scarlett watched the chopper leave and skied ten miles to the Clan Arashikage compound. She fought her way through ninjas to kneel before the Hard Master. Will the head of Clan Arashikage allow Scarlett to fight alongside her friend Jinx in his service? Or will he kill the G I Joe agent who ignored her orders and rescued twelve Americans from a sex trafficker’s auction in Monaco? Let’s grab our crossbows, leap into Scarlett #2, and find out!

 

Story

Scarlett wakes. She's tied to a chair. She notices a collection of weapons in a locked glass cabinet. Scarlett reminds herself of Stalker's orders as she pulls out a blade the Clan Arashikage soldiers missed. She slices through her bonds and spies another code from Jinx on a wall. A warrior in the hallway notices her, leaving Scarlett no time to muse about her friend.

 

Scarlett drops the razor blade and fights hand-to-hand. An Arashikagi soldier shoots at her. He misses Scarlett but hits the glass cabinet. Locks don’t bar her anymore. She leaps and slices through the room, her katana leaving a trail of blood in her wake. When a masked man halts the attack, the surviving soldiers disperse.

 

Storm Shadow conducts her entry interview in Scarlett #2. She explains that the US military is changing, leaving her without a place to call home. She believes she brings a unique skill set to Clan Arashikage. Storm Shadow agrees about her talents but wonders how Scarlett will fit into the clan. But Hard Master is impressed. He proposes a solo field mission. If Scarlet completes her assignment and demonstrates the qualities he values, she’s in.

 

Becoming a member of Clan Arashikage means she can be close to Jinx again. Striker orchestrated this mission. But Major Gorman kicked Scarlett off his team after the Monaco fiasco, and she only met Striker once. Scarlett hasn't seen Jinx for two years, but her relationship with her friend extends further. If Scarlett secures the weapon Striker wants for Clan Arashikage, she may find it difficult to sneak it out of the remote mountain compound. Jinx was a deep cover agent, but she’s gone silent. If Jinx doesn't want to leave, will Scarlett stay with her friend? Kelly Thompson poises Scarlett on a knife edge in Scarlett #2. Scarlett can dance on the sharpened steel for a short time before she falls back with the Joes, dives into the ninja clan, or becomes one more casualty, disavowed, forgotten, and unmourned.

 

Art

Green symbols lurk in a fog of black ink behind Scarlett's bowed head. She opens her eyes to see a glass-fronted display of weapons. Glass doors replace traditional Japanese paper walls, allowing Scarlett to see a courtyard garden and people passing in the corridor. Light streaks diagonally across the room from a skylight. The abundance of light in the room casts dramatic shadows and makes the wall and floor panels shine, yet diminishes the blue water and green plants outside.  

 

Lee Loughridge lavishes a limited palette on Marco Ferrari’s art in Scarlett #2. While green, tan, brown, blue, and orange dominate, there's always room for a splash of yellow or red. Black and red blood spills, splashes, and sprays amid Scarlett's fight with the soldiers. Black and red footprints on a glass wall frame Storm Shadow's white balaclava-covered face. Gunfire forms a yellow streak over a crouching black silhouette. Yellow electrifies the Tokyo skyline as Scarlett undertakes her trial for Clan Arashikage. Splashes of orange and blue skyscraper windows accompany the bright blue helicopter speeding toward Scarlett’s chosen target.

 

Rus Wooton fires large uppercase black and red lettering into white dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. Sound effects help us hear Scarlett dropkick a chair, Throwing Stars knock out ninjas, and explosives demolish a door. Thanks to Image Comics, Skybound, and Hasbro for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Scarlett delights Storm Shadow and Hard Master by hacking through their loyal troops, then undertakes a suicide mission to prove her worth to the ninja clan leaders. She does all this to resume her friendship with Jinx in Scarlett #2. But didn't Jinx tell her to stay away?

 

Rating 9/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.