Black Cat #4 Review

 

Writer: G Willow Wilson

Artist: Gleb Melnikov

Colorist: Brian Reber

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Adam Hughes; Derrick Chew; Inhyuk Lee; Mark Buckingham & Richard Isanove

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: November 26, 2025

 

After tangling with the Lizard, Felicia Hardy has an epiphany as the Night Nurse stitches her arm. Spider-Man isn’t returning her calls. And instead of quelling the violence on the streets, he is increasing it. Perhaps she needs to step up and make New Yorkers feel safe enough to spend money foolishly again.

 

Black Cat’s attempt to turn her life around attracts the superheroes’ attention. As the glamorous gal gains internet fame, J Jonah Jameson publicly speculates about her love life. Then, Felicia captures Tombstone’s attention. Does Lonnie Lincoln need her expertise with a heist? Or does the new Kingpin of Crime want Felicia to define her relationship with Daredevil? Let’s grab a pinch of catnip, leap into Black Cat #4, and see!

 

Story

After foiling an interstellar drug cartel in New Jersey, Sandman surprises Felicia and punches her lights out. When they come back on, Felicia Hardy finds herself at Tombstone’s feet. The crime lord requests her manifesto. But Felicia can’t define her new war on crime. Perhaps when she figures it out, she'll feel like sharing. Like Steve Perry, Felicia is "Feeling That Way" and enjoying it. But while Black Cat works out her new shtick, she interferes with Tombstone’s big plans for New York.

 

In Black Cat #4, Sandman locks her in a room. It may not be a dungeon. Still, Felicia gives her new accommodation a 1-star rating. As Felicia ponders her life and a means of escape, the wait grows more torturous when she overhears actionable intelligence.

 

G Willow Wilson’s story highlights how difficult career changes can be. While Felicia seeks something more fulfilling than snatching the next sparkly treasure, she hasn't defined what she wants or how best to go about it. And as Boris, her person in the chair, warned, being a superhero is different from stealing rare artifacts. Despite how hard Felicia has worked to become a master thief, she's still a novice hero. Felicia's heart may be in the right place in Black Cat #4, but she cannot trust her instincts. And as she hasn’t paid her dues, Felicia Hardy has a long way to go before she gains the respect of the superhero community. 

 

 

 

Art

As Black Cat gazes up at Tombstone, he squats to study his captive. Felicia's flowing white hair and the fur hanging from her black catsuit evoke plumage. While she cannot compare with Puss in Boots, Felicia’s eyes invite sympathy. Gleb Melnikov employs vignettes to showcase confrontations in Black Cat #4. The intertwined control room conduits, along with the pipes and pumping equipment, hint at reasons why Tombstone chose the building for his temporary HQ. But as an X-Jet streaks over the building, Felicia lies on a cot, unable to investigate.

 

While Tombstone appears in matte gray and dark blue, Sandman’s vibrant green shirt and brown arms evoke the fresh start he considered at the Ravencroft Institute. As Brian Reber lavishes a loaded palette on Black Cat #4, Black Cat's suit gleams. After passing some red pumping equipment, more red pipes line a wall of her cell. As Black Cat wonders what has happened to Spider-Man, the moon imbues her suit with light-blue highlights.

 

 

 

Joe Caramagna shows Tombstone's dialogue as small, uppercase words in clouds. Other characters speak larger uppercase words into dialogue balloons. Felicia’s commentary guides us through her internment, employing white letters in black narrative boxes. But after a creak and a slam herald her imprisonment, the sound of disturbed air gives Felicia hope she can resume her new career. Thanks to Marvel Comics for providing a review copy.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Like Rodney Dangerfield, Felicia Hardy can't get any respect. There's no honor among thieves, the superhero community distrusts her, and J Jonah Jameson isn't interested in her crime reports. As her stumbling in the dark disrupts Tombstone's plans, Felicia discovers how alone she truly is in Black Cat #4.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Deadpool Vs. Wolverine: Slash ‘Em Up #1 Review

 

Writer: Christos Gage

Artist: Alan Robinson

Colorist: Carlos Lopez

Letterer: Joe Sabino

Cover Artists: Ron Lim & Israel Silva; Mark Bagley & Richard Isanove

Production Design: Carlos Lao

Digital Comics Specialist: Annie Cheng

Print Layout Production: Meghan O’Leary

Sr Manager Digital: Tim Smith 3

Editors: Drew Baumgartner, Cy Pedro Beltran, Mark Basso, Tom Brevoort & CB Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $5.99

Release Date: March 19, 2025

 

When Deadpool enters Madri-Gen, guards greet the merc with a mouth at gunpoint. Deadpool apologizes for shattering their plate glass window. But he has a job to do. Deadpool won’t let locked doors or men in uniforms stand in his way of securing a paycheck.

 

Unfortunately for Wade, more than guards impede his march toward a five-star review. Wolverine also wants to steal the company's hot new product. As in Deadpool & Wolverine WWIII, Wade and Logan pursue the same target. Neither will let the other get in his way. Who will claim the neurostimulator? And who will leave Madri-Gen empty-handed? Let's leap into Deadpool Vs. Wolverine Slash 'Em Up #1, and find out!

 

Story

While Deadpool doesn't want to disappoint his client, Wolverine's ambitions are more complicated. At least, they seem so. Logan believes he let a young man down a long time ago. Securing the neurostimulator for his former friend helps Logan feel like righting a wrong. But Logan’s memories of his time before he became Weapon X make Wade jealous. In Christos Gage’s story, Deadpool would give anything to reclaim memories of his youth.

 

This realization pits the two living weapons at odds. Yet it also unites them. While they hack and slash their way through Madri-Gen and each other, Wade and Logan debate the importance of memories. As they try to steal this device for their clients, both men realize that Deadpool could benefit most by using it. Yet lingering in the background of Deadpool Vs Wolverine Slash ‘Em Up #1 is a question.

 

Logan’s memories of torture and enslavement weigh him down. Peter Parker sacrificed his additional memories of Uncle Ben to return Spider-Boy to the Web Of Life And Destiny. Will reclaiming his past complete Deadpool or fill the aching void with dead weight?

 

Art

As Deadpool takes on young guns with attitude, Wolverine arrives to cross claws with swords. Amid the slashing, hacking, and impalements, the two living weapons entertain their opponents before killing them. Alan Robinson transforms the high-tech corporate world into a Dungeons And Dragons tournament in Deadpool Vs. Wolverine: Slash 'Em Up #1. As Wade and Logan follow in Indiana Jones’ footsteps, they battle beings from Dr Moreau’s laboratories at Omni Consumer Products.

 

Carlos Lopez applies a loaded palette to the heroes’ journey from the sleek, neutral floors and ceilings of desk-filled offices to subbasements filled with traps, pitfalls, and monstrosities. Vibrant colors fill backgrounds in closeups. Gunfire, laser beams, and explosions brighten this fast-paced action thriller. Yet nothing warms the pages of Deadpool Vs. Wolverine: Slash 'Em Up #1 as much as Deadpool's zest of life and how he shares others' pain.

 

Joe Sabino fills white and yellow dialogue balloons with uppercase letters that grow bold for intonation, enlarge for volume, and shrink for lowered voices. Deadpool ensures that he and Wolverine receive headliner status with red 3D logos. The merc with a mouth also vocalizes every injury. Sound effects help us hear grunting ground troops, bouncing grenades, bonking heads, and wall-demolishing impacts. Who knew Mace wasn't a helpful hardware place? Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Some claim that memories are for losers who lead uninteresting lives. Many preach that it is not what you know but what you do that matters. Yet you cannot understand the worth of something until you have it. Wolverine prefers to shatter a mirror than look in it. But in Deadpool Vs Wolverine Slash 'Em Up #1, Wade Wilson wants to perceive the man he has become. And he can't do that without having something that may not be good for him.

 

Rating 9.5/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

The Amazing Spider-Man #68 Deaths Review

 

Writer: Christos Gage

Artist: Mark Buckingham

Colorist: Mattia Iacono

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Mark Buckingham & Richard Isanove; Federico Vicentini & Richard Isanove

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

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: February 26, 2025

 

In their Alaskan base, Juggernaut senses the world is in danger. Shocked that he would initiate a mission, his teammates accompany him to New York. When Peter Parker changes the nature of the championship by refusing to fight Cradios, Juggernaut takes up the cosmic challenge. Juggernaut's substitution for Spider-Man may not nullify Doctor Strange’s covenant with Cyttorak. But what is unquestionable is that Cradios yields to Juggernaut.

 

Sadly, Callix uses the Blight to kill Cradios. The corrupted scion also infects the X-Men before detonating his rot dogs and boogieing back to the Crimson Cosmos. Now, the Blight incinerates Cyclops, Psylocke, Magik, Kid Omega, and Temper’s inhibitions. Can Juggernaut repel the X-Men's attack without killing his teammates? Let's strap on our Crimson Bands Of Cyttorak, charge into Amazing Spider-Man #68 Deaths, and find out!

 

Story

Cyclops realizes Juggernaut is immune to the Blight. So, the X-Men team leader orders Juggernaut to join them or die. Perhaps once Juggernaut would have accepted the offer. But now he fights to protect others. Christos Gage’s story pits Juggernaut against his friends. It ties one hand behind Juggernaut’s back because he doesn’t want to kill them.

 

Callix believes his father fears losing his power. He states the Blight empowers him. Instead of supporting his family, Callix kills his siblings. There is power in burning your bridges behind you, and Callix embraces it. But Juggernaut knows what it means to be alone. Callix might have swatted him like a fly. Still, Juggernaut is not about to kill his friends to increase his power. He has learned the secret of life in Amazing Spider-Man #68 Deaths. People can accomplish more together than apart.

 

Cyttorak empowered Juggernaut to invoke fear. Yet Juggernaut has found exceptional rewards in inducing love. Like Callix, his colleagues embrace the Blight. Temper even blames the Blight for her actions. Yet, Juggernaut knows that people are not slaves to their instincts. To paraphrase a wise man, the Blight partially controls their actions. Yet, it also obeys their commands. In Amazing Spider-Man #68 Deaths, Juggernaut risks the assault of his formidable friends because he doesn’t seek power. Instead, Juggernaut fights for something infinitely more valuable.

 

Art

Temper surrounds Juggernaut with yellow-orange fire while Cyclops attacks with a beam of red energy. Yet purple proves the most potent as Kid Omega and Psylocke attack. An X rises to the forefront, first red and then blue, symbolizing his journey and identity. Yet purple, blue, and red also represent Juggernaut's insistence that unity equals strength.

 

Mark Buckingham reveals Juggernaut's iron spirit as Mattia Iacono bathes Amazing Spider-Man #68 Deaths in bold, eye-pleasing colors. Flashbacks form backdrops as Juggernaut appeals to his god. Whether he sits alone or with his family, Cyttorak rarely moves or changes his expression. Yet the god smiled when he watched Juggernaut battle Cradios. After his avatar’s aggressive address, the god responds in not-so-mysterious ways.

 

Joe Caramagna pounds uppercase black lettering into dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. The dialogue grows bold for inflection and never shrinks. Juggernaut's thoughts appear in pink boxes bordered with red as he battles his friends. Sound effects enhance clobbering, clapping, crashing, stomping, and psychic blasting. Lowercase black letters in yellow boxes link The 8 Deaths Of Spider-Man with Blood Hunt, while the enlarged and colored dialogue reminds us that our bravest choices can be the most painful. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Cradios claimed that Juggernaut didn’t possess as much power as a scion of Cyttorak. Yet the X-Men helped Juggernaut defeat the scion. Perhaps Cyttorak also aided him. Whether on Earth or in the Crimson Cosmos, Juggernaut stands in Cyttorak’s presence. Unlike Cyttorak’s children, Juggernaut talks with his god as he battles his friends in Amazing Spider-Man #68 Deaths. Theirs is an unshakable bond forged by mutual needs and a reminder of why dedication to our careers often threatens and injures our family.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Amazing Spider-Man #68 Review

Writer: Justina Ireland

Penciler: Andrea Broccardo

Inker: Scott Hanna

Colorist: Marcio Menyz

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Patrick Gleason & Richard Isanove; Skottie Young; Cory Smith & Edgar Delgado; Luciano Vecchio

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

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: February 19, 2025

 

Peter Parker may have spent the night with Felicia Hardy, but he’s hardly ready to rekindle their romance. He's seen everyone in the world die. Finally, he can retire from the superhero career sparked by his uncle's death. Someone else can take up Doom's challenge and fight the scions of Cyttorak. If they succeed, Peter can pursue a life like Arcadium showed him. If they fail, well, everyone dies sooner or later.

 

Doctor Strange and Cyra couldn’t break through Peter’s malaise. Can anyone convince Peter to stop petting Felicia’s cats and don Doctor Doom’s arcane armor again? Let's grab some chew toys for Callix’s crimson hounds, thwip into Amazing Spider-Man #68, and find out!

 

Story

Why would a scion cry? That’s what Peter wonders when Cyra pulls him through a portal. Peter sees his best friend, almost-girlfriend, Aunt May, and another man on the ground. Instead of hosting the FEAST Community Day, the volunteers exemplify what happens when people don’t help the endangered.

 

Peter cried when he watched the characters die in Cyra’s sad stories. The corpses remind him that threats will always attack Earth in Amazing Spider-Man #68. Doctor Doom and Doctor Strange are tackling other dangers to the planet. But because Peter believed in the fiction Cyra created, Spider-Man withdrew his protection from the people he loved.

 

 

 

Cradios asked the X-Men to stop annoying him while the scion destroyed their world. Callix welcomes resistance in Amazing Spider-Man #68. Doom's arcane armor and Doctor Strange’s magic spells help Peter level up. But the Blight convinces the godling to shed the "weaknesses" that restrain him. Callix handed Spider-Man an easy victory during his challenge. Not even Juggernaut can stop Callix now. Still, Spider-Man vows to do what he can in Justina Ireland's story. 

 

Everyone struggles in their relationships. Like Callix, Peter has fought to meet others' expectations. The Blight senses the resultant irritation. Perhaps Juggernaut and Spider-Man can disregard this anger. But outrage over an inability to please everyone threatens to sweep across Earth like a pandemic. How much more might we accomplish if we could eighty-six all the people who refuse to be pleased with our efforts on their behalf?

 

 

 

Art

While the X-Men shine like a rainbow, Marcio Menyz clothes Peter in white and gray. Radiant red Cyra brings Peter to Phil Coulson. Attired in black and gray, Coulson stands before the shattered pearlescent windows of the golden-brown FEAST center. Red fabric and silver and green armor transform Peter. The white polygonal eye shields regard Aunt May. Then, the silver mask turns away. Doom's champion clutches his metal-clad fingers into fists in Amazing Spider-Man #68.

 

 

 

Once, Callix's face shone as brightly as Cyra’s. Like a star, the infected scion's face burns white-hot as red and orange energy beams surround him. After Spider-Man drops between the X-Men and Callix, Spider-Man leads the charge of the X-Light Brigade. Smoke rises around Callix and his Rot Dogs amid the Contest Of Champions. Andrea Broccardo and Scott Hanna show the Blight covering Callix as cells, amoebas, or miniature universes. But when Callix converts the Blight into a black shard, he demonstrates the ultimate effects of Soul Rot.

 

Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase black lettering into dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. The dialogue grows bold and changes color for inflection. As it enlarges for volume and rarely shrinks, barking and snarling rise above the devastation. Energy beams and explosions amplify the growing chaos. But a snap decision could echo across the universe in Amazing Spider-Man #68. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Peter Parker dreams of a life without power or responsibilities. When he awakens, he discovers that reality differs radically from his fantasy. So, Peter makes a list of what he can do. But as the Avengers couldn’t prevent Thanos from pruning the crowded universe, Spider-Man struggles to halt the efficiency drive intended to simplify his complex world in Amazing Spider-Man #68.

 

Rating 9.7/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Amazing Spider-Man #67 Review

 

Writer: Justina Ireland

Penciler: Andrea Broccardo

Inker: Scott Hanna

Colorist: Marcio Menyz

Flashback Sequence Artist: Niko Henrichon

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Patrick Gleason & Richard Isanove; Skottie Young; Aka; Rogê Antônio & Marcelo Maiolo

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

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: February 12, 2025

 

Spider-Man has defeated every scion of Cyttorak he has faced. Peter Parker dreamed of winning these bouts without using the Reeds Of Raggadorr. While he tires of dying, seeing the new Grim Reaper take millions of lives and not be able to revive them leaves Peter gutted. When Peter disengages from meaningful relationships, Cyra feels ashamed. Desperate to cope with these new emotions, the scion of Cyttorak turns to Doctor Strange for help. But the former Sorcerer Supreme can’t make her feel better about destroying the idealistic hero.

 

Will Peter Parker heed Spider-Boy’s assertion that things can get better? Will Spider-Man don Doctor Doom’s arcane armor and take on the mantle of Earth’s Champion again? Let's push Felicia Hardy’s cats off our laps, thwip into Amazing Spider-Man #67, and find out!

 

Story

In the Eight Deaths Of Spider-Man, Doctor Doom reveals that Doctor Strange sought to protect Earth. He entered into these periodic contests to gain the protection of the Crimson Casket Of Cyttorak. Yet the casket doesn’t just protect Earth. It also protects Cyttorak and his family. In Amazing Spider-Man #67, Doctor Strange reveals what Cyttorak and his family fear.

 

In Justina Ireland’s story, Callix grew so tired of trying and failing to gain his father’s respect that he ventured beyond the casket’s protection. He and his crimson hounds encountered the Blight. Although they fought off the symbiote-like limbs that threatened to drag him into one of Sarlacc’s cousins, Callix did not return home unaffected. In Amazing Spider-Man #67, an infection rages. The pain burns away Callix’s ambitions. In its place, Callix finds new strength. He doesn't need to impress anyone anymore.

 

Peter Parker has always pushed himself to his limits. Spider-Boy is ten, but even he realizes the importance of preserving one's mental health. Cyra’s test broke Peter's ability to keep striving to help others. The window washer that Peter fought to save has died. Doctor Strange wants Peter to understand the danger threatening Earth if he doesn't care about others. But with his mental health in tatters, Peter seeks serenity in accepting that it was always unrealistic to believe he could save everyone. After all, Peter couldn’t save the window washer any more than Kenneth could protect the Rick Jones album Peter bought for Shay.

 

Art

Andrea Broccardo and Scott Hanna show the scions beseeching their father in his throne room. But Cyttorak doesn’t look at them. Instead, he focuses on a vision of Juggernaut stomping Cradios. When the X-Men attack Cradios with swords, ice, and energy beams, an observer asks if Cyttorak will let the bout continue in the Champion's absence. The giant god resting his feet among skulls smiles.

 

While Lockdown used his spaceship’s magnet to wreak havoc in Hong Kong, Kid Omega and Doctor Strange demonstrate that psychic energy and magic can achieve the same results. Doctor Strange’s features finally glow with vitality in Amazing Spider-Man #67. If Peter notices, he emulates Thanos and refuses "to take the matter seriously."

 

When Marcio Menyz shows Peter at home with gray, brown, and beige cats, Cyra’s radiant red form seems a reminder of the vibrancy Peter has lost. Callix's white face shows how cold and uncaring Cyra's brother has become. Niko Henrichon’s flashback reveals Doctor Strange’s fright and determination to protect Earth in Amazing Spider-Man #67.

 

Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase black lettering into dialogue balloons and narrative boxes as Peter no longer battles his malaise. The dialogue grows bold and changes color for inflection. It enlarges for volume and rarely shrinks as Randy and Shay rally around the aunt Peter has abandoned. Sound effects help us hear an immovable scion meet an unstoppable X-Man. Yet pain fills the air when red dialogue and barking enliven a purple background. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Doctor Doom refused to relinquish the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme because he wanted to ensure Earth’s survival. He criticized Doctor Strange’s deal with Cyttorak, claiming it was an unreliable and inefficient means of safeguarding the planet. Doom foresaw Bloodhunt and protected Latveria from Varnae’s coordinated attack. But when Spider-Man refuses to carry out his duties as Earth’s Champion, Amazing Spider-Man #67 asks if Doctor Doom planned for this eventuality.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Amazing Spider-Man #66 Review

 

Writer: Justina Ireland

Artist: Andrea Broccardo

Colorist: Marcio Menyz & Erick Arciniega

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Mark Bagley & Richard Isanove; Kaare Andrews; Skottie Young; Chris Samnee & Matthew Wilson; Paco Diaz & Frank D’Armata

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

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: January 22, 2025

 

Callix wants to please his father. His sister, Cyra, wants her life to have meaning. Dr Strange wants Peter Parker to uphold his covenant with Cyttorak. Aunt May wants help running the FEAST Center. Randy Robertson wants Peter’s help to make the gallery show a success. Spider-Boy wants Spider-Man to continue his training. Shay Marken wants her boyfriend to invest in their relationship. And when Black Cat looks back on her relationship with Peter, she wonders why she thought Amelia was an upgrade.

 

Unlike everyone else, Peter Parker doesn't want anything. Food is the sole reminder of his former joy in life. Death has scarred and changed him. Can Peter remember who he used to be and why he sacrificed everything to be that person? Let's strap on our arcane armor, thwip into Amazing Spider-Man #66, and find out!

 

Story

Peter Parker cannot please everyone. Spider-Man cannot protect everyone. Peter was already at the breaking point when Doctor Doom lumbered him with another responsibility. Still, Peter defeated gravity-wielding Cyntros and the space beetle Cyperion. Spider-Man didn’t need a TARDIS to take down the time-traveling Cyrios. Nor did Peter need aspirin to tackle pain-inflicting Callix or a chew toy to distract the scion's Crimson Hounds. Spider-Man didn't even drop the ball when tried by the deadly Cyra. But at the end of her test, Peter realizes the truth behind the frustrations he voiced when all this started. “Everything’s so important that nothing matters.”

 

While Peter has lost hope in Amazing Spider-Man #66, a ray of sunshine pierces Cyra’s shell of indifference. Cyra is so inured to her depression that the warmth is alien to her. Her father's gift granted her a cosmic view of the universe. But instead of seeing life spring eternal, she only saw the Inevitability Of Death. Tasked with an unwanted responsibility from her father, Cyra judged everyone on Earth by Dr Strange. But Stephen Strange differs markedly from Peter Parker. While Cyra infected Peter with depression, Peter made Cyra wonder what it felt like to care about others. Her task, the one Cyra never wanted, is over. But instead of sinking into a hot bath with a glass of vino, Cyra lingers, desperate to understand the man she broke like an unwanted toy.

 

As Peter walks through the disaster zone that was once his life, Justina Ireland contrasts Peter Parker with Doctor Strange. Stephen calculates the cost of helping others. He observes them and strategizes the best way to help them. Dr Strange uses deceit and psychology to manipulate them into “giving their best.” As Cyra observes, Strange endured her “Emo Fanfic” by employing a professional distance from humanity. Yet even as Peter tells himself nothing matters, he cannot stop engaging with others. Peter Parker may be stumbling in the darkness. Still, he illuminates heroes and villains in Amazing Spider-Man #66. 

 

 

 

Art

Cyttorak’s eyes glow when his scions assemble. Yet the energy shooting from Cyttorak’s eyes dies when Callix claims he succeeded where his brothers and sisters failed. Andrea Broccardo reveals Callix's desperation when he takes his Crimson Hounds for walkies in a forbidden cave. Monstrous stalagmites rise while lightning leaps from hovering shards of rock. Yellow eyes and buried limbs suggest a graveyard. Yet the glowing orbs in the gray floor and the cracks that rent the red air reveal that life still throbs in this place of death. Or perhaps it is a shadow out of time in the mountains of madness.

 

Like everyone else Peter sees in Amazing Spider-Man #66, Dr Strange is dead and alive. Marcio Menyz & Erick Arciniega contrast his blue and aqua-green spirit with Cyra’s black, red, crimson, and magenta appearance. Despite the sunlight shining down on New York City, colors fade where Peter Parker walks. The vibrant street life before him hints at the vitality Peter once prized when Shay, adorned in a T-shirt with a yellow sun, shares what keeps her going. But when Peter looks around, he sees only black, white, and gray. 

 

Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase black lettering into dialogue balloons, red-edged narrative boxes, and tan boxes. The dialogue grows bold for inflection, enlarges for volume, and rarely shrinks. Dr Strange speaks blue letters into blue-edged white balloons, while Spider-Boy uses his foot to upbraid a criminal for his insensitivity. As Callix schemes and observers talk, the letters on a flyer confirm Peter’s new paradigm. Still, the numbers on a cash register urge Peter to remember why he became Spider-Man. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

While Miles Morales engages with the gods in Wakanda, Peter Parker struggles to grasp the reed of truth in New York. Like Miles, Peter cannot recover what he lost by fighting. Instead, Peter must peer into himself and rediscover the truth of his life in Amazing Spider-Man #66.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Amazing Spider-Man #65 Deaths Review

 

Writer: Derek Landy

Penciler: Kev Walker

Inkers: Kev Walker & Wade Von Grawbadger

Colorist: Mattia Iacono

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Mark Bagley & Richard Isanove; Carlo Pagulayan & Romulo Fajardo Jr

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

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: January 15, 2025

 

What does it matter how much you accomplish? Everyone forgets you after you die, and your impact on the world fades. The fifth scion of Cyttorak claims her test is the Inevitability Of Truth. Spider-Man dubs it the Inevitability Of Death. He knows Cyra's visions speak emotional rather than literal truth. Yet Spider-Man grasps defeat from the jaws of victory. He refuses to uphold Doctor Strange's Covenant and fight Cyttorak's three remaining scions.

 

Will Peter Parker let Earth fall? Or can Doctor Strange convince him to preserve the Covenant? Let's take a long look in the mirror, thwip into Amazing Spider-Man #65 Deaths, and find out!

 

Story

Doctor Strange imagined the worst. No matter how much he learned or how hard he practiced, Doctor Strange could never protect Earth from every possible danger. So, the Sorcerer Supreme bargained with Cyttorak. In exchange for more power, Doctor Strange agreed to battle the scions of Cyttorak every January of the Crimson Calendar year. The bargain worked until Doctor Strange died. Now, the responsibility of protecting Earth from Cyttorak's wrath falls to someone else.

 

Doctor Doom doesn't care about non-Latverians enough to protect them. The new Sorcerer Supreme looks for someone willing to put the needs of others above himself. Doctor Doom gives Spider-Man arcane armor to protect him while battling demigods. Doom also gifts Peter the eight Get Out Of Death Free Reeds Of Raggadorr. Yet in Amazing Spider-Man #65 Deaths, Peter Parker says, “I’m done.” Doctor Strange doesn’t understand Peter’s decision. To the former Sorcerer Supreme, life is a game, and Peter has a role to play.

 

In his story, Derek Landy contemplates the tapestry that connects every person in the multiverse. Like all spider heroes, Peter feels that interconnectedness thanks to the Web Of Life And Destiny. Yet Cyra revealed everyone's insignificance. Saving individual lives means nothing in that context.

 

The deaths of beloved individuals like Uncle Ben and Gwen Stacy helped Peter Parker feel a responsibility to protect those he didn’t know. But in Amazing Spider-Man #65 Deaths, Peter no longer knows who he is. Peter cannot suddenly view the world through Doctor Doom or Doctor Strange’s eyes. All Peter can see is that he built his life on a lie.

 

 

 

Art

Kev Walker and Wade Von Grawbadger show Peter shuffling through life. Like a zombie, he moves without purpose and sees without observing. Peter leaves his apartment to purchase a hot dog. Then he stares into space as the ketchup and mustard ooze onto the kitchen table. Peter takes no pleasure in eating. Even the flavor of the food he chose cannot reach the pleasure centers of his brain. Devoid of purpose, Peter hugs a pillow and retracts into a near-fetal position.

 

Mattia Iacono juxtaposes Phil Coulson's cool purplish-black suit with warm browns, tans, and golds in Peter's apartment. Like Vision, Coulson floats through his surroundings. Unlike Peter, he observes. Still, he drifts. Coulson struggles to sit with Peter as an equal, preferring to stand to attention. When Coulson peers into Peter's memories, bright colors explode around him. Like the fireworks on the Fourth Of July, the formative clashes and catastrophes that transformed Peter Parker into Spider-Man surround these lost souls on a battered red couch.  

 

Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase black and blue lettering into white dialogue balloons. The dialogue grows bold for inflection and never shrinks. Peter signals his disinterest in life by slamming a door on Doctor Strange, then hurling the door closed before Phil Coulson. Yet the spectral font that fills cloudy dialogue balloons inevitably accompanies Coulson’s Test Of Truth. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Phil Coulson never chose to embrace the dead. Like Peter Parker, he feels lost, drifting through an endless existence. Doctor Strange urges Coulson to convince Peter to uphold the Covenant in Amazing Spider-Man #65 Deaths. As Phil Coulson peers into Peter’s mind, Coulson remembers the events that shaped him and discovers why he has become more than a government agent who collects superhero trading cards.

 

Rating 9.5/10

 

To preview interior art 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.