Amazing Spider-Man #44 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; Carlos Gómez & Rachelle Rosenberg; Tadam Gyadu & Romulo Fajardo Jr.; Marcos Martin

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: February 28, 2024

 

Peter Parker teamed with Tombstone to fight the Gang War. Madame Masque and the Beetle staged a battle in Central Park to determine who would control the New York underworld. Team Spidey and Tombstone wanted to protect the Beetle and defeat Madame Masque. Instead, Tombstone retook control of his criminal empire. Can Tombstone’s forces and Team Spidey defeat Madame Masque’s militia? Let’s thwip into Amazing Spider-Man #44 and find out!

 

Story

Gang War has taken its toll. One brutal battle after another has left New York City in flames. Citizens feared for their families as villains fought for dominance. But now, with the Allied Spidey Tombstone forces presenting a united front, it's all over but the shouting. At least, that's what Spider-Man hopes.

 

Yet team dynamics are problematic among heroes. In Amazing Spider-Man #44, Tombstone knows Team Spidey will defeat Madame Masque. The crime lord remembers how he came out the loser when he helped Spidey take down the Rose. After reclaiming his organization, Tombstone has little reason to stick around.

 

Zeb Wells' story gives lesser characters a chance to shine. The expert chemist Trapstr uses her glue cannons to trap She-Hulk in a sticky situation. Shotgun, the undercover government operative, exerts revenge on Madame Masque. Elektra and Spider-Woman discover common ground, and Spider-Boy enjoys working with Ms. Jackpot. (Sorry, Bailey. Mary Jane says it's just Jackpot). 

 

 

 

Amazing Spider-Man #44 also leaves us wondering what we haven’t seen. Chang Shi and Danny Rand mention one battle. Luke Cage also mentions something nonpowered New Yorkers have accomplished. It implies changes in his mayoral leadership post-Gang War.

 

Peter Parker’s not interested in those stories, though. Right now, he’s upset that his city is in flames and his best friend is lying at death's door. Madame Masque makes a convenient target for Spidey's rage. Yet she only manipulated the gang lords after she learned that her father had ordered her death. Madame Masque never wanted Hammerhead to hurt Randy. She bludgeoned the gang lord's head immediately afterward. Tombstone wanted his daughter to live happily ever after with Randy. Yet after Shotgun shot up her father, Janice fought with her betrothed and usurped her father's criminal empire. Tombstone let Janice wield his organization while he and Team Spidey took on Madame Masque. But when Shotgun admitted that the government had ordered a hit on Janice, Tombstone ripped off the Beetle’s wings and sent his little girl packing.

 

Amazing Spider-Man #44 leaves us wondering if the federal government wanted New York City in chaos. Janice Lincoln played a pivotal role in the Gang War. Yet, like Wilson Fisk's son, the Beetle played no part in its conclusion. Zeb Wells’ story also makes us wonder how the dynamics between Tombstone, Mayor Cage, and Spider-Man will change. Despite Spidey and Madame Masque’s separate claims, Gang War wasn't about Spidey obsessing over morality or Madame Masque's selfishness. Sure, there were opportunists. Perhaps Janice even fell into that category. Yet Gang War was about people trying to preserve themselves and those they value. The story's ending satisfies, with two friends reuniting as a new kingpin arises. 

 

 

 

Art

Spider-Man punches out Madame Masque. Miles Morales takes on Rabble. Count Nefaria blasts Elektra and Spider-Woman with the power of the sun. Electro shoots She-Hulk. And all that’s on the first page! As Team Spidey takes on Madame Masque’s forces across two pages, smaller panels show Tombstone ordering the Rabbit to fall back. He may be a hardened crime lord, but emotions play over Tombstone’s face, creating an opening scene as dramatic as when his longtime rival Robbie Robertson grasped his son's arm and cupped his head in his hand in the previous issue.

 

John Romita Jr. and Scott Hanna pack pages with action and drama. Both aspects build off each other, creating a high-octane mix that fuels every scene. Particularly noteworthy are smaller panels, such as when Miles and Spider-Boy take on Rabble in the background while Madame Masque battles Spider-Man in the foreground. The artists pair Spidey's assertion--that she’s responsible for the violence, and it’s not down to chance--with a closeup of three matching diamond symbols on Jackpot's armbands. Affiliated heroes stand side by side: Miles and Spider-Boy, Elektra and Spider-Woman, Luke Cage and She-Hulk. Yet Amazing Spider-Man #44 ends with sunlight warming the city and emotions flooding Peter's expressionless face.

 

 

 

Marcio Menyz brings multi-hued majesty to the Central Park rivalry. Rabble's gauntlets fill the air with pink and lavender. Electro's suit matches She-Hulk's skin as they battle. Count Nefaria’s eyes and sigil glow as he unleashes yellow energy beams. Below Miles' venom sword, yellow dominates Madame Masque's militia as her A.I.M. army takes on the predominantly red Team Spidey.

 

Joe Caramagna wades into the vibrantly colored, highly populated panels with uppercase black lettering in white dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. Spider-Boy and Jackpot's conversation dances in syncopation as each learns to work with the other. Amid the noisy battle, a satisfying thwak and ka-boom follow a relatively quiet thwip. Spider-Man may still use his fists. But his web shooters pack the knockout punch in Amazing Spider-Man #44.

 

Thanks to Marvel for providing this essential chapter of the Gang War saga for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Amazing Spider-Man #44 crackles with energy and drama, leaving much to ponder as Spider-Man achieves a moral victory, empowers a villain, and helps inspire the citizens of New York City to achieve the impossible.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

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

Ghost Rider #14 Review

 

Writer: Benjamin Percy

Pencilers: Cory Smith & Brent Peeples

Inkers: Oren Junior & Brent Peeples

Colorist: Bryan Valenza

 

Bonus Story: Memories Of The Tide

Writer: Jon Tsuei

Penciler: Tadam Gyadu

Colorist: Brian Reber

 

Letterer: Travis Lanham

Cover Artists: Bjorn Barends, Rod Reis, In-Hyuk Lee

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date:

May 10, 2023

 

Johnny Blaze and former F.B.I. agent Talia Warroad found devastation in Savannah, Georgia, and charred bodies in an Occult nightclub in Myrtle Beach, North Carolina. Talia determined the perpetrator was Danny Ketch. Can Johnny and Talia prevent his brother from committing more atrocities? Let's hop on our motorcycles, roar into Ghost Rider #14, and find out!

 

Story

Infernal Labs got 20 million dollars for signing Danny. Dr. Diyu promised Danny peace by freeing him from the spirit. But what does she--and those backing her--expect in return?

 

Johnny discovered Danny's whereabouts. Infernal Labs responded with a knock-out punch of hellacious sound. When Johnny awakens in a budget motel, three days have passed. Talia's worried about their chances of rescuing Danny and taking Infernal Labs down. So she helps him get his mojo back. I don't want to spoil your hellfire readthrough, but Johnny will be surprised when he leaves the motel room.

 

Dr. Diyu shares her troubled past with Danny in Ghost Rider #14. Now he knows what drives her but not what she plans to achieve by severing him from the spirit. Nor does he seem conscious of all those who've died from his actions recently. Does he even realize what his Ghost Rider is doing once they place the helmet on his head, supercharge his powers, and send him off on mission

s?

 

While Benjamin Percy's brought us up to speed with Dr. Diyu and Danny in this issue (and the last), I didn’t understand the timeline of Danny’s missions given in this issue. Still, he's made this story arc easy to follow for a series newby. I appreciate that.

 

 

 

Art

The pencilers and inkers deliver panels with sharply drawn characters and fully realized backgrounds. Nothing's clean or pristine in Ghost Rider #14. Like Johnny and Talia's motel room, their world could use more than a quick clean and polish. Surfaces and fabrics show wear and deterioration. Johnny's features show that continually flaming on and off has taken its toll. Talia's pants are wrinkled and ripped. Tattoos cover her skin, and piercings puncture her nose and lips. Walls, workstations, and equipment in Infernal Labs manage to look dirty, yet walls and workstations show reflections. Or perhaps they're singed from their experiments on Danny? There's a lot of inking going on here, but it gives the characters and settings drama.

 

Careful readers may notice that Brent Peeples' pages look less clear and detailed. Still, it's not a glaring difference that'll inflame fans. Given the richness of Cory Smith and Oren Junior's art, I can understand their need to draft in a replacement now and then. I'm more troubled by the difference between a childhood photo in Dr. Diyu’s office and a flashback from her brother's life. But then, I've never been all that hot at guessing people's ages.

 

Bryan Valenza’s rich and nuanced coloring shows light sources, highlights, and shadows. His shading enhances Ghost Rider #14's lived-in appeal. The flames wreathing Danny's Ghost Rider skull look cinematic and remind me of the Terminator movies.

 

Travis Lanham makes the story easy to read with uppercase black lettering. His dialogue balloons are easy to follow. He shares Dr. Diyu’s off-panel dialogue in orange-tinged narrative boxes. Thankfully, his sound effects enliven the action without making us hear frequencies that'll sicken us, drive us mad, or melt our faces off. 

 

 

 

 

Memories Of The Tide introduces Ghost Rider fans to Taegukgi, who's traveled from South Korea to Santa Cruz, California. The police don't want his help, but Johnny Blaze does. Tadam Gyadu’s art in this Tiger Division story looks more like Brent Peeples' than Smith and Junior's. It's fresh and clean and communicates the story effectively. Brian Reber’s bright, vibrant coloring suits the sunny beach community. The villain looks suitably frightening, and the flashbacks are dark and dramatic. Jon Tsuei enhances his haunting story with a buddy cop vibe. Still, I'm not sure the Santa Cruz tourist board will thank Marvel for publishing this story.

 

Final Thoughts

Infernal Labs holds Danny Ketch in thrall. Dr. Diyu swatted Johnny Blaze down in the last issue. As Johnny and Talia Warroad mount a rescue, Dr. Diyu threatens to unleash the ultimate result of her research. Great art, strong-yet-fragile characters, and family drama build to a cliffhanger ending in Ghost Rider #14.

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

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