This week in Amazing Spider-Man: Kingpin wants revenge, Boomerang is bad luck, and a new kind of mob boss is building a team. It’s another issue focused on the supporting characters as threats build and new threats emerge. What a life to be Spider-Man.
So what’s it about?
Read the preview.
Why does this matter?
If you ever read or liked Nick Spencer’s Superior Foes of Spider-Man, you’re going to love this. A new set of foes are getting together and it’s an all-female team with an eclectic bunch of personalities on it.
Fine, you have my attention. What’s good about it?
Now that’s a meaty face!
Credit: Marvel Comics
This is a setup issue if I ever saw one. Much of the first half of the issue focuses on Peter and his roommate Boomerang and the growing threat from Kingpin. In these pages Kingpin’s rage against Boomerang is reasserted and a full explanation of Boomerang’s tomfoolery is refreshed in our minds. It’s a good thing too, because Spencer’s “Hunted” storyline has steered away from the Boomerang story arc for a while.
The true joy you’ll get out of this book revolves around the building super villain team. Spencer draws you into this little corporate team world via Electro who is trying to read through paperwork. She’s frustrated and annoyed but is soon whisked on an introduction of the operation. Spencer has thought this team’s characters through and built an interesting structure to their operation, making it feel modern and different. It’s basically a commentary on businesses in general and the group of villains he’s collected here is colorful and interesting.
Art is by Kev Walker, Laura Martin on colors, and Joe Caramagna on letters. Walker does a great job drawing Kingpin who is built like a brick wall. The color adds good lighting to his scene in the early pages to remind us this mayor is up to no good. There is a lot of dialogue in this issue, but you almost don’t notice.
You need to ditch this dude Peter.
Credit: Marvel Comics
It can’t be perfect, can it?
But seriously, there’s a lot of dialogue in this issue! It slows things down and helps remind you not a lot of action takes place. Instead, it’s scene after scene of characters reminding us of things we should already know. Ultimately the introduction of the supervillain team, and the final page are the biggest plot moving elements. The rest is for the newbies.
Is it good?
A decent issue if you’ve been reading Spencer’s run, but you might get frustrated with all the recap of what we already know. That said, the villains steal the show.
