Queen Goblin has reared her head and she’s off her chain attacking Mary Jane with no Spider-Man in sight! Sounds like a call for a hero is in order, which is just what writer Patrick Gleason does in the latest chapter in the Beyond Corp era of Spider-Man!
This issue feels like an organic next step for a few different threads that have developed over the last two months. One is Black Cat and her relationship with Peter as she tries to bring him back to full strength. Another is Beyond Corp employee Maxine Danger’s mad idea to create and use a supervillain for Beyond Corp’s means. More and more it has become clear the Beyond Corp is evil and you’ll get that vibe in a strong way when Maxine says “My queen” as Queen Goblin shuttles off to do her bidding.
That call for a hero works well here, especially since we’re still unclear where Ben Reilly’s head is at when he rushed away in the last issue. Peter is depicted as youthful as ever by Mark Bagley, who is always great at drawing goblins flying high above the city. Backgrounds are rendered well and there’s some tricky gadgetry that is pulled off by Queen Goblin too.
Speaking of which, Queen Goblin has a unique power we haven’t seen before. That adds a little something extra to the issue, which is mostly a fight comic.
Possibly the coolest moment in the issue is when a web shoots through a teardrop. It’s an interesting concept in general and it’s pulled off well here. There are a few other visual ideas that feel unique to the series.
The general psychological element feels a bit lacking with this issue, however. Ben Reilly is absent so we’re on hold as far as his mental state goes, but the range of emotions characters go through feel simple and less complex. Black Cat goes through a lot, but aside from her tears, there isn’t enough here to really go on how this might affect her. This series has been quite good at tapping into the emotional and human element so comparatively this issue has a bit of an uphill battle it can’t quite achieve.
As a fight comic, there are interesting wrinkles thrown in like Black Cat reliving dark moments and Peter rising up to be the hero we know he is, but it also feels a bit light on character. A lot of the book is about characters reacting to danger or each other. There’s also a time jump shift that cheats a bit in closing the book out on a cliffhanger. That said, the issue is never boring.
Amazing Spider-Man #89 is a good hero’s return issue that heavily focuses on the new Queen Goblin and Black Cat. It’s lighter on the psychological element, but is action-packed and never boring.
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