Spider-Man and his amazing friends are in deep trouble in the latest issue of Amazing Spider-Man, and it’s at the hands of Doc Ock. Norman is captured, Jameson is reeling from the defeat of his new mechanical friend, and Peter is still mourning Ms. Marvel. It appears Doc Ock attacked at the right time, but what is he after, and can he turn Norman evil again?
This issue picks up where we last left off, only Spidey isn’t saving Jameson, and it’s the other way around. The opening is disorientating as we see from Spider-Man’s perspective he’s the one being swung away to safety by Jameson! That’s just one of the multiple eye-catching moments that look fabulous under Ed McGuinness’ pencils.
The art is the strength of this issue, with dynamic splash pages and dramatic moments. Rek-Rap, for instance, gets a cool page, albeit an editor’s note explains he’s not part of this story at all. The creators are clearly having a ton of fun, and that includes the spot-on colors by Marcio Menyz. The book is bright and fun, thanks to his work here. Letters are also bombastic from Joe Caramagna. You just can’t beat em!
The art really pops in this issue.
Credit: Marvel
As far as the story, writer Zeb Wells wants us to believe Jameson loves or at least sees Doc Ock’s old arms as a pet. It’s weird, especially since his bonding with the arms happened between issues. Slightly more interesting is callbacks to Superior Spider-Man, as we see Peter subconsciously remember things. That goes for Doc Ock too.
There isn’t a lot to the main conflict of this issue. Doc Ock has Norman captured and wants to make him suffer. Sadly for Doc Ock, Norman is reformed and will not fight him. It’s a bit of a nonstarter that leads to a shocking final page. One can assume what Doc Ock is up to, although turning Norman evil again doesn’t seem very logical for the genius Doc Ock. Given he forces Norman to see the torture he put Doc Ock through, wouldn’t he rather not recreate that same beast? Seems silly at best.
Ultimately, Amazing Spider-Man #29 is a silly comic that uses art to bring entertainment value. The story is rather simplistic. There isn’t any deep psychological character work, but simply an evil villain doing evil things. It’s very much a comic of another time, which should satisfy many, and you can’t go wrong with how dynamic and cool this art looks.
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