It’s wedding season in Amazing Spider-Man #31, or at least it is for Tombstone’s daughter, who happens to be marrying one of Peter Parker’s best buds. In an extra-sized milestone issue, Zeb Wells and John Romita Jr. (and Emilio Laiso) show us what kind of bachelor party Peter can throw, whether or not a mobster can have a safe wedding, and we get new developments as far as the Black Cat and Spider-Man romance. Oh, and count yourself lucky: we get nine backup tales on top of the main tale!
My first inclination is to determine if it’s worth the price when it comes to extra-sized issues. With a cost of $9.99 for ten stories, I can safely say this is a worthy comic for your wallet. The main story offers plenty of drama from the bachelor and bachelorette parties, the wedding goes off with a bang, and there’s some closure for Peter on top of all that. The main story satisfies in multiple ways, and then you also get a ton of backups that either tease future stories or are cute as hell and entertain in their unique ways.
The main story is broken up into two chapters, the first being the night before and the second being the actual wedding day. The first story leans into Peter being pretty bad at the details but also being a great friend. His bachelor party is pretty pathetic, and yet it’s quite sweet what he’s doing for his friend here. Meanwhile, Tombstone’s daughter, who is also a supervillain, is painting the town red, so to speak. It’s fun to see how each night is played differently, coming together in a moment of love and embrace between the soon-to-be newlyweds.
You’d think Peter would be smart enough to know not to let Aunt May attend a wedding with villains present.
Credit: Marvel
Laiso draws chapter one well, capturing Peter’s subdued nature when attending bars and trying to be a good friend. The detailed art looks great, and when the supervillain side of things cut a rug, it’s totally fun and outrageous.
Chapter two is the wedding, with Peter front and center since he’s the best man. The wedding is set up well with a scene to start the comic featuring Tombstone demanding all the most dangerous criminals attend the wedding, or else. This is a “keep your enemies closer” situation, but that doesn’t mean attacks don’t happen.
The attack allows for plenty of Spider-Man action, and John Romita Jr. doesn’t skip a beat. Cool kicks, web shooting moments, and even a slingshot take place in the sequence. It looks great, with good poses and strikes from Spider-Man. His agility is obvious, which is paired well with fast-talking quips. The only misstep I’d say is a moment between the bride and groom, who I think will be in a rocky place at the end of things, but we can’t quite read the bride’s face, so it’s up in the air.
The first backup story features Ms. Marvel and Spider-Man reconnecting after her death. They’re getting on the same page since Ms. Marvel has no memory of her death, thanks to Emma Frost. Written by Wells with art by David Lopez, this story feels like a status quo update that captures the heart of Ms. Marvel and Peter’s enthusiasm well. In the grand scheme of things, it does read like Marvel’s in a hurry to get Ms. Marvel into her new X-Men role, but you can’t argue the scene is endearing on some scale.
Ms. Marvel feels pretty much rebooted after this story.
Credit: Marvel
Dan Slott and Mark Bagley get the next story featuring Doc Ock, who is trying to remember the ultimate equation. This story is a teaser for the upcoming Superior Spider-Man relaunch, though it doesn’t give us much hints about where it’s going. Since we already know the series is on the way, not much is revealed or surprising, although it looks fabulous.
Writer Celeste Bronfman and penciler Alba Glez get to flesh out where Mary Jane and Paul are art after losing their children. I can’t say I like the direction Marvel has taken MJ over the last year, but I do respect the time the creators take here to point out the utter shock she’s in after losing her kids. It’s a good reset to establish where she’s at mentally before she embarks on a heroic turn as Jackpot. A little realism in a story treated as pure fantasy goes a long way here.
Spider-Woman gets the focus in the next story, which does not feature a credits caption, but I’m going to assume it’s by Steve Foxe and Carola Borelli, who are doing a “Gang War” miniseries. This story is a good check-in on Jessica, who is furious over something revealed on the last page. The story is slick and looks great, nailing the personality of Spider-Woman and those she comes across. Marvel promises the story will continue in Spider-Woman #1, and given her state of mind and what has been taken from her, I’m on board.
Next up, Dan Slott and Paco Medina have a little fun with a colorful character who claims to have created a bunch of Spider-Man’s rogues. Monster rogues at that, and this ties into the upcoming Spider-Boy series. This story has a strong Inheritors vibe, so buckle up as Slott appears to have another hit on his hands.
Albert Monteys is next up with a comic-strip-style story featuring a man addicted to being saved. It’s super cute and has a fantastic art style that’s kooky and fun. It’s a clever idea that introduces a new problem for Spider-Man. Extra points for how it loops in one of Spider-Man’s dear friends.
In another cartoonist lovers story, Cale Atkinson delivers a great short featuring Spider-Man and an amazing new friend who happens to be a goose. A super cute and endearing story that’ll give you a chuckle.
Next up is a story titled “Huntress” by Wells and Patrick Gleason featuring Kraven. This one feels like a preview of what’s to come as Kraven takes center stage in the next story arc. There’s an interesting take on Kraven and how he acts with lovers. Or maybe it’s what he needs to be with someone. It’s a bit twisted and smart.
Finally, the teaser Marvel released earlier this week also has a backup story that ends this issue. Once again, there is no credits page, but I’d wager it’s Kaare Andrews kicking off a sequel to Spider-Man: Reign. Mostly centered on Kingpin, this story has a futuristic twist that feels like something Moebius would cook up. It doesn’t do much with Spider-Man, but I’m sure many will be curious to see what happens next.
There’s a ton of value in Amazing Spider-Man #31, making it an easy pickup, even at a $9.99 price. The main story features Peter Parker’s inability to be a normal guy while featuring his excellent Spider-Man persona saving the day. Throw in nine backup stories that set up future stories and some delightful done-in-one shorts, and you have a package well worth every Spidey dollar you have.
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