Spider-Man has been infused with the sins of Green Goblin, and now everyone who ever rubbed him the wrong way is a target. Kraven has already been dealt with, but what about MJ and Paul, or Norman Osborn, for that matter? Writer Zeb Wells and artist Patrick Gleason have got Spidey off the rails with nobody to turn to and fists ready to pound faces into mush. It’s not looking good for Peter Parker and his ongoing bad luck.
Darkness reigns in The Amazing Spider-Man #34, and Spider-Man seemingly can’t be stopped. As this issue progresses, one can see there may be some alternate means to do so, making for an interesting cliffhanger. It’s clear that Spider-Man must be stopped at the start of the issue when he pulls the plug on Tombstone, and Wells makes you believe Spider-Man has lost it via dialogue. He’s not right in the head, and it’s pretty darn scary.
The scariness is a significant factor thanks to the visuals – this issue is incredibly dark. Colors pop by Marcio Menyz, but the lack of light or the light source adds to the dramatic horror vibe. That includes a scene with Norman, Mary Jane, and Paul as they speak in front of a TV as the only light source. It also helps that Spider-Man is sporting the black costume with his eyes seemingly always furrowed. Spidey is big mad, and Gleason makes you feel it.
Love how the TV is lighting this scene.
Credit: Marvel
Structurally, this issue works very well. Wells and Gleason cut from Spider-Man’s antics to Kraven, buried deep in the ground. Spider-Man wants him to die either by suicide or asphyxiation, and it’s easy to see the connection to “Kraven’s Last Hunt.” You’ll feel for Kraven as these scenes add a haunting gloom over Spider-man’s actions. Gleason uses some interesting layout choices to give an off-kilter feel as well. Spider-Man isn’t just angry or evil, but truly twisted.
The placement of captions and lettering by Joe Caramagna are also on point. They dance across the page at times, creating an interesting interplay. The sound effects and the way Caramagna has words bursting from word balloons add an extra oomph to the dialogue as well as give the book a comic-book fun vibe.
With Spider-Man completely out of control and friends running for their lives, I do wonder what it’s all about. If it’s all a means to give Norman back his sins, that’ll be a sad sight since his new turn as a friend to Peter Parker still feels rather fresh. Given the options, it’s looking like that’s where we’re going. Aside from that, Peter isn’t himself, and thus, not a lot of character work is taking place. If anything, Kraven may be the character to grow the most by the end, but we’ll see.
The Amazing Spider-Man #34 is a great blend of visual storytelling and dark horror. Regardless of whether you disagree with an evil Spider-Man, the technical ability unfolding from lettering, plotting, and art is exceptional.
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