Writer Zeb Wells is gearing up for his final story arc in Amazing Spider-Man, but this week, we get a special done-in-one adventure. The adventure? Peter tries not to disappoint his date.
Of course, he can’t pull it off, but we already knew that. Spider-Man and Peter Parker can’t coexist with a girlfriend or life partner, it seems, as this issue puts to the test. The person he’s dating is a girl named Shay, a Ravencroft nurse Peter likes but keeps letting down.
Amazing Spider-Man #55 opens with Spider-Man rushing to get to his date. Soon, he’s at the dinner table with a very angry Shay across from him. The story slows down from here, utilizing eight-panel grids to show Peter’s responses and reactions to Shay’s totally honest and reasonable anger.
The character acting and blocking are great in this scene, with the waiter coming over a few times to ruin each moment. Meanwhile, Peter can’t tell Shay why he’s always late, and we, the reader, know it’s because he’s so darn responsible as Spider-Man.
Cut to another supervillain showdown outside the window, and Peter has to decide whether to disappoint Shay or let the villains endanger lives. The setup is certainly one we’ve seen before, but the pacing of this interaction is strong, with a surprise twist in how Peter resolves the chaos outside.
I want a Spidey backpack.
Credit: Marvel
The villains outside end up satisfying in their way, with Rhino and Screwball offering up nice opposite personalities. One is old and grouchy, while the other is young and way too spunky.
Art by Emilio Laiso is super clean and appealing, especially the renderings of Spider-Man. Bryan Valenza adds nice lighting on Spidey jumping through the city at night. The supervillains also look great. The character acting for Peter works, although he does look a little basic.
This issue accomplishes what it sets out to do, though the bar is lowered. As a bottle story, it doesn’t have a high bar to hit, nor does a lot of time take place in the issue itself. It works, but it just feels too quick for its own good.
Wells makes you believe Spider-Man can make romance work in Amazing Spider-Man #55. It might take some fast thinking and honest emotional maturity, but he can get there.
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