If there’s been one truth about Spider-Man, it’s that he doesn’t give up. However, that’s now up in the air, as Peter Parker is sick of dying repeatedly facing the Eight Scions of Cyttorak and wants nothing to do with the feat. It was a shock in the last chapter of “8 Deaths of Spider-Man,” and now in Amazing Spider-Man #65.DEATHS, it’ll fall on Death itself to convince him to get back in the fight.
If you’ve been reading Marvel for the last year, you know Agent Coulson is now the embodiment of death, who ends up being the hero of this tale. The story opens with Coulson as a young boy finding his grandfather dead. Standing over him is some death spirit, which comes into the story later. From there, the story jumps to where we left off the last issue, with Peter storming away from Doctor Strange.
From there, writer Derek Landy and artist Kev Walker focus on Coulson, who narrates the story via captions. He needs to convince Spider-Man to get back into the fight for the sake of all of Earth, but after dying thousands of times and seeing his loved ones die, he figures we’re all going to die anyway. It’s disheartening to see Spider-Man this way, further exemplified by a well-drawn montage of the many deaths Spider-Man has seen firsthand.
Peter is in a bad way.
Credit: Marvel
This is where the issue really excels, as Coulson’s unique perspective allows us to comment on death itself. I won’t spoil it, but Landy delivers an excellent perspective on death and life. It’s a heartwarming take that I’ll certainly relate to others.
But is it enough to change Spider-Man’s mind? We’ll have to find out as the story progresses. Spider-Man is a passive character in this story, which may turn some off considering it’s his comic series. There’s also no action, another staple of superhero comics missing.
As far as art goes, Walker’s best scene involves a young Coulson interacting with the death spirit. It’s creepy, with familiar iconography of death, but it also has its own flair. The double-page layouts are also excellent, though they’re familiar moments in Spider-Man history and, thus, not the most exciting to see for the umpteenth time.
Amazing Spider-Man #65.DEATHS offers a thoughtful and emotionally resonant exploration of death and perseverance. However, Spider-Man’s passive role and the absence of action may leave some readers wanting more. This issue is worth reading for its introspective take, but it might not fully satisfy those expecting a traditional Spider-Man adventure.
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