Amazing Spider-Man has been a breath of fresh air since Joe Kelly took over, as it taps into what makes Peter tick, while thrusting him into very unfamiliar territory. Case in point, Amazing Spider-Man #19, which picks up where we left off as Spider-Man is in space with a motley crew of kidnapped aliens and their captor (who has come to heel). The space adventure is nearing its end, but not without one more face-to-face with Hellgate!
Amazing Spider-Man #19 opens on a sliver of what is left of planet Kailo as it hurtles through space. Similar to the altercation with Nikodimu of Pinnacle in issue #17, it’s hard to say who these aliens are or what they’re talking about. One can presume they are from Hellgate’s planet, but the way they are introduced here suggests they are meant to remain a mystery largely. It helps to reread that issue, since #18 was an Earth issue. We learn that Kaiolo is the Pinnacle Plinth, hence the name Nikodimu. Regardless of the questions you might have, it’s clear Hellgate and its people are in a bad way.
From there, we cut to Rocket laying out a plan to get to a stargate that can zap Peter and his crew to Earth. Like a Stranger Things episode, Rocket uses props to explain things hilariously. This allows for a bit of comedy as well as for a bunch of Peter’s crew to take things too literally.
A standout character in this issue is Glitch, Spider-Man’s recently freed Technarch super suit. His suicidal tendencies and flair for the dramatic add a nice bit of levity. Meanwhile, Peter’s recent hookup buddy, Raelith, is a delight, and you won’t want to miss the touching moment between her and Peter.
What a creepy last panel!
Credit: Marvel
The meaty portions of this issue focus on an organic upgrade that comes with a rather foreboding risk, and a showdown between Hellgate and Spider-Man. The former is a nice setup that should pay off later. The latter is expertly drawn by Pepe Larraz, who excels at conveying speed and strength. Spider-Man is moving faster with Glitch. The red swoosh of Hellgate’s blade adds significant force from color artist Marte Gracia.
Something that confused me for a spell was the battle location of the stargate, which is shown at the start, but when Spider-Man confronts Hellgate there, the area isn’t clearly established. Spider-Man flies onto it, but it’s so close up it’s hard to tell if it’s the gate or not. An establishing shot of the entire gate would have made it clear. Between these two sequences, the story is building towards a massive climax that’s not to be missed.
Another gripe is the overall flow of the plotting, which feels disparate between its parts. A scene with Raelith shouting about drinking cuts to everyone drunk, but it takes a beat to know where we are and how much time has passed. The transition from Peter nabbing the vials and then preparing to board a ship is also too quick to gauge time and location. They are a bit jarring and thus pull you out of the story ever so slightly.
Amazing Spider-Man #19 continues Joe Kelly’s strong run by blending cosmic spectacle with character-first storytelling. While a few pacing and clarity issues momentarily pull you out of the story, the emotional beats, sharp humor, and explosive art more than make up for it. This issue wraps up a space adventure and sets the stage for bigger, riskier stories to come, proving this era of ASM is firing on all cylinders.
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