If you’ve been living under a rock for the past few eeks, Amazing Spider-Man has been making some waves. That’s partially due to leaks of story details and a significant superhero death. That death affects Peter Parker and Norman Osborn, two of the main characters in Zeb Wells’ series run. This week, Wells shows us some of the emotional fallout after the death with Ed McGuinness joining him on art.
Amazing Spider-Man #27 starts a new story arc, with Black Cat by Spidey’s side and Doc Ock up to no good. The issue spends half its time showing us how Spider-Man is in a horrible mood, but Black Cat wants to cheer him up. They appear to be boyfriend and girlfriend, but even Black Cat’s best feel-good tricks don’t work on Peter.
As we pinball between Peter’s lousy mood and Norman’s sullen mood, we learn what Doc Ock is up to. You might want to read Amazing Spider-Man #6, as this issue feels like it’s picking up from there. That includes Doc Ock, upset with his mechanical arms, which have become like Spider-Man. They are self-aware, and Doc Ock will have none of that. We get all that explained, and it serves as a reasonable explanation for why Doc Ock gives himself an upgrade. It’s a kooky concept, but don’t count Dock Ock’s mechanical arms out yet, as they appear to be a major element in this new story arc.
Shocker looks great.
Credit: Marvel
Since Spider-Man is cold at the start and later overly concerned for Norman, the character feels a bit distant in this issue. Doc Ock reigns supreme, and Norman gets a nice moment, but for a Spider-Man comic, Peter feels like a supporting character. That’s especially true due to the Doc Ock mechanical arms taking the focus on the final page.
Wells also explores Norman’s guilt over killing Queen Goblin outside of these details. If you read the Gold Goblin miniseries, this issue pays the events in that story off a bit here. It’s nice to see a cohesive universe coming together. Given the digression this series has taken with Dark Web and the new villain Skribble Man, it’s starting to feel like we’re back on track.
Like the Dark Web tie-in, Ed McGuinness brings some of the best elements to this issue. His art is clean as hell, the colors by Marcio Menyz are fabulous, and the action is dynamic. McGuinness captures the moodiness of Spider-Man well. Doc Ock looks great, with a cartoonish look, thanks to his chubby face and tight goggles. The goggles make him look alien and strange, which suits his evil demeanor.
Some grieving occurs in Amazing Spider-Man #27 while the series starts a new story arc. The art pops and brings these characters to life in a slightly zany tale paired with sorrow. It doesn’t quite work, but there’s enough here to enjoy and be hopeful for where it all goes.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login