Spider-Man is living a cursed life at the moment, with three deaths and three wins as he faces off against Cytorrak’s Scions. It’s all because Doctor Doom put Peter Parker in a position usually held by Doctor Strange. Now armed with spells and with the aid of Doctor Strange’s ghost, Spider-Man must face not one scion but two in Amazing Spider-Man #64.
After a slightly wobbly issue by Justina Ireland and Gleb Melnikov, Amazing Spider-Man #64 does a lot to put the series back on course. The issue opens with Peter trying to get any more info about the mission he’s on from Doctor Strange. Not only is this opening scene enlightening, but it helps add context to his situation. It also shows Peter’s analytical mind as he attempts to poke holes in something done a specific way for ages.
Ireland does a great job lifting up Peter’s intelligence, with a win early on that even Doctor Strange admits is smart. The opening scene cleverly ties into the last issue, as Peter must prepare for the last scion in the future thanks to time travel tomfoolery.
The general plotting is strong with this issue, checking in with Peter’s gallery showing, Aunt May, and then organically dovetailing into the next Scion battle. Even Shay gets a moment to reflect on Peter’s constant lateness, and it’s nice to see Aunt May and Peter not angry with each other like they were last issue.
These two just seem kinda bored with it all.
Credit: Marvel
This issue feels like Peter’s point of view is progressing nicely as well. Now that he’s taken out three Scions, he’s more comfortable in this role, with his tricks up his sleeves. He even challenges the Scion before he can challenge him! He’s still taken off guard but is not thinking fast enough to gain an edge quite so much.
Melnikov’s art is solid throughout as well. The action scenes are fun, with Spider-Man’s magic scarf looking cool as it floats around, adding movement to the fight scenes. There’s a neat double-page splash without panel gutters, but it still works as it captures the brutality of Spider-Man in the moment. The lack of gutters makes the violence bleed into each other.
If there was anything lacking, it might be the Scions themselves. The anticipation for their personality is raised at one point, but they come off as uninterested and almost lazy. Their roles as Scions are also unclear to me, which takes a bit of the teeth out of the cliffhanger since the twin defeated this issue and only seemed to have attack dogs from Hell.
Amazing Spider-Man #64 marks a solid step forward for the series, showcasing Peter Parker’s resourcefulness and evolution as he embraces his magical role with increasing finesse. The art complements the narrative with energetic action sequences, but the lackluster characterization of the Scions leaves the story feeling incomplete. While not perfect, this issue re-establishes momentum and sets up an intriguing path forward for Spider-Man’s mystical adventure.
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