It’s not a stretch to say that Spider-Man is the character that defines the Marvel Universe. He’s the Marvel hero who defies all the tropes: his origin is steeped in a tragedy he’s responsible for, he started out as a teen hero but was never anyone’s sidekick, and instead of getting praise and adulation, he’s usually considered a threat or a menace on a good day. Amazing Spider-Man 2026 Annual by Saladin Ahmed and Federico Vicentini reveals another layer to Peter Parker: he’s the hero who can inspire a new generation.
Ahmed and Vicentini choose to focus the story on the dynamic between Spidey and Rapid, the new super-speedster introduced in Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man #1. Rapid shares more than a few things in common with Spidey: he got his powers in a freak accident, didn’t envision being a hero, and has a father figure who inspired him to be one. He’s also got a wife and son to look after, and a job to keep, meaning that he has a different struggle than Spidey. An attack from Screwball soon leads Spidey and Rapid to pool their talents to stop her from triggering a series of death traps in New York City.
The creative team for Amazing Spider-Man 2026 Annual couldn’t be more perfect. Vicentini has plenty of experience drawing web-slinging action thanks to his work on Miles Morales: Spider-Man and Nick Spencer’s Amazing Spider-Man run; his kinetic, fast-paced style also turns out to be a great fit for Rapid’s super speed. He even gives Screwball a redesign that makes her look like a homicidal version of Hatsune Miku, and it strangely works! Ahmed forges a unique dynamic between the two heroes, especially as Rapid’s new to his powers while Spidey serves as his guide. Honestly, Ahmed’s script reminds me that Peter Parker shines when guiding new heroes since he’s been in their shoes, and Marvel should lean more into that.
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Rounding out the art team is Chris Sotomayor and VC’S Joe Caramagna. Sotomayor uses a simple color scheme: red and dark blue for Spidey, black and purple for Rapid, and white and pink for Screwball. It helps the reader identify each character, and highlights some of the insane feats Vicentini is illustrating. Caramagna’s letters shift to a digital, stylized font to represent people typing, which becomes increasingly frequent as people log on to Screwball’s feed. Some of these comments are encouraging, others disgusting – basically, it sums up the totality of the Internet.
This approach also highlights why Screwball is the best villain to use for this story. Most people tend to write her off as not reaching the level of classic Spidey villains, or more accurately, are taking out their frustration about certain side missions in Insomniac’s Spider-Man games. Her obsession with social media also reflects the darker side of the internet, as people often go to great extremes to get attention or use their platforms to harass others — especially if they fit a demographic that’s anything other than “straight white male.” Given Rapid’s self-doubt and issues with his powers, it’s no wonder that she targets him via her livestream.
Amazing Spider-Man 2026 Annual also contains a bonus story: “Deal with the Devils” by Joe Kelly and Roi Mercado, which takes place in between Amazing Spider-Man #20 and Amazing Spider-Man #21. It’s mostly meant to highlight how Roderick Kingsley, aka the once-and-future Hobgoblin, became involved with the consortium to kill Norman Osborn. Still, it highlights how Kelly’s sharp writing style has been a boon for ASM, and Mercado gets to draw glorious Goblin violence.
Amazing Spider-Man 2026 Annual finds the perfect role for Peter Parker in the Marvel Universe, while also giving new hero Rapid a bigger spotlight. If things keep up, I definitely see Rapid teaming up with Spidey again or even highlighting his own miniseries.
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