A super serial killer is loose, and anyone related to Eddie Brock, Mary Jane, and Peter Parker is in their crosshairs. His name: Torment. His real name? To be determined! The slasher mystery continues this week in Amazing Spider-Man #25, and at part 5, we’re crossing the halfway point. Who lives, who dies, and who is next on Torment’s list?!
It’s safe to say Amazing Spider-Man #25 is a good superhero comic, intertwining Peter, MJ, and Eddie’s melodrama with fight scenes and flashy visuals. The story opens where we left off in Amazing Spider-Man #24, after Carnage revealed Eddie is asleep inside him, and the symbiote is at the wheel. Always a danger, it’s a two-on-two fight, with Torment open to keeping Spider-Man and Venom off his heels, even if he’s not ready to kill them. You see, they are his main targets, but the spiral needs to close tighter, which means more innocent Parker, Watson, and Brocks need to die.
The melodrama is flung around in the opening fight scene, with Ed McGuinness rendering Eddie and MJ in a slightly off-putting way with their faces protruding from the symbiote bodies. They have plenty of say while trying to stay alive.
If you’re looking for clues as to who Torment is, they are there, although they are subtle. You have to read between the lines, as none of these characters, including Carnage, seems to know who he is. A big clue as to who is next on his list is revealed in the cliffhanger, which should properly amp up the next issue of Venom.
So creepy how Eddie is sleeping out of his back.
Credit: Marvel
Tucked away in this issue is a brief scene with Norman Osborn and Miles Morales. As in the last issue, writer Joe Kelly is building future stories as Death Spiral unfolds. Only two pages, it does enough to tease the upcoming Spider-Versity series. Pere Perez draws this interlude keeping things simple, with a nice dramatic effect when Norman drops a barbell onto a rack.
Kelly also gets to explore Dylan and Paul’s relationship a bit, and there are some fan-service insults thrown at Paul that should please most.
McGuinness continues to deliver the razzle-dazzle in the visual department, with highly dynamic and detailed art. What steals the show is Carnage, be it his tendrils or the little goofy things he does when things calm down, and he’s talking to Eddie. At one point, Carnage grows heart eyes to convey what he’s saying, and in another, little arms pop out of his head as if he’s shrugging and having a laugh. Carnage’s white eyes also have an interesting effect at times, lifting off his red head. These little details add extra eye-candy to the already well-drawn issue.
Backing up McGuinness are inker Cliff Rathburn and color artist Marcio Menyz, who add a lot to make this book pop. From the great lighting on every superhero’s body to the thick black lines that make up Carnage’s body, every panel looks great.
Amazing Spider-Man #25 hits that sweet spot of spectacle and intrigue. The mystery keeps tightening while the character drama adds weight to every punch thrown. McGuinness and the art team elevate the issue with bold, energetic visuals, turning Carnage into an unforgettable presence on every page. It may not deliver major answers yet, but it is a confident, entertaining chapter that keeps the momentum strong heading into the back half of the event.
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