Amazing Spider-Man is back this week with part two in a battle against a brand new villain: Spore. An old friend of Peter Parker, a work accident has turned him into a mushroom man, with every spore in his body alive and calling him their father. Weird stuff, and Peter is in big trouble too, as those spores can enter your mind and force their will upon you!
Amazing Spider-Man #30 opens on Kintsugi at school, a new kid hero introduced in Joe Kelly’s run. We can see he’s super smart and battling cancer, although the lack of check-ins from his mom raises his alarms. Quickly, he realizes something is wrong with his mom. She happens to be Peter and Spore’s boss and is currently being held against her will by Spore’s powers. Could Kintsugi do what he does best and show up out of the blue to save the day?
The answer is yes, as he pops up to help fight Spore where we left off in the story. With the A-story established and offering ample action, Pete Woods continues to draw dynamic action with slick colors. Spore’s bulky body edges into the grotesque, especially when a light punch can split him open. Kintsugi, meanwhile, is drawn with plenty of agility and speed. He also has some nifty gadgetry that spices up the action.
Spore continues to be a simpler character as a kind of basic evil baddie. I appreciate the bro-dude dialogue, and it’s clear the spore powers have turned him a bit mad, but at face value, he’s fairly simple in goals and personality. Mostly, he’s a battering ram that needs to be stopped.
Kintsugi to the rescue!
Credit: Marvel
The B-story focuses on Aunt May’s continued interactions with Peter’s cousin. She doesn’t know that, however, and Kelly does a good job of making it clear he’s more of a friend than a foe. If you’re worried about the cousin plot dragging, don’t be; this issue moves things along nicely. Their inclusion builds to a final scene that will have everyone talking, plus Kelly doesn’t let us forget Peter is aware that his cousin knows he’s Spider-Man. It’s a wrinkle in Peter’s bad luck life that he has to manage when not in the costume.
Speaking of non-superhero moments, Woods’ work on close-ups is dynamic and unique. There’s an almost fish-eyed lens look going on, adding a dramatic element.
Also speeding along nicely is the reveal of a Spider-Man ability just hinted at in the last issue. Woods gets to draw it in a full-page splash, which is quite cool, adding a colorful layer and a different look for the character. We’ve seen Spider-Man’s senses be used in different ways in the past, so it’s not necessarily out of nowhere, and it’ll be fun to see how it amplifies the character in battle when suited up.
Props should go to Joe Caramagna’s lettering as well, giving Spore’s word balloons an extra layer of weird.
Amazing Spider-Man #30 succeeds because every plot thread feels like it’s moving forward. The battle against Spore delivers exciting action and a few memorable visuals, while Kintsugi continues to establish himself as an engaging addition to Spider-Man’s world. Meanwhile, the mystery surrounding Peter’s cousin gains meaningful momentum and culminates in a final page that raises the stakes considerably. Pete Woods’ energetic artwork elevates both the action scenes and quieter character moments, helping this issue feel lively from start to finish. While Spore remains a somewhat straightforward villain, the book’s strong pacing and compelling subplots make for another entertaining installment.
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