The beauty of Amazing Spider-Man, in this humble fan’s opinion, is how it blends the real-life troubles of Peter Parker into the larger-than-life superhero efforts of Spider-Man. It’s a big reason why I’ve been highly anticipating Amazing Spider-Man #31 for a story titled “The Talk.” In the last few months, we’ve learned Peter Parker has a cousin, but how is he connected to Aunt May, and is he for real or some kind of clone or villain? First things first, it’s time to unpack if it’s even possible!
Amazing Spider-Man #31 juggles two plots. The first opens the issue, featuring villains attending some kind of fight club where people bet on the fighters. This gives the story all the action superhero fans expect. The second takes place where we left off in Amazing Spider-Man #30, with Aunt May, Peter, and Ricardo trying to make sense of Cormac Crane’s news. He claims to be Aunt May’s son, but how can that be?
The heavy weight of that question, plus Aunt May divulging the difficulty in having a child with Uncle Ben, balances well with the action subplot. Writer Joe Kelly does a fantastic job pulling at your heartstrings, revealing Aunt May’s past life with Ben, and the trauma one goes through with miscarriages and the hope to start a family. It’s also handled so that Aunt May is her own person, without it feeling like it’s all meant to mean something to Peter. That said, the fact that Peter ended up being the son she always wanted isn’t lost on the reader.
Time to get into it.
Credit: Marvel
By the end of the issue, it’s nice to at least know it’s at least possible that Cormac is her son, but there’s still a big question mark. It’s never truly proven how a baby was lost in the hospital. Leaving that for later makes the big talk too one-sided, with more to learn about Cormac going forward. Let’s face it: the minute a new family member pops up in a legacy character’s life, reader buy-in is hard to earn with retcons and surprise twists. Many will still be suspicious that it’s all a ruse.
We also don’t know much about what is going on with the fight club subplot. While Patrick Gleason offers up some stellar art, particularly with Vulture, we’re left in the dark as to when this takes place, or even why Spider-Man is there. Presumably to stop the fight club itself, but it’s still presented in a way that makes you wonder how it fits.
Gleason delivers his detailed style and expressive superhero work throughout, with expressions in the Aunt May scenes feeling genuine. A repeated use of a photo of Ben and May is particularly well done, with a zoom in on the photo reminiscent of something you’d see in a movie. It’s also great to see classic villains pop up, with one looking very familiar if you’ve been watching the new Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailers.
Amazing Spider-Man #31 succeeds because it understands what has always made Spider-Man compelling. The emotional core comes from people trying to make sense of complicated family truths rather than punches being thrown. Kelly gives Aunt May one of her strongest spotlights in recent memory, exploring loss, hope, and the life she shared with Ben in a way that feels authentic and earned. The action scenes add energy, and Gleason’s artwork elevates every page, but the heart of the issue belongs to the conversation at its center. While the answers about Cormac remain incomplete and the secondary plot lacks clarity, the story’s emotional honesty makes it a memorable chapter and a promising next step in the mystery.
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