Two traits have defined Nick Spencer’s current run on The Amazing Spider-Man. The first is a systematic dismantling of almost everything Marvel did with Spidey over the past decade. After all, what was one of the first things Spencer did? Bring Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson back together after the controversial “One More Day” split them apart.
Hence the second defining trait of Spencer’s run: moving forward by going backward. That’s precisely what Peter and Mary Jane do in Spencer’s latest issue, Amazing Spider-Man #25. A more polite term, the one Spencer uses for this issue, would be “second chances.”
For sixty-odd pages, we follow the parallel stories of Peter and MJ, each illustrated by Humberto Ramos and Ryan Ottley respectively. As Spider-Man, Peter fights drones and giants robots while searching for his friend, Dr. Curt Connors, a.k.a. the Lizard, who went missing after the events of “Hunted.” Spidey just wants Conners to return to his family, but Conners is afraid that, as the Lizard, he’ll lose control again.
Meanwhile, Mary Jane, along with CSI officer and Peter’s ex, Carlie Cooper, attends a Fantastic Four musical. Turns out the star of the show replaced MJ on soap opera and went on to have a lucrative career. She’s also targeted by the new Electro, who attacks the musical to live stream “the first real-time celebrity hostage ransom.” Or, depending on the comments, “the first real-time celebrity execution.”
Lesser developments include an update on Mysterio and his mysterious, possibly demonic benefactor, Kindred, a new incarnation of an old super-villain group, and the return of a fan-favorite, and altogether different, Spider-Man. Throw in a couple of back-ups, including Spider-Man and J. Jonah Jameson getting mixed-up with an alien that alters color patterns, and it’s pretty much the kind of padding you’d expect from an $8 comic.
Nevertheless, it’s MJ and her story which predominate this comic. Through her famous actress friend, she gets a taste of what her life might’ve been like had she continued with her career. As happy as she is with Peter, her words and expressions betray obvious signs of regret and envy over a path not taken. At the same time, we see how her relationship with Spider-Man gave her the courage and intelligence she didn’t know she had. It’s a depiction of her that’s both insightful as it is relatable.
It may seem odd that a Spider-Man comic devotes so much time on MJ instead of the titular webhead. Yet consider how the last ten years all but ignored her save for the occasional cameo. Marvel erasing her and Peter’s marriage made her virtually untouchable, so much so they shuffled her off into the pages of Invincible Iron Man. Now that she’s back, it stands to reason Spencer should give MJ some much needed–and long overdue–character development.
Even so, both her and Peter wind up back in career paths they’ve left behind decades ago. This may not bother younger readers, but long-time fans will definitely be feeling that old deja vu. Then again, perhaps they’re feeling it already. This does mark the fourth time this comic book series has had a twenty-fifth issue. The last Amazing Spider-Man #25 came out just a mere two years ago!
Moreover, the shifts between multiple artists during Spencer’s story can feel chaotic. Transitions between Ottley and Ramos are less jarring, as their respective styles tonally fit with their assigned subplots. But the arrival of two new artists at the end completely interrupts the ebb-and-flow that Ottley and Ramos create.
Spencer’s story, however, is still definitely Amazing Spider-Man #25‘s strongest selling point. As with other oversized issues, the back-ups are superfluous, the most pointless being one supposedly written by bots. Spidey fans and those currently following the series will definitely enjoy it. Though it would be nice if some of Spencer’s ongoing plots–and Peter and MJ–did move a bit more forward.
Stillanerd’s Nerdy Nitpicks
- Come now, did anyone really believe Kindred killed Mysterio in the last issue? Still, having “Dr. Ludwig Rinehart” return is a nice treat.
- Wait? By handing Mysterio that movie script, did Kindred know how things would play out for MJ beforehand? Is this a display of Kindred’s demonic powers, or not-so supernatural careful planning?
- “–but there was one loose end…” No kidding, Spidey. Just how many loose ends does “Hunted” have? Whatever happened to the days when a story’s ending was an actual ending?
- Honestly, Peter should feel fortunate he missed this particular date with MJ. Because we all know Spider-Man and musicals don’t mix, don’t we? Then again, maybe I’m only saying this because I’m not a musical fan. That said, the Fantastic Four musical looks like an absolute riot. And how did they do those Human Torch effects?
- Yes, the internet can bring out the worst in people. Even so, I doubt most would vote to approve of a celebrity killed on a live stream. After all, it’s not as if the Feds couldn’t trace those particular IPs and arrest those who said “yay” as accomplices to attempted murder.
- Hmm…everyone who appears in Kindred’s mirrors either has a title in need of a sales boost or a title that was canceled. I spy an upcoming crossover in the works!