Amazing Spider-Man #51 (2024) Review
Summary: 51 issues in and I still don't know Zeb Wells is trying to say. While the action and most of the art in the book is fun, it begs the question if Zeb is starting to run out of ideas for his run.
3.5
Ineffective 6
Background – Evil is surprisingly effective.
Writing – We open with Chasm having dreams (or maybe premonitions, it’s not really made clear) of Peter using the Winkler device. He wakes up and realizes that Peter is in trouble.
You know, if Peter played as dirty as he did in this issue, the Sinister 6 would never be a problem. He manages to take the Sinister 6 down remarkably easy, albeit in a much more brutal fashion than usual. He disables Otto’s arms, turns the Sandman into glass with an assist from overloading Electro, sends the 70+ year old Vulture careening unprotected headfirst through a wall, and just beats the snot out of Kraven. He would have killed Kraven if not for the arrival of Chasm.
I’ll be one of those people who stand on the front lines and yell and scream about what they did to Ben during the “Beyond” arc. The way they’ve treated him since he stopped using the Jackal alias has been, for lack of a better word, bad. But if this issue does one thing right, it makes Ben into a heroic character again. At least it sort of does (he even admits that he doesn’t know if he’s there to help or not.) If this is a start to a somewhat healthy relationship between Peter and Ben, I’m all for it.
Finally, we come to our epilogue team that consists of Dr. Curt Connors, The Walking Brain, and Dr. Connors lab assistant Doug. Doug and Dr. Connors wonder how this small group is going to save Spider-Man, and as a reply, the Walking Brain breaks down the door of one Jonah Jameson. Now Peter really stands a chance…?
Oh, and Kamala Khan figures out that Norman Osborn is crazy again.
Artwork – The fact that this book now has TWO pencilers, FOUR inkers, and THREE colorists and still looks as uniform as it does is absolutely amazing. That doesn’t mean it all looks amazing though. A lot of the Sinister Six scenes are rendered very darkly, almost like you’re watching a poorly lit movie scene.
Then all of a sudden, things lighten up with the debut of the Spider-Goblin. Unlike last time around, this Goblin has a full outfit. It consists of a purple Spider-man outfit, Superior Spider-Man claws, and a Goblin head. The glider has a spider design aesthetic and is black. The two-page splash is the most effective piece of art in the whole issue. It looks VERY good.
Mysterio’s Avengers team reminds us of days long past. Obviously, the out-of-date designs served as a tell that this was fake, but it was still nice to see Carol Danvers as Warbird and a 1980’s-esq Wolverine again.
While not the best piece of art, the funniest panel comes on the very last page. The Walking Brain breaks into Jonah Jameson’s apartment, and what is he doing? He’s reading old newspaper clippings of the Daily Bugle that depict Spider-Man as a menace. I know that Peter and Jonah have been good for awhile now, but it’s hilarious to think that Jonah sits at home and reminisces about the days when Peter was the worst thing in his life.
Final Thoughts – Outside of the first couple of pages, the book has some great and fun art. On the downside, I still don’t know what the larger story Zeb Wells is trying to tell. We are now 51 issues into this run and Peter has broken up twice, been turned into a villain twice, lost the love of his life (again), and constantly failed the people around him. What’s the point of any of this?
Final score: 3.5 out of 5
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Zeb Wells
Penciler: Ed McGuiness & Todd Nauck
Inker: Mark Farmer, Todd Nauck, Cliff Rathburn, Wade Von Grawbadger
Colorists: Marcio Menyz, Erick Arciniega, Bryan Valenza
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Genre: Superhero
Format: Monthly
Release Date: 06/05/2024
About the Author
Matt Fischer Lover of all things nerdy. Reader of Comics for over 25 years. DC encyclopedia. X-Men historian. Spider-Man and Marvel lover. Indie side guy.
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