Review: Amazing Spider-Man #26 (Lgy 920)

I normally say when a review contains spoilers, but thanks to the Merry Marvel Marketing Machine, (no relation) you ALL know what is going to happen in this book. As some would say, surely it is the journey that is important and not the destination. Those people obviously haven’t spent ten hours on a standard seat flight from Manchester to Cancun; clearly journey or destination is a matter of context.

The big bad, that no-one remembers or cares about, makes his final play to kill the Scarlett Woman and ascend to godhood. With the Scarlett Woman being MJ, Spider-Man is pretty determined to stop him especially as Spider-Man believes that Rubin ruined his life! What follows is a chase around New York as the heroes try to keep MJ safe, though ultimately one will fall!

This run started of at such a high standard there was always going to be a drop-off. Who knew that after many a meandering story and guest events, Zeb Wells would “mastermind” a bait and switch as the rumours milled and mulled on the fate of MJ. Why Kamala? I have no idea. She doesn’t have much of relationship with Peter Parker or Spider-Man. Described as the heartbeat of the Marvel Universe? Really? She is so loved she doesn’t even have a regular book! Dialogue wise, its as you were a few issues back; Spidey shouting, MJ shouting and a bad guy shouting! When did Kamala gain a super-disguise power that is so good it fools the bad guy who has followed MJ across time and universes? Also, this book continues with editorials casual view of children within the Marvel Universe. Case in point, anyone seen Gerry Drew recently, the FF kids are lost in the Negative Zone and now these two whippersnappers are wiped out!

John Romita JR’s work is solid in places, though the chaos factor means that some panels are missing details, like faces or costume detail. Good thing everyone is in different coloured suits! Characters heads look too big for their bodies, especially the focus of the story, MJ. Anyone miss when Spider-Man did spider-like things? Maybe I am a touch jaded by the story to give JR JR. the credit he deserves; no amount of great art (and this isn’t great), is going to turn this sow’s ear into a silk purse. Scott Hanna is a reliable touch on inks, though I imagine he is going to have to replace his stash of India ink. Thank good for digital art! The dark vibe of the whole arc is the work of colorists Marcio Menyz, this time helped by Erick Arciniega. The colors help set the tone of the book; there is after all a demise to witness. Letters, and the book is surprisingly wordy, are supplied by VC’s Joe Caramagna who, along with inker Scott Hanna, are probably the only ones who comes out untarnished by this issue.

This run, when it restarted, had me buying Spider-Man for the first time in years. After this issue, I am left disappointed and disheartened, not by the death of Kamala as such (she will be back of course), but by the clear lack of any logic to it all. Did I want MJ to be killed? Not really. Yet over the last couple of years Batman has lost Alfred and Jim Gordon, for different reasons and the book hasn’t suffered for it adding a new dimension for Bruce. Could that have happened here? Trick missed maybe, but Marvel will not be getting any more of my buck for Amazing Spider-Man comics no matter how much Black Cat they throw in there!

Fifty years ago, the comic book world was shocked by the needless, some would say, death of Gwen Stacey which shepherded out the Silver Age and started the Bronze Age. Now, with the pointless death of Kamala Khan, a new age is born; the Age of Cynicism. An age long feared, where that which was lauded as being a great, new and a true diverse voice is silenced, albeit temporarily. Let the cynicism roll!

Writing – 0 Stars
Art – 3.5 Stars
Colors – 3.5 Stars

Overall – 2.5 Stars

Written by; Zeb Wells
Art by; John Romita JR.
Inks by; Scott Hanna
Colors by; Marcio Menyz & Erick Arciniega
Letters by; VC’s Joe Caramagna
Published by; Marvel Worldwide Inc.

Author Profile

Johnny "The Machine" Hughes

I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow

Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network