Review: Amazing Spider-Man #3 (Lgy #897)

I know that this book came out last week, but I needed time to reflect on this issue, as this book is a doozy! I very rarely buy into restarting a comic series, even though it seems to have become the norm over recent years, but every now and again wiping the slate clean works. This run is one such case.

Thanks to being a little too cocky and underestimating a mere human in Tombstone, Spidey has found himself in quite a pickle. Now, in todays world of equality, it seems that what goes around comes around. So for everyone who bemoans Wonder Woman’s earlier covers and their always tied up fascination; who is is ready for Spider-Man bondage?

Zeb Wells took some heat for how the last run of Amazing Spider-Man ended. True, I was never a fan of the whole Beyond storyline. By starting over Wells has managed to focus on things that made Spider-Man an interesting character in the first place; Peter Parker. Whether he is focussing on Peter’s financial troubles, his issues with MJ and his friends, Wells is demonstrating that it is Peter and his problems that run the book; a point that is expertly covered with the “don’t, my mask” scene. I would go as far to say, that it is not Spider-Man that is tied up, it is Peter! Wells also keeps the various “B” plots simmering along nicely, even if parts of it are a carry over from the Beyond. I will even forgive the “insight” into Tombstone’s origins, given that I was around when he was created, which covered his origin and his hate of Robbie Robertson.

John Romita JR. is killing it on art! Through his heavy lines we get to see just how menacing Tombstone can be. Combining muscles with a plan, Tombstone has woven a web and caught a spider. Romita JR. doesn’t let up with the tension, whether it is the Tombstone panels or the Spidey in bondage ones. The book is dialogue heavy, though Romita JR. matches the verbiage well with his own version of show not tell. I would like to see the art sans the dialogue just to see the emotion of the situations, Romita JR. is joined by his longtime collaborator inker Scott Hanna. The pair are a perfect match; Hanna embellishes the pencils though also helps keep Romita JR.’s focus tight. Colors are supplied by Marcio Menyz who drops a clever scheme that mixes and matches the various situations well. For example, the daytime panels are quite bright, where the sewers are both dark and the lines are edgier, adding to the tension. Letters are supplied by VC’s Joe Caramagna, eho gets to have fun with different fonts for different character situations, after all, who wouldn’t enjoy lettering Tombstone’s whisper speak?

I cannot state how impressive this run has been to date. We are clearly heading somewhere with this book, giving that we are not that far from #900, and we all know what has been promo’d for that! Its a fun time to be a Spider-Man fan!

Writing – 5 Stars

Art -5 Stars

Colors – 5 Stars

Overall – 5 Stars

Written by; Zeb Wells
Art by; John Romita JR.
Inks by; Scott Hanna
Colors by; Marcio Menyz
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