Review: Amazing Spider-Man #19: The Hunted Part 3

I’ll start this off by saying that while this was an easy read, that if you haven’t read the first two issues, that you might want to. A vast majority of this Spider-Man title written by Nick Spencer is going to read a certain way to you if you haven’t, and granted, that’s not without reason. There’s a history to the Grim Hunt that we all remember. One of the darker titles in Marvel history, in my opinion, as far as Spider-Things go. Not so much anything like Sins Remembered dark, but enough that if you don’t recall how the first ended you might not understand the pacing and tone.

That being said, this writing is something of a departure for Peter, in my opinion. A lot of what I loved about him as a character was that he was always more of a light hearted one. Even in the depths of despair, Peter eventually found the ability to be something more than that. I’m hoping that this little title chock full of social commentary can do that eventually. Gerardo Sandoval’s art is brilliant; throwing me back to Humberto Ramos vibes that I appreciate a lot considering he’s also one of my favorites. (Sandoval, however, in my opinion manages proportions a bit better than he does.) The colors by Edgar Delgado and Erick Arciniega are actually a wonderful homage to the theme of this title as well; a lovely, deep earth tones that resonate with the jungle, never too starkly vibrant. Just sort of perfect in its understanding.

I’m hoping that a large portion of this darker sort of demeanor breaks way to more of the Peter I know, but I think that’s just wishful thinking considering the subject matter and the cast. Speaking of which, I appreciate the fact that it’s a well known and acknowledged bit of information that Felicia is a seductress. I think it allows her to move past that assumption to use more of her brains. I’m wondering how the title itself will build for both Peter and Felicia, given everything in more recent issues that they’ve just come down from. There are interesting dynamics that could come in to play alongside Peter’s own rush for time and the desperate need to get back to MJ.

I’m not sure how dark this incarnation of the title’s namesake will be but I can say that I appreciated the metaphors behind it enough that it was a interesting little read. I think that, if you’re a Spider-fan, this darker 3.5 out of 5 star writing might be right up your alley if you’re looking for more dangerous game when it comes to your comic reading. What do you think?

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(W) Nick Spencer (A) Gerardo Sandoval (CA) Humberto Ramos