I’m on a quest to read all Spider-Man stories, one collection at a time. Today, I read Amazing Spider-Man by Nick Spencer vol. 2: Friends and Foes. This arc continues Nick Spencer’s run in Amazing Spider-Man.
Reading Order
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (2018) #6-10
Recap
Peter Parker and Boomerang join forces to defend themselves against an army of supervillains. Through the course of their shenanigans, Peter gets to know Fred (a.k.a. Boomerang) and develops a friendship with him. Some time later, Spider-Man teams up with the Black Cat to face the Thieves’ Guild. They get closure over their past relationship and Peter reveals his secret identity to her. Elsewhere, the mysterious villain from the last arc pays Mayor Wilson Fisk a visit, while the Black Ant and Taskmaster kidnap the Vulture. Mary Jane joins a group for friends and loved ones of superheroes called The Lookups.
Review
This story is fun, filled with action and comedy. Through the story, we see Peter develop his relationships with supporting characters. We also get a Mary Jane centric subplot seeing how she copes with knowing Peter is risking his life every night. The Spidey/Boomerang team-up was enjoyable and left me looking forward to more. The Spider-Black Cat team-up was more emotional, but despite the buildup, the final resolution was very weak. (Spoilers ahead) In an attempt to receive help from other superheroes, Spider-Man activates Ms. Marvel’s iPhone so that the “Find my Phone” app leads the heroes to Spidey. Lazy writing for many reasons, but either way, once the heroes arrive, we think we are in for a massive battle between the Avengers and the villains, only to have the villains disappear. Disappointing to say the least.
Rating: 4 (out of 5). This story was enjoyable, funny, action-packed, and carried just enough drama and horror to make it complete; but the lazy writing and underwhelming resolution to the climax keeps it from getting a perfect score.
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