Amazing Spider-Man #30
Writers: Dan Slott & Christos Gage
Penciler: Stuart Immonen
Colorist: Marte Gracia
Lettering: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Rating: T
Price: $3.99
Release Date: 07/12/17
Plot: While Otto Octavius raids various Parker Industries offices for Hydra, Peter Parker prepares for battle. Peter fortifies P.I.’s remaining office in Shanghai and rallies his employees to help Spider-Man. When Otto arrives, Spider-Man gets ready to fight for the fate of his company.
Story: This issue has a strong opening scene tying into Secret Empire #0. Basically it picks up where that issued ended with Captain America lifting Thor’s hammer. The rest of the scene is from Spider-Man’s perspective, and he’s quickly telling everyone to retreat. However the surprising thing is the other heroes immediately listening to him. There was a time when most of the Marvel heroes thought Spidey was just a joke but this scene shows how much the character has grown. There’s a moment in Spidey’s monologue where he attributes this leadership to being a CEO for the past year.
While we’re on the subject of respect, let’s bring up Parker Industries. Since Doc Oct and Hydra are raiding P.I. offices across the world, Peter Parker prepares for a final confrontation at the Shanghai office. As he’s getting ready for Otto’s attack, Peter receives praise from one of his more critical employees, Dr. Yao Wu. Knowing this could be P.I.’s last stand, Wu thanks Peter for funding his cancer research and putting power and responsibility over profit. These moments of respect Peter receives both in and out of costume show how much the character has grown from the underdog to a commendable leader.
The only negative thing about this story arc is it’s pacing. It’s clever how Dan Slott & Christos Gage used Secret Empire to return Doctor Octopus into the fold. However this arc feels rushed so everything can conclude before Marvel Legacy starts in the fall. Plus in the past, Dan Slott has shown Doc Oct as more of a long-term planner so his quick triggered actions seem out of character.
Art: Marte Gracia’s color choices in this issue are awesome. They feel bold and striking in a way that draws the reader’s attention. Plus the lighting has a lens-flare effect that work well in the scenes taking place in Shanghai.
Stuart Immonen is amazing at facial expressions. He captures each character’s emotions in a way that immediately let’s the reader know what they are feeling. Also there’s a really cool panel layout towards the end of this issue. Since Spider-Man and Doc Oct both have wall-crawling abilities, there final fight is on the side of the P.I. Shanghai building. One panel actually shows Oct horizontally while his dialogue is vertical. This is a fun change of pace that can only come from Amazing Spider-Man. Also I hope there are more shots like this when Spidey and Oct actually fight next issue.
Verdict: While this issue was mostly set up, Peter Parker did get some major respect as both Spider-Man and the CEO of Parker Industries. Plus this issue featured some amazing artwork from Stuart Immonen and Marte Gracia. However, this arc feels rushed and it feels like Doc Oct is acting a bit out of character. Nevertheless, Amazing Spider-Man #30 is a good issue for readers who’ve kept up with it (new readers not so much).
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars