THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN RENEW YOUR VOWS #12
Writer: Ryan Stegman
Penciller: Brian Level
Colorist: Jesus Aburtov
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Price: $3.99
Release Date: 10/11/17
Rating: T
Plot: After month’s of planning, Normie Osborn’s endgame begins. Spiderling is kidnapped but before Spider-Man can save her, he has to deal with the Green Mecha-Goblin. Meanwhile Mary Jane works with Liz Allen to stop Normie and remove the symbiotic. Hopefully, the Osborn Legacy doesn’t end the Amazing Spider-Family.
Story: The scenes between Annie-May Parker and Normie Osborn were my favorite parts of this issue. Even though Normie tried to kill Spider-Man, Annie sees Normie’s loneliness and offers friendship. This is a nice parallel to Spider-Man’s fights with Harry Osborn as the Green Goblin. It’s nice to see Annie picked up her father’s compassion. Ultimately, Normie starts to accept Annie’s help and together they take down the Mecha-Goblin. Plus fans of the original Spider-Girl series should enjoy this because this was a big element with May and Normie’s friendship.
The issue’s last page time jumps the story eight years later with a teenage Annie-May accepting a new costume. This sets up an interesting idea for the series. The first twelve issues can be seen as season one of Annie/Spiderling. The last page supports this idea with the reveal of teen Annie as the issue’s narrator. Plus the flash forward is a great teaser because it doesn’t reveal too much. This gives the reader a reason to keep reading.
There are some problems with this issue. One is Normie’s assistant/handler, Ms. January. We find out that Ms. January is piloting the Mecha-Goblin after Normie had a change of heart. Also we learn that Ms. January pushed Normie toward the Goblin legacy because she has an undying loyalty to Normie’s dead father, Harry Osborn. Last issue Ms. January had a great moment confronting Liz Allen but here she just acts like a simple one-note villain. Another problem is the Mecha-Goblin’s Regent tech. This series uses it too much as an obstacle for the heroes. In a way, it’s slowly becoming Spider-Man’s version of kryptonite. Hopefully as the series continues, the only use of Regent Tech will be powering up Mary Jane’s Spinneret suit.
Art: The one thing that stands out art wise is the Green Mecha-Goblin. This thing looks like something a child would design which makes sense since Normie’s still a kid (despite his claims). Also there are some hilarious design flaws such as the glider attached to it. As the Mecha-Goblin moves it’s glider keeps crashing into buildings as it chases Spider-Man. Plus when Spiderling has to disable the Regent tech, we get a cool layout of Normie guiding her through the Mecha-Goblin. It’s awesome how each panels shows off a different part of the robot’s interior.
Also the fight scenes between Spider-Man and the Mecha-Goblin are awesome. The colors and sound effects are a nice combination. They create pulse pounding action scenes that grab the reader’s attention. Plus the appearance of the X-Men make it feel like a crossover between the 90’s Spider-Man and X-Men cartoons.
Verdict: Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #12 is a spectacular first season finale. While it’s not new reader friendly, it does offer some payoff for returning readers. The artwork is spectacular and the story sets up a direction for the series reminiscent of the classic Spider-Girl series. Overall, if you’re not enjoying the mainstream Amazing Spider-Man, this is a nice alternative.
Rating: 4 out of 5