Amazing Spider-Man #10
Writer: Nick Spencer
Penciller: Humberto Ramos & Michele Bandini
Colorist: Edgar Delgado & Erick Arciniega
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Price: $3.99
Release Date: 11/28/18
Rating: T
Plot: Spider-Man and Black Cat are caught by the Thieves Guild while recovering the Marvel heroes’ stolen goods. Hopefully they can get the loot before the guild puts the duo into their vault for good. Meanwhile Mary Jane Watson continues to explore a support group called the Lookups.
Story: Nick Spencer’s work is known for its humor and that’s part of the solution to this story. While the thieves guild transfer the hero’s equipment into their vault, Spider-Man notices something that could help. Turns out it was Ms. Marvel’s (Kamala Khan) tablet, which sent a ping to her cell phone. There’s a humorous sequence where Reed Richards and Tony Stark are telling the heroes how they plan to track down the items but Ms. Marvel interrupts them with her discovery. Back at the layer, Spidey warns the guild that the heroes are coming. They think he’s bluffing but realize he’s telling the truth and they vanish. I enjoy when stories solve complex problems with simple solutions. Also the reactions of the characters feels in line with the humor expected for Amazing Spider-Man.
Nick Spencer also writes a brilliant reconciliation between Spider-Man and Black Cat. Peter assumes it was Doc Ock taking over his body (see Superior Spider-Man) but Felicia says her issue is she can’t remember his real identity. This is a great throwback to the infamous story arc, One More Day. As a longtime Spidey reader, I quickly realized Felicia was right as soon as I read her lines. What follows is a great moment where Peter takes off his mask and tells Felicia his real name. While this doesn’t renew their romantic relationship, it does renew their close friendship and partnership. This scene definitely brings back the Spidey/Black Cat dynamic, which should make a lot of fans happy.
This issue also continues the b-arc with Mary Jane Watson. Mary Jane tells the rest of the Lookups about her history with Spider-Man (don’t worry, she left out specific details). This monologue is a great way for readers to know MJ still has some concerns with restarting her and Peter’s relationship. However Jarvis gives her some words of encouragement after the meeting. MJ’s arc is an excellent way for her character to grow and it re-cements her as a major character in Amazing Spider-Man.
Art: There are some bold color choices for Spider-Man and Black Cat that help them standout during their fight with the Thieves Guild members. Also the facial expresssions are great especially for the Lookups meeting. While everyone at the Lookups has their faces pixelated, Mary Jane’s face is clear to the reader during her monologue about her history with Peter. This helps the reader understand MJ’s emotions during her story so they can see how she feels about different elements. Humberto Ramos and Michele Bandini did excellent work with the character designs, my one criticism is the brief appearance of Mr. Creepy (official name still not revealed, this is my placeholder) at the end. Even though his scene is just on the last page, Mr. Creepy looks less creepy. Despite this, the overall artwork for the issue is spectacular.
Verdict: Nick Spencer continues an awesome job on Amazing Spider-Man. While this arc isn’t perfect, it did manage to restore the Spider-Man/Black Cat partnership to its original status. If that was this story’s objective then I say mission accomplished. Also this issue gave us a great side story featuring Mary Jane that strengthens her overall character. Plus there’s some stellar artwork. Overall, if you’re not reading this Spider-Man title then you are missing out.
Rating: 4 out of 5