Writer: Tom Taylor
Art: Ken Lashley
Colors by: Nolan Woodard
Letters by: VC’s Travis Lanham
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: June 12, 2019

A few issues ago we found out about Aunt May’s very scary Cancer diagnosis along with Peter. After spending a few issues avoiding Aunt May and pretending it isn’t a thing, Peter is now being the responsible Nephew and doing what he can to help out his beloved Aunt May, because with great power comes great responsibility… but I’m sure you already knew that!

Wr start out with a flashback to Uncle Ben teaching Peter the virtue of charity and giving to the homeless. “We help those in need”, he tells young Peter. Flash forward to a rich jerk taking umbrage at a homeless man asking for change in Manhattan. Not on Spidey’s watch! Spidey non-mugs the jerk, webs him up and uses the guys cell phone to ring the Police. He can probably afford unlimited weekday minutes! Spidey then directs him to the F.E.A.S.T. Center: food, emergency aid, shelter, and training.

Cut to Mary Jane talking with Aunt May: her insurance isn’t covering her Cancer treatment. MJ explains that crowd funding isn’t exactly the same as asking strangers to pay for her care, but it still sort of is. Aunt May doesn’t have time to get all worked up- she’s giving the opening address at F.E.A.S.T., when she’s interrupted by a bunch of rich jerks in pressed, presumably designer suits taking extreme umbrage over the homeless shelter dropping real estate prices in the Neighborhood. Aunt May takes the power back and asks what they’ve done for the needy lately. We never get an answer!

Later the alarm at the Center goes off, and Spidey and Boomerang (now roomies if you’re just jumping on board) head down independently to check it out. It’s the long time B-list Spidey Villain The Prowler. A panicked boomerang to the building later, the Prowler escapes while Aunt May reminds us this is supposed to be a safe space.

Score, reactions and thoughts:

First off, I really liked this issue. It’s so nice to be able to pick up a Spider-Man comic and not have to be bogged down in years of dense continuity. It’s a small, extremely personal story and Tom Taylor manages to get the voices of the main cast down: Spidey just wants to do some good for his community and be there for the ones he loves, but in typical Parker luck it literally blows up in his face, while Aunt May Is far from the helpless old lady she used to be- even a hero in her own right.

Final Thoughts:

Tom Taylor once again manages to show how much he LOVES the characters he writes, no matter which company it is.

8/10