Amazing Spider-Man #8 Review

Written by: Zeb Wells
Art by: John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna
Colors by: Marcio Menyz
Letters by: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover art by: John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna, Marcio Menyz
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: August 24, 2022

Amazing Spider-Man #8 concludes Spidey’s battle to the death with the Vulture, forcing ol’ Web Head to ask for help from the last person on Earth he wants help from.

Is It Good?

Amazing Spider-Man #8 is just okay. Most of the issue is one extended fight scene between Spidey and Vulture. For some readers, that may be enough, but there are one or two key flaws that take away from the entertainment factor.

The issue picks up with the cliffhanger from the end of issue #7. Spidey was falling to his death with no web shooters and no skyscrapers within reach. He finds a clever way to break his fall, but it’s not long before Vulture circles around for more attacks. Out of options, Spidey does the last thing he wants – he calls Norman Osborn to send him the new Spidey suit enhanced with Goblin tech.

If you’re looking for all-out Spidey vs. Vulture action, this issue is the bee’s knees. The fighting is kinetic, the punches are bone-crunching, and the resolution is cool.

However, the fight is riddled with choreography mistakes that put the brakes on the flow. Spidey is slammed against a brick wall, probably cracking a few ribs for his trouble, and then he immediately pulls out a cellphone tucked in his waistband to call Norman Osborn. Unless that cellphone is made out of Adamantium, Spidey isn’t calling anybody.

Next, at least two scenes where Spidey forces Vulture to slam head first into a wall or solid barrier. Unless Vulture has an Adamantium skull, he should be dead a few times over in this issue.

It may sound like I’m being picky with the choreography, but the choreography is all there is to this issue. If the fight is the focus, it had better ring true, and in part, this fight does not ring true.

Readers get a few wow moments as Spidey manages a quick change into the new suit with Goblin tech, and it’s fun to watch all the new toys in action. However, the one gadget nobody was looking forward to gets a debut – the emoji mask. I’m all for having a little fun, but the emoji mask is as pointless and as stupid as it sounds.

That’s all there is to it, which, in and of itself, is a bit of a letdown. Why? Four months and eight issues into the series and there hasn’t been one peep about the big event that sent Peter into exile, the explosion in Pennsylvania, or how MJ managed to become a mother in such a short time. Wells ignores the basic tenets of storytelling by starting with a BIG question and not dropping clues to a future reveal. The lack of clues creates frustration, eliminates the possibility of building anticipation, and puts all the pressure on the eventual reveal to pay it off. If Wells doesn’t stick the landing on the reveal, consider his run a wasted opportunity.

About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Final Thoughts:

Amazing Spider-Man #8 takes a baby step forward by concluding the conflict with Vulture in one, issue-long fight. The fight is brutal, and readers get the reveal of the “new” Spidey suit enhanced with Goblin tech, but the fight choreography has a few flaws, and the emoji mask is eye-rolling.