Written by: Zeb Wells
Art by: Nick Dragotta
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: September 28, 2022
Amazing Spider-Man #10 swings away from the Hellfire Gala into an A.X.E.: Judgment Day tie-in. Peter Parker spends (possibly but probably not) his last day on Earth visiting the people he cares about as an old friend stands ready to render judgment.
Is It Good?
Amazing Spider-Man #10 works and doesn’t work, so it depends on what you’re looking for in a Spider-Man comic during Wells’s turn on the series.
As a sweet, simple character piece, this is a pleasant issue. Peter spends the day of judgment visiting his circle of friends, family, and colleagues to tell them what they mean to him. The result is a day-in-the-life comic with a little humor, a few tears, and plenty of heart.
The most amusing visit involves JJJ as Peter’s former boss frantically tries to deliver sincere apologies to everyone he can reach. The most heartfelt visit involves Peter’s former love, Gwen Stacy (no spoilers as to how that happens, but it makes sense in context). And the most bizarre, doesn’t-make-sense visit centers around Randy’s insistence to go tux shopping for his upcoming wedding. Tonally, each visit is different, but collectively, there’s something for everyone.
As a Spider-Man comic nestled within the arc Wells has set up and an A.X.E. tie-in, this is a pointless filler issue. Peter is never in costume for more than four or five panels, none of which have to do with the battle against the Progenitor. Spidey doesn’t get involved in quelling the panic setting in on the city, and nothing occurs in this issue that ties into Spidey’s arc… if there is one.
If this issue is guilty of one major flaw, it’s the sin of missed opportunities. We’ve known since issue #1 that Spidey did some bad things, things Wells has clumsily avoided, so this was an opportunity for Spidey to visit anyone he’s wronged from the events prefaced in issue #1 and inform the reader a little about what happened. Instead, Spidey visits everyone except the people involved in those events and his subsequent disappearance. Of all the people he visits, Peter doesn’t visit Mary Jane?!? Wells is handling individual issues in this run decently enough, but the way Wells is handling the arc is turning into rancid nonsense.
Guest artist Dragotta turns in commendable work in this issue. The entire issue involves conversations between Peter and an assortment of characters, so all eyes are on character faces. Overall, Dragotta gives character faces expressiveness and energy. If you’re looking for a nitpick, Peter’s stubble looks like it was drawn on with an eyebrow pencil for a cheap stage play, but on the whole, the art is fine.
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 #10 takes Peter Parker on an apology tour as the day of judgment has arrived in an A.X.E.: Judgment Day tie-in. (Un)surprisingly, there’s almost no Spider-Man in this issue. Spidey doesn’t involve himself in the battle, he doesn’t help the NYC citizens as panic sets in, and he doesn’t use the opportunity to set things right from the mysterious events of issue #1. Peter visits everyone he cares about (except MJ) to let them know how much he cares. Lots of feel-good moments that amount to a whole lot of filler.
Weird Science Marvel Comics 