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: April 19, 2023

Amazing Spider-Man #24 finds Peter breaking every rule and burning every bridge to get back to MJ while she’s trapped in an alternate dimension where time moves differently. Nothing will ever be the same after this issue.

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Is It Good?

“Nothing will ever be the same” has turned into a trite phrase used by publishers like Marvel to generate buzz or anticipation, but in this case, it might actually be true. In Amazing Spider-Man #24, nothing will ever be the same for Peter and MJ, and readers who are fond of their romantic relationship are about to have a really bad day.

When last we left Spidey, he returned to his Earth and quickly realized time moves faster on the Earth where MJ and Paul are trapped. Every second counts,l so Peter recklessly rifles through every egghead he knows to seek help. Eventually, only Norman Osborn will blindly help Peter.

Now, Peter burns a few more bridges with the FF, Moon Girl, and Tony Stark to get the parts he needs for a multiversal suit that will get him back to MJ. Does it work? Yep, and if you’ve been following this arc, you already know where this is headed.

[MASSIVE SPOILERS AHEAD]

Peter makes it back to Wayep’s Earth just in time to help stop Rabin from killing Paul and MJ. In the ensuing scuffle, Rabin is killed. However, the time difference has taken its toll, so the few days it took Peter to find MJ equated to years for Paul and MJ when they became a couple and had kids.

Once time differentials were set up as part of this arc, you could see this twist coming a mile away. Therefore, the big wow moment wasn’t spoiled so much as it became predictable.

What does this mean for Spidey? It means that Zeb Wells and Marvel Editorial have put up a massive roadblock to ensure Peter and MJ will never get back together again without retconning this story out of existence. If you were holding out hope Nick Spencer’s work to bring them back together would eventually pay off, Congratulations, you got played.

[END MASSIVE SPOILERS]

So, where does that leave us? Is this issue good or not?

Honestly, I don’t know. This is the shoe drop everyone was expecting, without knowing the particulars of which way it would fall. In aggregate, this issue is very fast-paced, the dialog is solid, and the plot takes several big steps forward, so on technical execution, Wells does a fine job.

Creatively, this issue feels like Marvel hears what some fans want and is actively taking steps to move in the opposite direction. This entire arc, from inception to the way it’s unfolding, feels almost spiteful.

If you don’t care about Peter’s relationship with MJ, this will be a predictable albeit energetic issue. For everyone else, you’re in for a bad day.

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 #24 is the shoe drop Spider-Man fans have been waiting for concerning Peter and MJ’s relationship. The technical execution, in terms of writing and art, is fine, but based on the lead-up issues, the outcome is painfully predictable. I suspect a significant number of ASM fans will be very unhappy with this issue.

7/10