• Written by: Zeb Wells
• Art by: Ed McGuinness, Mark Farmer, Cliff Rathburn
• Colors by: Marcio Menyz
• Letters by: VC’s Joe Carmagna
• Cover art by: Ed McGuinness, Marcio Menyz
• Cover price: $3.99
• Release date: July 26, 2023

Amazing Spider-Man #30 sends an Octofied Spider-Man on a rescue mission to save Norman Osborn from Doc Ock. Can Webhead save Norman before Norman reverts to his Goblin ways?

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Is It Good?

I don’t like feeling this way about a writer and an editor. I don’t like the inescapable pressure that comes from knowing the wrong people are in the wrong job, repeating the same mistakes over and over. However, when you read Amazing Spider-Man #30, the same problems keep cropping up, and it’s just plain sad.

When last we left Spider-Man and his increasingly goofy friends, Spidey concluded the best way to find and save Norman Osborn would be to allow himself to be bonded to Doc Ock’s original, now-sentient harness. Meanwhile, Doc Ock injected Norman with a mega-dose of Goblin serum to force Norman to revert to Green Goblin and destroy his fragile sense of peace. Now, Norman resists the Goblin serum because he’s built up a tolerance, and Spidey defeats Doc Ock, only for the Ocktoids to carry Doc Ock into a maze-like tunnel to escape. The entire issue is capped with a two-page eulogy to Kamala Khan – a character both Norman and Peter barely knew.

“Why so cynical, Mr. Grumpy Reviewer? Why can’t Marvel just have a fun Spider-Man comic? Are you one of them toxic fanboys!?” you may wonder.

Firstly, no, I’m not a “toxic fanboy.” That term is a disingenuous ad hominem created by creators to deflect valid criticisms. Now, go sit in the corner as punishment for spreading disinformation.

Next, there’s nothing wrong with having fun as long as it’s done the right way for the right reasons in the right context. Here, Wells presents a clunky lopsided joke of an issue that would have worked if the payoff matched the setup. In issue #29, Wells appeared to actually move toward a credibly serious development by forcing Norman into the Goblin state against his will. When it comes time to pay off that threat, Norman shrugs it off like Luke Skywalker ambivalently tossing his lightsaber away in The Last Jedi. Wells creates a setup but fails to pay it off. Sound familiar?

Then they fight. The hits hit hard, thanks to Ed McGuinness’s captivating art, but the tone is an uneven mix of jokiness, seriousness, and noise such that you never get the full feeling Spider-Man is in any true danger. In other words, there’s not a drop of dramatic tension because any threat to Spidey or Norman is completely gone.

Last but not least, the rooftop remembrance of Kamala Khan comes off as forced, tonally inconsistent with the rest of the issue, and as a heavy-handed attempt to make Kamala’s death meaningful. Nothing leading up to and including Kamala’s death in issue #26 had anything to do with Kamala. Wells tries to build a heartfelt, emotional moment, and it comes off as a manufactured retcon to add meaning to Norman’s feelings about Kamala after the fact. Rather than serve as a touching remembrance of a fellow character, Norman’s speech almost feels insulting and manipulative.

Where do we go from here? Who knows. Kamala is due to somehow return this week, presumably in the Hellfire Gala issue, so we’ll see. As for Spider-Man and his fans, we’re just going to have to suffer through the Wells/Lowe era for the foreseeable future.

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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Bits and Pieces

Amazing Spider-Man #30 is filled with great art and big action, but Zeb Wells can’t figure out when to be jokey or when to be serious, leading to a tonal mess of a comic. Further, Norman’s tearful speech about Kamala Khan comes off as a heavy-handed retcon that feels more insulting than emotional.

5/10