- Written by: Zeb Wells
- Art by: Ed McGuinness, Emilio Laiso, Mark Farmer, Wade Von Grawbadger
- Colors by: Marcio Menyz, Erick Arciniega
- Letters by: VC’s Joe Caramagna
- Cover art by: Ed McGuinness
- Cover price: $4.99
- Release date: November 8, 2023
Amazing Spider-Man #37 finds Rek-Rap taking Spidey on a silly adventure to solve a mystery that isn’t a mystery involving the Repossessor.
Is Amazing Spider-Man #37 Good?
You have to hand it to Zeb Wells. He commits to the bit, even if he has a losing track record for paying it off. Amazing Spider-Man #37 goes all in on the silly, jokey humor and slapstick shenanigans that read like a bad Adult Swim sketch. Readers looking forward to Gang War get a brief setup explaining some of the players, but this issue is all about Rek-Rap, whether you like it or not.
When last we left Spidey and his mentally deficient demon doppelganger, Spidey saved Rek-Rap from getting swallowed up by the Repossessor on a hunch that Rek-Rap may have stumbled on some nefarious mystery. in turn, Repossessor realizes he recognizes Spider-man and his true identity… somehow.
Now, Rek_rap fills Spidey in on what he’s discovered, which turns out to not be a mystery at all (again, not paying off the setup), so Spidey abandons Rek-Rap to get swallowed up by Repossessor (off-panel). What Spidey doesn’t realize until too late is that the Repossessor has taken Randy as “collateral” to pay off a debt Spidey owes to the Repossessor, although the what, who, and how is never explained.
This issue is silly, time-wasting, inconsequential fluff. If silly was the tone Wells was going for since day one, at least you could say the series is consistent, but he wasn’t, so it’s not. Rek-Rap’s revelation turns out to be nothing, and although a mystery pops up, Spidey stumbles upon it independently. The humor ranges from occasionally corny to frequently awful, and there’s almost no action in this issue. The lion’s share of this issue centers on Spidey and Rek-Rap engaging in awkward conversations.
The more puzzling aspect of this issue is the setup for the forthcoming Gang War crossover. The Maggia meet to discuss their plans to take back large swaths of NYC territory, but the scene is largely played straight, albeit dramatically flat, and the scene is tonally out of sync with the rest of the issue. It’s like a life insurance commercial appearing in the middle of a bad sitcom.
What’s great about Amazing Spider-Man #37? Despite all the bad humor and plot nonsense, the mystery surrounding Repossessor’s identity and past connection to Spider-Man is mildly interesting.
What’s not so great about Amazing Spider-Man #37? If the description above wasn’t clear, there’s not a hint of dramatic tension or momentum going into the Gang War crossover, giving you every reason to believe it will turn out as badly as the Dark Web event. Worse, if Wells can’t pay off the mystery surrounding Repossessor, this will be yet another in a series of time-wasting two-parters and arcs that aren’t fun, have as much entertainment factor as a bag of stale nuts, and winds up being wholly forgettable.
How’s the art? The art’s good to great, if you can ignore the comically cartoonish Rek-Rap and his demonic adversaries who look like rejects from a Monster Machine fan art contest.
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 #37 sets up a mildly intriguing mystery but weighs the issue down in impressively corny humor, little action, and a prelude to the Gang War crossover that fails to generate an ounce of momentum or anticipation.
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