Amazing Spider-Man: Gang War – First Strike #1 Review

Written by: Zeb Wells, Cody Ziglar
Art by: Joey Vazquez, Julian Shaw
Colors by: Bryan Valenza
Letters by: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover art by: John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna, Marcio Menyz
Cover price: $5.99
Release date: November 29, 2023

Amazing Spider-Man: Gang War – First Strike #1 sets NYC on fire when Janice’s attempt to take her father’s seat on the Council of Gangs leads to an initiation challenge that will upset the balance between enemy gangs.

Is Amazing Spider-Man: Gang War – First Strike #1 Good?

Amazing Spider-Man: Gang War – First Strike #1 serves as the prelude issue to the Gang War event, setting up the players, the stakes, and the malicious twists that set NYC on fire. At the risk of spoiling the review, it’s not bad, but several flaws hold the issue’s impact back.

When last we left the Gangs of New York in the interlude scenes of the current ASM run, Hammerhead conspired with Silvermane and Count Nefaria to pit the Gangs against each other, while Hammerhead played the part of peacemaker to secretly establish control of the whole city. The plan worked until a new player emerged from the shadows to kill Silvermane and Count Nefaria and start the war their plan was designed to stop.

Now, Spidey gets back to neighborhood crime-fighting when he’s lectured on all sides about his lack of responsibility to the city(?) while Randy Robertson works with Mayor Fisk to repeal Fisk’s Law. Janice attempts to take her father’s seat on the Council of Gangs, but her price of admission is the death of Randy to keep Fisk’s Law intact. Meanwhile, Hammerhead learns his plan as the secret head of the Council is about to end when the mysterious villain who took out Silverman and Count Nefaria comes for him.

Watch Our Amazing Spider-Man: Gang War – First Strike #1 Video Review

If the description above sends you into a tailspin, that’s because you can’t go into this prelude cold. The creators include a preface page that helps explain the status quo, and it helps greatly if you’re current on the main ASM title. But if you are up to speed, the puzzle pieces leading up to this issue (almost) fit together for a complete picture.

What’s great about Amazing Spider-Man: Gang War – First Strike #1? The broad scenario Wells constructed makes sense for an all-out gang war. On that basic premise, Wells succeeds, which is a minor miracle in a painfully troubled run. Plus, the external factors, such as Fisk’s Law still in effect, present the opportunity for drama and twists when the superheroes aren’t “legally” allowed to dive in and save the day.

What’s not so great about Amazing Spider-Man: Gang War – First Strike #1? When an event is conceived this far in advance, there’s no excuse for plot holes, half-measures, and shortcuts. Unfortunately, but unsurprisingly, there are a few.

For example, Randy is ambushed in a tight stairwell by a group of armed men expressly sent to kill Randy. There’s no way Randy leaves that stairwell alive, so either some intervention occurred that we don’t see, or the gunmen chose not to finish the job.

Why are heroes still lecturing Spidey about his six-month disappearance during the “What did Peter do?” arc?

The villain emerging from the shadows to take out SilverMane, Count Nefaria, and Hammerhead falls into one of the worst “the person you killed who you thought was me wasn’t me” soap opera tropes. It’s just lazy.

When [REDACTED] kills Hammerhead, how did all the gangs immediately know and suddenly choose to start attacking each other without provocation? How did the word get out instantly? Why are all the gangs attacking each other simultaneously without asking who killed Hammerhead and why?

Again, the overall scenario loosely makes sense, but the plot holes, half-measures, and shortcuts undercut the effectiveness of the issue.

How’s the art? Joey Vazquez and Julian Shaw turn in a dynamic, energetic set of visuals to keep your eyeballs engaged. The figure work is not always consistent, looking stretchy and exaggerated in some panels and grounded in others, but the art is fine overall. Plus, Valenza’s coloring is great, as per usual.

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: Gang War – First Strike #1 lights the fuse that ignites the forthcoming Gang War event with plenty of plot progression, surprises, and action. That said, the story is riddled with plot holes and shortcuts that undercut the quality of the story, so you get the impression the creators rushed to get to the war without thinking through how they got there.