• 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: $5.99
• Release date: December 6, 2023

Amazing Spider-Man #39 joins the Gang War on multiple fronts as Spider-Man and his street-level friends punch out the battling gangs wherever they find them. Meanwhile, Madame Masque and Tombstone put separate plans in motion.

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Is Amazing Spider-Man #39 Good?

Overall, Amazing Spider-Man #39 is not bad. There’s a rough spot here and there, but Zeb Wells picks up the pace with loads of action, plants seeds that twists are imminent, and delivers a generally action-packed issue. So far, Gang War is shaping up to be a decent arc (if you ignore the preludes and pointless tie-ins).

When last we left Spider-Man and his allies, Madame Masque turned out not to be dead after all, and she came out of hiding just in time to beat Hammerhead to a pulp. Taking Hammerhead down, after his machinations to establish himself as the peacemaker for the collective Gangs of New York, somehow ignited an all-out Gang War in the streets.

Now, Spider-Man and his amazing friends rush from one skirmish to another to put down the violence where they can, aided remotely by Mayor Luke Cage’s office. Janice, Tombstone’s daughter, aka The Beetle, finds the confidence she needs to defend her father’s territory and go further as a chip off the old Tombstone. Meanwhile, Madame Masque rounds up the masterminds behind the original plan to bide her time and step in once the fires die down.

What’s great about Amazing Spider-Man #39? Despite the lopsided interlude scenes in previous issues and the poorly executed prelude issue, Amazing Spider-Man #39 focuses squarely on the battle and the strategic maneuverings behind the scenes. Wells wisely gives no attention to how the war came about and simply focuses on delivering an energetic, action-packed battle issue.

What’s not so great about Amazing Spider-Man #39? The issue and the crossover as a whole only work if you don’t think too hard about how and why the Gangs are warring. Once you do, the plot becomes paper-thin.
How did Hammerhead’s assault by Madame Masque trigger a city-wide battle? If the heads of the Gangs are so smart, why aren’t they pulling back to let the smaller Gangs get taken out in pointless fighting? Why is Randy Robertson in love with a criminal and a killer who is firmly entrenched in her father’s criminal enterprise?

Wells is desperately hiding all these plot holes and several more behind rousing action. For the most part, he succeeds, but the story lacks the epicness it should have because the foundation and planning are so weak.

How’s the art? It’s fine. Readers enamored with Romita Jr’s style will have a lot to like in this issue. That said, Romita Jr. keeps the exaggerated anatomy and over-hatching to a minimum, so his style isn’t as flagrantly overboard as it has been in previous issues.

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 #39 is a surprisingly decent action comic. Wells pits Spider-Man and his allies against an assortment of Gangs across NYC, and the strategic maneuverings by the Gang leaders behind the scenes are intriguing. Wells may have gotten this event off to a rocky start, but this issue shows promise.

7.5/10