- Written by: Joe Kelly
- Art by: Ed McGuinness, Cliff Rathburn, Mark Farmer, Wade von Grawbadger
- Colors by: Marcio Menyz, Erick Arciniega
- Letters by: VC’s Joe Caramagna
- Cover art by: Ed McGuinness (cover A)
- Cover price: $4.99
- Release date: November 27, 2024
Amazing Spider-Man #62, by Marvel Comics on 11/27/24, finds Spider-Man upping his magical expertise when he’s challenged by the next child of Cyttorak with the ability to bend space.
Is Amazing Spider-Man #62 Good?
Uhh, okay. Did somebody tell writer Joe Kelly to use hand-waving to write the script of Amazing Spider-Man #62 because more than a few things the average reader might consider a big deal happen out of the blue? Couple the weird lack of cohesion with a plot straight out of Ryan North’s run on the Fantastic Four (that’s not a compliment), and you wind up with a clunky issue.
When last we left Ol’ Web Head in Amazing Spider-Man #61, Spidey crossed paths with a very beefy demon looking for Earth’s champion. Doctor Doom, now the Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme, explained the demon is one of eight progeny of Cyttorak who has come to face Earth’s champion in personal combat as part of a pact Doctor Strange made with Cyttorak years ago to ensure Earth’s protection from outside, mystical forces. Spidey agreed to the challenge and was given eight magical reeds that would resurrect him if he should die during the fight and an Arcane Armor suit to grant him temporary magical powers. The issue ended with one demon down and one reed used.
In Amazing Spider-Man #62, we begin with Spider-Man, Black Cat, and the astral form of Doctor Strange breaking out of the Sanctum Sanctorum after having stolen a book of magical spells. Why? Spidey figured he needed a crash course on spell casting to help him deal with the next seven demon offspring of Cyttorak.
“Huh? Wait! What are we doing?” you might wonder, and rightly so. Joe Kelly drops you into the end of the heist without setup, explanation, or context, and we’re just supposed to go along with it by ignoring the obvious questions. Why does Spider-Man need to steal a book of spells from the Sanctum Sanctorum? Doesn’t Doom want Spider-Man to win the challenges? How and when did Spidey approach Black Cat to aid in the theft when the ending doesn’t appear to show her contributing anything other than being there? Why is Doctor Strange still in astral form (his vampire infection was cured at the end of the Blood Hunt event nobody remembers)? Why doesn’t Strange stay with Spidey and tutor/teach him the magic he needs to know to win? A reader shouldn’t be asking this many questions of confusion after only six pages of the story.
Elsewhere, the seven remaining offspring of Cyttorak discuss the situation, particularly with the changeup in Earth’s champion. One demon sees the contest as an opportunity to prove worthiness. Another sees the contest as a broken pact waiting to be exploited.
Meanwhile, Peter eats pizza in his apartment while he studies the spell book, but he’s not alone. Norman Osborn dropped by with the pizza. Soon, the two debate Norman’s disbelief in the existence of magic… while Peter reads spells from a floating book. Peter suddenly realizes he’s late to meet Aunty May and prepares to go. Before he leaves, Norman suddenly explains he shut down Oscorp to protect his sanity but doesn’t divulge any details about the employees, the research, and the many dangerous gadgets he’s built over the years.
Again, Kelly drops a big development without explaining how or why it happened. What’s going to happen to Norman’s Goblin tech? What’s to become of the millions and billions worth of assets? Why would Kelly drop such a big development at a random moment? Oy!
Peter steps through his apartment door and finds himself teleported to the middle of a sports field in his Arcane Armor, confronted by the latest Cyttorak spawn, Cyperion. This particular demon has the power to bend space in all directions and dimensions, so the only thing Spider-Man has to do is touch him – not an easy task when the demon can split you into infinite pieces and send you in infinite directions.
The issue ends with a lengthy explanation of the Space-Time models within the context of a recursively-shaped reality, an imperceptible death, and seven becoming six.
What’s great about Amazing Spider-Man #62?
Joe Kelly is giving readers exactly what they expect and, to a lesser degree, what they want. You get plenty (too many?) Spidey quips, a big fight that requires Spidey to go all out and a reasonably complete conclusion. As a plus, there’s no mention, sign, acknowledgment, or reference to Paul.
What’s not so great about Amazing Spider-Man #62?
As noted in the plot analysis above, Joe Kelly drops in several confusing developments without context or setup. In short, the build-up, aka rising tension, stinks because too many confusing nuggets are dropped to trip up the journey.
Further, the entire plot turns out to be predictably predictable. Eight challengers with eight reeds of resurrection in an arc called the Eight Deaths of Spider-Man means there’s not a drop of surprise in the entire issue or for the foreseeable future. If your reaction to that reaction is to say, “Give it a chance,” think about how many times the Spider-office was given a chance over the past decade where patience paid off. I guarantee the percentage of success is in the single digits.
How’s the Art?
I’m not a fan of the Arcane Armor design, but on the whole, Ed McGuinness and his small army of supporting artists delivered the goods. In particular, the reality-bending fight between Spidey and Cyperion looks great, even if doesn’t make sense within the context of a story starring a physical hero like Spider-Man.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Final Thoughts
Amazing Spider-Man #62 brings forth the second offspring of Cyttorak, culminating in the second death of Spider-Man for a clunky second chapter in the arc. Joe Kelly tries to get the series back on even footing but stumbles by leaving out multiple plot points and basic context. Well, at least the art is great.
6/10
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