The Amazing Spider-Man #12
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Dan Slott
Artist: Guiseppe Camuncoli
Cover: Olivier Coipel
“The Safe Zone” isn’t very safe anymore, as the Inheritors continue to have the upper hand during Spider-Verse! Not only have they killed one of the most powerful Spider-Men, but May Parker’s baby brother has been kidnapped as well. On top of all that, one of the Inheritors lets the heroes in on a little secret which is worthy of a major face palm. There is a little light at the end of the tunnel as Jessica Drew is stuck on the Inheritors’ world, and comes across someone quite helpful.
Slott has been on a roll lately with this event, and this issue is no different. The large cast of characters is still fun, and the story is beginning to feel like it’s more than a slaughter fest each issue. Sure, a sequence of huge fights across several issues has been enjoyable, but it’s nice to see the larger picture finally coming together. The capture of the baby and the focus on certain Spiders by the Inheritors helps explain their motivations beyond satisfying their appetites. This makes for a better issue and hopefully we get to see more of this. Slott also continues to dig deep into the various Spider-Man interpretations to have appeared and delivers one surprise after another. The entry of the newest addition to the team was very unexpected and has a great opening line as he charges into battle. Plus, if you’re a fan of giant robots causing destruction, then you’ll like this as well.
Guiseppe Camuncoli takes over the art in this issue, and along with Justin Ponsor’s colors makes this another fine looking one in the series. Camuncoli’s style lends itself almost perfectly to the action taking place here. The action sequences are brutal, and he keeps them looking great while maintaining a sense of impending doom from panel to panel. So, if you were worried that things would be less than stellar without Coipel on art duty, then you shouldn’t be. This art team makes sure they make Slott’s story look as good as it reads.
There are a couple of things that take shape in this issue that are a bit bothersome at times. One is the time spent checking in on the other teams, which means being reminded that there are tie-ins to be bought. Now, even as great as the Miles Morales sequence was in this issue, it does feel like it slows the main story down just at the time it is gaining momentum. The second issue I had was that after all of the fighting between Peter and Superior Spider-Man (ASM #11) that ended in Peter assuming the leadership role, we don’t see much of that here. We really don’t get much from him other than a promise made and com-link chatter. Since it was such an important matter and seemed like a huge turning point, it was a bit disappointing to see things shift back so quickly.
Now, Slott really does know how to save the best for last, and the cliffhanger in this issue does exactly that! We won’t be spoiling it for you here, because that would just be mean. However, it should make quite a few fans happy, and you’ll definitely want to check out the next issue to see how things fit into the story.
Overall, Spider-Verse is still the standout event and very much worth reading. Slott manages to keep pushing Spider-Man in new directions, while making sure that readers are having just as much fun as he is with every surprise along the way.
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