Amazing Spider-Man #56

Even though this is AN ending, it's not THE ending to this story. This issue is a standard of excellence in modern storytelling. Read Full Review

Bagley delivers some great art in this issue. Most of the story takes place in one location, but the Bagley still manages to bring drama and detail to the panels. Read Full Review

Amazing Spider-Man #56 continues the forward momentum from "Last Remains," painting one of Spidey's deadliest enemies in a new light. Hopefully, Bagley stays on for the entirety of this arc and we get to see how Osborn's new lease on life affects his rivalry with Spider-Man. Read Full Review

The Amazing Spider-Man #56 provides a gripping story, stunning art, coloring that influences tone, and lettering that allows the story to flow naturally. In all, it was a fantastic read. Read Full Review

The Amazing Spider-Man #56 unravels a clever strategy that only the likes of Norman Osborne and Mary Jane Watson could pull through. Read Full Review

The writing and the pacing of this story is now wearing on my patience, as Nick Spencer has shockingly gone back to his frustrating habit of drawing things out much longer than they should be. It's a shame that what was a really engaging story is now being halted with an issue more interested in teasing upcoming stories and bringing in more ancillary characters with nothing to do with what we've been following in Last Remains. If you add up both the main issues and the point issues of Last Remains, this is effectively Last Remains Chapter 12, and its still…going…on…with no new answers or revelations. Read Full Review

Regrettably, thisfollow-upto "Last Remains"' exciting setup comes off asflawed more than anything else. Itundermines the buildup of the preceding issues in favor of narrative contrivance. While the artistic talent behind the book continues to shine, particularly when it comes to emotionality, it cannot totally make up for the narrative choices. Overall, an unfortunately disappointingaddendumthat that hopefully is not indicative of future issues' quality. Read Full Review

What started out as an exciting culmination of Nick Spencer's run on Amazing Spider-Man up to this point has disappointingly turned into major let down. After being given twelve issues, and still counting, to tell his big 'Last Remains' arc all Spencer could do is find the most boring way to stretch out the end of this story. The extra pages that were given to make Amazing Spider-Man #56 an oversized issue just added to the boredom Spencer creates in this "post-mortem" chapter. Luckily, we did get Mark Bagley's wonderful artwork to look at throughout Amazing Spider-Man #56. So, there is at least that one positive to take away from all this. Read Full Review

"Amazing Spider-Man" #56 tries to do too much, narrating all of it and rarely trusts it's audience, squandering the interesting ideas it has in favor of cheap "gotcha" moments. Read Full Review

I keep reading this hoping we'll get some sort of closure for the many plot threads hanging out there and it just never happens. Read Full Review

Psycamorean

Jan 06, 2021

Man, people remain mad about this. Part of me wishes I could join them in their righteous anger, but I... just don't mind what's happening here. For one, on a very emotional, how-do-I-feel level, I'm still enjoying these issues. I like the characters. Kindred's last words (for now) were just so sad and carried so much baggage. We get pay off to what happened in Last Remains, we really do. Kindred will be back and it's so fucking obvious that OMD is at play here. I think some of the frustration is that Marvel has cockteased this sort of thing before, so a lot of abused readers and fans just need someone to say it. Hints aren't enough. An entire issue dedicated to recreating it isn't enough. Kindred needs to be clear. Peter made a deal with t he devil. But for me, I don't have that problem. I'm fine with the storyline, that is obviously going to keep going, to not give all the answers exactly right this second. This is where the filler comes home to roost. Then there's the felicific calculus. Nick Spencer's run was never going to end with Last Remains. Do you realize how bad it would be if this arc ended with OMD being explained to Peter, and then we had 30 issues of Peter fighting Kingpin over the lifeline tablet, or stopping whatever Chameleon is up to? The people who called every issue that wasn't about Kindred filler would unironically have brain aneurysms. Plus, this means Nick Spencer isn't wrapping his run up for a while, which means I get more issues of a run I'm a huge fan of. I get slightly frustrated with my scores for this series. I hate that I'm giving out 10s like they're nothing, because it looks like I'm completely blind to any and all problems this run may have. That's not true. I just really fucking enjoy this run. So fuck it, I guess. more

+ Like • Comments (10)

Show all comments

Afre - Jan 6, 2021

The biggest problem for me with Kindred is that we have no idea how he is like that and both options raise so many questions that just cannot be ignored. Harry being remained as a demon for 12+ years is as big question mark as who this Harry is we've been seeing for 12+ years is, if Kindred is pre-OMD Harry. I didn't want OMD being completely undone after Last Remains or Kindred business being over. All I wanted was some answers to what is happening so that I could care about this.

Psycamorean - Jan 6, 2021

It's very apparent that OMD caused Harry's shift to Kindred. He gets angry in issue 55, after Peter says he did it to himself, telling Peter "you did this to me". The implication is there isn't two Harrys. In issue 53, we get that extended recreation of the beginning of Brand New Day. The implication is that Harry wasn't in Europe, he was in Hell, and from then on, he's been Kindred.

Psycamorean - Jan 6, 2021

This isn't the end of Kindred's story. I think now that we're out of the initial confrontation between Peter and Kindred, the exacts of it will be explored.

Afre - Jan 6, 2021

I do hope we get more of Kindred and soon, since I really like the idea of Kindred being Harry and I've loved the dialogue Spencer has written with that dynamic. Harry being Kindred this whole time raises so many questions though.

Afre - Jan 6, 2021

Like is Stanley half-demon, why hasn't Harry used this powers before when his family was in grave danger, why only now has Harry started to torment Peter. Why has he happy before what was done to him etc. Spencer has just rewrote a character's backstory of 12+ years and need to give very good answers. And since I've waited for 2+ years for answers to Kindred, these half-baked answers don't do it to me.

Psycamorean - Jan 6, 2021

Spencer is keenly aware of continuity, usually. So I don't expect that to go unanswered.

Comics Code Authorities - Jan 16, 2021

You make a good point. This just wrapped up things with Kidred...for now. Usually these days this is how a writer ends his run, but Spencer was just wrapping up a mystery we've been following since his run started. But you are right. There's lots more ahead. I hope Spencer will at least have a part in the eventual downfall of Mayor Fisk. Even though he's way more likable, honest, warmer and cuddlier than the real mayor of New York, he can't stay in there forever. Right?

Psycamorean - Jan 16, 2021

I don't know if ASM will be the title that brings down Mayor Fisk. I think it'll probably be Daredevil. But maybe it'll be a big crossover event, who knows? I think it's pretty clear that Kingpin being elected mayor was a Trump analogy, but with Trump gone soon, they may wrap it up within the next year or so.

Comics Code Authorities - Jan 16, 2021

I'm not going into a political discussion because that stuff is too venomous these days. With today's comics though I figure it will be a mini-series with a title like "Impeach Fisk" or something. Odds are a lot of heroes will get involved and it'll have tie-ins. Anything that will sell a lot of issues.

Psycamorean - Jan 16, 2021

Probably. I wasn't trying to invoke a political discussion, it's just that those two things are very much related, so when one ends, the other probably isn't far behind.

SenpaifenixJäger

Jan 06, 2021

Yes, there is definitely no closure but I love the drama involved, there is never really a winner, betrayal, pain, misunderstandings WHAT MAKES IT GREAT.

Thorson-98

Jan 06, 2021

Another excellent issue from Nick Spencer

C.V.R. The Bard

Jan 06, 2021

Yeah, I knew not to invest any thought into MJ being blown up. Looking at Norman Osborn's schizoid disorder is fascinating and unnerving in the same sentence. This issue is a case study. And Mark Bagley takes readers back to his USM run , reminding readers like myself why he is the greatest to ever draw the Web-Head. Looks like Post-Mortem is off to a good start.

Spacey Medicine

May 10, 2021

Nice.

Super-Adaptoid

Jan 06, 2021

Continued the story nicely and actually didn’t see some of what happened coming. Looking forward to more answers but I’m enjoying the ride.

EDiakota

Jan 12, 2021

" I--i loved you both so much...why did you do this to me ?" - KINDRED

CrazyforRAMU

Apr 18, 2021

The "resolution" of the Kindred story, such as it is, unfolds in non-linear scenes arranged with skill. The prose and the art are above average, but it's the ideas that really fascinate. My repeated complaint about Nick Spencer's Spider-Man has been that it's too static and too safe (also too supporting-cast-focused, which remains a problem). The outcome of this big arc has addressed my complaint well, revitalizing Norman Osborn with a daring and compelling new status quo.

DDJamesB

Jan 06, 2021

I enjoyed it. It definitely was a twist of what we kind of expected but it opened up a lot more questions and theres still mysteries that linger. Why is Harry kindred? what was his endgame? How long will Norman be good? Theres just so much to ask.

Kalaoui

Jan 06, 2021

Again as a chapter in the Last Remains story, it's good with an 8 rating and worth the price of admission and even has classic Bagley art to give it an awesome look to boot but the problem is this story got us nowhere near the payoff following the teasing that happened for 10+ issues and going back to 50+ total issues. This is not necessarily Spencer's fault as I would expect the editors/CB/Quesada to have a heavy input in the ASM book especially with OMD. Furthermore it appears ASM is now a weekly book so you gotta stretch those stories to death.

the_comic_book_club

Jan 08, 2021

The Amazing Spider-Man Volume: 5, Issue: 56, LGY: 857 “Last Remains: Post Mortem” Part I Publisher: @marvel Writer: Nick Spencer Artist: @officialmarkbagleyart Inker: Andrew Hennessy & John Dell Colorist: @delgaduck & @rachelle_cheri Cover: Mark Bagley, John Dell & Edgar Delgado Letterer: @joecaramagna Once again donning the identity of the Green Goblin, Norman Osborn crashes Kindred’s emotional dinner party and all hell breaks loose. Osborn has shockingly joined forces with mayor of New York, Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, in order to capture his son Harry, aka Kindred. Now that he’s been captured, we learn that the two both have different motives and plans as to what to do with him. The “Last Remains” sto ry arc technically concluded with last weeks issue. However, the story continues on and I truly don’t mind at all. Spencer teased Kindred for two years, and now that he’s been in the forefront I’m not ready to see him go. This has been without a doubt Spencer’s best work throughout his entire run on Spider-Man, so I don’t mind that we still don’t have all he answers. This was a very emotional issue and I truly enjoy the pain with both Harry and Norman. There’s definitely “One More Day” implications here as there’s yet another hint referencing the story arc. I’m curious as to what it is they don’t remember and why. As far as the Kingpin’s involvement, I personally can’t wait for the fallout between him and Norman. The artwork in this issue is fantastic and I absolutely love the cover art. I look forward to the next issue as Spencer’s tease of Kindred for so long has seemingly been worth it. Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5) Reviewed by: @mcruz2189 of The Comic Book Club of Instagram Follow: @the_comic_book_club on Instagram for more reviews! more

Comics Code Authorities

Jan 16, 2021

Another splendid cover. You'd think for a moment it really was the team-up of 2 of Marvel's ultimate bad guy businessmen. Norman does pretty well acting as his old self, who will without a doubt return sooner or later. But that's a story for another time. My only disappointment is we never learned the story behind what turned harry into Kindred. Then again, Spencer is probably saving that for another day. I never read The "Brand new day" and stuff like that, so I don't know much about it. I really haven't read Spider-Man books this long without having to stop in over 15 years in fact. I don't know much about Harry's resurrection, but I have a feeling it has a lot to do with his becoming Kindred. Still, it was another good issue that was p ut together by a great creative team. With the disappointment Superman and Batman's stories have become the past couple of years, I think 2020 is the first year since the late '90s where I can say Spider-man topped them both. I look forward to what Spencer has coming up in '21. more

Federico Liguori

Jan 06, 2021

Don't get me wrong: the writing and the art are always very good because Spencer and Bagley are the best you could wish for now. The problem with this whole "Last Remains" is simply the hype, as most readers were expecting something else. There was NO revelation and NO answers to what Kindred is really trying to do. It's always a "we'll see what's next".

Sollywoods

Jan 06, 2021

This was hard to rate. It's by no means a bad comic and the art is great. It's been said by other reviewers and I will reiterate. Nothing happens. I mean, yes stuff happens, but not what was teased and what led on readers. Then main overall progression from LR was the identity of Kindred. The rest was all tease. Are we going to wait for issue 100 or something to get it all out? Pacing man. It's brutal.

Afre

Jan 06, 2021

I liked Last Remains. Until we got no answers to anything. This issue work very well. It serves as an excellent epilogue to Last Remains, art is wonderful and writing and the twists are very good. But. BUT. WE GET NO ANSWERS TO WHY LAST REMAINS EVEN HAPPENED. Kindred remains as a big question mark and from the looks of things, that won't change any time soon. And that is the biggest insult of this event. It is starting really hard to care about anything in this run, if the main villain's motivations and backstory aren't told to us readers. And it is really hard to start caring about them after this event. Why is this reminding me of King's Batman run...

Watchtower022

Jan 07, 2021

This was fairly boring

Flexstyle

Jan 06, 2021

Tired of the cock teases Nick Spencer. Just tired

jbong

Jan 07, 2021

WTF is this? How is this not just a continuation of Last Remains? Last Remains didn't actually end too? A generic DCEU movie has better pacing than this POS. Getting Nick Spencer to write but getting Bendis levels of pacing is like voting for Obama and getting Romneycare.