Amazing Spider-Man #26

John Romita Jr delivers some beautifully detailed and dramatic art that perfectly captures the dark tone of the story. Read Full Review

There are going to be those who complain that Kamala deserved to die in her own series. Its worth noting that...well in advance of the release of this issue, it was well-known that she was going to die. The Amazing Spider-Man #26 may be a Spider-Man comic, and he may be in it A LOT, but he and his life and his concerns DO fade out into the background of his own title for at least one month. THAT doesnt happen very often to a major character like Spider-Man. Kamala DOES deserve better, but Amazing Spider-Man #26 might as well be a Ms. Marvel comic.  Read Full Review

Overall, Amazing Spider-Man #26 might have had something had it not been spoiled but even then, the end comes off as cheap and short lived. We know Kamala will be back, it's just a question as to when and how. Read Full Review

So, bottom line, it was just another day at the office in comic-book land. There's nothing in here to get particularly fired up about, never mind offended. Read Full Review

Possibly one of the most divisive issues of Spider-Man in years, Amazing Spider-Man #26 isn't a bad issue if read in a vacuum. Still, given the lingering problems in the story arc and valid reasons to be upset with a hero's death, it's hard to love it unconditionally. I liked parts, but others fell flat. The biggest win of Amazing Spider-Man #26 is that this year-long story arc in the making is finally over, and maybe we can move on to a brighter and hopefully more prosperous Spider-Man future. Read Full Review

You may also like Comic Books Previews Ancient Civilizations Confront Cosmic Horror in SHADOWS OF THULE By Al Mega 5 mins ago Read Full Review

The Amazing Spider-Man #26 mostly arrives as a relief that this kayfabe spectacle of death can be addressed elsewhere and mysteries drug out for more than a year can be resolved. Wells and Romita remain an excellent partnership and fit for Spider-Man, but when the needs of the publisher undermine the style and tone that made early issues of the current volume so good, it's difficult to continue applauding such odd outcomes. Read Full Review

Amazing Spider-Man #26 is an embarrassing failure for the ASM creative team, Marvel editorial, and everyone that had a hand in the “What Did Peter Do?” arc. It would be different if Wells swung for the fences to push for new, bold directions, but instead, we get a basic fight with an inconsequential death and a lot of annoyances that don't get unresolved. Loyal Marvel readers deserve better. A lot better. Read Full Review

Kamala's death sends this score into the pits, even as the rest is well-constructed, action-packed, and a good resolution to an intriguing arc. Read Full Review

There are ways to handle character death and climaxes in a plot. This decidedly not "amazing story is one to avoid, with the colors and perhaps lettering being the closest we could have to something of a saving grace. Read Full Review

Please do not buy this comic, even out of morbid curiosity. It's a slapdash cash grab deliberately designed to evoke an emotional response from outraged fans - all at the sacrificial altar of one of Marvel's most fun, lively, likeable characters to come along in a long, long time. Read Full Review

justonemore

May 31, 2023

Well, I didn't expect other reviews from all the toxic spider fans, but for me the issue has been pretty good.

+ Like • Comments (5)

Show all comments

DeathStroke7505 - May 31, 2023

Funny to me how a low score isnt valid, or objective but a high score? That's acceptable and objective amirite?

justonemore - May 31, 2023

oh, no, don't get me wrong, I don't mean to criticize the fact that there are bad grades, everyone is free to comment, but there is also no denying the fact that an important part of the spiderman fandom is quite toxic and sometimes they have somewhat strange, repetitive, or bad opinions or arguments

daspidaboy - May 31, 2023

Honestly, I'm glad you enjoyed it @justonemore. I dont think we should ostracize or really criticize people for liking issues we dont like and vice versa

DeathStroke7505 - May 31, 2023

It was prolly me just making a snap judgement then. I'm simply sick of everyone claiming something is "review bombed" when lots of ppl express dislike for something, but ignore that the perfect scores things get are review bombing in the opposite direction. It happens on games and movies too, just something that grinds my gears. I apologize if I took it wrong.

Weird Science Jim - Jun 1, 2023

there is always going to be toxic reactions (you could say both good and bad even) - the way to combat it is just to give your honest opinion and give reasons in your reviews of why you like or dislike something. Most toxic responses are vague, over-the-top statements with lots of exclamation points

Comicsfan1994

May 31, 2023

This issue was good and the arc was fun to read. All the people going crazy about it need to get a life.

+ Like • Comments (3)

Show all comments

Mr Malone - May 31, 2023

Ppl actually care about spideys character and want good stories, not garbage.

Ultimate Goblin - May 31, 2023

What life are you talking about? We read comics here lol...

DeathStroke7505 - May 31, 2023

What a Stan.

Psycamorean

May 31, 2023

This wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. All the leaks were impossible to avoid for me, and presumably, for everyone else too. So we all knew that Ms. Marvel was going to be killed off in this issue, in a title where her technically being part of the cast could be chalked up to glorified cameos. This issue doesn't do a terrible job justifying her death within the text. She is a hero and wants to save MJ. That's enough motivation as far as I'm concerned. I don't think there really needs to be more than that, motivation-wise. As far as the plot, it doesn't come so far out of nowhere that you wonder if it was made up last minute, but it does feel like they could've done a whole lot more to set this up. There are pages here and there, but tha t's not enough. The accusation of fridging could definitely be made, but I don't think this necessarily fits that. Fridging is about a lack of agency, a character (typically female) being made a plot device in service to the protagonist's (typically male) pathos. I think the way in which Ms. Marvel is killed gives her character a lot of agency, especially compared to what we all expected. She decides to help MJ, and she decides how she's going to do that. She's not made to be a victim. But I'm sure some people will disagree, and that's fine. It's not a smart decision by editorial or by the writer, just in terms of optics and, frankly, satisfying storytelling. Aside from that though, we get some payoffs here. The heroes are done being mad at Peter/Peter being mad at them, and that whole conflict is ended with the amount of ceremony that I think is appropriate (ie none). We find out who Paul is, which... isn't very shocking at all. MJ makes a comparison between Paul and Peter that I think a lot of people are misconstruing. She's not saying Paul and Peter made similar choices, committed to the similar actions, etc. She's simply saying that they both have a lot of guilt that drives them to be better people, because of events spurned by their having power, yet no responsibility for it. It's not the cleanest comparison, but it works a lot more if you think about it for more than a second. The kids are gone now, which I'd say is a step in the right direction for all the Paul haters. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that this is going to be a turning point of sorts for Paul. I see the MJ/Paul relationship fracturing from this, and probably some tired Felicia/MJ/Peter love triangle drama. Seeing all the leaks as they came out and seeing all the responses to those leaks really was an experience. Especially when the leaks about the kids came out. It really feels like on one hand, a lot of Spidey fans do not see the man behind the curtain, so to speak, but on the other hand, know exactly who to rage at and threaten when things don't go the way they think they should go. The absolute bipolar response to the kids being disappeared versus the MJ comparison between Peter and Paul is astounding. I don't even know what to really analyze from it. It's just... rabid. JOIN THE DISCORD: https://discord.gg/xJz6buvNFZ MY PHYSICAL COLLECTION (FOR SHOWING OFF): https://psycamorean.libib.com/ more

+ Like • Comments (2)

• Likes (1)

• Criminology.

BirdmanG07 - May 31, 2023

I agree with a lot of what you're saying, but based on what you said I think 8 is a little high. We both agree Kamala was a glorified cameo at best, regardless of her space in the MCU. Extreme take, but for a more causal reader a random coworker who happened to be superhero and the reader has not much of an attachment to saved MJ and died. An 8 to me is recommended pickup, not something that was fine with a major flaw.

Psycamorean - May 31, 2023

Like I said, the issue does okay justifying her death within the text itself. I think most people are aware of who Ms. Marvel is, and if they somehow aren't, this run shows her often enough that they'd know her through that. In a vacuum, I think the death mostly works. The problem with it for me is more meta-textual.

Toonstrack

May 31, 2023

I actually thought the issue was fine. The action scenes and character interactions were all great. The reception to this book seems to be largely on a metaphysical level and having more to do with people ongoing problems with editorial rather than the actual contents of the book. Even, after reading it, it makes sense why it was Kamala and why it played out that way. No other character could've made sense. This arc has been flawed and controversial but certainly memorable and has good parts to it. Kamals death ess actually done pretty well and on her terms.

Screaming Enigma

Jun 01, 2023

I had the death of this issue spoiled for me before it came out, so it kind of lessened any effect it had on me. However, I'm not going to let that change my rating of this book in any way. Briefly talking about the rest of this issue, I will say that it was an entertaining read and that, despite my lack of interest in the villain, I just liked it overall. Now, let's talk about that death. When the Fallen Friend one-shot was announced, I noticed that the reveal of more details was the same day that this came out, so that got the initial gears turning in my head of who that could be about. For me, it seemed that Norman would be the one to go. He's been a big part of this run and he's been one of my favorite characters throughout. After all o f the changes he's gone through, I thought he would have the biggest impact. However, I still wasn't 100%. I thought that it could, maybe, be Mary Jane. A lot of this run has had to do with the mystery of what happened with Mary Jane, specifically what happened between her and Peter, who Paul is, and why they have children together. Those were the main two people I thought would have the most emotional impact based on the story being told in the last twenty-five issues. However, as we all know, I ended up being wrong, as Kamala took the hit. My complaint about this isn't that she died, because I'm sure she'll be back in no time. My main complaint with this is that Kamala, while in multiple issues of this series, hasn't been a main character here. Yes, she's been here, but only for a few pages at a time. Kamala has never been a big part of a story in this run, which makes it all the more confusing as to why this had the build it did. If Kamala had been in this run more prominently, I would have been completely fine with it. However, it just feels like they decided to kill Ms. Marvel to get her some buzz before The Marvels comes out in November. While the rest of this issue was good, I really hope this death leads to something good down the line (Hopefully a new Ms. Marvel series). more

TSMack

Jun 02, 2023

You know she'll be back someday.

Dr. WøøfWøøf

Aug 16, 2023

Let me start this by saying I had no intentions of reading this issue, as 1) the series had tanked after the big reveal of where Peter had been in those missing years, etc., and 2) it seemed like another needless death for publicity's sake! By the end of the issue, I was the completely turned around, experience the polar opposite of the feelings I went into this issue with! While overall, I still think ASM is a lost cause at this point, I feel that this story was genuinely heartfelt, leaving me sad as hell (no tears, tho'; that shit I'm saving for "Fall of X") by that last page! I really thought this would be an "Oh, so yeah, [hero victim-of-the-month] died. I guess they'll be back next week! And sure we know that Kamala Khan is not p ermanently dead, but damn, if it still didn't punch ya in the Feels with her sacrifice! I've always liked the character, and this just further cemented her selfless commitment to being a hero! Thank God, Marvel had the good sense not to leave her dead for too long! And lest we forget about John Romita Jr's art, which has been the high point of the series for me! Here, especially so! What a gamut of emotions he has to evoke, and evoke he does, forcing us, the dear reader, to experience genuine feelings of regret and sadness - unless your Soul is out at the cleaners! Ugh! All in all, a better than expected read, and one that I am glad I ignored all the naysayers and read it myself! more

DDJamesB

May 31, 2023

Hmmm. This one is a hard one to rate. Especially because it was spoiled. I think there were good moments. I think if you reflect on the issue as a whole its more of the same, and it's not very eventful. I think this whole arc had some promise, but overall it's just doing too much to piss off the long time readers and fans, and it's not needed.

+ Like • Comments (1)

• Likes (4)

• DeathStroke7505
• Toonstrack
• Kalaoui
• BirdmanG07

Toonstrack - Jun 1, 2023

This is a great example of a critical review done right.

CrazyforRAMU

Aug 26, 2024

It's a good-definitely-not-great comic that does something I hate, but does it with some skill. Thus, 6 out of 10. First, the positives: The whole scope of the story is clear now, and it's pretty dang good. It took too long to make the journey, but all the steps are rational in hindsight. The issue itself is paced well, building relentless tension. The art is chunky and short on detail, but it does powerful visual storytelling with great clarity. Kamala's sacrifice, much as I hate it, is carried out well. She dies nobly, with her own "great responsibility"-equivalent motto on her lips, and she Pieta-s into the arms of Spider-Man, the 20th-century Marvel hero who is her closest analogue. Now, the subjective negatives: I hate t his. I hate Kamala dying abruptly, in an alley, in someone else's story, surrounded by strangers. Most of all, I hate the disappointing blip it throws in the character's history: "Yeah, Kamala sacrificed herself to save an innocent woman and the world." "Wow, that must have been a huge moment in her comic." "Um…actually, it was the end of a mediocre arc in a forgettable run of Spider-Man. But it did give sorely-needed weight to a floundering story!" "Wow, what the hell?" Future Ms. Marvel stans are going to want to know about her death. And that'll oblige them to slog through a too-tall stack of shabby Spidey comics to reach this disappointing understanding: Kamala dies a noble, poignant death. But it's a brief, peripheral part of Spider-Man's story, *and it's virtually meaningless to hers*. And finally, a flippant aside: After reading #25 I said those kids' days were numbered, but *damn*. more

Afre

May 31, 2023

Umm... so I have a LOT of thoughts about this comic. Maybe the biggest one is... I don't hate it? I think it's kinda okay-ish, not-bad-not-good-but-more-good-than-bad? I KNOW I KNOW. Hear me out, put the pitchforks down. Let's start with the good. I said, put the pitchforks down. I kinda liked the art. Especially whenever Rabin was on scene, his ritual scenes were great. Everything looked kinda amazing. Faces tho, JRJR I love you and always will, but... yeah. Not as amazing to say kindly. And the writing? Well it's mostly good. I re-read the previous issues of this arc and they felt better? A bit? And I was invested on this comic too. I cared what happened and, there were many good scenes. As a singular comic, I liked it. And then came the death scenes. I must be honest, the idea works, how it goes down and all. I think had it not been spoiled, it would've kinda worked... ...had it not been Ms Marvel who dies. I'm not going to pretend that I'm a huge Kamala fan or anything, but this was not the place for it. Not the ASM book. Kamala has been barely a presence here, so her being gone just feels wrong. I remember when I first heard about it and I thought "this must be a troll or something, this is so stupid." I actually laughed becayse I was so sure it was a joke. But it wasn't. So no, this doesn't feel right, nor was it done well. So if you are a massive Kamala fan, or just like her in general, and feels this to be a massive injustice to her, I get you, I won't disagree with you. It's not the worse thing ever for me, but I can recognize how badly it was done. Then the other big thing. Like I said, I still kinda enjoyed this comic. As a singular comic, it's mostly good. As a finale to this "Death Language" -arc, it's still mostly good. As a finale to the first year of ASM, it's terrible. It's bad. I hope you are still hearing me, because I feel now some of you might agree with me more. During the past year, ASM has been plagued by this mystery box and the run has suffered for it. Heavily. There has been good issues (opening arc, Hobgoblin arc) and atrocius ones (#900, Dark Web). It has been hard to sometimes enjoy this run and while this finally gives us some answers, it doesn't make it better in hindsight. Paul finally gets some character. Which is nice. I never hated him (although I love the memes), but this could've been brought up so much earlier to make us care about Paul. Especially since we have barely seen him. The flashbacks do work, but I would've wished to see them previously. Same with the kids. A lot people enjoyed seeing them gone, and while I'm happy I was right about them being related to Wayeb'/Rabin, I just wish we would've seen them more. That I would care about them being gone more. And Rabin as a villain was just poorly done. There was nothing interesting about him, and this family relation would've improved a lot, had it been brought up previously. His previous appearance in #555-557 worked much better for me (although that might be the nostalgia speaking, those were my ASM first comics I got when my mother started ASM subscription. Not my first ASM issues, but the first storyline I got to read fully). To a lot of people, this arc is too little, too late. And I kinda agree. It doesn't justify the poor writing and messy pacing this run has had, nor did we need to wait this for a year. It doesn't feel like it's worth it. And this is coming from someone who has liked (parts of) this run and this storyline too. Had the run started with this arc and then concluded with #900 with someone else dying, I feel like this would've worked a lot better. But, now as it is, this doesn't make this run retroactively better. It just makes me dislike editorial more. So in conclusion/TLDR: not to the worst comic. Not the worst storyline (like seriously, Dark Web exists and it was WAY worse than this). Better than you might think it is. Ms Marvels' death still doesn't work, nor does storyline this save this run. However, I won't give up on this run. I feel like we can FINALLY move forward and to some interesting storylines. And just move past... whatever this is. I still somewhat-ish trust Wells, but if you stop this run because of this storyline and how it was handled (Ms Marvel's death especially), I don't blame ya. more

+ Like • Comments (3)

• Likes (10)

• daspidaboy
• BirdmanG07
• TSMack
• KittyNone
• Psycamorean
• sawright20
• wakizashireviews
• Kalaoui
• Criminology.
• Hex

Show all comments

Comicsfan1994 - May 31, 2023

It’s nice for logic to break through once in a while. When people go way to far in criticizing something like we have seen with this arc it tells me they have an agenda and are not actually giving the story a fair shot.

daspidaboy - May 31, 2023

I personally gave up on spiderman because he has gotten either good writers that had editorial messed up or bad writers or good writers that stayed way past their limit. It's good u didn't hate this issue but for me spiderman gets treated like trash, loses a lot, and his stories aren't good. Probably gonna drop this ans read miles morales and batman more

DeathStroke7505 - May 31, 2023

@dasipidaboy I think that's the reason they're shitting on Peter so hard, they want to push Miles as the "real" spider-man , see also Miles getting new powers all the time.

Kalaoui

Jun 01, 2023

It's not bad and is fine for a finish to an average arc that's there to invoke feelings of sadness, loss and quite possibly anger. Also the art is good from Romita Jr. Hanna on inks and colors by Menyz. The problem is the story itself. First, the antagonist is one of the worst things about this. He and I don't care to remember his name is just as bad as the time-jump-gap and other previously overplayed ruses. Also Paul is a very average character. I just do not care about his story because relating him to the antagonist just does nothing to build any sort of background when the bad guy is a dumb idea. Second, you sprinkle Kamala Khan for a few panels in 25 issues with no build up or explanation then do an info dump for a few pages and expe ct readers to care about her death in an ASM book? I care about Kamala and was there from 2014 when G Willopw Wilson and Alphona knocked it out of the park for years. So I'm expected to not be pissed off that you just kill her here like that. Yes Wells does enough to make it work but man does it leave a bad taste in your mouth. I'm off singles for this book for the first time in a decade and will follow TPB if they are good. These editors and Wells think they got a golden goose but they have no idea what they're doing and just might strangle it in the process. But don't worry it'll still sell for a while because 60 years of Nostalgia is a hard thing to destroy. more

wakizashireviews

Jun 04, 2023

Here it is, the conclusion to minor villain Benjamin Rabin's revenge story arc, as well as the conclusion to the previous 25 issues' "what did Peter do?" story. Does anyone even care anymore? I don't know. The comic is still selling well but this run has been getting heavily criticized by a lot of Spidey fans. While not as terrible as some readers are saying, Amazing Spider-Man #26 is a drawn-out disappointment posing as a must-buy comic book. The big death feels completely unearned. Why is this character's death being compared with the original Gwen Stacy's shocking demise back in issue #121? It really does feel shoe-horned into this stretched-out story arc. Where was the set up, apart from a few very brief random scenes? I'm talkin g literally a few panels in the previous twenty-five issues where this character appears. Where was the story development to make this moment mean something? Why is this particular character suddenly so important to Peter? She wasn't before. I reckon they were originally going to have Mary Jane die in this issue but changed their minds at the last minute. It's a very strange conclusion to this story arc. more

+ Like • Comments (1)

• Likes (1)

• Afre

wakizashireviews - Jun 5, 2023

I have a deep affection for Aragones' Groo the Wanderer. Issue 17 was the first American comic I bought with my own money. A long long time ago!

Hex

Oct 10, 2023

Art bad, story lame, Kamala obvious but can people please stop complaining about the Paul and kids thing? It's been clear there was no procreation. Romantic relationship or no, MJ and Paul are bonded and lets be clear, Peter has been a whacko. Also justified. Outside of that I really think this was a crappy way to dispose of a character. Outside of her own stories, in a series where she has been a fringe character at best all for shock value because we know what is going to happen. I knew it as as soon as I saw her on the first page. That's not to say that her death wasn't impactful. It definitely got my stomach tied up a little bit. JRJR's art is pretty abysmal here. I think the colorists are doing a lot of the heavy lifting and have been for a while. I don't credit them enough. I'm done with the whole Rabin/Wayep/Xibalba arc. I don't care anymore. I'm glad they're gone but they didn't justify or mean anything to this run outside of establishing Paul who is at least an interesting addition to Peter's world. more

banditobane

May 31, 2023

This comic is laughable bad. While there are some good parts it comes few and far between. Paul is revealed as Rabbin in his world but having MJ compare him to Peter is just wrong. Peter uses his regrets and suffering to help people while Paul is just a cynical a**hole we saw that when he suggested he and MJ leave those kids behind. But the at least we know now the kids were illusions and this may push that turns Paul into the new Emissary and hopefully causes Peter and MJ get back together again. But I won't know for a while, I am going to take a break from ASM till December. Hopefully the story will advance by then because this whole Mystery Box style of writing is really frustrating. Say what you want about Nick Spencer I'd rather have a Slow Burn style of story then a Mystery Box. more

BirdmanG07

May 31, 2023

I did not know there was a leak so I was not spoiled going into the book, and oh boy, I almost wish it's what I thought was going to happen. The art is JRJR, if you like him you'll likely be very pleased but just can't stand the way he does faces. The book in a standalone situation is fine at best. For transparency, I have not enjoyed this arc. The basic premise of two individuals on the verge of being engaged suddenly with two different people I cannot buy in to. It's not like they had a fight and breakup, they're just with different people. MJ only emotional confliction really shows when Peter returns for her and she just feels bad that she likes Paul now. I can buy MJ growing fond of Paul (assuming no Stockholm) but not her being conf licted when Peter gets back. *Spoilers* Kamala dies? The cameo character? I think MJ being with Paul, a random dude, is disrespectful to her but Kamala dying as a cameo character? If I was a Kamala fan I'd be very upset. Yes, it's something she would do, but why as a reader of Amazing Spider-Man do I have any attachment to Kamala other than knowing she's Ms Marvel? Nothing done in this story made me care any more or less about her than I had before. If they were marketing this as the biggest shocker in 50 years they should've just killed MJ (I did not want that but it would've made for a better story). I think the book for whole year would've been passable if you just cut MJ from the story entirely and replace her with someone else then have whoever replaces her die instead. Peter is going back to save whoever it is because he's Peter. Yes, we would lose some of the conflict with the FF and Cap because it's not MJ, but I think the overall story would've been better for it. As a conclusion to "the biggest thing to happen to Spider-Man in 50 years" I was extremely underwhelmed. As just a book without the marketing and fan noise, it was just fine. I've liked Wells on some stuff in the past but I think it's fair to just call it an L and put a new team on the book, and maybe a new editor. A fully fresh team would bring life back to something that's been through a lot of ups and downs recently. Spider-Man is a massive character and there never going to please everyone, but they can surely do better than this. more

superstan52

May 31, 2023

What a mess! After 26 issues, endless waiting and hype to the nth degree, the Big Payoff is the death (temporary) of an ancillary character readers are not invested in. So - What Did Peter Do? - Nothing. He didn't cause that explosion. And we learned that a long time ago anyway. Why was MJ so angry at him in the early issues? Who knows? He only came back to save her butt. What about Paul? He's still a cipher, and with the "imaginary" kids gone, he and MJ's relationship doesn't have much to keep it going. And as much as Peter is pissed and angry about MJ, he's off and running on his own with Felicia. Boring, incredibly confusing villain and scheme. Took wayyyyyyy too long to resolve and then, really didn't.

retcon_D

Jun 04, 2023

At least it reads quickly so we don't have to suffer through it for too long.

sawright20

May 31, 2023

This was a pretty ugly and unpleasant end to this arc. Not in the art necessarily, which was fine, but in spirit. The big death left a bad taste in my mouth, especially since that character has barely been featured in the rest of the run. I’ve really been rooting for this creative team, but the past months have seriously shaken my faith.

fzanca

Jun 01, 2023

This was all a bit strange. Not only them killing off Ms. Marvel for no reason in a book that she had no business being in in the first place -- but then leaking the information to the press two weeks ahead of time? The sacrifice was noble, but the baddie seemed so off-the-wall and generic. en having a more powerful baddie, just kill him without any setup. I think a lot of it was lazy writing. The kids disappear. Whatever. At least it's over. Still not a fan of Romita Jr.'s art.

DeathStroke7505

May 31, 2023

The only reason this is even getting a 3 from me is the action was pretty decent. Spoilers incoming: Here's my problems with this: Yay Kamala was a hero....but her sacrifice means jack in the big scheme of things cause we know she's gonna be back before "The Marvels" movie comes out. So while her death was well done (and I don't care that they killed her off) they did so as rage bait. They did so just cause. They did so to make her a mutant. They did so cause its in some way supposed to mirror Gwen's death and be as significant as When's death. But its a soulless gesture. It will amount to nothing cause she'll be back.All of this strife, all of this enraging the fans just feels like a mastabatory exercise for Wells and the editors to relieve themselves on the fans faces. I'm not a Kampala fan, quite the opposite in fact. I don't like her at all (mainly cause the fans girl thing she does is cringe AF and her character feels forced) but even I can recognize Wells did her dirty. She died with people she hardly knew around her, and not even in her own book with her friends by her side. This arc, the answers we got, it was just too long and drawn out. It coulda (and shoulda) been taken care of in the first 6-8 issues. Kids were a red herring. Now MJ has even less reason to continue to be with Paul....yet she will. She will continue to eschew Peter for a guy she barely knows (comparatively), who is from a different universe, and we're supposed to accept that as normal and coherent. Instead its just lazy and horrid writing. Peter somehow exhibits the wits, wisdom, and coolness under pressure that he had been lacking previously. Black Cat was....where during this fight? A villain who literally kicks Peter's ass everytime they match up gets rocked by Kamala and the Gold Goblin. Peter doesn't dodge Paul's punch....why? Peter stops characters like Wolverine and the Punisher from killing, but when MJ says she's gonna kill Rabbin, he doesn't attempt to stop her? Further, why does he not freak out about her having powers? In Mary Jane/Black Cat she hid them from him and told Felica not to tell Peter, so we assume he didn't know before-hand. The Giant snake gets taken out by a Symbol that acts as basically a computer virus....but the heroes can't take care of Rabbin in the same way? Rabbin can see through space and time....but can't see Kamala is in disguise????? He can't see himself make the wrong sacrifice and die???? It really feels like there are so many plot holes cause Wells made huge promises but didn't really have a vision for how it would pan out in the end. It feels like a kid in school who has to give a report and just fills it with nonsensical fluff in order to make the word count rather than putting in the effort to make coherent points and tell a story that is well thought out. more

+ Like • Comments (1)

• Likes (4)

• Prodigalson16
• daspidaboy
• KittyNone
• BirdmanG07

daspidaboy - May 31, 2023

Peter Parker also loses a lot in this series I notice. Almost every single "long" story in this series, he needs help or he just flat out loses. Except for the first story. Hobgoblin, Vulture, Dark Web, Hellfire Gala, even the Black Cat filler issue. I dont mind Peter Parker losing, but at least have a satisfying pay-off man

daspidaboy

May 31, 2023

To quote the Rock: "It's a piece of dog s#%t." This will probably be my longest answer since Dark Web and Sinister War Now, as a Spidey fan. I want to judge things more fairly and level-headed. I also didnt really look at the spoilers since the single moment I heard that the ASM #26 was leaked, I deactivated my twitter so I wouldn't get spoiled, and whenever someone would say something related to spoiler territory, I would cut them off or scroll quickly. Now, lets talk about the art. The art by John Romita JR is frankly..... bad. I'm sorry, I know I'm not a comic book artist. But JR JR isnt as good as he was when it was the JMS run at all. If this is such an important story, I want to bring in the big guns and good to great artists to treat comic book fans and make them pretty hyped up. The art was so.... bland and uninteresting. Now, lets talk about Kamala Khan. Yes, its cool she sacrificed herself for Mary Jane and she "d*es". But my problem is that Kamala Khan barely plays a role in the series. This death feels hollow because not only is Marvel just reviving her to hype up her own movie, but Kamala Khan BARELY plays a role in the series. out of 26 issues, she only had 12 pages. It comes out of nowhere. it would be more hard-hitting and hard-felt if instead of the filler issues with Black Cat and Spider-Man dating, we could have at least had a couple of issues where Peter and Kamala Khan talk to make this death feel more "earned". The reason why Gwen's death was so impactful was that we actually saw Gwen and Peter interact more. Peter and Kamala not interacting a lot in this run makes this death not that important and I'm just like.... "okay". Sadly, Kamala Khan is my favorite female superhero of all time, so I was a bit more offended and annoyed. Like I said, if you are going to hype her up in her own movie, at least treat her with respect. Dont. fridge her. Now, as Psycamorean points out. Yes, I'm happy we got some character development and closure from the story. The heroes forgive Peter Parker. Paul is not from this universe. The kids get snapped away. Maybe Paul and MJ will have their relationship fractured, and Peter and MJ will get back together and make us eat my words. But you know what my biggest problem in this entire run? Peter f*cking Parker. I cant believe that we had great representation for Peter Parker like PS4 Spider-Man as well as Marvel Spider-Man 2. This could have been a slam dunk for Spider-Man in 2023. But the problem with Spider-Man in the comics is that Peter Parker loses A LOT and doesnt even FIGHT the main villain till the end. Sure, you see Peter fight off Rabbit. But not only is Rayeb boring, but Kamala Khan tricks him. The giant monster gets defeated by Fantastic Four. In the majority of every single story in this run, Peter Parker needs help or loses so someone else has to beat up the villain for him. I understand we dont want stories to be generic and unoriginal. But at least the stories need to be respectful in someway. there has to be some pay-off to at least Peter Parker losing a lot, but it seems that he is treated like a trash bag. I think this issue is even worse or more polarizing than the Bat-Wedding. Like Deathstroke7505, Peter Parker doesnt react to Mary Jane having super powers even this is his first time seeing it happen. Rabbin states that he can see through space and time, but again. He should have known Kamala Khan was there. I honestly dont really "hate" this issue because Peter Parker and MJ are never getting back together. I accepted that. My problem personally is how the art and action dont really look good, Peter Parker does nothing, and Kamala Khan's death not feeling earned So all in all, I was at first angry and pissed off. But now, I am just laughing at Marvel right now. I dont know, I just think its pretty funny how Marvel is super great and awesome in movies and Video games, while DC Comics has Ezra Miller and Amber Heard in films, and their video games need work. But in the comics? It's the complete opposite. I hope that Marvel either gets a better editor or a writer who cares about Spider-Man. more

K-23

Aug 21, 2023

Wells never created a valid reason for Ms. Marvel to be shoehorned in this series and further didn't even include her in meaningful conversations to make her part of the story. Marvel editorial's agenda for a money grab to cash in on some attention and then change her to a mutant later on, is so transparent it's embarrassing. Meanwhile Spider-Man fan just keep taking the abuse. Struggling to even continue reading even via Marvel Unlimited.

ItsJess

May 30, 2023

Spiteful rage-bait of a climax with no payoff or character growth.

KittyNone

May 31, 2023

"I liked this universe because it's the one that didn't have me in it" Hard same, Paul, hard same Up until now I've been a moderate on Wells & JRJR's run, but this is the biggest trainwreck since the BatWedding. The payoff of 25 issues — that's $100 worth of comics — is a soulless marketing decision and continuity reshuffle pretending to be an emotional arc for a character who's barely been in this comic. It's competently executed and JRJR does fine work, but what does competence matter for something this empty and cynical?

+ Like • Comments (2)

• Likes (3)

• Hex
• daspidaboy
• wakizashireviews

Psycamorean - May 31, 2023

I don't think this issue is supposed to be a payoff to the last 25 issues. All the stakes were raised in issue 21. Sure, we had Paul and Peter was on the outs with the other heroes, kind of. But the real meat of the story was just given to us in flashbacks right before this return to the present. I know marketing has been hyping this up for its death, but I really don't think that's even the payoff to the arc itself.

Psycamorean - May 31, 2023

The payoff, which is no doubt hampered by pacing and structural issues, was that Peter is forgiven for the way he acted during the flashback, and we finally know fully what's up with Paul/The Kids. Had the majority of this arc been at the start of this volume, I think it would've worked better.

samizrozami

Jun 01, 2023

Okay Im dropping this run, this is ridiculous levels of pointless storytelling

ResearchReader

Jun 05, 2023

This issue once again embodies apathy. I just dont care at all for this arc. It is a sad, poorly written issue with no impact and no meaning. I feel nothing for the death as they have already telegraphed that they will undo it shortly. The art is 0/10. Might be the worst art JRJR has ever done. The scenes which should invoke emotion have all the characters looking asleep/impaired. There is nothing going for this book. Nothing. Maybe the new arc with doc ock can keep me going a bit more, but I am looking to drop off after this pointless disaster. Overall: This issue evokes the worst emotion possible from a reader: crushing apathy. Terrible art.

Miss Mittens

Jun 12, 2023

:'(

Prodigalson16

May 30, 2023

I honestly don't care about Kamala Khan at all, but these shoehorn comic deaths are getting really fucking old.

General C K

May 31, 2023

1 out of 10 for meaningless deaths. Also, at this point I'd rather gurgle donkey diarrhea than look at anymore of John Romita Jr's art.

Federico Liguori

May 31, 2023

You know, I could stand here spewing the worst insults about Zeb Wells and Marvel and it would all be perfectly fine. But, honestly, I will try to be serious and explain my reasons. First of all, what's the point of this whole story? Seriously. Rabin is a terrible villain and nobody will remember him in a couple of weeks. Peter doesn't do a thing that changes his character. The F4 and Norman Osborn are just there. The character of Mary Jane is completely twisted for no apparent reason and behaves in an incomprehensible way just to irritate the reader. Paul is a useless jerk with no personality. To top it off, Ms. Marvel's death was announced earlier, making reading this issue completely optional. At this point, I think it is clear for all to see that the only motivation behind this horrendous antics is to divide, once again, Peter and MJ. A couple who had painstakingly reformed after a 4-year run. Swept away in 26 issues, one worse than the other. I know many Spider-Man fans cyclically claim that the character is finished and boring, but I didn't believe it. Honestly, after this story arc I feel drained of the desire to follow my favorite superhero. I've never read anything more depressing and pathetic, above all because of this incomprehensible desire to irritate and annoy fans in every way. more

+ Like • Comments (1)

• Likes (3)

• daspidaboy
• DeathStroke7505
• Alias12

daspidaboy - May 31, 2023

How would you say Mary Jane's personality is completely twisted

TP

May 31, 2023

It's funny because even before he got to write ASM one of the things I always saw next to Zeb Wells name was "edgelord" and a bad writer. People claiming he writes as an edgelord etc and I thought that this was a very weird thing to say. Sporadically I would read a story or an issue by him and would try to understand why readers called him an edgelord and a bad writer. Unfortunately it's this issue that explains why. I'm not talking about the (spoiler). This is painfully obvious that it was editorially dictated. I'm talking about the actual writing thats stiff, bad, uninspired and generally awful. This needed a better writer for the run and decision taken about ASM to work. I think that in the hands of a decent writer this book would b e better. I'm not saying Wells is a bad writer in general. But he is a bad writer in this book. more

Sollywoods

May 31, 2023

It's crap. Don't waste your time or money. Kamala will be back soon enough with whatever stupid retcon another writer will be forced to do. Peter and his supporting cast of once great and interesting characters, will likely suffer longer and also force another writer to find how to make a ridiculous retcon for all this.

ChileanYoda

May 31, 2023

Bad art, the story is for rage-bait and the death of Ms. Marvel is unjustified and very secondary to what the character deserves.

Ace

May 31, 2023

It sucks asssss!🤮

Ayoreadscomics

May 31, 2023

It's literally garbage! Wtf did Zeb Wells and Nick lowe kill Kamala in a comic that she'd barely featured in? 😐

Christian Brooks

May 31, 2023

one of the worst issues, one of the worst payoffs, and one of the worst Spidey runs. thanks to one of the worst writers of Spidey. thanks Nick Lowe. thanks Zeb Wells.

Tiki

May 31, 2023

“Most shocking issue of ASM in 50 years” my ass. Killed off a character who is not a regular in the book, who also should’ve had the luxury of being killed in their own story. On top of that, any dialogue by the main antagonist, Rabin, either came off as boring or cringey. Please do not by this book. It is a failure on so many levels. This run needs to end and Marvel Comics needs to improve the direction this comic is taking.

hasanturkoglu

Jun 01, 2023

Stop this!

KesheR

Jun 01, 2023

This is stupid beyond comprehension. Kamala killed off her own book, with an upcoming movie. This chick is going to be dead for five minutes. Ridiculous.

Mout

Jun 01, 2023

Disgusting and disrespectful.

Criminology.

Jun 06, 2023

I think that if the leaks weren't a thing, this issue would have worked better for me. If Kamala died as a surprise it would have been way better, especially because it was already a tense moment, like it reminds me of Iron Man and Thanos in The infinity war movie, when everybody was thinking Iron Man was going to die, when he got stabbed and man those moments were so tense, like it was possible. Everybody was terribly worried and that's why the relief felt so good, even if had, a note of defeat. I felt the same way with MJ somehow here, but then I remembered ''oh yeah the leaks''. This was an emotional issue, it was a ride with a bittersweet end because the villain is finally gone, and MJ is alive, but it had a huge cost, one which Pete again couldn't prevent, which seems to be a theme in this arc. Pete was just so helpless the whole arc, while trying, which adds to the somber feeling. Like everything was so above him, so determined, but Spidey had to try, because well... he is Spidey.So yeah a sacrifice in this case looks like a right call in this case. Kamala dying had some ground, but again if it was a surprise. Btw more than half the cover does not have even that. still, this arc feels somewhat disjoined to be and I'm still not sure how I feel about everything. Btw i think this is Romita's best work in a big while. more

+ Like • Comments (2)

• Likes (1)

• Hex

Hex - Oct 10, 2023 (edited)

This is pretty much the perfect way to sum it up.

Criminology. - Oct 11, 2023

Thanks man, appreciated.