Review: ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ #29 Explores A, Unexpected Villainous Rivalry
by Tony Thornley
A lot of Spider-Man fans would argue about Peter Parker’s greatest rival. Amazing Spider-Man #29 finds the two at the top face to face in an unexpected conflict.
Zeb Wells, Ed McGuinness, Mark Farmer, Marco Menyz, and Joe Caramagna explain the relationship between Goblins and Octopi.
Otto Octavius has taken Norman Osborn hostage, and beat Peter Parker within an inch of his life. Peter’s only hope is to trust Jonah Jameson and one of Otto’s greatest pieces of tech. Meanwhile, Otto is determined to prove that Norman is still just as evil as he ever was, and will go to any lengths to do it!
These are the stories that I wish Wells was doing exclusively. The previous arc of the series is going to hang over it in perpetuity, but these arcs about Peter and Norman Osborn are where this series is shining. The relationship these two have built, a tenuous connection based on Peter’s willingness to see Norman grow and atone, is one of the most interesting in comics.
This isn’t Norman Osborn trying to pull the wool over on anyone. It’s a very human Norman who has a supernatural second chance to make up for all the evil he’s done in his life. By adding Otto, someone who’s tried for atonement and failed, that emotional beat becomes even more relevant, and it’s all done through a fairly standard superhero lens.
McGuinness and Farmer are a little blockier in their figure work that I like to see in Spider-Man (Peter should be more lithe and agile) but otherwise this issue looks great. McGuiness’s longevity in the industry is absolutely due to his dynamism in his work. The final pages of the issue are a great example of that, with the reveal of another new costume for Peter and a full page splash of Norman looking at something spoilery in horror. Both elicit their own emotions, but they both work so well because McGuinness makes it so dynamic.
Menyz shifts his colors a little bit to fit McGuinness and Farmer’s smoother lines, versus his work on Romita. He uses brighter colors and few earthy tones. His work on Doc Ock’s new arms in particular looks great. Caramagna also continues his great work. While his normal bubbles and captions look great, he really shines with exclamations and sound effects.
Amazing Spider-Man #29 is available now from Marvel Comics.
Overview
This series really needs to continue to focus on these types of stories. It’s strong story telling by the entire team, and it makes me glad to continue to pick up this book.
