Written by Joe Kelly
Art by Patrick Gleason
Colors by Marcio Menyz with Erick Arciniega
Letters by VC’s Joe Carmagna
Cover Arts by Patrick Gleason and Dean White
The 32nd issue of The Amazing Spider-Man followed up on the emotional Parker family drama of the last issue and the shocking reveal of Aunt May’s son with eerie, foreboding ramifications that threaten to tear apart Peter Parker’s reality, triggering intense inner turmoil our hero must grapple with to continue soldiering on. The latest issue in the series is an action-packed therapy session and a lesson in self-preservation amid uncertainty. However, there’s ambiguity about how the series will unfold over the next few issues, and I’m skeptical about where it goes.
A Stop On The Road To ASM 1000
There were a lot of things I enjoyed about this issue, such as the art, the writing, and the characters, but my expectations for this issue were low because I was unsure how to process this sudden reveal. As Peter Parker would in this issue, I braced myself for the worst. I suspect sinister motives behind Cormac Crane’s existence, and for Peter’s sake, I can only hope I’m wrong.
*Spoilers ahead*
After Aunt May courageously recalled her painful miscarriages in the previous issue, Cormac and Peter shared a moment to process the news together as they left May’s apartment. Cormac is relieved to know the truth finally and admits it’s good not to face it alone. He worries about May, but Peter assures ‘Mac’ that May just needs time to process it. Then came the elephant in the room: Spider-Man.
Mac asked Peter if May knows about his double life, but Peter sternly told him she doesn’t and that it would kill her if she found out. Mac understood and swore not to tell May, but after they parted ways, Peter’s real feelings began to crack through, and he angrily swung through the city in his civilian clothes.
Family Matters
Cormac Crane, bearing a striking resemblance to Uncle Ben, makes this conundrum all the worse because, regardless of whatever chaotic hurricane awaits this chapter, Uncle Ben’s presence will be caught in the eye of it, and Peter is dreading the uncertain inevitable. Unfocused by self-loathing, Spider-Man teamed up with Rae to crash a “Blood Auction”, an illegal gambling fighting ring filled with C-list criminals like Tarantula and and hosted by Tombstone, what better way to beat yourself up than pissing off a bunch of dangerous criminals in one sitting?
Spider-Man and Raelith crash in on the party and cause havoc, and Spidey gets himself into a big battle with “septuagenarian super villain,” Vulture, who is missing most of his teeth and has aged a lot since I last saw him in an issue, and that was very long ago.
Realizing Peter was angry and was intentionally hurting himself, Raelith used herself as a shield to protect Peter from Plague RX’s painful touch. Despite being hit with Peter’s injuries, Raelith manages to tank it through the power of love and friendship and break Plague’s arm. Seeing his friend get hurt snaps Spider-Man out of the darkness of his head, and he finally remembers the real reason he was there: To bury Shocker’s gauntlets.
Herman Schultz, “The Shocker,” died a few issues back during the “Death Spiral” event, but his gauntlets were left behind. Spider-Man did not want someone else to use his gauntlets to become a new villain, but he also wanted them buried to pay his respects. Tombstone obliges, throwing the gauntlets into the river, and the issue ends with Raelith comforting Peter, reminding him that pain will “always pass, but only if you let it go.”
The Art of Spidey
Gleason and Meynz’s art felt like an animated adventure. The bright, vivid colors breathed life into the story and helped me visualize Peter Parker’s inner turmoil, May’s grief, and Raelith’s wholesome relationship with Peter. The moment when Raelith absorbed Peter’s injuries stuck out to me because the detail of her willpower when she endured the pain put an exclamation mark on what Peter meant to her.
I loved the explosive fight scenes. Many colors clashed beautifully, and while the fight sequences looked a little uncoordinated, the delivery was clear and effective. The hilarious verbal back-and-forth between Spider-Man and Vulture was perfect icing on the cake.
Conclusion & Verdict
This issue was a great read that made me nervous and worried for the web-slinger because this tragic, yet wholesome family reunion could give Peter Parker the well-deserved break he needs, or be the very thing that breaks him in a way we’ve never seen before. The pacing was steady because the newest addition, Cormac, needed to simmer, and it was an ominous choice not to see him for the rest of the issue, which added to the mystery of Cormac Crane.
Spider-Man still cracked his usual jokes, but there was a heavier intention in them to demonstrate how the news was affecting him. I think this issue highlighted Peter Parker’s guilt and the shame he feels for inadvertently dragging Aunt May’s son into his superhero life. Now he has to try to live with the reality that Mac and May could get hurt because of him. I love the growing relationship between Raelith and Peter. I think Raelith is exactly the kind of person Peter needs; even if it isn’t strictly a romantic relationship, it is a personal one disguised as therapy.
I look forward to the next issue and to what challenges await Peter Parker as he weathers the unforgiving, cruel costs of having great powers and the great responsibility that burdens him.