Amazing Spider-Man Torn #3
Author: J. Michael Stranczynski
Artist: Pere Perez
Colourist: Guru-eFX
Tearing into a Neighbourhood Near You : Amazing Spider-Man Torn Recap
JMS wastes no time ripping Peter Parker open emotionally in Torn #1–2. The title is anything but subtle; Peter is pulled pillar to post by responsibility, guilt, and the quiet exhaustion of being Spider-Man for as long as he has. This isn’t a bombastic, city-level threat; it is an intimate, uncomfortable, and painfully human story.
While Spidey can control the physical brawls with his enemies, Peter cannot seem to control his own life. Relationships are strained, his sense of purpose is questioned, and his identity as Spider-Man no longer feels like a clean answer to his problems. Straczynski leans hard into the reality that being a hero doesn’t stop the damage from accumulating—it simply teaches you how to carry it.
By issue #2, that emotional pressure cooker starts to boil over. Peter is forced to confront the sheer volume of damage he has accumulated—not just physically, but psychologically. JMS writes him as a man who knows exactly what the right thing to do is, yet is terrified of what it will cost him this time.
These opening chapters aren’t flashy; they are intimate, raw, and deliberately uncomfortable. This sets the tone for a Spider-Man run that is less interested in spectacle and more invested in asking a familiar but brutal question: how much can one person give before there is nothing left?
Hex, Webs & No MJ Stroll : Issue #3 Summary
Peter was finally in his happy place after so much emotional turmoil—strolling the streets of Queens with his cherished MJ, allowing them both to confront their true feelings and decide what they want to be.
But there is no time for peace in Spider-Man’s world. Flying in to ruin the serenity is the "Lady-Rat-Bat" herself, Evangeline. In an action-packed break from the heavy emotional tone of the first two issues, we find ourselves in a desperate fight between Spidey and an Evangeline obsessed with reclaiming the Proteus Maleficarum to restore her human form.
The emotional tension between Peter and MJ, Peter and Harry, and Peter and his own alter-ego is at a breaking point as home truths are finally dragged into the light. And as if the collegiate drama of questioning one's own feelings wasn't enough, we are introduced to the dimension where the masters of the Proteus Maleficarum dwell. JMS is setting us up for a real "doozy" with this story.
Break The Walls Down : Issue #3 Review
WARNING SPOILERS!
New Jersey Devil
JMS brings the heat at the start of issue #3 with a high-flying skirmish over the skies of Queens. Our web-head squares off against Evangeline, an assassin transformed into a bat-monster by the dark magic of the Proteus Maleficarum. It’s a kinetic, entertaining fight, and JMS stays true to Spidey’s classic personality; his quips and verbal jabs actually made me laugh out loud. In classic Spider-Man fashion, he refuses to take the fight seriously until it is almost too late.
In my opinion, there is a profound underlying message in Evangeline’s creation: she is the living embodiment of Peter’s deepest insecurities. Her path started with the murder of two innocent librarians—a tragedy Spider-Man was too late to prevent. This feeds directly into Peter’s perpetual fear of being "too late." He is constantly paranoid that whenever something goes well, disaster is waiting around the corner; case in point, his idyllic date with MJ is brutally interrupted by her arrival.
Finally, before Peter can resolve his troubles, they vanish, leaving him with no closure. He is forced to move on to the next crisis before the previous one is finished. That is exactly what happens with Evangeline: she appears from nowhere, forces a confrontation, and before Spidey can truly get serious, she vanishes toward the Proteus Maleficarum. It is "deep" writing from JMS and perfectly in line with the existential vibe of this arc.
Spidey Sensitivity is Tingling
The heart of this issue follows through on the threads established in issue #2: MJ’s deep feelings for Peter, and the reality that being Spider-Man won't allow him to fully commit to her. JMS truly "gives you the feels" with this narrative; he masterfully builds our emotional attachment to Spidey by reminding us why we love him. He’s funny, witty, and perpetually driven to do the right thing—he is the ultimate "nice guy," and we desperately want to see him finish first for once.
In MJ, he has the perfect partner who is already in love with him, yet Peter remains paralyzed. He cannot commit because doing so would force him to choose between "the one and the many"—a thematic staple of JMS’s storytelling. If Peter chooses MJ, he fears he can no longer fully commit to being the hero who saves every person in need. It is a tale as old as time, rendered with fresh, painful intimacy.
“Because honesty may be the purest form of love there is.”
Mary Jane is so distraught after having her date with Peter cut short that she seeks refuge at Aunt May’s. Through JMS’s exceptional writing, May Parker is in fine form. This scene serves as a powerful reminder to the reader: even when you feel like the world is against you—pulled in so many directions that you don't know if you’re coming or going—you always have someone in your corner.
JMS provides truly heartwarming and soul-touching dialogue as May explains her nephew’s peculiar behaviors and personality. She knows Peter has the biggest heart of anyone she’s ever met, and she understands that this inherent goodness is what transforms him into a protector. It’s a moment of profound clarity that grounds the supernatural chaos of the arc in genuine human connection.
As JMS helps Mary Jane pour her heart out to Aunt May through the ink on these pages, May shares words of wisdom so profound they forced me to lean back and truly soak them in:
“Because we all have to learn to say the difficult things to each other. Earnestly, firmly, and with compassion.”
Through this dialogue, JMS drives his central point home to the reader: even when your life is moving at a gazillion miles per hour and feels utterly out of control, the one thing you can control is being honest with yourself and the people around you. It is a moment of grounded, emotional clarity in an otherwise chaotic world.
Bro Talk
JMS swings the narrative from a fulfilling, female-focused conversation filled with wisdom and truth to a "bro-to-bro" exchange that perfectly captures the cadence of two young men. Peter and Harry, Parker and Osborn—friends with a lifetime of complications.
Harry is direct and upfront about his feelings, demonstrating a surprising level of maturity. Peter, however, is another story. JMS cleverly illustrates the difference in their maturity levels through the rhythm of their speech: Harry’s dialogue is deep, heavy, and lengthy, while Peter offers only short, stuttered responses. It is a masterclass in using "show, don't tell" to reveal that while Peter might be a hero in the streets, he is still playing catch-up in his personal life.
Ultimately, this journey forces Peter Parker to do the hardest thing of all: grow up, embrace his emotions, and say them out loud with pride. Throughout the first two issues and the majority of this third chapter, I feel this is exactly what JMS has been building toward.
The emotional vulnerability of Peter is something I can deeply relate to. I can’t sling webs or fight men made of sand, but I understand the stifling weight of being awkward and the hesitation to share one’s heart. Yet, once you finally do, it is a wonderful relief. JMS allows Peter to finally admit he is in love with MJ—sharing it with Harry, at least—and now, as a reader, I am anxiously waiting for Peter to tell Mary Jane himself. Let’s just hope that, following MJ’s and Aunt May’s heart-to-heart, he isn't already too late.
Inter-dimensional Enemy
JMS closes issue #3 by pivoting away from the emotional and intrinsic world of the Spider-Family and toward the existential threat looming over New York.
Remember how Evangeline vanished into thin air? The final pages reveal her destination: what appears to be an entirely different dimension. This sudden shift in scale serves as a jarring reminder that while Peter is finally figuring out his heart, the universe is preparing a much more literal kind of destruction. It leaves the reader on a knife-edge, balancing the relief of Peter's emotional growth against the dread of an interdimensional master plan.
JMS does a masterful job of keeping the interaction between Evangeline and “Thy Masters” intentionally vague, leaving the reader with plenty to ponder. Who are they? Where is this dimension located? And, perhaps most unsettlingly, what do they actually look like?
These are all compelling questions that I hope will be addressed in the final two installments of this five-part limited series. By withholding these answers, the narrative builds a palpable sense of dread, suggesting that whatever Spider-Man is about to face is far more dangerous than a simple "monster of the week."
Art That Sticks With You
The artwork is where this issue—and the run thus far—truly sticks with you. Pere Pérez delivers a visual performance that doesn’t just support the story; it amplifies it. His line work feels restless, almost anxious, perfectly mirroring a Peter Parker who is mentally and emotionally fraying at the edges. Faces linger a beat longer than expected, eyes carry immense weight, and body language handles the narrative’s heavy lifting. You can see the doubt in Peter before he ever opens his mouth. Pérez never rushes a moment; he allows silence, posture, and shadow to speak, making the quieter beats hit harder than any bombastic action sequence ever could.
The standout panel—and the one that underlines Pérez’s greatest strengths—is an isolating close-up of Mary Jane alone, deep in thought as she absorbs Aunt May’s wisdom. Pérez strips away the background entirely to ensure the focus remains solely on MJ, with the composition pulling the reader's eyes inward to sit with her emotions.
This is brilliantly contrasted by side panels showing Peter being treated for his wounds while Gwen Stacy watches on with visible concern. While Peter offers her a friendly smile, a close-up of Gwen’s hand checking on him is telling of her true feelings. She realizes that while Peter is physically close, he remains emotionally out of reach—perhaps finally recognizing the depth of his feelings for MJ.
Conclusion & Rating
After stepping away from the title following Zeb Wells’ run, I was pleasantly surprised by the emotional depth found in this issue and the two prior. The story JMS is telling carries significant gravitas, tackling the real-world emotions and events that regular people face every day. These are my favorite types of stories—where the reader can engage with the hero on a deeply personal level.
Spider-Man being pulled in every direction is a familiar trope for the web-slinger, seen across countless comics and films. However, I am intrigued to see if JMS will take this arc in a new direction that truly breaks the mold. Despite the familiar premise, the storytelling remains solid and highly enjoyable. JMS’s grasp of Peter’s personality is impeccable; the dialogue is genuinely witty, and I found myself laughing out loud at several of Spidey’s quips.