One of the enduring aspects of any Spider-Man series has always been the slice-of-life style soap opera that Peter’s life is regularly like. There’s definitely valid criticism about the endless misery porn that readers are subjected to sometimes, but on the rare occasions when Peter’s more human issues feel a bit too relatable while there’s Spider-action in the background: those are the moments that make for some great storytelling in moderation. Amazing Spider-Man #34 is certainly one of those issues.
With Peter’s mind completely consumed by the arrival of his missing cousin and all the deep-seated anxieties that come with such a revelation, this issue in particular follows a far too relatable pattern: of someone dealing with the an almost inescapable sense of anxiety when something affects your relationships with your loved ones, and then throwing yourself almost fully into your work because that’s the only time you feel like you have control of the present. Of course, “work” in this case, means fighting supervillains, but it’s the thought that counts.
It’s Been Rough
Issue #34 continues Peter’s spiralling anxieties about the arrival of his cousin Cormac in his and Aunt May’s lives. While Aunt May is still very much unwilling to let anything change despite her son being in the picture, Peter’s own insecurities do what they do best – make him withdraw and have him isolate himself from his friends and family, being the martyr that he is. His space-bound friends Glitch and Raelith are certainly feeling that more than most, with the former even bluntly pointing that out to Peter to little avail. Instead, Peter simply mopes, searches for more leads and background information about his latest cousin, and continues to team-up with Agent Gryffin and Damage Control to do…well, damage control of his life hehe.
Speaking of that, things certainly do get heated in this issue when Electro shows up to wreak havoc once more, reminding everyone just why she’s such a deadly threat. It’s a pretty sobering way for Peter to get his head in the game as soon as possible, because when this guy is involved, lives are always on the line and that’s just more added baggage that Peter doesn’t need right now, even though his persecution complex would certainly have a field day with it.
We’ve All Been There Before
Joe Kelly continues to showcase that when he’s focused on telling more personal stories that he WANTS to tell, he can really craft something special that blends both action and humanity in the same breath. I’ve definitely been very critical of his writing when its warranted, especially when it comes to how he’s handled certain event books or written things at a glacial pace when he’s not particularly motivated enough, but the current building blocks for the returned cousin arc and how that directly affects Peter has been handled quite well. While the final destination feels more than telegraphed (oooo evil cousin incoming) the steps that we’re taking to get there feel fresh for now.
Peter’s headspace is genuinely the most intriguing part of this current arc, and as mentioned before it’s a new place to put him in. For all the recurring issues he’s faced in his relationship with Aunt May, still having to contend with the idea of being “replaced” is something Peter has never had to contend with, and I like how Kelly embraces that aspect in both overt and subtle ways. Peter choosing to throw himself into co-operative crime fighting jobs with Damage Control – and Agent Gryffin with whom he’s developing a bit of a buddy cop vibe – makes sense because it’s genuinely the only way he can feel like he has control of his life. Alternatively, him being caught up in his own anxieties again costs him in his other relationships, where Aunt May and Raelith both feel neglect and express that in different ways. Even Glitch is a lot more dryly blunt with his assessment of Peter’s current behavior, and it’s a little heartening to see his friends still calling him out on his less-than-savory attitude when its warranted. Peter also adopting a more aggressive approach to his heroics while simultaneously trying and failing to find any red flags in Cormac’s current situation also play into this growing sense of isolation that far too many people can relate to in different ways. And of course, at the end of a rough day, Peter sitting and wallowing in his doubts and fears feels far too relatable to ignore.
This issue also sees Electro front and center once more, and being framed as the kind of threat that we all know he actually is. It’s a little strange to see him suddenly becoming this ruthless and willing to kill just for the heck of it, which feels off considering all his previous appearances. It’s probably one of the only things that feels a little forced to try and prove that the stakes are high and to eventually generate the smallest crumbs of friction between Peter and Damage Control. At the same time, it’s the kind of story-based escalation that Peter has been on a crash-course towards anyway, and Electro fits that role well enough here. It’s also fun to see Peter’s evolving tactics and how teamwork is now being used to overcome Electro’s greater threat in this issue as well.
Amazing Spider-Man #34 also has more of these third party narrator boxes once again, which feels weird since they’re the ones explaining certain things – even overexplaining them unnecessarily at some points – when the absence of Peter’s inner monologue is a factor. I want to think that this is a substitute for Peter’s usual thoughts on any given situation since Peter’s headspace is also not somewhere we as readers can follow right now, but it’s never stopped that original narrative device from being used before, so this feels like a strange change of style in the book. But barring a few minor issues, this does little to truly derail an otherwise stellar writing job by Kelly.
Heroics & Hurt in Equal Measure
Ed McGuinness and Marcio Menyz continue to consistently put out their vibrant superhero fare on the Spider-Man front with this issue as well – pairing lines and color work respectively to really tell the kind of story that Kelly is framing here.
McGuinness draws some really great shots of Electro in particular in this book, with a single page spread that looks appropriately menacing for the character. In fact this page and several others work because of McGuinness’ great work on facial expressions, which even in his more overtly animated style manage to convey a very dynamic and relatable range of character details. He’s always drawn some very good Spider-Man segments over the course of this run, but there’s also some really well executed Peter Parker content that’s presented exquisitely too. In fact, the last page of this issue really is one of McGuinness’ best shots in terms of just how simple yet perfectly it captures the kind of headspace Peter is in.
None of this linework would truly click, however, without Menyz’s colors really adding to each scene. Electro is given all the classic shades and electrical embellishments that are signature to the character, with Menyz really going all in on the crackling criminal to a fault. Spidey as always is given his brightest shades of red and blue, and as for that final page that I mentioned earlier, Menyz’s play on shadow and lighting in particular really add to the quiet despair of that scene so well.
Against the Tide
Amazing Spider-Man #34 continues its inexorable march to the big #1000 issue with the kind of Spidey family drama that’s done well for now without feeling overbearing. We know the anxieties that Peter faces, and we know how those tend to just eat up every waking thought – often to the detriment of ourselves and other people around us – that we aren’t trying to keeping our minds occupying. It’s a very complex and relatable issue that’s framed with something as simple as a villain of the week issue, but it’s done effectively on both the Spidey and Parker aspect front.
Yes, I understand the misgivings about where the heavily foreshadowed storyline of Peter’s “totally not evil” cousin Mac is going and the juicy slop that’s going to be used as to feed generations of hate-baiting Spider-Man readers, but when you get smaller character-driven stories like this before the real editorial garbage hits the fan, I’m alright with a calm before the storm. Come what may after the quieter issues like this, at least Spider readers can savor the smaller moments for the time being.
Final Verdict: Amazing Spider-Man #34 keeps Peter’s simmering family drama firmly in the foreground while using his latest wall crawling antics in the background as an understandable and relatable outlet that is sure to feel all too real for readers.