Amazing Spider-Man Torn #5
Author : J. Michael Stranczynski
Artist : Pere Perez
Colourist : Guru-eFX
Better To Have Loved : Issue #5 Summary
I came into this series out of nowhere like an RKO, and got KO’d by the fantastic story that J. Michael Straczynski was able to tell in only five issues. Amazing Spider-Man: Torn #5 was a fabulous ending to a story filled with teenage romantic drama, heart-wrenching emotion for Peter Parker, and incredible artwork from Perez and Guru-eFX that made you feel like you were in a whirlwind of action.
The Proteus Maleficarum has opened a portal into another dimension—or universe, we don’t know which—but it’s really bad! Spidey has to figure out a way to close this portal before those evil entities come through, take over New York, then the world, and enslave humankind.
Heartbreak & Spiderwebs : Issue #5 Review
WARNING SPOILERS!
Tangled Web of Emotions
Knowing that Spider-Man: Torn #5 was the last issue in this mini-series, I was looking forward to JMS repaying my reading of the issues to date with a grand, but also passionate, ending. With all of the emotional turmoil surrounding Peter, MJ, Gwen, and Harry, this last issue was off the scales—giving me a sweet uppercut to the heart and all the feels.
This is one of the best climactic final issues I’ve read in the recent past; there was an energy of culmination through the writing of JMS. The events of the portal opening in New York are so fast and intense that Spider-Man only has enough time to think and not speak. In my opinion, that style of dialogue from JMS in Amazing Spider-Man: Torn #5 was straight-up amazing and genius. Things are moving so fast that I’m literally just reading Spidey’s thought process on how he’s going to stop New York from being infiltrated by evil, next-level dimensional beings.
JMS’ writing of Peter’s thoughts was so good that even I, as the reader, felt like I was running out of time to read Amazing Spider-Man: Torn #5; that’s the emotional connection and investment his story had made with me. Spider-Man showed his best qualities—selflessness, compassion, and courage. Peter was ready to give his own life when trying to push the Proteus Maleficarum back into the pocket dimension in order to close the portal. I’ve referred to our beloved web-head as the number one "babyface" in the Marvel Universe; the first thought for Peter was to sacrifice himself to rescue the world.
Bearer of Good News
I really liked the misdirection I was given as a reader by JMS’ writing. The first portion of Amazing Spider-Man: Torn #5 is all about how Spider-Man, again, is left to save New York by himself—no Avengers, no Miles Morales, just him. Just when I thought Spidey was going to get sucked into another dimension, it was Evangeline—cold-hard assassin turned gargoyle—who saved the day.
I was given what I expected to happen, which isn’t always a bad thing in a plot; JMS had pointed toward a redemption story arc for Evangeline, and that’s what we got. Her name, after all, means “bearer of good news.” In the end, even after the horrible life she lived as an assassin, she was able to bring good news to the world by saving it.
New York and the planet were saved by an act of redemption—a nice touch by JMS reminding everyone that even if you’ve done bad (I’m sure none of us are assassins), you can still make up for it by an act of unselfishness. Usually, you do bad things because they benefit yourself, but the simple act of helping another fills one with a lot more gratitude.
Gift of Love
You’d think the biggest moment of Amazing Spider-Man: Torn #5 was Evangeline sacrificing herself to save the planet—it was a massive moment, and as a reader, I appreciated it. JMS has done a wonderful job of layering multiple storylines into this five-part miniseries without making any of them feel less relevant than the others.
The biggest story arc has been that of Peter, the age-old struggle of being Spider-Man and, at times, playing Peter Parker. I’ve not read a lot of Spider-Man throughout the years, but the way JMS made me care so much about Peter’s well-being, state of mind, and complications with MJ was incredible. Through his dialogue—which at times looks long, but is packed with emotional fingertips that pull at your heartstrings—JMS delivers.
The ending to this gorgeous story arc wasn’t with Peter’s thoughts—the way this issue began—but rather finished with MJ’s thoughts, and they were heavy to read. It was done in an old-school format, too, which was a nice touch from JMS: an old-fashioned, handwritten letter. That shows how much this moment meant to MJ; the personal touch of writing the letter by hand—her touch—for Peter to hold in his hands was terrific writing.
The letter explains that MJ is giving Peter the gift of time to test their love for one another. She’s traveling to Germany and then touring Europe, wanting to see if they’ll forget each other or if their love will be strengthened. My review cannot do it justice—the writing and artwork were perfect for this scene, literally a 10/10.
There are many tremendous parts within this sole letter that took me on a journey of passion, love, and the creation of soulmates. The coolest part is where MJ hints at knowing how Peter is always "torn in two"—implying she has finally figured out his secret identity. For me, MJ keeping that realization to herself deepens the love she has for Peter in a way few other writers have captured.
Peter Parker isn’t torn by the life of being Spider-Man and himself, he’s not torn by two different women in his life—Peter is torn apart when he’s not next to Mary Jane Watson. That’s what I took from this story by J. Michael Stranczynski.
Hang It In The Louvre
There are two scenes that dazzled me in two different ways; one that picked me up and made me feel like I was in a tornado of action. The other made me pause and ready myself for an emotional tsunami.
The work from Perez and Guru-eFX to capture the chaos of the portal and make me feel like I was right alongside Spidey was tremendous. They achieved this through the epic use of panels—varying shapes and sizes with meticulous attention to detail—which made me feel overwhelmed in the best way possible. My senses were overcome with everything happening all at once, which is exactly how Peter’s Spider-Sense must have been feeling!
Then there’s the moment Peter begins reading the letter from MJ. Wow. It hit me in the feels immediately. The way Perez draws Peter alone, isolated while reading, perfectly foreshadows his upcoming journey: alone and distant from MJ. The best detail Perez adds to this shot of Peter is his mouth—it’s slightly open to show surprise, but not the happy surprise of opening a gift. It’s the look of someone opening something they don’t want to believe is real. His eyes are cast down, highlighting his low emotional state, and the tiny creases on his forehead show the distress of what he’s processing.
Conclusion & Rating
Amazing Spider-Man: Torn #5 shows how you can write incredibly tense, dramatic, and emotional stories involving massive superheroes without needing endless action to distract you.
JMS did give us action with the portal to another dimension and the havoc it caused Spider-Man; however, that doesn’t come close to the “portal” that MJ took. A simple plane flight to Germany—that’s the travel that hurt Peter the most.
A fabulously written story by J. Michael Straczynski, which was backed up by great artwork from Perez and Guru-eFX. A perfect match of storytelling and visual cues that sucked me in from Amazing Spider-Man: Torn #1. If you’re a Spider-Man fan, this is a can’t-miss miniseries, and if you’re looking to jump on, this is a nice early story to help you get on board.