Peter Parker is in space?! Ben Reilly is posing as Parker on Earth?! NORMAN OSBORN IS SPIDER-MAN?! What in the world is happening? Blame Hellgate. After their initial encounter, Parker was taken off the board.
Knowing the world needs a Spider-Man, Osborn has filled in the role. There is a noticeable difference between the two enemies. Let’s not forget there is a Goblin Slayer looking for Norman on top of this!
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #14 by Joe Kelly, Ed McGuinness, Todd Nauck, Mark Farmer , Wade Von Grawbadger , Marcio Menyz & Joe Caramagna picks up the latest adventures of “Spider-Norman” in its’ latest chapter.
Let’s take a deeper dive into what’s happening now.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #14 by Joe Kelly, Ed McGuinness, Todd Nauck, Mark Farmer , Wade Von Grawbadger , Marcio Menyz & Joe Caramagna (Marvel comics)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Kelly opens up with a deep reflection from Osborn. The dialogue shows how the mantle of Spider-Man is too much to hold. Seeing Osborn admit this is a shocking picture. The same can be said for Reilly. His conversation with Hallow’s Eve is sharp and direct. Readers can start seeing the charade slowly fading. This comes into light with Dr. Osmani-Milton.
Osborn’s interruption nearly causes everything to fall apart. Kelly sneaks in a quiet verbal jab from Reilly that strikes a chord. This leads into a solid fight with the Goblin slayer. Readers watch as Osborn gets some reluctant help in fighting the machine. The moment is surprisingly energizing to Osborn. The writing shows how even he is being seduced into the heroic side of life. This leads into a more shocking close. Osborn has always had enemies but is he ready for who’s shown up on the last page? Only time will tell.
Art duties are split for this issue between McGuiness and Nauck. Norman’s reflection shows the wear of the mantle on his face. It connects with readers on the weight he chose to lift. This was also brought to attention via Nauck’s Reilly/Hallows Eve panels. Both characters know why they chose their paths. Neither seems comfortable walking them.
This moves events into the meeting with Dr. Osmani-Milton. McGuiness sets up for some secrets to be revealed until Norman arrives. Once here, both he and Reilly have many reactions to the verbal jabs. This moves into the fight with the slayer. A two page splash kickstarts the action. This builds up to a very fast pace. It concludes with a strong look at Norman taking victory. This is much to the disdain of Reilly. His scowl jumps off the page. The closing image unveils another party interested in taking Norman down. It results in a sold landing spot for the very fast moving chapter.
OVERALL GRADE: 8.4
The “Spider-Norman” era continues to surprise as his heroic actions meet a road block. Kelly’s writing shows how far Osborn has fallen into Parker’s shadow. McGuiness, Nauck and the art team bring out the best and worst of a Peter Parker-less world. ASM is firing on all cylinders with this latest run. Don’t miss it.
Let me know your thoughts on Amazing Spider-Man #14 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!