Will the real Spider-Man please set up? After Hellgate decimated the wall-crawler, things have changed. New York witnessed a vicious hero emerge after defeat. This new attitude has ventured into the world of Peter Parker. There is something very different with the beloved hero.
Matters do not get easier when Spidey confronts Peter. No, that isn’t a typo.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #11 (LEGACY #975) by Jason Loo, Lee Gatlin, Joe Kelly, Saladin Ahmed, Pepe Larraz, Pere Pérez, Morry Hollowell, John Romita Jr. &Joe Caramagna (Marvel Comics) takes readers into a celebration chapter!
Let’s not wait any longer and join the party at hand!
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #11 (LEGACY #975) by Jason Loo, Lee Gatlin, Joe Kelly, Saladin Ahmed, Pepe Larraz, Pere Pérez, Morry Hollowell, John Romita Jr. &Joe Caramagna (Marvel Comics)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Editor’s Note: The two main stories are penned by Kelly. These are the short tales to celebrate the milestone occasion.
“Rapid Return” by Ahmed, Pérez & Hollowell dives into a hero trying to fill Spidey’s void. The writing locks in on a reluctant soul trying to do good. Readers have some great panels of action. Seeing the face-off with Boomerang gives way to a heavy burden lifted. Readers see how the art walks them through Rapid’s thoughts. It’s a nice compliment to the Web-Head’s Legacy.
Gatlin steps in for “Spider Mayonnaise”. It’s a fun story about the struggles of the perfect sandwich. The tale plays into the quirkiness Spidey is known for. Short, sweet and to the point.
“In the City..” is a fun nod to Spider-Man and NYC. Loo brings to life a normal swing through the City. It is a solid piece to end events after 975 issues.
As for “Broken Mirror”, Kelly throws some wild curves into the puzzling case. The flashback moment with Pete as “Young Cap” is a heartwarming one. It is much different than the current state of affairs. “Peter” and “Spider-Man” continue their face-off from last issue. After some punches thrown, the ruse begins to fall apart.
Readers see the reveal slowly unveil itself. It is a surprise that makes ironic sense. This spills into the abrupt end of their fight. Kelly brings in Felicia Hardy as another voice in the matter provides some breaks in the drama. Their experience is one that leads into the other major reveal. The monologue flowing the pages belongs to an unlikely source. How this ultimately plays out is going to be a can’t miss moment.
Romita Jr. & company kick events off with a classic throwback. It’s a strong contrast from where the present events start. The art doesn’t wait long to throw hands with the parties involved. A two page split rings the bell for the combustible fight. Pacing picks up until its time for the first reveal.
Readers watch the subtle acts leading into this stage. The close-up on the changing face leads to a more clear resolution of the fight. Its’ complimented by the Tombstone cameo. The cold expressions never stray too far away. This is very unlikely the erratic “Peter.” The art spotlights the true intentions of this character. Twisted is an understatement. Readers get their other reveal in a more calm way. Panel structure eases into the twist flawlessly. This helps to transition where the book goes next.
Kelly does answer the question of “Who is Peter Parker” in the second story. Having him FAR away from NYC is an understatement. Space odysseys are tricky involving the Web Head. In this circumstance, the writing allows him to be rebuilt with mixed results.
Winding up on a spaceship is one thing. Working with Xanto proves to be more deceptive in nature. It gives a touch of Hollywood Horror movies. At any given moment, the shoe will drop. Kelly starts this off with a shocking moment. Xanto’s push for scientific growth turns in a dastardly manner. This leads into a predictable but still exciting fight. Once a winner is declared, the final panel leaves way more questions than answers. This gets a huge assist from the art.
“Broken Man” lets Larraz tear loose on the images. Seeing a broken Peter on a near full shot makes a big statement. The use of smaller panels illustrates how much time has wore Parker down. This changes after a space rescue. A near full shot displays Parker in much better shape. This moves into his new surroundings which are anything but normal.
Readers get a near full shot of Xanto’s secrets. The eventual turn pivots into an excellent fight. It leads to some excellent action shots. Larraz completely understands how to maximize every strike thrown. It doesn’t matter of panel size. There is no wasted motion. The real “return” of Spider-Man is given a full page panel. This results in more great action shots before the startling close. Readers see more than bargained for on the final panel. It sends the issue into its’ bonus tales with much intrigue. Can’t ask for much more than that.
OVERALL GRADE: 9
After 975 issues, the world of Spider-Man still remains Amazing in its’ adventures. Kelly shakes up the status quo with his stories. Romita Jr., Larraz and their teams take readers on quite the journey. Factor in the great side tales & you have the formula for a winning anniversary issue.
Let me know your thoughts on Amazing Spider-Man #11 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!