Spider-Man has gone global.
Plenty of things have changed with the All-New, All-Different Marvel relaunch, but not when it comes to the creative team on Amazing Spider-Man. Can you blame Marvel for not trying to fix what isn’t broken? But even though Dan Slott and Giuseppe Camuncoli’s names are fixtures on this series in its various incarnations, Peter Parker’s new status quo is different enough that ASM once again feels fresh and new.
Amazing Spider-Man #1 Brings Back [Spoiler]
In hindsight, the previous volume wasn’t nearly ambitious enough about exploring Peter’s status as an industrialist and CEO (in part because Spider-Verse pushed those elements to the background). With this book, Slott seems intent on making up for lost time. Peter’s life has taken a dramatic turn. He’s a world-famous icon now, marketing new tech to both S.H.I.E.L.D. and the general public. He’s operating on a scale heretofore unseen for our Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. If anything, he’s more Batman than Spider-Man at this point right down to having a sexy militarized car).
There’s a lot of trepidation with this series from some fans, with the fear being that a rich, successful, globetrotting Spider-Man is too great a shift from the “down on his luck, struggling to make ends meet” Peter of yore. These concerns are understandable, but Slott has also more than earned the benefit of the doubt at this point. Much like the Superior Spider-Man status quo, why not simply enjoy this ride while it lasts? This issue offers a very thrilling look at Peter’s adventures, one that takes advantage of the international setting and his massively upgraded arsenal.
Meanwhile, Camuncoli shines as bright as he ever has with this franchise. Camuncoli’s depiction of the epic chase through Shanghai’s streets is bold and dynamic, proving that Spider-Man doesn’t need to be swinging through the air to dazzle the reader. Camuncoli displays a great deal of storytelling range in this issue as the plot shifts from action to character interaction and back. Visually, the only letdown in this story is the redesigned costume. While not a huge departure form the norm, the new costume modifications are a little garish and come across like change for change’s sake.
Slott makes it clear in this issue that Peter still has his struggles despite moving up in the world. In particular, there’s a lot of emphasis on our hero struggling to mend the relationships he’s damaged over the course of Slott’s run. There’s also the recurring theme in Slott’s work that Peter is finally accepting that he has a greater responsibility to the world than simply slapping on tights and punching bad guys in the face. There’s a great out-of-costume scene in this issue where Peter acknowledges some of the mistakes of his past and displays a newfound level of maturity. Plus, Slott sets up a really interesting threat in this issue that should be worthy of this bigger, better Spider-Man. Unfortunately, that’s tempered a bit by another, much less welcome reveal in one of the backup stories.
Finally, while the $5.99 price tag might scare some readers away, there’s certainly enough content in this issue to justify the money. Slott and Camuncoli’s main story is already quite a bit longer than normal. That’s bolstered by a series of backup stories that set the stage for various other Spider titles (Spider-Woman, Web Warriors, Spider-Man 2099, etc.). Most of these stories are too short to do much more than cover the basics, but at least they add some extra variety to the book.
The new Amazing Spider-Man has the distinction of feeling both fresh and comfortably familiar at the same time. This series boasts an exciting new status quo for Peter Parker, but one that still feels like a natural extension of Slott’s previous work. This is shaping up to be the book the previous volume of ASM should have been.
