Bam Smack Pow
Fansided

Amazing Spider-Man #14 Review: Spider-Verse, The Final Chapter

By Nick Tylwalk

facebooktwitterreddit

Before we get into Amazing Spider-Man #14, let’s have some kudos for Dan Slott. While Marvel’s bigger crossovers of the past 12 months or so, Original Sin and AXIS, had interesting high concepts but turned out to be uneven stories because of plot, pacing or characterization issues, Spider-Verse has delivered consistent entertainment in each chapter. I’m almost a little sad that it’s over, and I don’t even read Spidey’s monthly adventures regularly.

More from Reviews

I’m also fond of pointing out how difficult it is to close the show on one of these events, but this issue manages to turn a classic set-up into a satisfying conclusion. All the spiders converge on the Inheritors’ dimension in order to try to stop the ritual that required the blood of Kaine (now dead, apparently), Silk and the younger brother of May Parker to initiate.

If there is any problem at all with the storytelling in Spider-Verse, it might be that the consequences of the ritual going through aren’t entirely clear. Would the spiders all just keel over, or would they simply be left powerless? Or is the ritual merely preventing any more spider-powered characters from being created? And wouldn’t the Inheritors be depriving themselves of their “food” source?

In the end, it matters not, as it’s sufficient to know it would be A Bad Thing (patent pending) if the ritual goes through. With Solus dead, Morlun becomes the de facto leader of the Inheritors, and you can feel a showdown between him and the Earth-616 Peter Parker brewing.

What’s great about Amazing Spider-Man #14 is that Slott manages to give nearly everyone a big moment: Peter, Otto Octavius,  Miles, Miguel, May, Gwen, Silk … heck, even Uncle Ben, Spider-Ham. The art suffers a little by the division in pencilling duties, though having Olivier Coipel back for even part of the finale is definitely a plus.

The solution to the threat of the Inheritors is classic Peter, though there are some unanswered questions that appear to be held back for the epilogue in two weeks. You know what? That’s fine. Spider-Verse was the rare event that lived up to the hype, and for that, everyone involved should take a well-deserved bow.

SPOILERS PAST THIS POINT!

The final assault on Loomword has begun, but the ceremony has already begun. Morlun cuts the body of Kaine (who if you recall, turned into a giant spider last issue) and learns that Solus’ memories and essence live on in a red crystal. Aware of the attack by the spiders, he sends all of the Inheritors except for Daemos to head it off.

Miles Morales, Ultimate Jessica Drew and the Web Warriors show up to provide reinforcements while Morlun gets some blood from Silk. He’s about to cut May’s baby brother when the main force arrives. Peter takes on Morlun while Otto and May tackle Daemos, and … hey, is Uncle Ben making a run for it?

The exiled Inheritor, Karn, makes a dramatic return, but he decides to side with the spiders. With things going badly, Morlun decides to finish the ritual, but he gets a shock in the form of a naked Spider-Ham. Yep, seems Uncle Ben wasn’t chickening out, simply swapping Ham for baby and making an escape. Miguel and Lady Spider show up with a repaired Leopardon, the giant robot, and now the good guys clearly have the momentum.

Amidst the melee, Mayday ends up with crystal and considers destroying it, which would effectively kill Solus. And speaking of killing, Otto decides one way to ensure the ritual is never completed is simply to end the life of the Master Weaver. That doesn’t sit well with Peter, though it does make May reconsider and spare Solus.

Morlun tries absorbing the life force of Peter to at least get some measure of revenge, but Spider-Man activates the portal to the irradiated Earth-3145. That could kill both of them, but Peter reminds Morlun of the web arrows leading the way to the shelter in which they found Uncle Ben. Morlun could stay alive there, but he’d be stuck. It feels like an appropriate fate. Our hero is also spared death since Silk’s bond with him leads her to the correct portal, and she’s able to throw him a lifeline.

The rest of the defeated Inheritors are shoved through a portal, presumably to join Morlun in the bunker, and May tosses the Solus crystal through there as well. The web on Loomworld can return everyone to their proper worlds, though Spider-UK suggests they take a moment first, and the event ends with Spider-Man and Silk holding hands, since, in his words, “it’s been a really long day.”

Favorite Moment: Probably this, which of course there’s no way to un-see:

Final Thought: It’s fair to say Spider-Verse was plenty of fun even for people who are not normally reading Spidey’s comics religiously — and I know because I don’t. So is it too soon to ask if Slott can write whatever the next big line-wide event is after Secret Wars?

Bonus Final Thought: Aren’t the home Earths of most of the spiders just going to get destroyed by Incursions leading into Secret Wars anyway? That would be the ultimate Pyrrhic victory …

Next: Previously ... Our Amazing Spider-Man #13 review

More from Bam Smack Pow

Home/Reviews