Amazing Spider-Man Renew Your Vows #2 Review
By C.T. Smith
At the end of the Amazing Spider-Man Renew Your Vows #1, Peter had given up his heroic mantle in order to protect his family, and the despot Regent harnessed the powers of slain X-men and defeated the Avengers. Issue #2 continues the story of a Peter Parker who’s willing to sacrifice everything to keep his daughter (Annie) and wife safe.
The opening pages do well in introducing the type of life the Parkers have lived since the events of the first issue. Peter and Mary Jane have struggled to keep their daughter’s powers under wraps -with MJ saving money from acting and Peter taking pictures for Jonah (more on that later) in order to obtain parts needed to build inhibitors that negate Anne’s powers. The opening conveys a sense of two parents trying their best to keep their daughter out of trouble, and while it’s a struggle, it’s something they’re naturally determined to do.
One of the strengths of this book is its cohesive world building. Rather than an Age of Apocalypse -so to speak, the villain’s reign affects powered people more than regular citizens. It seems that the city’s populace live regular lives, albeit under Regent’s rule, while super powered people are either hiding, working for the Regent (with common Spidey villains such as Shocker, Boomerang, and Rhino), or hanging out with our friends at S.H.I.E.L.D.
Another theme that continues to interest is how different Peter Parker acts in a world where he has a daughter. The issue’s opening reminds us that he killed Eddie Brock to rid his family of Venom, and he continues to show a willingness to do whatever it takes to keep his family aloft, such as extorting J. Jonah Jameson for money -by not publishing photos. These two things alone, along with letting the city be terrorized by villains, reveal a Peter that starkly differs from his 616-counterpart.
As all things go on the Battleworld, we get a nice look at versions of certain villains and heroes. The issue gives a nice misdirect in having readers think that the Regent has tracked down Annie at her school, when it’s really her classmates the Power Pack who have been exposed. It’s also nice to see that some things never change: B-villains are still B-villains, and the Sinister Six are still raring to go. MJ in particular continues to play a strong role, not shying away from jumping into harm’s way to keep Annie out of trouble, and it continues to show what could’ve been if Brand New Day didn’t happen.
Renew Your Vows continues to paint a picture of struggle and sacrifice, and the plot is certainly moving forward at the right pace. Regent may be a stock villain, one dimensional and somehow all powerful, but perhaps we’ll see more depth from him before the story concludes. Either way, what excites me is the final page, which shows MJ giving Peter back his black suit, as I wonder what a Peter who kills will do to keep the Regent and the Sinister Six of his back.
Dan Slott continues to write a strong What If? and Adam Kubert’s art continues to impress. He draws a mean, villanous face for the Antagonists of the book, and conveys a lot of emotion through his strong poses, such as Rhino and Boomerang’s heads hanging in shame when talking to the Regent after losing Peter. The spreads are well positioned and dynamic, and although he had to draw a lot of different characters in this issue, he pulls them off well.
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