Amazing Spider-Man #10 Review: Scorpio Rising Part 2

By D. Goodman | Apr 18, 2016

The finale of the Zodiac storyline continues as the Amazing Spider-Man tries to find and stop Scorpio before we all become bored to death.

Amazing Spider-Man #10
Written by Dan Slott
Art by Giuseppe Camuncoli and Cam Smith
Colored by Marte Gracia
Published by Marvel Comics

Last time in Amazing Spider-Man: After heading into space to retake the S.H.I.E.L.D. satellite array, Spider-Man arrives back on Earth, without the benefit of a space ship mind you, to find Scorpio waiting for him.

While starting off really strong out of the gate, the latest volume of Amazing Spider-Man has leveled off quite a bit. It has gotten to the point where it is now becoming a book I can easily let sit for a week or two, instead of reading as soon as I get home.

How did this happen? Most of it has to do with the new status quo writer Dan Slott has placed Peter Parker in. While in the early issues it was all fresh and new and we were all like “Wow! A new Spider-mobile! Wow! New Spider-armor!” it has become a bit tiresome. Slott seems to be going back to the same well over and over with nothing new to add other than cool gadgets and Peter showing how smart he is.

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And it doesn’t help at all that the Zodiac is the lamest group of villains I have seen in forever. I don’t know what’s more surprising, that Slott expects us to take them seriously or that it is taking this long for S.H.I.E.L.D., Spider-Man and most of the world’s police forces to stop them.

It’s like the Avengers getting a beat down from Stilt-Man for cripes sake.

It almost feels like Slott may be trying to overcompensate just a bit since the Miles Morales Spider-Man title is now treading the ground that was so well worn by Peter Parker for years and years.

But on the plus side, the subplot involving the Man in Red and his various new allies is getting more and more interesting. With the release of the various “Dead No More” teasers recently, you have to wonder if all this Zodiac nonsense is just so Slott can write the interludes leading up to the big fall Amazing Spider-Man event.

On the art side of things, Giuseppe Camuncoli and Cam Smith again turn in a solid issue in what is turning into a very solid run. While Camuncoli’s style isn’t what I would call innovative or genre-defining, what you do get each and every month is 20 pages of great, traditional storytelling along with one or two panels that make you step back and go “Wow.”

Considering most comic book series nowadays deal with multiple artist with varying styles and skill levels, Camuncoli may not be fancy, but he is dependable and consistent, which is more than enough in my book to make it a win.

More superheroes and comics: The Unbelievable Gwenpool #1 Review: No Consequences

The Bottom Line: While Amazing Spider-Man isn’t quite as amazing as it was when it launched, it is still a fun way to spend 15 minutes of my day. However, I will be very glad to see this whole Zodiac storyline finished and done with so we can get to “Dead No More” and what is looking to be a major story arc for Peter Parker and the rest of the cast.