Stillanerd Reviews: Amazing Spider-Man (2018) #5 review

Nick Spencer and Ryan Ottley’s first Spider-Man story comes to a satisfying close, even if it read less like a story and more like a Socratic discourse.

Amazing Spider-Man #5 (LGY #806)

“Back to Basics, Part 5”

Writer: Nick Spencer

Penciler: Ryan Ottley

Inkers: Cliff Rathburn (pp. 1-12) and Ryan Ottley (pp. 13-20)

Colorist: Laura Martin

Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna

Covers: Ryan Ottley and Laura Martin; Nick Bradshaw and Morry Hollowell (Cosmic Ghost Rider Versus variant); Daryl Mandryk (Marvel’s Spider-Man Video Game variant)

More from Comics

It’s no secret that I absolutely love what Nick Spencer has done with the Amazing Spider-Man. His first issue alone is a perfect template for how to revitalize a beloved comic book superhero, return them to their roots and fix what the previous writer did without erasing it altogether. Likewise, I’ve enjoyed this current story arc in which Peter Parker and Spider-Man are separated, showing us what each would be like without the other.

But (and you must have known a “but” was coming), after reading Amazing Spider-Man #5 (LGY #806), it finally dawned on me. “Back to Basics” isn’t really a Spider-Man story; it’s a Spider-Man commentary. There are, of course, elements of a story. It has still has characters, dialogue and a narrative structure, with a beginning, middle and end. There’s even a few storytelling flourishes like flashbacks, montages and irony. Yet, what Spencer has really done is write what amounts to a Spider-Man treatise about where the character has been, where he is now and where he needs to go from here.

If you think I have a problem with this, I don’t. Storytelling, in my humble opinion, is the perfect way to educate others or to voice one’s opinions and beliefs. The trick is do it without making it sound like you’re delivering a sermon, an academic lecture or a political stump speech. As much as I enjoyed most of his Amazing Spider-Man run (with two controversial exceptions), J. Michael Straczynski was often guilty of this, and with this comic, Spencer has followed suit. The difference is Spencer tells better jokes.

Credit: Ryan Ottley, Cliff Rathburn, and Laura Martin (Marvel Comics); from Amazing Spider-Man (2018) #5

“Back to Basics” isn’t really a Spider-Man story; it’s a Spider-Man commentary…what Spencer has really done is write what amounts to a Spider-Man treatise about where the character has been, where he is now, and where he needs to go from here.

Two scenes in Amazing Spider-Man #5 offer great examples of what I’m getting at. Early on, Peter talks with Mary Jane about how he and Spider-Man have become separate people. He adds how his not being Spider-Man anymore was what he thought MJ always wanted. MJ, however, says that she used to think this until seeing Peter and Spider-Man as two different people. As she puts it, “that burden [of Spider-Man] is why I kept pushing [you] away…it’s also why I kept coming back to [you.]”

It’s a scene with a touching, romantic sentiment that’s immensely satisfying for fans of Peter and MJ as a couple, including yours truly. At the same time, what she says doesn’t align at all with how she’s been characterized over the past decade. Unless, of course, you read this exchange as a critique by Spencer about MJ’s characterization over that past decade and how it was an anathema to who she is.

The other–and lengthier–instance of Spencer’s treatise disguised as a story occurs when Peter tries convincing Spider-Man they should reunite least they both cease to exist. Once again, Peter behaves like a responsible adult while Spider-Man acts like an insufferable jackass. Various superhero tropes, particularly a moment which reads like an outright parody of Amazing Spider-Man #700, are subverted. Last issue’s promise of an invasion of an army of Tri-Sentinels takes a back seat to Spidey’s wacky antics. In the end, the clear message Spencer conveys is, “Spider-Man must be about responsibility, but Peter Parker needs to lighten up.”

Credit: Ryan Ottley, Cliff Rathburn, and Laura Martin (Marvel Comics); from Amazing Spider-Man (2018) #5

I don’t mind meta-textual commentary in superhero comics as part of a character study or exploring a larger theme. I even laughed at some of the dialogue, particularly Spidey’s “vow” to a “dying” Peter. Nevertheless, story should always come first.

Again, I don’t mind meta-textual commentary in superhero comics as part of a character study or exploring a larger theme. I even laughed at some of the dialogue, particularly Spidey’s “vow” to a “dying” Peter. Nevertheless, story should always come first. The moment I realized that, for Spencer, his commentary on the state of Spider-Man was more important than the actual plot in question, that’s also when the comic lost my interest, at least as far as the Peter and Spidey separation was concerned.

However, the moments where the comic did keep my interest was with the subplots. To retrieve the Isotope Genome Accelerator, Peter cleverly takes advantage of his Boomerang as his roommate dilemma. We also learn Mendell Stromm also received help from the same centipede-controlling, scarecrow-like demonic figure who also acts as Mysterio’s patron. Likewise, we discover Taskmaster and Black Ant weren’t after the Isotope Genome Accelerator at all. And, at long last, we see what all those African safari prologues were leading up to. I felt more engaged with those moments because, unlike the main plot, those hinted at actual stories.

Credit: Ryan Ottley, Cliff Rathburn, and Laura Martin (Marvel Comics); from Amazing Spider-Man (2018) #5

…this opening salvo by Nick Spencer and Ryan Ottley more than lived up to the comic’s titular adjective…Hopefully, [Spencer will] concentrate more on the storytelling and less on trying to make a point next time.

I also really dug Ryan Ottley’s art in this comics, just as much as I have in the past four issues. Once again, he has a great attention for detail, creates excellent facial expressions and is terrific in creating visual gags that fit perfectly with Spencer’s writing-style. But again, Ottley’s biggest drawback continues to be how he illustrates his figures. You can tell he relied too much on models and wooden mannequins to get the right poses, and thus his panels lack the energy one would expect from a comic like this. His art certainly didn’t look this rigid when you look at his work on Robert Kirkman’s Invincible.

So I would say that, if you took all five issues from this current volume of Amazing Spider-Man, I’d say this one is definitely the weakest. That said, I still think this opening salvo by Nick Spencer and Ryan Ottley more than lived up to the comic’s titular adjective. Now that we’re done with “Back to Basics,” I’m eager to see what else Spencer has in store, especially with the long-running subplots he’s now set-up. Hopefully, he’ll concentrate more on the storytelling and less on trying to make a point next time.

Stillanerd’s Score: 3.5 out of 5

Next. Stillanerd Reviews: Amazing Spider-Man (2018) #4 review. dark

Stillanerd’s Nerdy Nitpicks (possible spoilers)

Credit: Ryan Ottley, Cliff Rathburn, and Laura Martin (Marvel Comics); from Amazing Spider-Man (2018) #5

Hey, here’s a thought. According to “One Moment in Time,” MJ claimed that so long as Peter kept on being Spider-Man, they could never marry. Now that she accepts that being Spider-Man is who Peter is, and yet still wants to be in a relationship with him, does that mean they can remarry now? No? Methinks someone’s running out of excuses.
Huh? So Peter’s image for Felicia Hardy on his smart phone is of her in her Black Cat costume taken from that phony alien invasion from issue #1? First, how did he even have time to take that picture, and second, why have such incriminating evidence like that on his phone?
“Black Cat’s actually not the only thief I know these days.” That’s right, Pete, because you also know the former thief turned hero known as The Prowler. Oh wait, you’re talking about Boomerang, aren’t you?
Now I understand Peter was able to track down Spider-Man using spider-tracers. My question is how did Spider-Man’s spidey-sense not go off from having a spider-tracer planted on him? Yes, he later says he can just turn it off, but not really, so my question still stands.
R.I.P. Robot Master…for the third time?
“Somebody’s robbing a bank you just built a web hammock overover…” Uh, I don’t think “overover” is a word, Spidey (and Spidey-editors). Unless you’re stuttering.
And for first time in fifty-six years, an official Spider-Man comic makes an Uncle Ben’s rice joke.
“…and maybe get some awesome Neverending Story homage selfies on the way.” Okay, Pete, while that’s definitely funny, especially with your upraised fist as you’re flying, it may work better if you were on the back of Fing Fang Foom instead of a Tri-Sentinel. Speaking of which…
My dream of a Tri-Sentinel vs Leopardon fight in Spider-Geddon is now squashed. R.I.P. Spider-bot.
“Guess my name.” Oh, you mean like the Rolling Stones song? Subtle.
“‘Dehusmatted’?” Ha ha ha! Leave to Eric O’Grady to point how S.H.I.E.L.D. knew how to do acronyms right.
Yeah, I knew we all knew Kraven the Hunter would be showing up. Especially since he was on the cover of issue #1. No need to have made him such a secret for the last four issues.
And a big shout out to my good buddy, Peter Norbot, a.k.a. “The Chi-Town Spidey”, for having his letter featured in the letters page! Well done, my good sir!

Next. Top 10 superhero video games. dark

Now that I have given my thoughts, what do you folks think of Amazing Spider-Man #5 and Nick Spencer’s run thus far? Also, who do you think that centipede scarecrow guy is, and is he any way connected to “One More Day”? And what is Kraven the Hunter’s “game”. Finally, if you agree or disagree with my review, feel free to leave those comments explaining how right or how wrong, I really am. I won’t bite back…much.

Home/Comics