Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 5 No. 23: Kraven’s dead, long live…Kraven?!

Credit: Ryan Ottley and Nathan Fairbairn (Marvel Comics); cover for

Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 5 No. 23

A Stillanerd Review — After the conclusion of “Hunted,” loose ends are tied up, new threats for Spider-Man emerge, and Kraven’s isn’t quite gone for good.

Reading Amazing Spider-Man No. 22, you may have thought the finale of Nick Spencer’s “Hunted” came a satisfying close. Dr. Curt Connors, as the Lizard, saved his son, Billy, and the Black Cat. The force field surrounding Central Park was lifted, and the Hunter drones were shut down. The Vulture became the new messiah of the super villain community. Kraven, dressed in Spider-Man’s black costume, was killed by his own clone/son. And Spider-Man, plagued by visions of Mary Jane Watson in peril, swung off to rescue her.

Yet “Hunted” seemingly left a number of things unresolved. What happened to the villains and the weekend warriors after the deactivation of the force field? Weren’t the Avengers also trying to break down the force field, too? Did Arcade somehow escape? What about Taskmaster and Black Ant, and is their bromance over for good? Were Peter visions of MJ really premonitions of her doom? Is Kraven’s son/clone really going to be Kraven the Hunter III? (Yes, as much as Spider-Man fans would like to forget, there was a Kraven the Hunter II.)

Credit: Ryan Ottley, Cliff Rathburn, and Nathan Fairbairn (Marvel Comics); from

Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 5 No. 23

…how [Nick] Spencer wraps up “Hunted’s” subplots and sets-up potential new stories varies. At least three of those threads come to satisfying resolutions…Another ends in a manner that’s unexpected, while also feeling as though it wasn’t nearly as big as Spencer made it out to be, at least initially.

Hence why Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 5 No. 23 (LGY No. 824) is officially labeled an “Epilogue” for “Hunted.” Yes, despite writing a six-part story, which also included a “Prologue” and four special “.HU” tie-ins, Spencer apparently didn’t have enough room to wrap-up all the various subplots in his epic sequel “Kraven’s Last Hunt” and “Grim Hunt.” Might as well milk as much from the cash cow as one can, especially he also uses this issue for setting up future storylines.

Naturally, how Spencer wraps up “Hunted’s” subplots and sets-up potential new stories varies. At least three of those threads come to satisfying resolutions, and one in particular is sure to have readers both cheering and laughing hysterically. Another ends in a way that’s unexpected, while also feeling as though it wasn’t nearly as big as Spencer made it out to be, at least initially. At least one development “Hunted” deliberately pushed aside actually plants the seeds for a potentially terrifying new story.

As for Kraven’s clone/son, what happens to him will likely make you ask what was even the point of killing off Kraven the Hunter again. Or, if you’ve been a long-time reader of Amazing Spider-Man and other Spider-Man comics, you’ll recall what Marvel did during the aftermath of “Kraven’s Last Hunt,” and wonder if Spencer and Marvel are making the same mistake some thirty years later. Let’s just say that even though Kraven stays dead, he’s also technically not dead.

Credit: Ryan Ottley, Cliff Rathburn, and Nathan Fairbairn (Marvel Comics); from

Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 5 No. 23

…those who wished the actual conclusion of “Hunted” was an actual conclusion…Amazing Spider-Man No. 23 makes for a decent coda. Still would’ve be nice if it had been titled “Hunted Part 7,” though.

If you look at what Spencer sets out to do with the “Hunted” epilogue, however, he more than fulfills his task. Each of what he resolves and introduces with this comic are given just the right amount of page space. They’re also appropriately balanced in tone, as well. When a scene calls for some humor, it has humor. When a scene is intended as serious, it’s treated with seriousness. And when a scene calls for some thoughtful reflection, it has that, too.

A great example of this occurs at the comic’s beginning, which depicts Kraven’s second funeral. Aside from paying homage to Mike Zeck’s work in “Kraven’s Last Hunt,” the entire sequence is silent. Captions and word balloons are not required because we understand and see the range of emotions Kraven’s clone/son undergoes. Likewise, it speaks volumes about Ryan Spencer and Ryan Ottley as co-creators, showing just how much the artist is as much of a storyteller as the one who writes the scripts.

Credit: Ryan Ottley, Cliff Rathburn, and Nathan Fairbairn (Marvel Comics); from

Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 5 No. 23

Speaking of Ottley, it’s great seeing him back to close out “Hunted” just as he helped to open it with Amazing Spider-Man No. 16. There are a couple of panels which do seem a bit overcrowded, but all of them appear clean, concise, and perfectly arranged. Moreover, the opening pages aren’t the only instances where Ottley shows off his mastery of creating believable emotional reactions in his figures. Cliff Rathburn’s inks are also a perfect compliment to Ottley’s line work, providing them with just the right amount of shading. Only Nathan Fairbairn’s coloring, while wonderfully vivid, undermine the mood of certain scenes, particularly the somber ones.

For those who wished the actual conclusion of “Hunted” was an actual conclusion, or are curious at to what the future may hold for our friendly neighborhood web-slinger, Amazing Spider-Man No. 23 makes for a decent coda. Still would’ve been nice if it had been titled “Hunted Part 7,” though.

Stillanerd’s Score: 3.5 out of 5