Carneros art is beautifully detailed and visually vibrant. A fantastic looking issue that showcases the characters brilliantly. Read Full Review

After Spider-Man is mentioned during the conversation, Marko tries to break free from Bakers subconscious in a fit of rage. Read Full Review

That uncertainty is as meaningful as any big battle in Central Park and makes the cliffhanger reveal at the end of Amazing Spider-Man #45 all the more sinister. Read Full Review

Amazing Spider-Man delivers a post-Gang War cooldown issue to tie up loose ends, some of which started in ASM and some in other titles, to set the stage for the return of Green Goblin. The character interactions are nice, but the lack of meat on the plot and the lack of setup for Aunt Anna leave a bland aftertaste. Read Full Review

Easily Zeb's best issue in a while. The art from Carnero was amazing, but Zeb's script here is very focused and very enjoyable. It's also nice to get some plot threads going again, even ~39 issues ago.

This was the best issue of the series since the Spider-Man's First Hunt storyline. I acknowledge that I may be overrating this a bit, but this is the most I've enjoyed this title in six months. Despite the dip in quality and the amount of people trashing Wells online for this run, I know he's a good writer and I've been waiting for this run to get better. This just felt a lot more personal and intimate than what we've been getting with something like Gang War, and I think that worked towards the book's benefit greatly. Plus, Carnero's art fits really well with the story. I was hoping she'd be on the series more regularly, but that doesn't seem to be the case with her being announced for Eve L. Ewing's Exception X-Men run. I'll take one more issue with her over nothing, though, as she was announced for Issue 46. more

I have no idea why Anna took weird Krakoan medicine but even given that lack of knowledge beforehand that sequence is handled deftly. Wells can write very touching interpersonal dialogue. He doesn't like to tap into it often, relying on really jarring action sequences but when he gets Peter in a room with a small group or just one on one, his dialogue flourishes. Most notably with Norman. It honestly breaks my heart to see how much distance has been crossed for both Peter and Norman together that we know it's coming to an end soon. All the good that Norman has struggled, bled and fought to do will come crashing down and while disheartening will be something to see. Even the short interaction we get between Peter and William Barker (Sandman) is all that deeper personal connection that Peter should always bring to his world. He brings people hope. more

Refreshing to see good art again on a premier book.

The solicits lie once again, as does the cover. But what we got was enjoyable enough, so it's fine. It's very weird how often this run manages to tie up plot threads without ever actually pursuing the narrative opportunities they offer. We saw it with Black Cat, we saw it with the Spidey Who Laughs, and we see it here with Aunt Anna. Now, I didn't think the idea of Aunt Anna going crazy was very good to begin with, but imagine you're reading this run all in one go at a later time when it's all wrapped up. This plot thread is introduced in an annual by a different writer, is never mentioned unless it's in extreme passing, and is then resolved with all the work to do so being done in another title that's not even a Spidey title. Why was it ever a plot thread to begin with? Why are we spending a whole issue on it now? What is the impetus that made Nick Lowe and Zeb Wells decide this is what needed to come next? I remember the Nick Spencer run having similar issues with plot threads being dismissed and then brought back in these sort of "catch up" issues that aren't necessarily part of any one story arc, but rather serve as a refresher for the reader. I very much think this is a Nick Lowe problem rather than Wells or Spencer.

We do get a solid outing here despite my metatextual problems. I think the characterization is on point, Peter is a peak empathetic here, the script is focused, and we end up with a rather complete feeling issue, which is *very rare* for modern Spidey, especially since the two-week schedule came into effect. My favorite moment of the whole issue was actually Pete and MJ meeting up in costume, and the awkward moment where they both have to change out of their costumes. It was cute. I want more of that.

Also, Carmen Carnero is a great comic artist. She was great on Captain Marvel and is great here. I really hope this issue and the next are not the only time we'll see her on the title for the foreseeable future. She makes a great addition.

I was bummed out on Gang War (and I still am), so it's nice to read an issue that reminds me of the good this run has to offer after being beaten down by its worst elements in the previous arc. more

Wait, did we just get a good ASM issue after all this time? Good dialogue and meaningful character interactions? Crazy.

Good looking cover on this one, although I miss the days when covers generally had something in common with the content of the issue. This issue felt like a step in the right direction in that Peter's actual life seems a bit neglected in this run, so it's nice to see him interacting with people even if none of it seems particularly meaningful. I'm not super stoked to see the Sinister Six. That's not very fresh; Peter's been fighting them for 60 years. Is that why we're doing this again? 60 year anniversary?

better than gang war but also nothing happened lmao (why is this a $4.99 issue?)

It wasn't horrible. Yawning at the end though. Just can't get away from the same villains over and over.