To be a Spider-Man fan is to steel oneself for the pain and agony Peter Parker’s life will inevitably inflict on him and the reader. For the most part, Zeb Wells started his run maintaining that philosophy, with Peter trying to find his bearings by day and getting pummelled by his enemies at night. This time, however, Marvel is making some significant changes in the Wallcrawler’s life. He starts working beside a reformed Norman Osborn and works up the courage to ask Felicia Hardy on a date. But old foes return to rain on the webhead’s parade. The Amazing Spider-Man #12, written by Zeb Wells, featuring artwork from John Romita Jr. and Scott Hanna, with colors by Mario Menyz, with letters from VC’s Joe Caramagna, is a fun, action-packed issue.
The Amazing Spider-Man #12 deals with the aftermath of the Hobgoblin’s attack, which left Norman Osborn wounded and buried under rubble, along with Roderick Kingsley and his bodyguards. Peter visits Norman the next day at the hospital and tries to get to the bottom of the incident. Vowing to catch the Hobgoblin red-handed, he goes to the next best place that can give him the clues he needs. At Ned and Betty’s apartment, he looks for Ned and finds Betty nervous and anxious when she breaks down and reveals that her husband has started putting on the Hobgoblin costume again. Peter rushes to Ned’s location and confronts him but gets promptly attacked by an unknown person in Hobgoblin attire.
The Amazing Spider-Man #12 starts slow, like a detective story that unfolds with each interaction, unlocking one segment of the mystery after another. Peter Parker plays the role of the sleuth perfectly as his superhero instincts kick in instantly after seeing the condition of his boss and former rival. The story throttles up the pace midway when Spider-Man finally finds the real culprit behind the attack. A tumultuous battle ensues that leaves both parties reeling from the adverse effects of a bare-knuckle contest, leaving readers anxiously waiting for the next issue.
John Romita Jr. is firing on all cylinders in this issue to create rambunctious illustrations. Each panel captures the characters in the middle of their thoughts, sometimes focusing on their pensive faces or highlighting their frustration. While the artwork is far from realistic, the grounded approach it takes helps the reader ease into the book as Spider-Man does what he does best — fight bad guys. Scott Hanna’s inks and Marcio Menyz’s colors keep the visuals bold and bright. The colors, in particular, do an amazing job of marrying together the different elements in Romita Jr.’s art, often softening the rough edges.
The Amazing Spider-Man #12 piles more miseries on the friendly neighborhood hero. This time it is Osborn’s past sins that have caught up to him, but not all of the blame can be put on his shoulders. Zeb Wells is slowly bringing Spidey’s old enemies into the series while giving other characters a chance to have their own arcs within the main story, influencing Peter to take his chance at life as well. The Amazing Spider-Man #12 is a grudge match where nothing will stop the bad blood from flowing.
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