After a shaky start to his new life, Peter Parker has finally found some stability with a high-flying job at Oscorp and an upcoming dinner date with Black Cat. Just when things are looking up, the old Parker luck strikes again as Spider-Man has to go head-to-head with not one but two Hobgoblins. Marvel takes Spider-Man down a familiar road that comes with strings attached. The Amazing Spider-Man #13 comes from the creative team of writer Zeb Wells, penciler John Romita Jr., inker Scott Hanna, colorist Marcio Menyz, and letterer VC’s Joe Caramagna, creating a balance between emotion and action.
The Amazing Spider-Man #13 opens with Norman Osborn helplessly watching the pandemonium unfold through Spidey’s suit cam as two Hobgoblins have their way with the Wallcrawler. The original Hobgoblin, Roderick Kingsley, has once again brainwashed Peter’s friend Ned Leeds into thinking that he is the fiend on the glider. With Spidey standing in the way, the deadly duo rains down a barrage of lethal attacks that push the web-slinging superhero to the brink. Luckily, a man in white and gold swings down and turns the tables on the bad guys, giving Peter enough time to get back on his feet for round two.
After dealing with Tombstone and the Vulture in earlier story arcs, The Amazing Spider-Man #13 pits the downtrodden hero against two Hobgoblins. Action is the watchword in this issue; the gloves come off in this brutal grudge match as the ugliness of Kingsley’s baser nature starts to seep into his actions and infects his puppet like a disease. Even when he’s in the middle of a fight, Parker continues his signature rambling that juxtaposes his mental state with the punishments wrought on him. While Peter has been up against worse, he plays the role of underdog under writer Zeb Wells’ direction to let someone else take the spotlight. In a way, the Hobgoblins come out of it worse, for their whole presence is just a plot device to set up future events.
The action scenes are very well crafted. The zooming gliders speeding through narrow corridors of space, aiming and firing at an acrobatic Spidey, make the reader feel the intensity of the chase. But the same issues of jarring facial expressions and caricaturish proportions persist throughout the book. Romita Jr.’s imperfections can be distracting in crucial moments. Hanna’s inks add clarity and excitement to the pencils. Using a wide range of colors, Marcio Menyz keeps the panels vibrant and gives the action an extra burst of energy. Although it is mostly flashy explosions and wanton destruction, Menyz manages to pull the tone back for emotional scenes where everything remains covered in muted, moody shades.
With the fight and its aftermath taking up a majority of the issue, The Amazing Spider-Man #13 book trails off at the end, letting the bubbling emotions pour over the book. The villains are particularly tragic in this issue. Leeds’ demise is especially painful to watch. Despite its demerits, The Amazing Spider-Man #13 tells a good overall story and gives Peter a chance to push through his obstacles.
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