Comic Review: Amazing Spider-Man (2018-) #16

Amazing Spider-Man (2018-) #16

Marvel Comics

Writer: Nick Spencer

Artist: Ryan Ottley

Since Nick Spencer relaunched Amazing Spider-Man, the book has operated on a higher level that it has since Brand New Day. Now, we get the precursor to the story that’s been slowly building since the first issue.

First of all, the Lizard wears a tank top in this issue so it’s above average at worst. Reptilian fashion aside, this issue pretty successfully sets up the Kraven story arc that’s been teased since the very first one. The key words here being “sets up”. There’s a fair amount of explaining and exposition going on here, but it never gets too overbearing. Kraven’s plan is laid out, it makes sense, I dig it. It takes on the tough, but necessary, job of setting up a story to look forward to, but ends up making itself feel a bit unremarkable on its own merits. It’s still enjoyable though, and this kind of heavy-lifting is something that’s easier to appreciate in retrospect.

In terms of characterization, Spencer’s Kraven is spot-on. He’s recognizably Kraven, but without compromising the lighthearted tone of the book to achieve it. Spencer throws in a new variable regarding Kraven that, so far, works well. I’ll leave out the specifics for spoiler’s sake. His motivations and goals make perfect sense, and add weight to what could be a pretty standard plot.

As it turns out, this is an over-sized issue, so we do get a second story involving Peter and the Lizards (cue the tank top). This story, though shorter, is much more in line with what we’ve come to expect from this book. Fun banter, strong but understated character moments, and heart. This bit has art by Alberto Albuquerque, who I’m unfamiliar with. Like every other artist who’s worked on this book, his style is very much suited to Spider-Man and looks fantastic.

Ottley is back and drawing the main Kraven bits. There’s not much that I can say regarding Ottley that hasn’t been said a thousand times, but I will confirm that his pages are wonderful. He’s so perfect for Spider-Man it honestly boggles my mind that it took Ottley this long to draw him.

Amazing Spider-Man #6 isn’t the strongest issue of this run, but that doesn’t stop it from being a joy. Two strong artists and an interesting story direction make this issue a great jumping-on point. There’s a lot of setups here, but Nick Spencer’s track record proves that we’ll be better off for it in the long-run.