Deron Generally
Deron Generally
The Amazing Spider-Man #74
Marvel Comics
Written by Nick Spencer and Christos Gage
Art by Marcelo Ferriera, Mark Bagley, Ze Carlos, Dio Nves, Carlos Gomez, Ivan Fiorelli and Humberto Ramos
Inks by Wayne Faucher, Victor Olazaba, Andrew Hennessy, and Andy Owens
Colors by Andrew Crossley, Edgar Delgado and Alex Sinclair
Letters by Joe Caramagna
Special pages by J.M DeMatteis, Sal Buscema and Bob Sharen
The Rundown: Peter and his allies fight for their lives as Doctor Strange puts his soul on the line to protect Spider-Man.
In the aftermath of losing his best friend, Harry Osborn wakes up in what he thinks is his home but finds himself in the presence of Mephisto. As Harry believes he died a hero, Mephisto reminds him off all the wrongs he never confessed to the people he claimed to care about. As Mephisto prepares him for his punishment, Harry wants to know the truth about his life and why he has always felt marked in some way. As Mephisto’s plan comes together, Peter and Mary Jane are reunited just as the truth of Kindred comes into reality.
As both Kindred’s reveal themselves, Doctor Strange strikes a bargain with Mephisto on Peter’s behalf. A bargain that could cost Strange his own soul in the process. As the Kindred’s battle Spider-Man, Harry learns the truth about himself and decides to confront his “family”. Norman reveals the truth to MJ as Peter and Harry fight for their lives. A fight that will end in tragedy for some, victory for others and a revelation from Mephisto about why he keeps his eye on Peter Parker.
The Story: The finale has a lot of work to do to bring all the story elements together in a way that makes sense and this story does that really well. There is a lot going on in the issue, but the writers manage to keep it focused in ways that remind the reader how interesting and dynamic a character Spider-Man can be. The story does have some rough patches like taking away the menace of Kindred when the truth is revealed and I wish there was more of a deep dive into Mephisto’s obsession with Parker, but the story is really well done and affirms some of the best aspects of the character and his world.
The Art: Each of the artists deliver some great visual moments in the issue. The action is visually dynamic and the characters moments are perfectly captured.
The Amazing Spider-Man #74
