Writer: Nick Spencer
Art: Mark Bagley
Publisher: MARVEL COMICS
Price: $3.99
Release Date: January 27th, 2021
After the cliffhanger of our last issue, Amazing Spider-Man fans should know by now to not expect the next issue to pick up where the last left off, right? So let’s dive in and see where Nick Spencer and company are heading now!!!
True to form, and much to many fan’s expectations, right when we think we’re getting some answers, Nick Spencer does a 180 and goes another direction. Or does he though?
While Jonathan Hickman and Chris Claremont, among others, are praised for their so-called “long game”, Nick Spencer’s run has been much maligned for its let’s call it “lack of focus”.
I don’t think that’s the case though at all. A case in point is the thought bubble in the upper left corner of the page below!!
I truly believe that True Believers! By the end of this issue you’ll see that while certain plot aspects of the last issue are ignored almost completely, the many many threads that have been dangling for many issues are starting to come together.
By the time Spencer’s run is long over I think it may read better in a collected format, much like the also much-maligned Heroes in Crisis. That doesn’t necessarily make it good by any means, I just think it’ll read better. And let’s be honest, attention spans are short. So retaining what happened from a month ago is a stretch sometimes. I always read the previous month’s issue before I do the current month’s review for that very reason.
What we don’t need a collected version of to enjoy immediately however is the art! The pencils by Marcelo Ferreira and colors by Morry Hollowell are outstanding! The use of black backgrounds brings out the “negative” of our title! Ferreira draws a weary, worn out, yet strong Spidey in awesome fashion! 
Another thing you can certainly count on with ASM is “AMAZING” variant covers. This month is no exception. Check em out! 
Final Thoughts:
Nick Spencer will surely enrage some fans with this issue, but I prefer to look at it as Spencer slowly but surely beginning to tie up all the dangling threads he’s left us. Not a must-buy by any means but it left this reviewer with a lot to think about and looking forward to the next issue. That’s kind of the pint right?