Written by: Zeb Wells
Art by: Carmen Carnero
Colors by: Marcio Menyz
Letters by: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover art by: John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna, Marcio Menyz
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: March 13, 2024
Amazing Spider-Man #45 sends Spidey on an errand to cure Aunt Anna Watson from her psychosis induced by the tainted Krakoan medicine, leading to a follow-up visit at Ravenscroft that teases things to come.
Is Amazing Spider-Man #45 Good?
File Amazing Spider-Man #45 under “Cleaning Up and Planting Seeds” because Zeb Wells takes the entire issue to cool down from the lackluster Gang War event to do just that. Wells uses your hard-earned dollar to collect a series of scenes that resolve Aunt Anna’s madness, explains where the Gold Goblin was hiding during the Gang War, and sets the stage for what will likely be the return of the Green Goblin.
When last we left the Amazing Spider-Man, he got his butt handed to him in the final battle of the Gang War event in Central Park when his allies arrived to turn the tide. Ultimately, Madame Masque was captured, Beetle went on the run, and Tombstone ascended to the station of top crime lord in NYC.
Now, Spider-Man sneaks into Ravencroft to administer the cure for the Krakoan medicine he helped develop in X-Men #29 to Aunt Anna. Peter and Norman Osborn have a heart-to-heart in Norman’s office, resulting in an offer to keep Peter employed full-time while spending more time being Spider-Man instead of Peter the Scientist. Later, Peter and MJ visit a cured Aunt Anna in Ravencroft, where we receive a hint from William Baker (the current Sandman) that the Sinister Six has reassembled, and they’re eager to get their Goblin back.
Do you see what I mean? The entire issue is clean-up and teases, a transition issue in every sense of the phrase.
What’s great about Amazing Spider-Man #45? In an ongoing series troubled by forgotten threads, plot holes, and general sloppiness, it’s nice to see Wells put in the effort to clean up the narrative. Except for the opening scene, Amazing Spider-Man #45 is a Peter-centric issue, and it appears he’s finally starting to enjoy some stability in his life.
What’s not so great about Amazing Spider-Man #45? The main thrust of this issue relies on Aunt Anna’s place in Peter’s life, a place that hasn’t been mentioned or referenced in the last two years. In effect, loyal ASM readers will have no idea that Aunt Anna was in Ravencroft, why she was there, or what Peter promised he would do to help her because none of those events appeared in ASM or Spidey-related titles. This is all Krakoa-era X-Men stuff. If Wells wanted to use Aunt Anna’s subplot to set the stage for what comes next, he should have set it up better.
How’s the art? Clean, clear, and concise. Carmen Carnero’s art looks great, and truth be told, I prefer Carnero over Romita Jr.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
Follow @ComicalOpinions on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Bits and Pieces
Amazing Spider-Man delivers a post-Gang War cooldown issue to tie up loose ends, some of which started in ASM and some in other titles, to set the stage for the return of Green Goblin. The character interactions are nice, but the lack of meat on the plot and the lack of setup for Aunt Anna leave a bland aftertaste.
6.5/10
