Remember that cartoon Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends? You don’t? What the hell do you mean you were born in the 90’s? The 90’s ended, like, two years ago…or it least it feels like they did.
I’m getting so old.
Anyway, Bendis is slowly but surely putting together his own updated version of Spidey and his Amazing Friends against the backdrop of some brutal gang violence.
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Oscar Bazaldua
Publisher: Marvel Comics
First Read Reactions
- Nothing keeps a situation from escalating like adding an exploding teenager to the mix.
- Nothing fixes a guy’s “I won’t hit girls or kids” ethos like said exploding teenager knocking him flat on his ass.
- Who knew that Goldballs (HAHAHAHA) would turn out to be such a great source of snarky superhero introspection…although to be fair, having a name like means you pretty much have to be.
- I don’t care how big Hammerhead is, I’m taking a pissed of Miles in this fight any day.
- …or not. Holy crap.
The Verdict
First and foremost, this issue should be commended for giving Goldballs (GIGGLE) and Hammerhead some of the most interesting dialogue they’ll ever have. While Hammerhead got to demonstrate a few shreds of misplaced decency, Goldballs (HEH) gives the brooding/self-loathing superhero trope a brilliant verbal smack down.
And then you have the action. Bombshell vs. Hammerhead is the awesome fight you never knew you wanted, while Miles vs. Hammerhead turns out just as cool as you’d imagine. The resulting cliffhangers from their encounter are obvious moments to be resolved, but I can’t wait to see how it happens. About the only thing I took issue with was how little we got to see/hear from Bombshell after one of the first times she’s ever seemed truly likable. It had to happen the way the narrative was laid out, but it was still disappointing.
Art-wise, Oscar Bazaldua is great again. The dude can draw some incredible action sequences, especially when said action sequences get to feature Michael Bay-level explosions.
Do we get to the team up part? Not yet. But the journey to that wonderful bounty of nostalgia has been a lot of fun so far.
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!