More Amazing Spider-Man already? You bet! Sometimes the double-shipping efforts of a comic book publisher can be appreciated. Nick Spencer and Ryan Ottley’s second issue keeps the good vibes going in Amazing Spider-Man #2.
***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***
Following the extra-sized introductory issue, this week’s Spidey adventure takes the time to scale back and push forward with our new, exciting era of web-swinging. Spencer and Ottley are already heroes on the web-head front, Amazing Spider-Man #2 subtly shows us why.
A lot of this issue is conversation, and it’s damn good entertainment. The opening, with Pete and MJ in bed (reassuring readers that they are really back together), is filled with such real and relatable dialogue. It’s very satisfying to see the greatest couple in comic book history back together and in capable hands.
Nick Spencer proves with this issue that his voice for Peter Parker is so fitting, that he could literally sit there and read his science column to us and we’d eat it up. His quipping and joke misfires are clever in both their execution and fallout.
We’re back to a place with Amazing Spider-Man where we don’t need gigantic, epic story setups to get involved. All we need is Peter Parker and the city of New York. Spencer may have been miscast on a few titles in his time at Marvel, but Spider-Man is clearly the perfect fit we were all waiting for.
We should have known after his Superior Foes of Spider-Man that this would be a great fit. The success of that series is also likely to be a big part of this run going forward. We don’t need big-time villains every arc. Spencer has and will be able to utilize lower-tier villains and make them into superstars.
Ryan Ottley really has a flair for highlighting the humanity in characters. Whether it’s in their eyes, expressions or posture, he’s makes each person’s motives clear to the reader at all times. This becomes extremely apparent with that of Dr. Curtis Connors. There’s a pain and shame in his eyes but also that of determination.
The way Ottley frames things is also crucial to the fluidity of this issue’s narrative. Things like the Spidey outfit peaking out of the closet in a panel where Peter and MJ talk about what obstacles they had in the past.
His web lines are also notable in that you can spend the entire issue paying attention to how they leave and enter frame–it’s accurate every time. There are no webs being spun for the sake of webs being spun.
I know we’re only two issues in, but this is the real deal. We’ve been through enough good and bad Spider-Man runs to know when to spot something special. Spencer and Ottley’s Amazing Spider-Man is going to be at the top of essential Spidey reading lists forever.
