There are many reasons why Amazing Spider-Man #61 has been so eagerly anticipated. Partly, it is because of the creative team of Joe Kelly and Ed McGuiness together again. Partly, it is because of the tie-in event to One World Under Doom. Ignoring all that, however, it is a fantastic introductory issue. Beyond doing more to humanize Peter Parker than any story in recent memory, it also reasserts his central role in the Marvel Universe.
Most readers don’t require an introduction to who Peter Parker is, but Amazing Spider-Man #61 gives us a quick recap anyway. He’s a freelance photographer but is having trouble finding work. He’s dating a nurse named Shay, who puts up with his missing dates without explanation. And he’s devoted to his Aunt May and helps her with her charity work. He’s also a superhero who does whatever a spider can.
It is this last point that brings Doctor Doom to the Amazing Spider-Man. The newly appointed Sorcerer Supreme of Earth has learned that his predecessor, Doctor Strange, made a bargain with the crimson god Cyttorak. In exchange for Cyttorak protecting Earth from various cosmic threats, Strange agreed to annually battle the Eight Scions of Cyttorak for the amusement of their father.
Doom refuses to indulge in petty battles to amuse any god, so he outsources the title of Champion to the Amazing Spider-Man. It is a duty Peter tries to refuse right up until the first Scion shows up in Manhattan. The good news is that Doom has gifted Peter with a set of magical armor and eight extra lives for this task. The bad news is Peter is going to need every one of them.
Amazing Spider-Man #61 humanizes Peter Parker
Joe Kelly does a fantastic job writing superheroic action, and Amazing Spider-Man #61 showcases this fact. However, Kelly does two more important things. First, he makes Peter Parker funny. Kelly also takes the time, amidst all the magical exposition, to show Peter interacting with the larger Marvel Universe.
This is an odd point, but for all the presence Peter Parker has in the world of Marvel, the previous run of Amazing Spider-Man rarely acknowledged the events of other series and vice versa. For all intents and purposes, Amazing Spider-Man seemed to be off in its own universe, and what happened there wasn’t generally acknowledged in other comics. By contrast, Kelly acknowledges recent events at Marvel, complete with the classic editorial note boxes.
More importantly, Peter is shown interacting with various characters in a way that emphasizes his quintessential kindness. I won’t spoil all the cameos in this issue. Suffice it to say, it is good to see Peter interacting with Spider-Boy outside the pages of the Adolescent Arachnid’s solo series.
The artwork is equally familiar yet innovative. Ed McGuinness’ animated style is firmly evidence of this. His pencils are well-finished by the inks of Mark Farmer and the colors of Marcio Menyz. Praise must also be paid to Niko Henrichon, who provides the flashback sequences.
If you haven’t been reading Amazing Spider-Man, this is the perfect time to start. If you have been reading it, be prepared for it to feel like coming home for the first time in a while. With great artwork and a solid story, this is one to watch.
Grade: 5/5
Amazing Spider-Man #61 arrives in comic shops everywhere on November 13, 2024.
