Diving deep into Spider-Man and his amazing friends in our inaugural Web-Chat

Hello, everyone! Welcome to a new thing here at ComicsXF. I’m Tony Thornley, the curator for our new Spider-column. Rather than a standard discussion piece like our BatChat and X-Chat columns, this is going to be more of a roundup as our team covers the world wide web of Spider-Man. So strap in as we take a look at some of the latest Spider-books that have hit the spinner rack!

This week, I take a look at Amazing Spider-Man #56, I mean #950; Scott Redmond looks at Chasm: Curse of Kaine #1; and Latonya “Penn” Pennington gives us a timely retro-review of the Dark Web event that led to the Chasm storyline.

Giant-Sized Spidey … Again (Amazing Spider-Man #56)

Peter Parker finally makes his move against Tombstone. Unfortunately, Tombstone is about to make a move against him. Zeb Wells, John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna, Marcio Menyz and Joe Caramagna see the beginning of the end of their run, with backups by Wells, Andres Genolet, Ramon Rosanas, Rachelle Rosenberg, Lee Gatlin and Caramagna.

Tony Thornley: I have to say, I’ve been sick and tired of this volume of Amazing Spider-Man and the manufactured milestones. Just six issues ago, Spider-Man readers had to pay $10 for an extra-sized issue that was at least 50% fluff (yet if you were following the series, it was a key issue for the ongoing storyline). And this volume has done that every time with both the legacy numbering (#6 was ASM #900, as well as Legacy #925 and this issue, Legacy #950) and the regular numbering of the volume (again, that Amazing #50 from three months ago). 

When combined with the fact that this series is still coming out biweekly, that’s a serious financial burden on fans, and it’s frustrating. 

So it was a welcome sight for me in this issue when, yes, it was a double-sized, pricier issue, BUT every story in the issue was written by Zeb Wells, which made it feel significantly more substantial. It wasn’t 50% filler or fluff. It was a mostly “relevant to the plot” issue that ended with a cute cartoon.

I mean, I’m not thrilled to be paying $8 for the issue, but at least I’m feeling less ripped off.

Even better, this issue focuses on one of the two plot lines that Wells has actually done well this volume: the war between Spider-Man and Tombstone. It was intense (Romita and Hanna knocked the limo fight out of the park!), the character work was great, and the cliffhanger actually surprised me.

Now if we could only get versions of Randy Robertson and Janice Lincoln who actually look on model.

Oh yeah, and Paul continues to suuuuuuuck. Spider-fans might hate on him a little too much, but he really sucks.

Buy Amazing Spider-Man #56 here.

Not-So-Friendly Neighborhood … Muggers? (Chasm: Curse Of Kaine #1)

Kaine Parker is sick and tired of his brother’s evil shenanigans. It’s time the Scarlet Spider did something about Chasm and Hallow’s Eve. Unfortunately, someone else has turned their eye to them in Chasm: Curse of Kaine #1 by Steve Foxe, Andrea Broccardo, Brian Reber and Joe Caramagna.

Scott Redmond: I’m going to start this off with the truth. Despite being a huge Spider-Man fan, I’m woefully behind on anything that isn’t Miles Morales related (or Ghost-Spider/Gwen, which is a whole other thing to unpack). All of the basics of what is up is known because I just like Marvel too much to not be at least aware of things, the good and the bad. That said, I was there for Ben Reilly’s return to herodom and his fall into becoming Chasm. 

Just not all the Dark Web and other stuff in the middle. I figured, what the heck, he’s in a book with Kaine now, maybe I should check it out.

[Insert a gif of someone making a face and pulling at their collar.]

What a messy mixed bag, to say the least. 

Kaine stuff? Gimme more of that. As soon as Kaine became Scarlet Spider like a decade ago, I was in and wanted more. Since those years, he’s been pretty low key and sporadic. I think it’s time for him to get a full new go, especially since he’s the heroic one now and Ben is just a messy mess of epic messy proportions. 

The groan I let out that this is some Eternals bullshit [Ed Note: The antagonist appears to be Druig, aka the Eternal that’s only been good in the movie] mixed with Chasm and Hallows’ Eve being costumed muggers or something just all falls so flat. Both feel like they are trying super duper hard to make fetch happen, and it’s just not happening. 

Kaine’s going to get me to check out issue #2, but I do so begrudgingly and with a frown on my face. 

Buy Chasm: Curse of Kaine #1 here.

So What’s Up with That Dark Web? (Dark Web TP)

See how it all began as Chasm decides to make his move against his brother, Peter Parker, the Amazing Spider-Man. Unfortunately for all of New York, his plan involves the Queen of Limbo, Madelyne Pryor. Dark Web comes from writers Zeb Wells, Al Ewing, Ram V, Gerry Duggan and Sabir Pirzada; artists John Romita Jr., Adam Kubert, Ed McGuinness, Bryan Hitch, Rod Reis, Phil Noto and Francesco Mortarino; colorists Scott Hanna, Frank Martin, Marcio Menyz, Don Sanchez Almara and Alex Sinclair; and letterers Joe Carmagna, Clayton Cowles, Ariana Maher and Cory Petit.

Latonya “Penn” Pennington: I’m gonna be honest here. I only read this event because IIlyana Rasputin played a key role in it. After all, she did give Madelyne Pryor, aka the Goblin Queen, the keys to Limbo under a binding magical contract back in New Mutants #28. I was excited to see what the aftermath would look like for Madelyne, because I suspected she’d find a loophole in Magik’s contract and attack a different place than Krakoa.

However, I didn’t know that I’d have to wade through a confusing event involving Spider-Man, Carnage and Venom to get to the good stuff. I barely cared for the main event, because only the X-Men and Ms. Marvel tie-ins were entertaining. 

While I didn’t expect Ms. Marvel to be involved at all, I was happy to see Kamala team up with different characters. Favorite Ms. Marvel moments involved her facing a giant living mosque with Miles Morales and her being so cranky in Limbo that the demons sent her back to Earth. I also liked seeing the return of The Inventor, a Ms. Marvel villain from her very first series.

As for the X-Men tie-in, it was pretty entertaining, too. Madelyne’s motive was surprisingly sympathetic, and I liked learning more about her. I only know her from the “Labors of Magik” New Mutants arc, so it was nice to get a deeper look at her. Speaking of Magik, her adult self actually gets sidelined a little, but her child self plays a kickass role. At least adult Magik gets some great lines like, “What’d I miss? Any kissing?”

All in all, I didn’t enjoy this trade as a whole, but a couple of tie-ins were worth it. Grateful to Tumblr for showing me an image of Illyana in the Dark X-Men tie-in and for Tony Thornley for guiding me to the trade.

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Tony Thornley

Tony Thornley is a geek dad, blogger, Spider-Man and Superman aficionado, X-Men guru, autism daddy, amateur novelist, and all around awesome guy. He’s also very humble.

Scott Redmond

Scott Redmond is a freelance writer and educator fueled by coffee, sarcasm, his love for comic books and more "geeky" things than you can shake a lightsaber at. Probably seen around social media and remembered as "Oh yeah, that guy." An avid gamer, reader, photographer, amateur cook and solid human being.

Latonya Pennington

Latonya Pennington is a freelance contributor whose comics criticism can be found at Women Write About Comics, Comic Book Herald, Newsarama and Shelfdust, among others.