The Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #15

by Harlan Ivester on January 31, 2018

The Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #15
Writer: Jody Houser
Artist: Nick Roche
Colorist: Ruth Redmond
Publisher: Marvel Comics
            We are finally one full arc through the new era of Renew Your Vows. If it wasn't after issue #13, then this is where many will be making that final call to stay on board or jump ship. I’m on board. 8 Years Later has been just what I needed it to be: a lighthearted, reassuring, fun Spider-Family adventure. The solicitations say otherwise, but I'm marking the Parker Family Fun Day a success. Spoilers below.

            No one should be surprised to have Annie as a narrator this time around, but I will admit that Peter’s talk about jumping into danger and her reaction did catch me off guard. One could argue that her being so adamant about punching bad guys conflicts with her whole, “open hearts over closed fists,” spiel from issue #12, but I suppose she is a teenager now and anyone could lose sight of something they knew when they were eight years old. Anyway, Peter gives her a speech about why it’s important to take risks for the possibility of saving lives, in a way that shows that he and MJ are starting to think of her as less of a child and more of a young adult. It’s nice to see Annie get some form of validation from her role models, and this is a perfect example of the interactions between family members that we really love this book for. Writer Jody Houser really has a handle on this, even if she probably could have given MJ a line better than, “Kidnappers ‘R’ Us.”

            Artist Nick Roche is still on top of his game, delivering great backgrounds, action sequences with strong dynamics, sympathetic expressions, etc. His Lizard is a highlight for me. He’s slimy, scaly, scary one moment, and giving them puppy dog eyes the next. Mister Sinister looks great as well. His…ribbon things flow in the wind to give him dramatic flair, and the rest of him is noticeably clean. It’s a great surprise splash page. Colorist Ruth Redmond is crucial in making environments believable by using the shadows against everyone involved. The two make for an occasionally animated look that’s restrained and doesn’t go over the top.

            Well, it's not quite on par with Gerry Conway’s, but this team absolutely understands what this book needs in order to be good. As long as we keep getting things like those talks from Spider-Dad and Spider-Mom brought up by simple, never convoluted plots for our heroes saving the day, I’ll be happy to support this book. Jody, Nick, Ruth: keep it up. This is a production I can always recommend to fans of the original run.
 

Our Score:

8/10

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