The Amazing Spider-Man #22 Review
Writer: Nick Spencer
Penciler: Huberto Ramos
Inkers: Victor Olazaba & Humberto Ramos
Colorists: Edgar Delgado & Erick Arciniega
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Publisher: Marvel Comics
I think most people have been in agreement that “Hunted” has lasted a little too long, but now that we’re in the home stretch, we should be able to expect a pick-up. Being hyped up as the Spider-Man story of the year and Nick Spencer’s most important chapter of his story yet, this one has a lot of weight on its shoulders. Let’s dive in.
In its climactic issue, Hunted is sure to be at least somewhat divisive. The nature of its resolution will have some people calling it anticlimactic or maybe confusing. I can gladly say that it kept me on my toes and there were several moments where I was sure the story was going one way only for it to take a hard right, in a way that feels mostly earned. Frankly, though, I don’t think this story is one that’s going to stand shoulder to shoulder with Kraven’s Last Hunt – not that anyone really expected it to. Kraven’s plan and the series of events is just a lot more convoluted this time around, and almost always, less is more. The dialogue is mostly good but occasionally teetering on the edge of corny. I can’t really get into that without talking spoilers, though.
There’s not too much I can say about Ramos’s contributions to the book that hasn’t already been said. To his credit, this issue feels much tighter than previous ones of this arc, but I think that the art will be talked about as downside of it as a whole. Today’s readers are feeling a little disappointed that we didn’t get Ottley on the story when his work was a major selling point of this ASM relaunch. Future readers will likely think of this saga’s interior art as inconsistent and sloppy. There’s a sequence with the Lizard, and in one panel he has this giant, goofy smile. I have no idea if he’s actually supposed to be smiling or not, because the layout is kind of confusing. If he is, it still feels out of place. The colorists pay a lot of attention to the finer details in every panel. If there’s one area of the visuals I can really commend, it’s there. Unfortunately, it can be hard to appreciate when your eyes are focusing more on the pencils themselves.
I wouldn’t call Hunted a straight dud, but it could have been so much more. The pacing has been its most obvious flaw, and the logical gymnastics that the resolution had to give readers will probably leave many scratching their heads. It didn’t help that the spin-off issues had much better artwork than the main story did. I… liked Hunted overall, but I find myself thinking about its potential more than its reality. I’m ready to move on.
Penciler: Huberto Ramos
Inkers: Victor Olazaba & Humberto Ramos
Colorists: Edgar Delgado & Erick Arciniega
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Publisher: Marvel Comics
I think most people have been in agreement that “Hunted” has lasted a little too long, but now that we’re in the home stretch, we should be able to expect a pick-up. Being hyped up as the Spider-Man story of the year and Nick Spencer’s most important chapter of his story yet, this one has a lot of weight on its shoulders. Let’s dive in.
In its climactic issue, Hunted is sure to be at least somewhat divisive. The nature of its resolution will have some people calling it anticlimactic or maybe confusing. I can gladly say that it kept me on my toes and there were several moments where I was sure the story was going one way only for it to take a hard right, in a way that feels mostly earned. Frankly, though, I don’t think this story is one that’s going to stand shoulder to shoulder with Kraven’s Last Hunt – not that anyone really expected it to. Kraven’s plan and the series of events is just a lot more convoluted this time around, and almost always, less is more. The dialogue is mostly good but occasionally teetering on the edge of corny. I can’t really get into that without talking spoilers, though.
There’s not too much I can say about Ramos’s contributions to the book that hasn’t already been said. To his credit, this issue feels much tighter than previous ones of this arc, but I think that the art will be talked about as downside of it as a whole. Today’s readers are feeling a little disappointed that we didn’t get Ottley on the story when his work was a major selling point of this ASM relaunch. Future readers will likely think of this saga’s interior art as inconsistent and sloppy. There’s a sequence with the Lizard, and in one panel he has this giant, goofy smile. I have no idea if he’s actually supposed to be smiling or not, because the layout is kind of confusing. If he is, it still feels out of place. The colorists pay a lot of attention to the finer details in every panel. If there’s one area of the visuals I can really commend, it’s there. Unfortunately, it can be hard to appreciate when your eyes are focusing more on the pencils themselves.
I wouldn’t call Hunted a straight dud, but it could have been so much more. The pacing has been its most obvious flaw, and the logical gymnastics that the resolution had to give readers will probably leave many scratching their heads. It didn’t help that the spin-off issues had much better artwork than the main story did. I… liked Hunted overall, but I find myself thinking about its potential more than its reality. I’m ready to move on.
A Look Inside
