Marvel’s Amazing Spider-Man #26 Keeps Fans Divided With a Shocking Twist. Amazing Spider-Man #26 shocks readers in a different way than promised, playing every bad trope in the book while giving Kamala an irreverent sendoff.
It was way back in February this year that Marvel Comics first publicized “The Most Shocking Issue of Amazing Spider-Man in 50 Years.” The hype was immediately infectious and swept through social media like wildfire as fans started expressing concern over the ominous nature of the announcement. While they were on the fence after the mediocre start of the series, the recent widespread coverage of the leaked plot and the ultimate fate of Ms. Marvel has left most readers fuming. Written by Zeb Wells with artwork from John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna, Marcio Menyz, and Erick Arciniega and letters from VC’s Joe Caramagna, Amazing Spider-Man #26 is gearing up to be the most contentious Spider-Man issue in recent times.
After the necessary exposition in the previous issues, Amazing Spider-Man #26 continues directly from Rabin’s arrival to this reality, which puts Mary Jane, Peter Parker and Paul on high alert. Rabin is bloodthirsty as he has only one goal in mind right now: to kill Mary Jane and prove to Wayep his worth. Ms. Marvel, The Fantastic Four, and Norman Osborn in his Gold Goblin suit also join the fight to protect Mary Jane and defeat the unhinged emissary once and for all. However, Rabin is not without his tricks as he unleashes Quetzalcoatl onto New York, whose fiery breath is a steady stream of quantum glyphs. The heroes maneuver against Rabin’s newfound strength, but at what cost?
Gold Goblin and Ms. Marvel fight Rabin as Spider-Man protects Mary Jane in Amazing Spider-Man #26january
Amazing Spider-Man #26 feels like a finale, as characters come together to fight evil — now a staple trope in the climax of most superhero arcs. Zeb Wells has established beforehand that Rabin needs to kill Mary Jane to ascend to Godhood. The issue builds towards this at a hectic pace, scrambling together pieces of revealing flashbacks and wild kaiju encounters. While the Quetzalcoatl replica that rampages through Central Park provides much-needed entertainment, the underhanded quips and reconciliation come about too abruptly, no doubt to wipe the slate clean before the next arc begins. Wells seems to have ramped up Rabin’s powers. His villain’s single-minded focus makes him rather one-dimensional and a blunt plot device for the miscalculated shock and awe that comes later in the book.
John Romita Jr.’s artwork works with the action-packed nature of the story as the rigidity of his lines is not much noticeable, with the characters moving around the panels. In an uncontrolled environment, inker Scott Hanna helps the illustrations blend in with the background, which gives Spider-Man enough room to lash out at Rabin and The Fantastic Four. However, his anatomical proportions make the visages look jarring. Colorist Menyz and Arciniega stick to a grey color palette for the backdrop against which the blazing shades of fire and magic look striking. Meanwhile, letterer Joe Caramagna changes the shape and size of both fonts and speech bubbles to keep up the dramatics since Romita Jr.’s art fails to invoke any expressions in the characters.
Amazing Spider-Man #26 finally brings the saga of Spider-Man and Rabin’s rivalry to a close. But falls flat in the face of the aftermath it leaves behind its wake. It’s not hard to see where things may have gone wrong with the entire arc, with the strong start that the series once had now a distant memory. This issue tries to mitigate damages and give closure to bitter exchanges. Yet it muddles everything once more, with a flashback scene between the trio of Peter, Paul, and Mary that unfolds in poor taste. The only thing that works in the issue is the action until the unceremonious treatment of Ms. Marvel shows how pointless her entire storyline has been. The anguish and outrage of readers are justified when Amazing Spider-Man #26 undermines not one but two major heroes — a low blow in the name of synergy.
