Carnage flips sides to Torment’s team. Leaving Spider-Man and Venom to figure out what angle Torment is playing, and why?
Creative Team
Joe Kelly (Writer), Ed McGuinness (Artist/Cover Artist), Cliff Rathburn (Inker),
Marcio Menyz & Erick Arciniega (Colorist), VC’s Joe Caramagna (Letterer)
Lee Bermejo / Iban Coello & & Jesus Aburtov / Mark Bagley & Dean White / Jonas Scharf & Alex Guimarães / Mark Chiarello / Patrick Gleason & Alex Sinclair / Rose Besch / Chris Campana /
Robert Poggi & Rachel Rosenberg (Variant Cover Artists)
Sarah Spadaccini (Designer), Kaitlyn Lindtvedt (Assistant Editor), Tom Groneman (Associate Editor),
Nick Lowe (Editor), C.B. Cebulski (Editor-in-Chief)
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Unrelenting Torment
Issue twenty-five of The Amazing Spider-Man (ASM) is the fifth instalment in the mini-event titled “Death Spiral”. This is an amazing story that combines the current comic book runs of ASM and Venom. The villain for Death Spiral is an individual named Torment, and he does just that. Let’s get into how within this new issue of ASM.
ASM twenty-five takes us right back to where issue twenty-four ended. Spider-Man and Venom have teamed up and have also added Carnage to their ranks. Not knowing that Carnage is definitely “Team Torment.” There is a beautiful moment within these panels where Carnage tries to talk Torment into bonding with one another. Carnage would drop Eddie Brock to bond with Torment and go on living their lives as one kick butt killing duo.
As that is going on, Spider-Man and Venom are trying to connect all of the dots of who Torment is and how they’ve made it to this point. Then it clicks… And just around that time, Eddie Brock wakes from an induced slumber and goes after Torment for what he did in issue twenty-four. Now that Eddie is back in control of Carnage, that leaves Torment flying solo to finish his work.
Mary Jane goes absolutely crazy on Eddie Brock after Torment has escaped. Leaving Peter Parker to be the only level-headed one of the three. That is till they all realize that Torment is going after their families! Who Torment targets next leads to what is going to come in part six of Death Spiral!
The Writing
The writing for this issue by Joe Kelly is a mixture of serious and just downright hilarious. The serious tones come in the very beginning of this story, tapering off, then returning at the end of the issue. It is that in-between moment of this issue where the comedy interjects. The storyline continues to keep readers intrigued. I credit that to the “cliff-hanger” moments that Joe is so good at springing on you! This ASM run and even the mini event are very well written!
The Artwork
Ed McGuinness brings to this issue such defined and smooth pencil work. Everything within the art of this issue is crisp and clean. No rough edges or broken lines. And his attention to detail within muscles makes you think these characters should also be in Muscle & Fitness Magazine. I might add that there is a small detail on a television that I caught and openly laughed when I saw it. It’s that level of attention to detail that makes Ed’s work so great!
Cliff Rathburn, Marcio Menyz & Erick Arciniega. These three individuals brought the pencil work of Ed to a whole new level. Bright, vibrant colors used to bring focus to the characters. The shading is perfectly placed to fully embody when character limbs are bent and to what extent. Adding just the subtle hints of white to character suits to give them a “shining” or “glimmering” texture while in sunlight. Truly beautiful work!
Joe Caramagna is responsible for the astronomically perfect lettering in this issue! Every comment bubble is color-coded, giving the reader the exact character who is talking. The text font even changes to provide better distinction between characters. Spacing and placement within the panels are great! Joe does an amazing job at placing his comment bubbles in places that are important for the reader to see, but also in places that will not take away from the artwork.
Variant Covers
My Thoughts
ASM twenty-five is an amazing continuation of the Death Spiral event. This creative team put together an astonishing issue on every scale. You continue to get character development, plot twists, as well as sprinkles of different emotions. This story isn’t just panel to panel dark and serious. There are added comedic puns that are easy to pick up on. Issue twenty-four is definitely worth going out and picking up.
Grade: 9.5/10
Comic Book Reviews & Much More: Nerd Initiative
Previous ASM Review: The Amazing Spider-Man #24: Death Spiral Pt. 4 – Family is Blood
My Nerd Initiative Reviews: TravisComicHaven – NERD INITIATIVE
My Personal Content: Travis’ Comic Haven
PLEASE SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS IN THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW!
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Leave a Reply