“Amazing” is Apt For “Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1” (2026)

*POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD!*

Screwball, Hobgoblin & Smythe, Oh My!

Going into this book, I had little to no idea on what to expect. While I’ve done my best to keep up on the happenings of Ghost Spider, or Spider-Gwen as most know her, it’s been a hot minute since I picked up a Spider-Man issue. I had also never read anything from writer Saladin Ahmed and can’t remember the last time I read something from Joe Kelly. So when I say I was pleasantly surprised here, I mean it. The writing was simply amazing. Spectacular, even!

The opening story by Saladin Ahmed caught me hook, line and sinker. The story reintroduces us to Rapid, a hero first introduced in “Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man #1” from June 2025. Being a guy with time-related powers who does his best to provide for his family and ailing father, he’s without a doubt a great match to Spidey and the perfect foil to this story’s villain, Screwball.

Spidey himself takes more of a backseat here as he works to train Rapid during Screwball’s attacks on the city. Ahmed gives Rapid and Screwball both plenty of time and room to shine, truly making you care about what happens. Screwball herself is handled brilliantly (and I’d love to see him write her more down the line), while the story plays out in such a way for Rapid that I nearly bawled my eyes out.

After this comes the second, albeit much smaller story “Deal With the Devils” by Joe Kelly. This story seems to fit more in line with what’s going on in “Amazing Spider-Man” currently as we’re shown Hobgoblin and one of Smythe’s bots sparring against each other. While the story was short, it was very well written and left me with questions. Questions that entice me to read more as new issues drop.

Art on a New Level

With great writing, there must also come great artwork and that truly shows here. With art by Federico Vicentini in the first story and Roi Mercado in “Deal with the Devils”, every panel is a feast for the eyes. Vicentini did an utterly fantastic job at making everything feel as frenetic and chaotic as Screwball herself, heightening the action and mental visuals. Mercado, on the other hand, absolutely killed it when it came to the line work, both artists complemented perfectly by color artist Chris Sotomayor. His use of color truly pops where needed while letting the shade and color grading tell a story all their own.

Last but not least in the art department is letterer Joe Caramagna. Not only did he manage to make both stories extremely easy to follow, but the uses, stylings and designs of onomatopoeia were very unique. I’d love to see even more work from Caramagna.

Final Thoughts

This is, without a doubt, some of the best Spider-Man I’ve read in years.If he’s in the hands of these creators clearly at the top of their craft, then I have faith for the character going forward in the new year. 10/10

Did you read “Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1”? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!