REVIEW: ‘Amazing Spider-Man,’ Issue #58

Amazing Spider-Man #58 is written by Nick Spencer, penciled by Marcelo Ferreira, inked by Wayne Faucher, colored by Morry Hollowell, and lettered by VC’s Joe Caramaga. It is published by Marvel Comics. The “Negative Space” story arc picks up in the aftermath of “Last Remains,” as a battered and broken Martin Li-better known as the crime lord Mister Negative-takes refuge in the F.E.A.S.T. center with Peter Parker’s Aunt May. Still reeling from the torment he suffered at Kindred’s hands, Peter engages in battle with Negative’s Inner Demons.

I appreciated this arc because Spencer manages to simultaneously launch a new story arc and still acknowledge the fallout from “Last Remains” and “Post-Mortem.” Li’s current situation ties into the events of “Last Remains,” and of course, the titular web-slinger is gravely affected by his confrontation with Kindred. Even Kingpin gets in on the story action, as it turns out that Mister Negative may be the key to achieving his heart’s desire. This balance is tricky to pull off, especially with an ongoing series like Amazing Spider-Man, but Spencer manages to do it with ease.

Speaking of Mister Negative, this is the most interesting he’s ever been in comics canon. The idea of a character struggling with dual nature is nothing new-Peter Parker has faced a similar threat in the form of Curt Connors, aka the Lizard. However, Spencer writes Li as someone who genuinely is tormented by his alter ego, making for an interesting dynamic with Aunt May. Even though Li previously used F.E.A.S.T. as a front for his criminal activities, May actively uses it to help others, and she wants to help Li, despite his past actions. Readers will see where exactly Peter Parker gets his sense of great responsibility from.

Joining Spencer on art duties are Ferreira, Faucher, and Hollowell, who provide a darker form of artwork to compliment the story. Hollowell especially takes the book’s darker aspects to heart with a muted color palette, offset by the eerie glow given off by Mister Negative and his Inner Demons’ swords. It’s also bizarre to see a muted version of Spidey’s trademark red and blue costume-usually it’s brighter and eye-catching. This coloring choice helps sell readers because things are about to get rough for the wall-crawler.

The fight scenes are also intense and quite bloody. Spidey gets more than a few cuts and bruises, and there is a fair amount of bloodshed. The Inner Demons also look utterly imposing, with their silver demon masks and glowing swords. And although he only shows up in a few pages, Kindred remains a figure of nightmare fuel. The art is a great example of how to tell a story with a darker tone without overcompensating.

Amazing Spider-Man #58 manages to find the balance between launching a new story arc and continuing threads from the previous arc while presenting a new look at one of Spidey’s villains. Dark days lie ahead for Spidey, and hopefully, he can weather them and save Martin Li’s soul.

Amazing Spider-Man #58 is available now wherever comics are sold.