REVIEW: ‘Amazing Spider-Man,’ Issue #59

Amazing Spider-Man #59 is written by Nick Spencer, penciled by Marcelo Ferreira, inked by Wayne Faucher, colored by Morry Hollowell and Andrew Crossley, and lettered by VC’s Joe Caramaga. It is published by Marvel Comics. Part Two of the “Negative Space” story arc features Spider-Man racing to save his Aunt May and Martin Li from Mister Negative’s Inner Demons, which leads to a shocking conclusion. Meanwhile, Harry Osborn’s family learns of his transformation into Kindred.

After a strong beginning, “Negative Space” quickly wraps up its Mister Negative storyline. Granted, I am no stranger to two-part stories, but I figured the battle between Spidey and the Inner Demons would take longer. Instead, most of the focus seems to be placed on the Osborn family, particularly Norman and his grandson Normie. I do feel that Spencer could have balanced the two stories a little better, especially with the Mister Negative story. That being said, Li continues to be a more interesting and often complicated figure than he’s been in the past. A speech he gives Spidey toward the end is extremely reminiscent of his portrayal in Insomniac’s Spider-Man universe.

In looking at the art from Ferreira, Faucher,  Hollowell, and Crossley, I was strongly reminded of Steve McNiven’s artwork. Much like McNiven, Ferreira draws immensely dynamic sequences. Blood and fists fly, and characters’ facial expressions stand out, particularly the Kingpin, who has a creepy and extremely massive grin. This may have been intentional on Ferreria’s part, as the storyline that Mister Negative made his first full appearance in was actually illustrated by McNiven. Whether or not it is intentional, the art is easily the high point of the issue.

Hollowell previously colored Amazing Spider-Man #58 and is joined by Crossley for this issue. The same darker palette from that issue is present in this issue, broken up by flashes of light and the jarring presence of Mister Negative, whose jet black skin and blinding white suit feel like they sear into your brain. And that’s a compliment. I also appreciate that Peter and Norman are wearing red, blue, and purple as a homage to Spider-Man and the Green Goblin’s respective identities.

I feel like a large part of why this issue felt rushed was the double-shipping schedule that Amazing Spider-Man employs. Double shipping is a double-edged sword: while you can get the story out at an accelerated pace, it’s sometimes better to slow down and let the story unfold at a measured pace. I feel that Amazing Spider-Man could definitely benefit from the latter, as the pace worked better for “Last Remains” than it does here.

Amazing Spider-Man #59 feels more like a set-up for future storylines, though it does have some surprisingly emotional beats.  Issue #60, which debuts after Valentine’s Day, looks to be exploring Spidey’s love life, and I’m definitely interested in it.

Amazing Spider-Man #59 is available wherever comics are sold.