REVIEW: ‘Amazing Spider-Man,’ Issue #63

Amazing Spider-Man #63 is written by Nick Spencer, illustrated by Federico Vicentini, colored by Alex Sinclair, and lettered by VC’s Joe Caramagna. It is published by Marvel Comics. The “King’s Ransom” storyline finds Spidey and Boomerang battling the criminal forces of New York as the Kingpin searches for the Lifeline Tablet. Meanwhile, Peter Parker’s personal life takes a blow as his roommate Randy Robertson is dating Janice Lincoln-aka the Beetle and the daughter of the crime lord Tombstone!

Almost every Spider-Man writer has done their own take on a “Gang War” storyline, and Spencer is no different. What makes “King’s Ransom” stand out is how both of Spidey’s lives are intertwined in the drama; he’s trying to fight supervillains and save his roommates all at the same time. Spencer has a great handle on what makes the best Spidey stories tick: all the high-flying action in the world won’t cut it if there are no emotional stakes and there are plenty of stakes set up throughout the issue. Spencer also continues to call back to his run on Superior Foes of Spider-Man, especially as Janice and Boomerang were a key part of that.

Vicentini returns after illustrating several fill-in issues for the “Last Remains” storyline, and he brings his sense of “perpetual motion” with him. A fight sequence early in the book features Spidey and the Boomerang up against the forces of Hammerhead and the Owl. Webbing, boomerangs, and fists fly-and so do bodies. Spidey and Boomerang also cut a striking pair in their white-and-blue outfits; the duo look like a pair of Kamen Riders, and I love it. Caramagna gets in on the action with his letters: the SLAM of a door trails throughout a page, and Spidey’s trademark TWHIP follows him as he shoots webbing at multiple targets. The quiet moments also pop, especially a scene with Peter and Randy talking about “girl troubles” juxtaposed with Janice and her Sinister Syndicate talking about…well, “boy troubles.” (It’s also hilarious considering that Peter has had his own experience with dating someone on the opposite side of the law.)

However, the best sequence from Vicentini put the spotlight on the Daily Bugle editor-in-chief Robbie Robertson and Tombstone. The duo have had a rivalry that spans throughout the pages of Amazing Spider-Man and other Spidey-related titles, and Vicentini manages to boil it down in a jaw-dropping two-page spread. Longtime Spidey readers will appreciate all the history on display, while newcomers will get a sense of the magnitude of this rivalry. Sinclair also makes the image pop with his colors, especially with Robbie’s mahogany skin and warm brown eyes serving as a sharp contrast to Tombstone’s soulless white pupils and ghostly pallor.

Amazing Spider-Man #63 kicks off a new storyline, with the creative team putting their own spin on a classic set of Spidey tropes. Spencer continues to pay off plot threads he has set up throughout previous issues of Amazing Spider-Man, and effortlessly shifts between genres-he’s slowly climbing up in the ranks of my favorite Spidey writers.

Amazing Spider-Man #63 is available now wherever comics are sold.