REVIEW: ‘Amazing Spider-Man,’ Issue #77

Amazing Spider-Man #77 is written by Kelly Thompson, illustrated by Sara Pichelli, colored by Nolan Woodard, and lettered by VC’s Joe Caramagna. It is published by Marvel Comics. With Peter Parker in a coma, Ben Reilly has now taken over the mantle of Spider-Man, thanks to the Beyond Corporation. However, his tenure may be short-lived as he encounters Morbius, the Living Vampire!

This issue is a bit of a breather compared to the breakneck pace of the last two issues, though a large part of that is because the setup’s already been taken care of. Readers will get to see more of the Beyond Corporation, including its mysterious head Maxine Danger and Ben’s on-site apartment, which he shares with his girlfriend, Janine Godbe. On the superhero side of things, Ben trains with Misty Knight and Colleen Wing, which is a nice development of Ben and Misty’s interactions in the current Iron Man series. If there’s one complaint about this issue, it’s that I would have liked to see more of Misty and Colleen in it. He even goes to therapy with Ashley Kafka—a rare but welcome occurrence in superhero stories. Peter Parker had his life and routine, and seeing Ben’s continues to solidify the difference between the two.

Thompson handles the balancing act of superheroes, therapy, and training effortlessly and has become one of Marvel’s most talented writers with her runs on Captain Marvel and Black Widow. Here she delves into Ben’s mindset, including his dedication to being a good Spider-Man and his relationships with Peter and Janine. Janine rightfully points out that something isn’t right with Beyond, and I’m glad someone in the story both shares my feelings and is willing to question why these people are pro-Spidey. We also check in with Peter Parker, and Mary Jane and Aunt May’s reactions will melt even the hardest of hearts.

Thompson is joined by Sara Pichelli, who is no stranger to the Spider-Man mythos as the co-creator of Miles Morales. Pichelli’s sleek and stylized art brings life to the training session that opens the issue, as Ben dodges Misty’s bullets and Colleen’s sword strikes. Morbius himself looks properly frightening, as he’s grown a pair of wings in addition to his razor-sharp fangs and glowing red eyes.

The color art helps shift the mood into a more horror-oriented finale, with Ben’s bright red-and-blue Spider-Man suit contrasting Morbius’s chalky white skin and red-and-black outfit. And Caramagna makes Morbius sound like the monster he’s struggled not to be, with his guttural snarls taking on a blood-red hue.  Morbius’ long-delayed film is slated to premiere in January, so his battle with Ben is definitely a good way to stoke interest in said film.

Amazing Spider-Man #77 takes a bit of a breather in the Beyond Saga, delving deeper into the Beyond Corporation and presenting new challenges for Ben Reilly to face. Unfortunately, though he’s trying to be a better Spider-Man, Ben may have inherited the infamous “Parker Luck,” and the cliffhanger at the end only reinforces that.

Amazing Spider-Man #77  is available wherever comics are sold.