Amazing Spider-Man #78.BEY is written by Jed MacKay, illustrated by Eleonora Carlini, colored by Federico Blee, and lettered by VC’s Joe Caramagna. It is published by Marvel Comics. Tying into the “Beyond Saga,” the issue follows Misty Knight and Colleen Wing, aka the Daughters of the Dragon, taking on a mission from the Beyond Corporation to track down the villain Obsidian Star. However, the mission goes sideways and they find themselves trapped in a simulation they created to train Ben Reilly!
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The Daughters of the Dragon so far have been a neat addition to the Beyond Saga, acting as trainers to keep Ben on his game as Spider-Man. They’ve also been a fixture in the Marvel Universe for years, interacting with other heroes and carrying a number of comic series. I’m definitely happy to see them back in the spotlight, especially under MacKay’s pen. MacKay has made a name for himself tackling multiple Marvel characters, from Black Cat to Doctor Strange to Moon Knight; he perfectly captures the dynamic between Misty and Colleen, including their back-and-forth in the heat of battle. And even though Ben only appears in the opening sequence, MacKay shows off the web-slinger’s wit and his desire to be a better superhero.
Carlini tackles the art duties, and under her pencils, everything looks immensely fluid. When Misty and Colleen hop in a car to confront Obsidian Star, the car feels like it’s actually moving through the streets of New York. Colleen’s sword becomes a blazing streak of light whenever it moves. And in the most visually impressive sequence, a huge explosion sends the two flying through the sky. Obsidian Star is also an extremely imposing foe; true to his name, he is a massive being with a black star on his chest, which is a source of immense power. Carlini previously illustrated Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Go Go Power Rangers for BOOM! Studios, so this sort of action is second nature to her; it feels like an action movie in the vein of Lethal Weapon, only filtered through the Marvel Universe.
Rounding out the artistic team are Blee and Caramagna. Blee’s color art not only brings life to the action sequences but the environments as well. The key example is a holographic training program that the Daughters set up for Ben, where the Avengers are recast as horror icons; fitting a horror movie, the sequence takes place in a rickety jet-black mansion with cloudy skies and forks of bluish-white lightning stabbing the sky. Caramagna, who has become the resident letterer on Amazing Spider-Man, inserts a series of captions detailing all the Beyond gear that Misty and Colleen use. The funniest caption occurs when Misty uses an antimatter grenade, that apparently says “DO NOT USE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.”
Amazing Spider-Man #78.BEY places the focus on the Daughters of the Dragon, resulting in a comic that plays like a superhero buddy movie. With the Daughters now wary of Beyond’s CEO Maxine Danger, and enlisting the help of another superhero, I look forward to seeing more of their antics in the Beyond Saga. In fact, I’m continuing to hope that more adventures await them in the future.
Amazing Spider-Man #78.BEY is available wherever comics are sold on November 17, 2021.
Amazing Spider-Man #78.BEY
TL;DR
Amazing Spider-Man #78.BEY places the focus on the Daughters of the Dragon, resulting in a comic that plays like a superhero buddy movie. With the Daughters now wary of Beyond’s CEO Maxine Danger, and enlisting the help of another superhero, I look forward to seeing more of their antics in the Beyond Saga. In fact, I’m continuing to hope that more adventures await them in the future.
