REVIEW: ‘Amazing Spider-Man,’ Issue #18

Amazing Spider-Man #18 is published by Marvel Comics, written by Zeb Wells, pencils by Ed McGuinness, inks by Cliff Rathburn, colors by Marcio Menyz and letters by Joe Caramagna. This is part of the Dark Web crossover. As Spider-Man tries to fight his way out of Limbo, the alliance of the villains falls apart. But that will not stop Chasm from completing his revenge.

The trajectory of the whole crossover has changed dramatically due to the events in Dark Web: X-Men #3. Madelyne Pryor surrendered and cancelled her attack on New York, essentially leaving Ben Reilly without his army. It’s the first sign of winning this battle and the heroes making their way back to Earth. Whilst it was foreshadowed, the sudden nature of the cut-off makes the rest unpredictable.

It is not the end of Ben Reilly’s plans however, as he and Hallow’s Eve have the trickery to still cause mischief. At the same time, there is a hilarious confrontation between Spider-Man and a demonic version of the Sinister Six. It’s a laugh-a-minute adventure that is brimming with energy. Those moments with the villains are slow, but Peter and his side of the comic make up for that slow pace with a chaotic drive. The final part has been done before but is surprising considering the character involved.

The characters and the dialogue within this Amazing Spider-Man #18 are brilliant, but not necessarily from the hero. It must be said that Spider-Man is the least interesting part of the comic, not really doing much to affect the chain of events happening around him. The gems of Dark Web have been the villains. The conversation between Ben and the Goblin Queen is fascinating, as it does show the change in both of them.

Madelyne has a lot of compassion and generosity within her, whereas Ben is dark, nasty and hurt. It means that Pryor’s dismissal of Chasm does not go down well. Loyal to Reilly is his girlfriend, Hallow’s Eve. Some of the moves she makes are more drastic than Ben’s, all with the final goal of success. Then there are the individual demons, this utterly mad group that is both confused as anything and constantly shouting. The one that found himself inspired by Spider-Man and is now copying him is amazing. Now going by the name Rek-Rap, he stands on the side of Peter whilst also being utterly magnificent. The interactions are impossible to hide a smile during, with incredulous responses to the chaos unfolding before them.

The art is delightful. McGuiness’ exaggerated proportions are used to a lot of comedic effect in Amazing Spider-Man #18. Rek-Rap has got a very similar physique to Venom, increasing in its humour due to his diminutive stature when he was first introduced. The difference is he’s this overly positive, almost overbearing with his grin. Then come the demons, great constructions of creativity and silliness. Both Chasm and Hallow’s Eve are terrific costumes, enhanced by the brilliant inking by Rathburn. The final part of the issue shows a dramatic transformation.

The colors are stunning. The Halloween shades of the villains are incredibly gorgeous, from the orange of Hallow’s Eve to that luminescent green fusing with the purple on Chasm’s costume. The bright red and blue of both Spider-Man and Ker-Karp are beautifully rich. The lettering is very easy to read, with some dynamic and tone-strengthening SFX.

Amazing Spider-Man #18 is a comic that truly understands fun. This whole crossover has been terrific at keeping the tone light and constantly hilarious. It’s not this dark, melancholic atmosphere that weighs heavily on the reader whilst reading. It’s an energetic book that remembers micro-events like these happening years ago and beautifully replicates that feeling. Both the writing and the art are there to be enjoyed.

Amazing Spider-Man #18 is available where comics are sold.