Amazing Spider-Man Creators: Writer- Zeb Wells, Artists- Todd Nauck, Colors- Sonia Oback, Letters- VC’s Joe Caramagna
Story:
Glenn: This issue had a long uphill climb for me because I don’t like this Chasm angle with Ben and I don’t like this ‘We have Punchline at home’ angle going on with Janine and there they both are on the cover. The climb was not successful.
There’s both a lot that goes on here and also nothing at all. Ben and Janine/Elizabeth meet up again, Peter talks to MJ before realizing he’s on a date but then we zoom over to a living brain thingy before checking back in with Spidey coming to save Betty who’s being harassed very mildly from guys from Hired Goons Inc to pick up the Hobgoblin story from earlier in this run and then a cliffhanger with a face off between Spidey and Ben, Janine and Goblin Queen.
Its a lot but it all feels so…empty. The stuff with Hallow’s Eve just makes me want to roll my eyes so bad. This is not a good character and as someone who loved Janine due to the awesome work her co-creator J.M. DeMatteis did with her it just makes me kinda sad to see her character like this.
It seems like they’re pushing MJ into the Peter best friend role that over the decades has been filled by Harry, Flash and Randy. I’m not opposed to this, but that change for MJ from primary love interest in the last run or two (and for the majority of Spider-Man’s 60 years) to besty needs to be done REALLY WELL and REALLY CAREFULLY. That is not happening here.
Also, everyone’s favorite Paul is here. I don’t particularly have the visceral hatred for this character some do, but he’s become the mascot of all that is wrong in Amazing. Trust me, the problems are much worse than MJ sitting next to an equivalent of a person made out of boxes.
Someone online pointed out that the face off at the end would be much better if it was Spidey and Jackpot against Ben and Janine. That actually makes a lot of sense cause it could add a few more layer’s that might make this more interesting but…no.
I’m sad now.
Steve: Zeb Wells pays tribute to what has come before, both in his own book and those who steered the ship before him. Sadly, he does this to the detriment of his own story. Continuing to utilize a version of Ben that is unpopular and ruinous to the character is a poor choice. Returning to Hallow’s Eve and the Goblin Queen is wearing thin. I didn’t love the whole Limbo storyline, so I’m not happy to continue revisiting these stories. I’m sure there are others who love it, and that’s fine. This concept should have been wrapped up by now. Wells is going to the proverbial well too many times. And, it’s not just this concept. The entire Gang War story didn’t wrap up meaningfully and will return as well. His whole run has stagnated. It is time to wrap up and move on.
I wish Peter was back with MJ, but the best part of this issue was the date with Shay set up by MJ’s aunt. It was completely on character that Peter didn’t recognize that he was set up on a date. The date felt genuine and allowed Peter to have a moment of joy. Of course, it ended in a very Spider-Man way as he is called away before dessert. One of the few familiar Spider-Man bits that felt right.
As with his other stories, I am ready for Wells to wrap up. Oh wait, this just in……Peter will become a version of the Goblin. Oh boy, can’t wait!
Art:
Glenn: Todd Nauck is great. He’s been a hard working journeyman artist in comics since the 90’s who has drawn some of the biggest and most iconic characters and I feel he doesn’t get the acclaim he deserves. He’s no stranger to Spider-Man of course as he’s drawn a bunch of issues here and there, some mini’s and just all over the show. His two most prominent periods of Spidey work were drawing a lot of Peter David’s Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man and drawing the uber super duper best selling Obama back up story from Amazing 583.
Always glad to see his work, he deserves more. He does a great job drawing all the things he has to draw here. There’s a lot of talky talky this issue and he makes it visually engaging. His splash page of Spider-Man is awesome and I wish he’d join the regular art team and Marvel to treat him as equal status as John Romita JR and Ed McGuinness but much like Carmen Carnero he’s only stopping by.
Much like the majority of art in this book, it’s lifting up the book considerably and deserves a much, much better story.
Steve: The first time I really noticed of Todd Nauck was his work on Young Justice. He had a unique style, as he still does. The difference between then and now is that on YJ, he actually had good stories to draw. I tire of the art on Amazing. John Romita Jr. is the main artist and he is one of my least favorite artists. McGuinness, Carnero and now Nauck stop by and I love it. But then, they move on and I have to suffer through more Jr.
Anyway, for a minute, I got to visually love an issue of Amazing. Nauck is a true artistic genius.
Overall:
Glenn: Back to the doldrums, The art brings this up considerably. Two webshooters and like 1.75 of that is all Nauck. 
Steve: I’m glad we have Ultimate, Spectacular, Superior and Shadow, because this Spiderman just ain’t it!
Come back next week for Spectacular Spider-Men 3.