Amazing Spider-Man Annual #42

Writer: Dan Slott, Hein, David Artist: Cory Smith Publisher: Marvel Comics Release Date: February 14, 2018 Cover Price: $4.99 Critic Reviews: 6 User Reviews: 18
5.7Critic Rating
6.9User Rating

• Searching for answers about a mysterious voicemail from her late husband, Ned Leeds, Betty Brant finds herself in the midst of a mafia conspiracy that stretches back decades!
•  Convinced that Ned is alive and trying to help her solve the case, Betty enlists the help of the Amazing Spider-Man to get to the truth...
•  ...and the ENFORCERS want a word with both of 'em!
•  Also includes a short Spidey story by Broadway playwright David Hein (Come From Away)!
Rated T

  • 7.1
    IGN - Jesse Schedeen Feb 14, 2018

    Amazing Spider-Man Annual #42 isn't a terribly essential read for Spider-Man fans on a budget. Apart from adding a bit of extra closure to Clone Conspiracy, this issue mainly focuses on telling a self-contained mystery story. That mystery suffers from inadequate payoff, but at least the book highlights the Betty/Peter dynamic in a fun way. And with Slott's run so near the end, any new material is appreciated. Read Full Review

  • 7.0
    The Beat - AJ Frost Feb 14, 2018

    For all my skepticism going into the book, I was quite surprised that I finished it invested in the overall story. I think a STRONG BROWSE is appropriate here. Comics fans should read the book. And with the Dan Slott-era of Spider-Man coming to a close, every new release is an opportunity to examine his work with fresh eyes and open thoughts. Read Full Review

  • 7.0
    Superior Spider-Talk - Mark Ginocchio Feb 14, 2018

    After writing Amazing Spider-Man for more than 10 years, Dan Slott finally scripts an Annual issue and it's a fun effort that occasionally gets bogged down by a somewhat silly conspiracy-theory laden plot. Still, Marvel gets points for attaching an A-team level effort to an annual issue. Read Full Review

  • 6.0
    ComicBook.com - Jamie Lovett Feb 14, 2018

    The story isn't particularly memorable, but there's a certain boldness to be appreciated in how it escalates despite how contrived the payoff ultimately is. Read Full Review

  • 5.0
    Comics: The Gathering - Harlan Ivester Feb 14, 2018

    You’d think with a whopping total of 55 pages, I’d have more to say about this book. But like I said, it’s boring. It’s forgettable. If you read this, you’re not going to think about it ever again after putting it down. The conversations are trying to be smart and snarky, but fall flat. The pace is stretched out with unsatisfying pay off. If you’re thinking of picking up this book, just wait until it’s on Marvel Unlimited. Anything that happened in here, you’ll be able to understand elsewhere in one simple sentence. Don’t bother. Read Full Review

  • 2.0
    Bleeding Cool - Joshua Davison Feb 17, 2018

    Dont buy this book. It is hilariously bad, but it still doesnt deserve your five bucks. This is probably the worst comic Ive read since Suicide Squad #33, even if this one is better for at least giving me some joy, if by accident. Give it a hard pass. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    DDJamesB Feb 22, 2018

    Surprisingly, I really enjoyed this. The main story was fun, it had mystery and while it didn't unfold the best or make a ton of sense, it was still pretty fun and enjoyable.

  • 7.5
    mrDovydas Feb 14, 2018

    It wasn't too memorable, but still was an OK read. Not particularly something I would be too excited to read on the main book (especially, knowing Slott, this would've taken 4 issues to solve), but good enough for an annual. Much better than the previous annual. The backup story wasn't anything special, but still a fun read. I should also mention that for the price you pay, the page number is definitely worth it.

  • 7.0
    Spock's Brain Feb 21, 2018

    When I picked this up, I was like, "Ugh, I don't want to read this." Such is the quality of most Marvel annuals that it is only natural to assume this would be shitty. But, it's not terrible! The first story actually kept me interested enough to finish, and though it's pretty run-of-the-mill, it's innocuous enough, and I liked Cory Smith's art. The second story featured a version of the spider-sense as a series of headaches varied by degree, which is inconsistent with every other depiction of Spidey I've seen or read ever, and mildly enraged me. So, I wouldn't really recommend buying it, but if it lands in your pullbox because of your "Amazing" subscription, as it did for me, it's not all that bad.

  • 6.5
    SpiderKnight Mar 10, 2018

    Ok so it took me quite a time to get into this book. I was delaying on reading this book.

    Then, i finally got into it. So basically it is a mystery-solving book. But i find the case and the overall plot of this book a bit boring and predictable. At first i was enjoying it but as i turn the pages it became less and less exciting. And boyyyy this book was very dialogue-heavy. It took me a great amount of time to finish it, thinking that at the end of this book the time i spent reading this would be payed off. Ultimately, it didnt. The interaction between Betty and Peter were great though. At they end they reveal something, but i already saw that coming from miles away. So didnt really suprise me. So at the end of the whole mystery more

  • 6.0
    CrazyforRAMU Sep 6, 2018

    Betty Brant digs up one last scoop from Ned Leeds with help from Peter and Spidey. This is really beautiful art allied to a notably stupid script. Introducing tritium as a deadly explosive METAL is "1963-era Stan Lee" comic book science. The character relationships are frustrating. The sarcastic, Seinfeldian humor undercuts the faint attempts at being genuinely heartwarming. The Game of Thrones jokes are going to age poorly, too.

    B story: Playwright David Hein stretches out a simple joke about the hidden dangers of spider-sense. To fill nine pages, it gets over-analytical and over-whiny. This strip, like the A story, gets superb art.

    This annual reaches an impeccable standard for visuals, but the scripting insight to m more

  • 8.0
    sebastianorellana95 Feb 18, 2018

  • 8.0
    MKW69 Feb 15, 2018

  • 7.5
    Adsun22 Dec 13, 2020

  • 7.5
    Kgphil01 Jul 14, 2018

  • 7.5
    EDiakota Feb 15, 2018

  • 7.0
    Trasiego Mar 11, 2019

  • 7.0
    Amazing Psycamorean Oct 9, 2018

  • 7.0
    KobbeJr Feb 19, 2018

  • 7.0
    Jason The Dude Feb 15, 2018

  • 7.0
    iPodwithnomusic Feb 14, 2018

  • 6.5

  • 5.5
    CesarCastanha Feb 14, 2018

  • 4.0
    Jabberwocky_Superfly Apr 30, 2018

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