Amazing Spider-Man #81

Writer: Saladin Ahmed Artist: Carlos Gomez Publisher: Marvel Comics Release Date: December 15, 2021 Cover Price: $3.99 Critic Reviews: 12 User Reviews: 36
7.1Critic Rating
7.2User Rating

It’s new Spider-Man vs. newest Spider-Man!!! The Beyond Corporation paid a lot of money for the Spider-Man trademark and does not take kindly to an unlicensed Spider-Man running around Brooklyn. So it’s up to Ben Reilly to take Miles Morales down.

  • 9.0
    But Why Tho? - Collier "CJ" Jennings Dec 15, 2021

    Amazing Spider-Man #81 welcomes Saladin Ahmed and Carlos Gomez to the creator's table and shines the spotlight on Ben Reilly and Miles Morales. With Ahmed continuing to explore this storyline in future issues of Amazing Spider-Man andSpider-Man: Miles Morales, one can imagine him becoming the main Spider-writer if he wished to hold that position. Read Full Review

  • 8.9
    Comic Watch - Jimmy Hayes Dec 15, 2021

    Another fantastic issue! I'm constantly surprised at how refreshing and intelligent this change of pace storyline is turning out to be. You should definitely check it out! Read Full Review

  • 8.5
    The Super Powered Fancast - Deron Generally Dec 15, 2021

    Gomez delivers some impressive and exciting art in this issue. The action was visually thrilling and the characters look fantastic on the page. A great looking book filled with exciting imagery. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    AIPT - David Brooke Dec 15, 2021

    This is a good issue, although it feels a bit like a rehash of the same pressures from Beyond Corp towards Ben Reilly we've seen before. That said, the interactions between Ben and Miles are entertaining and suit both characters while the action is well-drawn and entertaining. Read Full Review

  • 7.5
    Weird Science Marvel Comics - Weird Science Jim Dec 15, 2021

    Amazing Spider-Man #81 kicks off Saladin Ahmed's Beyond story, and it was solid but didn't feel as big as I'd hoped. Carlos Gomez's art was good, but this did more to set up this week's Miles solo book than anything else. Still, I liked seeing Miles meet Ben, I just thought I would love it. Read Full Review

  • 7.5
    Comic Book Revolution - Kevin Lainez Dec 16, 2021

    With the three times a month schedule that Amazing Spider-Man's Beyond direction has it is smart to do shorter stories that are one to three issues. Saladin Ahmed did a great job showing how to tell a quick story that holds importance to the overall Beyond direction with his work on Amazing Spider-Man #81. The interactions between Ben Reilly and Miles Morales led to a lot of potentially interesting developments for the direction of this series. Read Full Review

  • 7.0
    COMICON - Tony Thornley Dec 20, 2021

    A team-up is sometimes all you need. It's a pretty simple and straightforward story, but the creative team at least makes it feel like a lot of fun. Read Full Review

  • 7.0
    The Comicbook Dispatch - StoryBabbler Dec 15, 2021

    Amazing Spider-Man #81 delivers a fun, if not predictable, superhero clash between Ben Reilly and Miles Morales. Nothing significant really happens here, other than the formulaic encounter between Ben and Miles. The comic is at it's best when they're fighting, both each other and the villain, visually speaking thanks to the art team. The story is very predictable, but hopefully we get better interactions between the two heroes later. Read Full Review

  • 6.0
    Henchman-4-Hire - Sean Ian Mills Dec 18, 2021

    The first meeting between Ben Reilly and Miles Morales is rather wasted. This issue checks the various boxes for being a solid Spider-Man comic, but too little of any merit happens, despite the importance of the moment. Read Full Review

  • 6.0
    Razorfine - Alan Rapp Dec 22, 2021

    The bad guy of the issue (if you don't count the evil corporate types of Beyond while foreshadowing the inevitable turn of Maxine Danger as a super-villain) is the utterly forgettable Rhizome who the two Spider-Men team-up to stop. Seriously? It took two of them to stop what looks like a drunken mistake by Poison Ivy? Anywho, Maxine isn't pleased with Ben for not pushing the copyright issue with the other Spider-Man, although she may have other more pressing concerns involving Doctor Octopus. Read Full Review

  • 5.0
    Comic Crusaders - Lucas Fashina Dec 16, 2021

    Disappointing. The cover sold a much bigger story instead the reader will be treated to a fight against a Dollar General Swamp Thing. The Dialogue is awkward. Especially for Miles. It screams that it was written by a forty-year-old who grew up during the 90's. Read Full Review

  • 5.0
    ComicBook.com - Chase Magnett Dec 15, 2021

    It's stalling for time and while parts of this week's issue are stylish and fun, when I closed the cover I simply wondered why this was a necessary issue. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    CrazyforRAMU Apr 28, 2022

    The main point here is to team up Ben and Miles in a very old-school way, complete with a bit of Misunderstanding Brawl.

    I liked it. The team-up was a nice bit of popcorn-chompin' action, boosted by great art. This is the first time I've really liked the way Miles' current costume is drawn. The dialogue was great stuff, too; the voices were natural and very fun.

    However … The big-picture plot is moving pretty slow. And the character beats are consistent with what's come before. Maybe too consistent. Ben is half-rebellious, Janine is fretting, Marcus is exasperated, Maxine is Ms. Frosty Boss. Lather rinse repeat.

    I wouldn't say the slow strategic pace and repetition are making this bad, or even average. Bu more

  • 7.5
    Hex Dec 29, 2021

    Decent story, GREAT art. Getting a little tired of Maxine telling Ben the same thing over and over again how much they have invested in him, is he really a hero, etc. I've said before that I really despise repetition and seeing it so often across so few issues is grating. Overall, Miles fighting/teaming up with Ben is fun to see. I haven't read Ahmed's Miles but he seems to get the character and mannerisms in just this alone so that makes me happy.

  • 7.5
    Loafy Trophy Dec 15, 2021

    This has been a really enjoyable series so far and #81 was another quality installment. The interaction between Miles and Ben was really solid, while providing another opportunity to show the disconnect between our new Spider-Man and the Beyond Corp's leadership.

    Really looking forward to seeing Fornes on art next issue. His stuff is next level and I'm excited to see him bring Spidey to life!

  • 7.5
    Afre Dec 15, 2021

    It's okay. But again, it doesn't feel like they are using this idea to it's full potential. This has like 19 parts was it? And we are 9 parts in and not a lot has happened character- or plotwise.

    It's not like anything here is bad. And this isn't very disappointing read. But I just want more. And some break from this structure.

  • 7.0
    DDJamesB Dec 19, 2021

    It's pretty standard. Nothing I would say was bad but, it needs more plot development.

  • 7.0
    Kalaoui Dec 17, 2021

    It's OK. Getting a bit tedious and good art won't save this generic story about Beyond is bad but we won't say until issue 18 and just let things go on like this taking the air out of the story. Get a real hook and get the show going with some serious consequences. Good art by Gomez won't save this. Now after Spencer's letdown I am ready for this to be over and move on to the next thing. I am not having fun with ASM and it's a shame.

  • 7.0
    Amazing Psycamorean Dec 17, 2021

    This was fine. I really want more overarching plot here. The done and one issues are fine, I guess, but I want something more to latch onto that makes me excited. Say what you will about Nick Spencer's run, but I was always reading ASM as soon as I could. Now, I'm slowing down a bit. Which is a shame.

  • 7.0
    Federico Liguori Dec 16, 2021

    Spider-Man Beyond still runs short in my opinion. This is another one of those issues that show very little and repeat the "Beyond is bad but we won't show why / Ben is oblivious" cycle. Even with its many flaws, Spencer's run had me on the edge of my seat for almost every issue, this looks just... too generic. It's never bad, it's just so average.

  • 7.0
    Sollywoods Dec 15, 2021

    I was initially let down because I forgot Miles was going to be in this issue and the cover art made me think that was Kaine, and I frikkin love Kaine and could rant about the untapped potential he has as a character but writers just don't seem to use him enough... Anyway, I shouldn't let my mistake affect how I feel about this.

    Instead, we get a fairly generic short hero vs hero fight, for no good reason really. Hero vs hero fights, in my opinion, need to stop. Unless there's a very good reason for it, it just makes one or both characters look like petty idiots who just lash out violently without thinking. Not very heroic. That was Miles here. At least it was short lived and spidergeddon was recognized. I always enjoy a writer more

    + LikeComments (1)
  • 7.0
    Rachit Mittal Dec 15, 2021

    Miles Costume looks okay. Change the mask immediately. Colour Combination is good.
    Torso is good. Shirt meh. Mask wierd.

    Now coming to issue, Story wise nothing happening in Beyond.
    Seriously just giving reason not to read and hate Beyond even more. I hope I turn out wrong next issue.
    Just Narrative Driven stories with no character driven element.

    I think Beyond Saga is going to miss run on ASM.
    It has 7 issue + 2 dot issues. So far only Cody Ziglar Kraven Story was real hit imo. Other than all miss. Just borderline managing to be fun.

  • 5.5
    Merlyn Dec 15, 2021

    I'm sorry but Miles' costume is plain garbage, it hurts my eyes when I look at it. And the story was mediocre at best. I feel like other than Zeb Wells' issues, Spider-Man has been very hit-and-miss with a lot more misses than hits.

  • 5.0
    UxasIs Dec 16, 2021

    Very average, this whole storyline just feels like filler content to me

  • 4.0
    Boolius Goozler May 19, 2022

    Ahmed comes in for a couple of issues so he can validate his character, Miles Morales.

  • 10
    RJ Dec 15, 2021

  • 9.0
    iPodwithnomusic Mar 3, 2022

  • 9.0
    Batmanchuria Dec 20, 2021

  • 9.0
    tonpas1989 Dec 15, 2021

  • 8.5
    Radar Dec 20, 2021

  • 8.5
    cincyfan Dec 18, 2021

  • 8.0
    Julhin Jan 20, 2022

  • 8.0
    wesshamu Jan 3, 2022

  • 8.0
    Watchtower022 Dec 18, 2021

  • 7.5
    jmprados Feb 7, 2022

  • 7.5
    Swanktub Dec 22, 2021

  • 7.5
    KittyNone Dec 19, 2021

  • 7.5
    Josecab79 Dec 18, 2021

  • 7.5
    ICC Dec 15, 2021

  • 7.0
    matmene Jan 30, 2023

  • 7.0
    K-23 Mar 21, 2022

  • 7.0
    motorik Dec 15, 2021

  • 6.5
    VladEkHead Aug 22, 2022

  • 6.5
    Mout Jan 19, 2022

  • 6.0
    JCP Sep 6, 2022

  • 6.0

  • 6.0
    daspidaboy Dec 18, 2021

  • 6.0
    DoorMan Dec 18, 2021

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