Amazing Spider-Man #21 begins the long-awaited arc to explain what happened to Peter and MJ when Zeb Wells took over the title. The action, intrigue, pacing, and dialog are all on point. It's too soon to tell if Wells paid off the wait, but this issue is a good start. Read Full Review

Romita Jr delivers some great imagery throughout the issue. The story is filled with tension and the art brings that forward with great emotional moments for the characters. I really enjoyed the action and how it visually brings out the intensity of the story. Read Full Review

The most engaging elements of this story are Romita Jr.'s always energetic action sequences featuring a particularly creepy new(ish) antagonist and asterisks calling back more than a decade of Spider-Man history. These ties and an excellently depicted splash cliffhanger promise that the current storyline will have been worth the wait, but for now The Amazing Spider-Man #21 feels like a little bit more waiting. Read Full Review

You may also like Comic Books Previews PREVIEW: BISHOP WAR COLLEGE #2 By Al Mega 32 mins ago Read Full Review

If you're open-minded, you may be game for what's in store in Amazing Spider-Man #21 and what comes next. Unfortunately, after a year-long wait, this opening issue leaves you wanting more. More action and more answers. Read Full Review

Nah. These ratings are absolutely ridiculous lmfao.

This issue is solid in every way, and even thr reviews with words actually basically say this. There is nothing "bad" about the issue, save for the kids being drawn wierd. Rest of the art is great.

Im excited to see where the story goes.

(Cover Date: May, 2023)

The biggest problem with this issue is the art. JRJR is mixed, usually, but his work on this series has been better than his recent output. However, this issue has some really, really bad panels. The story has barely even started. We get a lot of action without much reason to care about it just yet. I don't think this issue is bad, I just wanted more from this issue.

A solid first issue to the arc that many have been waiting for, myself included. I've seen the upcoming villain in covers that have been released, but I thought he was a new character. As another user said in their review, I had to look Rabin up to find out who he was. However, I'm not going to let that change my score. This issue had just enough for me to want to find out more, and it helps that I've been wondering what "Peter did" since that whole aspect was first brought up in a promo for the first issue of the series. While this was still a good issue, I'm hoping things pick up a little bit in #22.

So, this is it! I actually liked this first issue because it's directly linked to the ending of Spider-Man Beyond. However, does Marvel really expect me to remember a villain from Grim Hunt BACK IN 2008? Had to look it up.

It's a decent first issue in this arc on its own. Basing this ASM run/story on a continuity minor blip that I vaguely remember was not a good option at least for now. Also waiting a year to start this arc is ludicrous especially when the previous issues were all filler low level payoffs. I have to say that Wells is usually a good writer but I'm noticing that these writers are being crushed by the 60 year history of ASM so I'm still waiting for an Immortal Hulk moment but I fear it will never come. These characters are not allowed to grow or move up so we have to keep building just enough to collapse it all and start over. Romita JR is his usual self here and love it or hate it it's just about the same as it has been. Except for kids because those things were ridiculously hilarious with those big heads lol more

I dont think its as bad as some of the critics are making it seem, but I also dont think all is great in ASM right now. Its going to require some really good follow up to try and convince me and others that breaking up MJ and Peter for this story was worth it.

So there is a lot to like here: Wells's pacing is masterful and JRJR hits far more often than he misses (the kids are a little weird looking, but kids in comics so often are). But after a year of the central hook of this series being WHAT DID PETER DO, this story is weighted with more than it can carry. There's a sense of the epic, but anchoring it to a minor 15-year-old story that was more memorable for Bachalo than Wells doesn't help and it doesn't hit hard enough to justify 20 issues of buildup — at least not yet. I'm still ready to be convinced; we'll see how we go as this arc goes on

I mean.... it's interesting at least. Good pacing and story. Dont know why the critic reviews are up in arms about this. Not a fan of art though.

Ah, yes, "refer to this filler arc from 15 years ago"--exactly the sort of payoff I want after a twenty-issue tease.

Saltiness aside, this arc hasn't lost me yet. But it hasn't engaged my enthusiasm, either. The storytelling's solid, but at least subjectively, the content remains poised on the fence. It could fall good or bad. Without knowing where the story's headed, I can't call this issue anything but average.

So we get some answers. Not all of the answers but hey, that's how you tell a story now. Drip feed. I will say two pretty positive things about this book. JRJR's art is pretty good. Especially for what I expect from him. Next that I was really interested in the story... until I looked at the editor's note about issue 555.
I didn't know about Rabin or Wayep until now. I assumed they were created for this story so I was intrigued. Maybe there is more nuance to these characters that people have been giving such a hard time to. While that may be true as I am still far behind, I was incredibly disappointed to find out that Wells is the one who created these characters. In 2008. So as far as I can tell these roughly 20 issues have all been a ploy for Wells' creations to see more pages. That was a hell of a let down when I saw that. If they were just old villains that hadn't been seen for a while I would be less disappointed but its just a self congratulatory HJ by Wells. I really hope he makes it worth it... more

I don't hate it. I'm honest. Since this really is a trip down of a memory lane. Fun fact, when my mom first started ordering me Spider-Man every month (here it comes only once a month including 2 issues), it was 2009. And the first arc that it included from start to finish was 555-557. So Wells' Wayeb/Rabin arc is very nostalgic to me. I remember being very excited for it, when I was like 12. So it is and always will be nostalgic for me. Which is why, I don't hate this. I really don't.

For a one good reason.

There is nothing to hate. Paul and kids are non-existent, so I don't even bother complaining about them. They do nothing, nor do they mean anything for me, so I just don't care about them.

But.

There is nothing to like here. Plot moves very slowly and barely anywhere. I get why they didn't start the series with this storyline. The first issue offers nothing for readers.

There is nothing to hate really. Art is... fine? But nothing to like either.

So don't waste your hatred of this run for this issue. There are more interesting issues to talk about. And this isn't one of them. The biggest crime this issue does is for being such a meh one. If you like it, good. If you hate it, good. I can't be bothered to do either.

Did Wells and Co. overpromise this? Maybe. But it isn't the first time for Lowe and certainly won't be the last time. more

Padding and Filler. Nothing special and now we just had to wait and wait and wait. Good action though.

JRJR is the worst artist in the business right now. I’m not sure how he is still working.

It's a very disappointing issue with no answers at all.
Pages and pages with a preparation for action and flashbacks and not a single evolution. Even John Romita Jr art don't save this issue.

Never thought a forgotten villain from over a decade ago would be the reason Peter and MJ break up