Of course, that's not to say the issue isn't good, because it is. Wells and Dillon are both consummate craftsmen who know how to deploy their skills to create a story that works -- but somehow, placed together, they haven't quite created the spark that helps turn a good comic into a great one. Read Full Review

Where the book falters is in the art department. Steve Dillon seems to phone this one in. Now, I'm a Dillon fan, so I don't say this lightly, but he really misses the mark in this issue. There is nothing dynamic or interesting about the characters, nothing to catch the eye. While this a book that focuses on two people standing in front of a grave, it doesn't mean every panel has to be a straight forward shot of them talking. Dillon is better than what he delivers here, which is a shame because the story is so strong. Read Full Review

Zeb Wells has a very straightforward story about moving on, which is ironic given that this issue is wholly rooted in Spider-man (and Peter Parker's) past. The very personal story is one worth exploring, but Wells adds little to what we already know and nor does he bring anything other than a picture-postcard version of emotion to this snapshot of memory. Read Full Review

It's Spider-Man's fiftieth anniversary and we're getting a load of anniversary stories this month. Zeb Wells takes the opportunity to showcase a team-up with Peter Parker and Aunt May. Spider-Man is the hero he is today because of the death of his Uncle Ben. This is something that we all know. While Peter has expressed his guilt many times over the years, we get a touching look at how he is still trying to deal with the burden and his attempt to fully convey this to Aunt May. Steve Dillon is a skilled artist but his style wasn't the best fit for an issue that was lighter on the action and more about the dialogue between Peter and May. It's unfortunate that we've had so many anniversary issues this month as this one could easily get mixed among the others. It's a touching story that shows how important Spider-Man's origin is as well as the need for Aunt May in his life. Read Full Review

Avenging Spider-Man #11 is one of the best-written issues of 2012, and it was handed over to an artist that is completely substandard. So heartbreaking. Read Full Review

Avenging Spider-Man #11 has a solid story with some narrative and artisticmissteps, but in the end itsqueaksby with a light recommendation. Read Full Review

The entire line of Spider-Man titles seem to be leading up to a major event happening in Spider-Man #700 which is coming out in a few months, so perhaps when I look back on this issue I will see it in a “calm before the storm” type of manner. For now I am just looking forward to the more lighthearted stories that look to be returning with the next issue as Spider-Man and Deadpool go back to high school. I cannot wait. Read Full Review

So we say goodbye to Zeb Wells, Congrats on 50 Amazing years Spidey, and next issue welcome Kevin Shinik and Aaron Kuder! Also the Merc with a Mouth visits our Avenging Neighborhood Spider-Man! Read Full Review

I wasnt crazy about the art of this issue- Steve Dillon pencils and Frank Martins colours. I wasnt a fan of how the faces of the characters looked and without any actions scenes to break up those faces I felt pretty underwhelmed by the visual part of the story. This must have been a difficult issue to try and make remarkable with so much dialogue and such sparse action. Unfortunately I did find the art a little distracting. Read Full Review

This comic is well-intentioned and already locked and loaded for fanboy wistfulness, and that will allow Avenging Spider-Man #11 to weather most charges against the issue. I feel like what makes stories like this original are the new insights writers can bring to characters, the point of view they bring to years of history and myth. That's what this comic lacks most of all " it doesn't know what it wants to be. Read Full Review

Because most of the comic is spent on May and Peter talking about the repercussion of Ben's death (rather than showing how their lives have changed), the story doesn't hit all the emotional notes it's going for. Still, it's a nice reminder to readers that without Ben Parker, we wouldn't have had 50 years of web-swinging fun. Read Full Review