Amazing Spider-Man (2018) #31 (Lgy 832) Review: The Bogenrieder Perspective

“–This ends with me.”

In which Norman and Kindred continue to talk among the chaos of Absolute Carnage.

Amazing Spider-Man (2018) #31 (Lgy. 832)

“Absolute Carnage, Pt 2”

Writer: Nick Spencer

Pencils: Ryan Ottley

Inks: Cliff Rathburn

Colors: Nathan Fairbairn

Letters: VC’s Joe Caramagna

Editors: Nick Lowe and Kathleen Wisneski

Editor-in-Chief: CB Cebulski

Story:

Norman continues to talk with Kindred, who reveals that earlier he put one of his centipedes in Norman during his time in Ravencroft. Cutting back to the events of Absolute Carnage, this centipede activates as Norman tries to kill Peter, instead opting to kill Normie and Dylan. This gives Peter the time he needs to get a second wind and take Carnage 2 out, saving the two boys. There’s also a flashback to ASM #121, where Norman gets triggered at Peter being in his house to check up on Harry with MJ and Gwen. After Oscorp’s stock falls 13%, Harry tries to get out of bed, collapsing and breaking his father’s mental state. (We all know the story about a blonde and a bridge. Whichever one it is is up to you.)

In the flashback, Norman reveals something to Kindred, who leaves in a huff and for once, manages to catch him off guard: that he’s proud of him.

Thoughts:

Once again, I think this was a solid tie-in to Absolute Carnage, if a little confusing on the timeline. (The recap page says that it takes place after Absolute Carnage #3, but the events here are brought up in Absolute Carnage #4, so I’ll see if Donny Cates posts something about it on his Twitter.) As I said in my review of the previous issue, there’s not a ton of stuff that really happens in terms of style, but much more goes down in substance.

Once again, Ryan Ottley kills it on pencils assisted by Cliff Rathburn, giving depth to every single panel and using line size to emphasize scale and perspective. I insisted that Ottley was the best choice to do the art for a Carnage book, especially given how bloody the main event is. I will continue to maintain this argument, especially considering that he runs with the bloody nature and tone of the tie-ins. There’s also something to say about how Nathan Fairbairn is essential to the tone of the book, using warm reds, greys and greens to energize the tone, and heavily emphasizing the reds in order to contrast with the blue of Peter’s costume.

I know there’s not necessarily a ton to say about the substance of the book aside from more Kindred speculation, but it does, again, narrow down our suspects from just “the people at Harry’s surprise party” to somebody who is actively aware of the events of ASM #121 and the events leading up to Gwen Stacy’s death. And to that end, I think that Harry and a fragment of pre-OMD Peter are still the frontrunners for my money on Kindred’s identity, but at this point the ball is in Spencer’s court to keep me invested and give the mystery a satisfying payoff.

On another note, I gotta say just how satisfying it is to see Peter solo take-down Carnage. (Or at least, the closest approximation of what we normally consider to be Carnage in Norman’s body.) I can’t remember the last time Peter soloed Carnage, so seeing him doing it an running on nothing but sheer willpower and brute force was somewhat exhilarating to see. I don’t usually use that kind of word, but Spencer and Ottley nailed it with precision accuracy.

While I think that as a tie-in, it could easily operate as its own story, it works to fit under the Absolute Carnage branding. (It got bumped up by 11k in sales, so from 29 to 30 that gambit has paid off in a very rare case of events boosting sales) I’m more excited for what 2099 has to offer outside of the Kindred storyline, (And I’m hoping I’ll have a lot more to say about outside of speculating about Kindred and gushing about Ottley drawing things getting bloody) but for what we got? I think we got more than the bare minimum. In other words? A solid book.

Final Grade: A