NOTE: Once again I don’t have the physical copy of the issue. My LCS (Local Comicbook Shop) says this week’s Marvel order is delayed. So I again had to use my MS Paint skills to create a display image here. Once again, flawless!
In this issue … Peter continues to wonder “Why bother trying?” and his supporting cast actually notices. More arguing amongst Cytorrak’s children. Cyra consults with Dr. Strange about Peter’s new attitude. Shay actually does something constructive. Peter and the Black Cat make out, because that will solve everything, right? Callix goes looking for power and finds more than he bargained for. All this, and Cardios, the next scion, fights … the X-Men???
(Thank goodness the last dozen or so issues have been doing the work to establish Peter and Shay as a couple, right? Right?)
CREDITS
Writer: Justina Ireland
Artist: Andrea Broccardo
Color Artist: Marcio Menyz & Erick Arciniega
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
PREVIOUSLY IN AMAZING SPIDER-MAN …
Peter fought the next scion, Cyra, and by “fought” I mean she showed him the inevitable deaths of everyone he knows, along with thousands more. He is about to lose when Callix jumps in to try to steal the win from his twin and messes everything up. Apparently Spidey wins here (it’s not clear at all) and Peter tells Dr. Strange that everything is meaningless and that he quits.
Oh right, there was a .DEATH issue. What happened there … well … (flips through the pages) … Peter remembers all of the deaths that have took place throughout his life while hanging out with Phil Coulson(1) , who is now the new Death? (sure, why not?) Stuff happens with Coulson, but as far as Peter goes, nothing changes with – or happens to – him. You can skip that issue and not miss anything of Peter’s story.
SUMMARY
In The Crimson Chaos, Cytorrak’s children (the scions) talk with their father – and by that I mean they talk and he just sits there quietly and scowls. Cyra tells Callix that he had his chance and lost, so it is now Cradios’ turn.
(I must admit that Cytorrak’s silent reaction to Callix’s desperate need for validation made me laugh.)
Peter is sitting on a rooftop eating pizza, still not caring about anything. We see that he’s been ignoring Randy and Aunt May because all that Peter can think about is how they will eventually die.
(This was a good way to include the supporting cast without actually having them appear.)
Meanwhile Cyra and Dr. Strange are watching this and she finds it irritating.
Peter goes to a convenience store where we find out that Kenneth (from the first issue) has died from a heart attack. A robber tries to rob the store, and instead of stopping him, Peter tells him that it’s all pointless.
(This poor clerk is thinking that this random customer is going to get them all killed.)
Spider-Boy shows up to stop the robber and asks Peter what’s going on with him. Peter tells SB that there’s no point in trying because things do not get better.
Cyra and Strange continue to watch Peter, with Cyra confused by what he is doing, and why she cares about Peter since her challenge is over.
Peter meets Shay in Times Square where we learn it’s been weeks since he quit helping people and has been avoiding her. Peter asks her how she can continue to help people at her job when it’s all pointless. She explains that she has lost people at work but she likes helping people and tells him to see a professional.
(I have to admit, if this is how Peter sees everyone now, no wonder he’s this depressed. Also, not a dog!)
Meanwhile at the X-Men headquarters in Alaska, Juggernaut senses something about Cytorrak and tells Cyclops and Psylocke that they have to get to New York.
Peter is hanging around (literally) the outside wall of Black Cat’s apartment. He explains that he saw everyone’s death, that he doesn’t think there can ever be a win, and that he doesn’t feel anything. Felicia tells him that there is still good in the world and kisses him, and Peter kisses her back.
(Oh look, Felicia is giving Peter some good advice. That’s nice, maybe this … and she’s kissing him out of nowhere.)
Cyra and Strange are watching this. She tells him that during their challenge Peter endured three million deaths and that he is still seeking a connection, and she must know why.
Meanwhile, Callix is wandering into the forbidden zone (outside the Casket) where none of Cytorrak’s scions dare to go. He and his canines are attacked by some black tendrils. He escapes and leaves, but has some tendril ooze on his boot.
(Chekov’s tendril.)
Cradios shows up in New York looking for Peter, but is confronted by … Juggernaut and the X-Men!
(“Da nanana naaaa na na, Da nanana naaaa na na …”)
TO BE CONTINUED!
INITIAL RESPONSE
This is a strange issue(2). Peter has given up – not only being Spider-Man, but being Peter Parker. He doesn’t really do anything here.(3) Well, that’s not true. We see that his friends and family have noticed the new Peter, and while Peter thinks everything is pointless, on some level he’s trying to fix this. He reaches out to Shay hoping she can tell him how to deal with this feeling. He goes to Felicia’s for advice. If he truly thought that nothing mattered then he wouldn’t reach out to anyone. So there is that.
I did say in earlier reviews that I wanted Peter dying repeatedly to have some effect on him, and while that doesn’t seem to be happening (except for brief mentions that he doesn’t want to keep dying), I didn’t expect him to have a psychological breakdown based on realizing “everyone dies so what’s the point?” I do like that this was not resolved in one issue, and hopefully it won’t be solved by “I like making out with Felicia so life is worth living again”.
WHAT I LIKED
Peter being in this state of mind is a different look for him. We’ve seen him revert into an “ignore everything Peter Parker related and be Spider-Man all the time” persona before (“I am the Spider”), but I don’t remember him ever giving up on doing anything Spider-Man *and* Peter Parker related before. We’ve seen him reflect on all the deaths in his life many times, but usually that just has him quitting being Spider-Man and wanting to live a normal “Peter Parker” life. So for him to not care about anything is something new. And I like the fact that he’s kind of right – everyone is going to die eventually anyway. So why bother doing anything? It’s a valid question.
(The only thing Peter cares about now is food. I can respect that.)
Although it’s brief, we actually see Peter’s supporting cast notice his new behavior. This is a huge change for any person, and it would make sense that his friends and family would notice this.
I actually liked the scene with the robber in the convenience store. Peter literally doesn’t care about stopping this guy, and while it’s similar to scene with The Burglar (in AF #15), this time it’s not because he’s full of himself and only looking out for himself – it’s because all of these people are going to die, they’re already dead(4), so why bother doing anything here? It literally takes Spider-Boy of all people to save the day.
(Amazing Fantasy #15 came out in 1962. Nice.)
I haven’t liked – or been interested in – any of the scions so far, so I was surprised to find myself interested in Cyra and her interactions with Dr. Strange here. There’s not much competition amongst the other scions for “My Favorite Scion” but she’s clearly number one. The fact that she’s already lost and is still hanging around and just not to whine about their loss, and seems to be actually interested in Peter, makes her more interesting than the other scions (and definitely more than her twin).
This may be the first issue where I’ve actually liked Shay. Peter’s ignored her for weeks and she won’t put up with it. But she recognizes that he’s going through some sort of crisis and gives him some actual good advice. Yes, she’s a nurse, but that doesn’t mean she’s qualified to treat someone going through this kind of trauma. She tells him a story about herself that (as far as she knows) is equivalent to what he is going through, and gives him good advice – talk to a professional.
(This is good advice for anyone.)
And the fact that Peter actually reaches out to Shay to ask her how she continues to go on shows that despite how he is acting, Peter is actually hoping that someone will be able to convince him that he’s wrong. He may feel that everything is hopeless, but a small part of him is hoping that someone will be able to convince him that he’s wrong.
I have to admit that I kind of enjoyed Peter’s casual disregard for his secret identity here. He is never in costume, constantly sticking to walls out in the open. If everyone dies, who cares if someone see him using his powers?
And once again, Spidey doesn’t die in this issue!
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Except for Cyra, I still have zero interests in the scions. Every time I see them bickering it reminds me of the Inheritors in the first Spider-Verse. That is not a compliment.
And of all of the scions, Callix is definitely the worst. Maybe it’s because I’m currently watching a YouTuber’s reactions videos while they watch Arrested Development for the first time, but Callix is definitely the Gob Bluth of this family.(6)
(Separated at birth?)
I thought for sure that Kenneth was going to show up in the final issue and be the key to solving everything. RIP Kenneth. You will be missed.
The inclusion of Spider-Boy. It’s bad enough that we had to see him in the previous issue, but at least that was to see his death(5). Here he shows up to show the reader that this is how Spider-Man should be acting. Sigh. This really should have been Miles.
(This dialogue is Marvel trying to convince the readers that later issues of Spider-Boy’s series gets better after the first one.)
Peter goes to Felicia and not Mary Jane. It’s public knowledge that Kelly prefers Spidey being partnered up with Black Cat instead of Mary Jane. But MJ’s absence in this issue is glaring. Of anyone, she should be the one he would go to, especially since as we can see, despite his current beliefs, he is actually looking for someone to convince him that he’s wrong. Even in her current incarnation, MJ is that person. But no, he goes to Black Cat instead. And to top it off, a kiss from her seems to help, as he actually returns the kiss and reaches out to her. If they end up having a relationship with Black Cat be the thing that gets Peter out of this funk …
(“Nothing matters because everyone dies … wait, I’m about to get some here. Shay who?”)
I really hoped that after last issue that we wouldn’t see Callix again, like the scions from the first issues. But no, he apparently is going to stick around, and his arrogance is only going to make things worse. Him trying to prove himself to his father by going where no one is supposed to go … I know we’re not supposed to like the villains, but he is really annoying.
(Callix is definitely the sibling that is left out of all family plans because no one wants to be around him.)
LETTERS PAGE SHENANIGANS
LOL at Lowe completely ignoring this letter’s complaints about the Zells run.
WHAT THIS ISSUE MEANT OVERALL
Well, we didn’t get another “Spidey fights a scion, dies, and gets one step closer to winning this tournament” story, so that was unexpected. And Peter’s new outlook on life is a valid one, and doesn’t seem to be instantly reversed.
Again, not a surprise that this is one of the better issues of this story and it’s written by Justina Ireland. Marvel, make her the main ASM writer, you cowards!
Also, I saw on Discord that someone said that Peter’s new view of the world is the same as the readers’ view of the Zells run, which also occurred to me. Likely not deliberate, but apt.
GRADE
B-
I probably shouldn’t like this issue as much as I do, since Peter doesn’t actually do anything. “Spider-Man” doesn’t actually appear at all. And yet, Peter’s new worldview is interesting. And despite what he’s saying, Peter is trying to get someone to convince him that he’s wrong. Hopefully they’ll resolve this with something that makes sense and now just having him jump back in the sack with Felicia being the solution, right? Right?
NEXT TIME, IN AN ALL-NEW ISSUE OF AMAZING SPIDER-MAN …
Spidey looks like he’s wearing glasses in that mask.
FOOTNOTES
(1) You know when doing all of this stuff in the comics with Phil Coulson would have made sense? When he was in the MCU films. Or when Agents of SHIELD was airing. When was the last time we saw Coulson in the MCU, or someone mentioned him?
(3) Well, he does more than he did in the .DEATH issue, so there’s that.
(4) Remember, 12 Monkeys predicted The Sixth Sense!
(5) Look at what you’ve done to me, Marvel/Slott. You’ve got me rooting for the death of a child.
(6) With this Gob comparison, this is now how I see the Scions of Cytorrak:
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@Evan Berry:
Thanks, that’s what I’m here for.
@Hornacek — That is a wonderfully cogent explanation — so much so that I can completely understand and agree. Thank you for that.
@Evan Berry:
Peter has lived his life thinking that he was given his powers for a reason – to help people and save lives. But he’s literally just been shown that no matter what he does, *everyone* will die. And there’s nothing he can do about it. So what’s the point? Why bother? That’s a pretty heavy thing to think about, for a normal person or a superhero.
Yes, Uncle Ben would be sad at Peter’s new outlook, but anyone who knows Peter would feel that way. Having this feeling that nothing you do matters is a real problem that some people have.
@Hornacek – I think my favorite caption is “Da nanana naaaa na na, Da nanana naaaa na na …”
I don’t know what witnessing three million deaths would do to a person, but I have always believed that, far from negating life, the inevitability of death is itself what gives life meaning, and thus makes it imperative that we treat others well while we and they are alive. I could see maybe a young teenager having an existential dilemma like the one Peter is experiencing if death is only an abstract up to that point in his or her life, but Peter has dealt with true, actual death many times in his life.
There is one death that defined Peter — that was enough to make him feel viscerally the preciousness of life. It only takes one, let alone three million. I’m not sure why that lesson was lost on him. I think Uncle Ben would be really saddened.
Just because I and all the people I know will be dead someday does not mean that what I do during my life does not matter. I haven’t experienced even close to as many deaths as Peter had before this particular arc, but even I know that, and that’s all the more reason why he should, too.
But, hey, I loved your review, as always!
@Dark Mark:
We do see MJ’s death in the previous issue – she is fighting Hobgoblin as Jackpot and is impaled through the chest.
I don’t know how I will feel about the X-Men showing up here. If Juggernaut hadn’t shown up it would have led to a lot of “This is about Cytorrak, why isn’t Juggernaut here?” questions.
Awesome review! I love all the comments under the images, but this one wins: “This dialogue is Marvel trying to convince the readers that later issues of Spider-Boy’s series gets better after the first one.”
I also have mixed feelings about this one. Sure, Spider-Man doesn’t make an appearance, but in this story, his non-appearance IS his appearance since it is the result of his encounter with that sister scion (I am just not invested enough to learn their names). I did, well ‘enjoy’ is not the correct word, um… find it intriguing when Peter is struggling with his inner conflict. I do think that was done well. I am am glad that the sister scion told Dr. Strange that not only did she hit Peter with worse than what she’s hit him with, but she hit him with millions more deaths than what she has ever hit Strange with. OK. That does make sense that our hero is beaten down. It makes the fact that he never dropped the ball even more heroic. I certainly didn’t know there was a .death issue, so I figured I must not have read the previous issue closely enough. I didn’t think he would give up after seeing the deaths he saw in that issue, but faced with 3 million that we are told he felt and grieved for each, well, that is going to do a number on him.
I do think going to Shay first fits our current story. Going to Felicia does fall into the realm of possibility, but it does seem out of place that MJ wasn’t considered. In fact, I do not remember if he saw her death or not.
Seeing the X-Men once again come in is not filling me with excitement about reading the next issue, but it was interesting seeing that Juggernaut is a hero now? I do hope that if they interact with Spider-Man, he is still a little sore about their cement encounter.
You like it better than me. I’d give it a C. It is so far the best of the Eight Deaths.