Amazing Spider-Man #65: Family Affair

Things aren’t heating up, they’re at the boiling point! I seriously can’t count the number of storylines that are coming to a head in this issue, but there’s a bunch. Author Nick Spencer has to have one of those big boards that the cops use when they’re solving a murder. I’m guessing it takes up a whole wall in his house, maybe two. The web (sorry) of people that are connected is astounding, and the crazy thing is that they’re all very different and all very interesting. In the back of the reader’s mind are Spidey’s new suit and the fact that it means that JJJ is literally on his shoulder and in his ear every time he put that suit on. This issue, Spidey puts it to his advantage, and some of its uses are really neat. You’ve got the search for the Lifeline Tablet, that really gets turned up this issue, and many people have forgotten, is what started this whole crazy arc in the first place. Spencer walks a very fine line, balancing so many stories. There’s a big potential that this story is going to tip the scales and move into the too many stories territory, but he manages to find the perfect balance and keep it throughout the book and that makes this one of those issues where you can actually feel your heart beating faster as you get further into the issue. It’s the very definition of a page-turner. 

You get TWO Federicos for the price of one this issue! Artists Federico Vicentini and Federico Sabbatini team up to deliver an absolutely stunning book, artistically. Seriously, the first page I looked at made me just stop and stare at it. It’s very hard to describe the art in this book, but the first word that pops into my head is “lush”. Even though it takes place in the dark and gritty atmosphere of New York City, the artists give the city as well as the characters a softer look, but never lose any of the detail. I really hope these two get to collaborate in the future as their work together is very unique and exceptional. 

Important note to readers: This story concludes next week in Giant-Sized Amazing Spider-Man: King’s Ransom #1.