Amazing Spider-Man #70: Nothing Can Stop the Spider-Man

As the final pages of The Amazing Spider-Man #70 continue to simmer in my mind, I’m left with a few distinct feelings. The first, and most exciting, is hope for the title’s future under Joe Kelly. The second, more crucial within the context of The Eight Deaths of Spider-Man, is that this finale elevates the entire arc significantly—largely thanks to my third and final takeaway: Ed McGuinness delivers his best work to date. His art is a visual tour de force, embodying the kind of modernity that big-budget comics should aspire to.

Starting with the story, the issue doesn’t completely resolve the messily constructed themes in a way that redeems the arc’s aimless bloat. Many of the resolutions could have, and should have, hit harder. Too much time was spent on Peter moping about in repetitive ways, rather than revisiting his dynamic with the Juggernaut or giving Cyttorak a deeper sense of character before making him the emotional linchpin of the arc’s conclusion.

However, the resolution surrounding cynicism—and how Peter overcomes The Blight with his pathos rather than brute strength—delivers a powerful message about how Joe Kelly perceives the character. More than any other chapter in Eight Deaths, this issue highlights why Kelly might be a great fit for the title moving forward. The creative team seamlessly blends the fantasy of Spider-Man, the relatability of Peter Parker, and the broader thematic depth that superhero comics are capable of achieving—more effectively than anything in the last 163 issues.

Another promising aspect of the future, and a testament to the story’s themes, is that Kelly doesn’t walk back any of the current status quo in this finale. Instead, he uses it as a stepping stone for growth and change. Shay remains in the picture, Peter and Felicia return to a place of friendship, and—most importantly—Peter takes responsibility for his actions rather than blaming them on some vague, external excuse.

Since this is the last we’ll see of him for a while, I want to commend Ed McGuinness (along with inkers Mark Farmer and Cliff Rathburn) for the remarkable growth in his art throughout this volume of The Amazing Spider-Man. His work in this issue—from layouts to fluidity—is nothing short of phenomenal. At times, it evokes the same excitement I felt playing Insomniac’s Spider-Man adaptations. This issue goes big, it goes small, and through it all, McGuinness delivers his finest work yet—setting a high standard for the series moving forward.