Amazing Spider-Man #9
Recap
In, Amazing Spider-Man #8, a new villain was introduced, Odessa Drake, the leader of the Thieves Guild. Which no one thought existed until she came after a night club owner. And then killed him for some inexplicable reason. She believes every thief owes a tithe to the Guild. By the way, in the last issue, the Guild actually pulled off one of the greatest heists in history by stealing a lot of precious items from our favorite superheroes. Pretty impressive!
And in the last few pages, Spidey's Web-Shooters disappeared, and Black Cat saved him as he was falling to his death. She also slashed him across the face because of his double being a gigantic douche. One last thing: How much money you want to bet that Black Cat is part of the Thieves Guild?
Review
Pretty Average, But Good!
So, Spider-Man and Black Cat team up together to help stop the Thieves Guild. It’s a very solid issue, but at the same time, it’s a story meant to set up all the pieces so the next one can be brimming with excitement, action and suspense. Black Cat gives us a rundown on the history of the Thieves Guild, which of course she’s a member of, but also, it did add a little nuance by making it extremely personal to her. You’ll have to read the issue to find out why!
And then, there’s a subplot with Mary Jane. She “accidentally’ runs into Carlie Cooper, an ex-girlfriend of Peter Parker’s who knows his “Whip, Whip” secret. Sorry, that’s Mary Jane’s lingo about Peter’s secret. Carlie told Mary Jane the secret was a huge burden to keep, and told her about a support group called the “Look-Ups”. And so, Mary Jane checks it out. She’s greeted by Jarvis and a room full of people. Jarvis tells her all about it, but something seems off. Carlie just seemed shady, also, Ganke Lee, Miles Morales’ best friend was there as well. It’s like what Alano is for people who live with alcoholics.
This could be exactly what it seems, but I doubt it. Luckily, it has room for potential if there are sinister roots behind the whole facade. Or maybe Mary Jane just needs people to converse with that knows what she’s going through. We’ll see.
Lastly, Black Cat takes Peter to where the Thieves Guild headquarters are in New York. They find all the superhero stuff. You have to give Spencer praise as a few of his lines hit the mark and I laughed. Especially the one about Tigra’s bikini. But surprise-surprise! I’m just going to leave it there and not spoil the ending. There’s nothing really special in this book. It’s a breezy read, or like a bag of Doritos. It’s something to hold you over until you get the entree.
Final Thoughts
Amazing Spider-Man 9 is not horrible or mediocre by any means. It has a few fun moments, but a lot of the plotting was more predictable than if one of my YouTube videos is going to be good or not (They're not good so far.). Also, the art is solid. Ramos always delivers, as well as Bandini with a few flashbacks.
This story does a nice job giving more of a backstory to the Thieves Guild, and also, setting up the next issue quite nicely. This is the thing: If you really love Spider-Man, then this books is your cup of tea. But if you're just a casual fan, then it really doesn't do much to tingle the old Spider-Sense.
Honestly, this issue will do well in trade, but as a single-issue, it left a few things to be desired. But you have to give it to Nick Spencer because the way he finished the story; well, has made the next issue a must-buy to see how Spidey and Black Cat will get out of their latest jam. The plot is by-the-numbers, with a few laughs, but it does its job. It's definitely worth your time if you've been enjoying Spencer's run!
Spencer’s Amazing Spider-Man #9 Is Another Solid Entry
- Writing - 9.1/109.1/10
- Storyline - 6.2/106.2/10
- Art - 8/108/10
- Color - 8/108/10
- Cover Art - 8/108/10