Superhero adventures have quite a bit in common with soap operas. From mistaken identities to mysterious redemptions, they are long stories that rely on building twists and turns to continue decades-long stories. But if you are all mystery with little payoff, it can make an audience member question their desire to keep turning into the story. There’s nothing wrong with creating a slow burn. You just have to ensure there’s enough to keep people coming back. In “The Amazing Spider-Man” #11, Zeb Wells and John Romita Jr. continue to build mysteries around Peter Parker’s life but skimp on the action to keep the story moving.
Written by Zeb WellsCover by John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna, and Marcio Menyz
Illustrated by John Romita Jr.
Inked by Scott Hanna
Colored by Marcio Menyz
Lettered by VC’s Joe CaramagnaThe Return of the Hobgoblin! The timing of this goblin’s return with Peter working at Oscorp MUST be a coincidence, right? But who is donning the yellow cowl? Roderick Kingsley? Ned Leeds? Flash Thompson? If you know anything about Hobgoblin, you know that you know nothing about Hobgoblin.
“The Amazing Spider-Man” #11 is primarily a set-up issue, focusing on the mysteries of characters’ identities and whether Peter Parker’s too-good-to-be-true life is too good to be true. Zeb Wells seems to understand one of the most critical tenets of Peter Parker’s life when things are going well; there’s probably something shady behind the scenes. Peter’s life at Oscorp seems to be going better than expected. He’s more confident, actually taking the initiative with Felicia and asking her on a date. While he’s still dealing with picking up the pieces of his broken life, his effort to reach out to others and make amends seems to be working. It’s certainly not a blessed life, Peter still has a myriad of problems, but it seems like he’s on the upswing, as it were. Wells continues to excel at capturing Peter’s voice. His dialogue is quick and punchy, capturing Peter’s awkward humor and his attempt at living a double life. The narration excels at adding nuance to any given scene, letting us know how Peter ticks and showing how the superhero hides his observations as the mild-mannered Parker. It’s all good. You just wish more happened in the issue.
The major crux of the issue surrounds the identity of the recently returned Hobgoblin, which successfully heightens some tension but isn’t as compelling as Wells seems to think. The tension comes from a well-executed conversation between Norman Osborn and Peter, which continues to mine the character’s shared history and explore the idea of what it means to have your sins forgiven. Still, it just never seems like Osborn is a compelling candidate to be the new Hobgoblin or even work for the new Hobgoblin. Wells does an excellent job of signaling that Norman isn’t as in control as he’d like to imagine, but “The Amazing Spider-Man” #11 quickly sets up the tension and removes it fast. It’s certainly possible that there is more than meets the eye with this whole scenario, but there’s something about focusing an entire issue for minimal payoff that feels like a misdirect. The resolution takes Norman and Roderick Kingsly off the conspiracy board for the Hobgoblin’s new identity. Still, the issue only sets up one other likely candidate and doesn’t precisely explore why the Hobgoblin returning is that big of a deal.
Sure, any time a supervillain returns, it’s not good news, but everything the Hobgoblin does in this issue is relatively low stakes. Sure, he threatens the baby of a beloved character and causes chaos, but there’s very little rhyme or reason to what is happening. As a result, it’s hard to tell if “The Amazing Spider-Man” #11 would benefit from more Hobgoblin or less Hobgoblin. If you removed the character from the opening, the reveal at the end might be more potent, or if you start with the Hobgoblin creating larger-scale chaos and then end with the smaller stakes of Betty Brandt, the character’s involvement might feel more organic. As it stands right now, it just seems like he’s there, but you don’t know why you should care.
Continued belowSimilarly, while John Romita Jr. has some compelling sequences in “The Amazing Spider-Man” #11, it feels like you’re missing something to really bring the issue to life. The most dynamic sequences include Spidey and Black Cat’s conversation at the top of the building, highlighting the two character’s movement through the city and the wind creating a sense of motion in the scene. It’s not showy, but it makes a sense of fluidity in the background. The other sequence is the Hobgoblin’s attack at the end of the issue, which is lit with headlights and takes advantage of shadows until it descends into chaos. While the rest of the issue’s art isn’t bad, it’s not exactly compelling. There are the occasional interesting moments, Norman’s reflection in robot screens or the occasional expression showing he’s hanging on by a thread, but nothing really stands out. This might be because the script focuses more on building a mystery than delivering superheroic action, but many scenes just feel standard. Nothing is there to elevate the material, which makes the standout moments all the more impressive but leaves the rest of the issue feeling flat.
Superhero comics don’t have to be all action all the time. You can have compelling stories focusing on building mysteries and taking advantage of the slow burn, but “The Amazing Spider-Man” #11 doesn’t do that. Of course, it’s possible that by the next issue, the mystery will pay off, the action will ramp up, and the story will get back on track, but it doesn’t seem likely right now.
Final Verdict: 6.0 “The Amazing Spider-Man” #11 has some compelling moments, but too much focus on mystery makes the issue fall short.
