In this issue of The Amazing Spider-Man #5, Spider-Man and Hobgoblin fight with the lives of Peter’s friends on the line!
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #5
Writers: Joe Kelly
Artist and Main Cover: Pepe Larraz
Variant Covers: Joëlle Jones, John Romita Sr., Mark Bagley, Pepe Larraz, Peach Momoko, Luciano Vecchio
Page Count: 19 pages
Release Date: June 4, 2025
Summary:
Hobgoblin attacks Peter’s workplace even as everyone attempts to evacuate. Spider-Man, now sober from the drugging, chases after him, fighting him as he puts together the pieces that Hobgoblin must be attempting to sell a miracle drug for the hallucinations.
As he fights Hobgoblin, he thinks about a time where he helped Brian in a fight when they were young. In the present, Brian throws a hallucinogenic mushroom at Hobgoblin, with Spider-Man helping the mushroom meet its mark. Hobgoblin, hallucinating spiders all over him, jumps out of the building and flees the fight.
After a talk with Norman Osborn where Norman confirms that the drug has been on the market for two years and they were about to start selling all kinds of drinks with the drug inside, Peter speaks to his aunt, who reiterates that he worried her and that she understands that she isn’t his mother and he has a right to privacy but she doesn’t want to be pushed away.
Peter reassures her that she’s “one hell of a mom” and that he knows the only sure way to lose her is to push her away, repeating her words to him from when he was a child.
Analysis:
The end of the first arc of this Amazing Spider-Man run is here, and it’s pretty well done! There isn’t much story to discuss here, as this was mostly action. However, considering the limited action in the first few issues, this is a definite positive. The art, once again, is amazing to look at. Constant motion, excellent use of color and shadow, and the contrast between the darkness of Hobgoblin and the brightness of Spider-Man makes their clash all the more vibrant.
The main cover is also my favorite so far. The contrast between Hobgoblin and Spider-Man, the flames in one corner, the shattered glass, and, most of all, the letters in the title being thrown around by their scuffle make for a dynamic and exciting cover that does a good job of representing the story inside.
This issue was great, but it did feel like an extraordinarily quick wrap-up. Peter suddenly sobers up at the beginning of the issue with no explanation, considering he was still hallucinating when he left the warehouse where the fight started in issue #4. He also figures out the last piece of the mystery, why Hobgoblin drugged the sodas in the first place, without much thought.
The format of his memories has shifted in this issue. The moments where Peter remembers his childhood with Brian feel more like a parallel than an interruption, a subtle way to highlight the difference in Peter’s mental state without erasing the memories altogether. It’s consistent with the other comics of this arc, but just different enough to represent a change.
There is also a moment where May speaks towards the end, mirroring words she said to Peter when he was young. Although we can’t see her thoughts, the panel takes on a similar blue color as Peter’s memories do before snapping back into color the moment he hugs her. It’s another parallel to a previous memory, a heartwarming moment between the two that showcases Peter’s growth from both his childhood and the Eight Deaths of Spider-Man arc.
Shay is suspiciously absent, though, and has been since the attack on her workplace. The last we heard of her, she was attempting to call Peter. They have not had a conversation since, and that makes his efforts to reassure May feel a little hollow. He’s now sobered up, and time has passed since he defeated Hobgoblin. The voicemail she left Peter was frantic and scared, and yet he hasn’t reached out.
The dialogue has ups and downs. Most of it is great, with the conversation between Peter and Norman a highlight. The rest of the comic feels like Spider-Man, and the parallels between Peter’s past and present are highlighted well in the text. However, there are a few times in this issue where the dialogue becomes less about quips and more about memes.
It isn’t often, but it was surprising, considering it hadn’t been in previous issues. And while it would have still surprised me coming from Peter, one of them even comes from Hobgoblin, which brought me out of the moment completely.
Final Thoughts:
This issue is visually well done, emotionally engaging, and has action on almost every page, but it stumbles a little in pacing and has a few hiccups in the writing that can pull the reader out of the moment.
