In this issue of The Amazing Spider-Man #68, Spider-Man finally returns!
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #68
Writer: Justina Ireland
Art: Andrea Broccardo
Main Cover: Patrick Gleason
Variant Covers: Skottie Young, Cory Smith & Edgar Delgado, Luciano Vecchio
Page Count: 19 pages
Release Date: February 19, 2025
This review contains spoilers
The Amazing Spider-Man #68 begins as Cyra takes Peter to F.E.A.S.T., where he sees that Callix’s rot dogs have killed Randy, Shay, Aunt May, and a civilian. Peter doesn’t understand how since he saw their deaths, but Cyra reveals that he changed their fate when he decided to stop being Spider-Man. Peter realizes that he’s been grieving over nothing while real lives are at stake, dons his suit again, and uses the rest of the Reeds of Raggadorr to bring them back, leaving him with no way to revive himself should he die.
Peter and the X-Men take on Callix and his dogs, with Peter even using the strongest move in his magical arsenal, but it has no effect. Callix explodes his dogs into puffs of smoke and disappears without an explanation. Suddenly, the X-Men begin to attack each other, and Cyra pulls Peter into a space between worlds to tell him that people all over the city are now inflicted with Soul Rot, which causes them to destroy that which they hold dear thanks to Callix. Juggernaut, being Cyttorak’s presence on Earth, is unaffected.
Cyra brings Peter to her home in hopes of stopping her brother but finds her siblings dead, killed by Callix. Her father, however, is unharmed but unmoving. As Peter attempts to rouse him, a portal appears, and a giant monster from the Blight appears. As Peter wonders how they can fight it, Callix grabs him and uses his newfound strength to kill him before he can react.
Analysis
The wait for Spider-Man’s return has been a long one. It’s been several issues of him questioning his work, his place as a hero, and his relationships. I hoped his return would be this grand moment of realization, a struggle between his newfound lack of feeling and his sense of responsibility, particularly to those he cares about most. He’s spent days telling himself that he does more harm than good and that everyone dies and is forgotten anyway, and that’s not something that I just expected to change in an instant, but that’s exactly how the comic handles it.
There is no build-up to his return. Just an issue ago, he ignored Doctor Strange’s warnings and did not understand why he should care. But, somehow, Spider-Man is back by page 5. There’s no moment of hesitation or internal struggle. The deaths of his loved ones shocked him back into being Spider-Man in a way that is far overshadowed by the moment that shocked him into quitting.
When Cyra showed him the images of his loved ones and made him understand that they would eventually fade into history, I understood Peter’s reasons for quitting. I knew why that could be his breaking point, even if I knew it wouldn’t be forever. His return was quick, and there wasn’t an attempt to connect with the reader, making it feel more like an impulsive decision than a triumphant return.
The one thing I did enjoy about his return in The Amazing Spider-Man #68 was using the rest of the Reeds of Raggadorr to save the lives of the people Peter cares about. It feels like an even trade. Their deaths were altered from the vision he was shown because he decided to stop being Spider-Man, so it’s fitting that he would need to trade the rest of his lifelines for them.
I also enjoyed several moments where the art stood out. There are a few panels with red or white backgrounds where you can feel the moment’s intensity from the art. The panel where the blighted monster emerges highlights its size and how terrifying it truly is. And the final panel, with Cyra crouching, shocked by Spider-Man’s body, and Coulson standing just behind her is the perfect image for this particular cliffhanger.
As for the rest of the comic, the plot is interesting, but The Amazing Spider-Man #68 sorely needed the chance to breathe. One issue alone could have been filled with Peter’s decision to return to being Spider-Man and using the Reeds to bring everyone back to life. Instead, not only do we get that, but they also see the consequence of the blight, charge into Cyra’s home to find her family dead, and Peter is killed. There is no real lead-up, travel, or preparation for any of it; we just bounce from plot point to plot point without any space in between, with new deaths at every turn. This comic, whose arc originally began with Peter discussing the agony of death, feels like it’s changed to treating death like a novelty.
Final Thoughts
Though this issue has a few good moments and some art that stands out, both are overshadowed by the lack of build-up to the end of one of the arc’s most important plot points, the way the story rushes through, and the way it is suddenly treating death like a puzzle to be solved instead of the source of much of the pain of this arc.
