In this review of The Amazing Spider-Man #58, readers get the drop-down, drag-out fight between Spider-Man and Tombstone that’s been long coming.
The Amazing Spider-Man #58
Writer: Zeb Wells
Artist and Main Cover: John Romita, Jr.
Variant Covers: Chris Allen, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Leonardo Romero, Ryan Meinerding
Page Count: 20 pages
Release Date: September 25, 2024
This Review Contains Spoilers
The Amazing Spider-Man #58 begins as Tombstone attempts to kill his daughter with little talk. Though Janice is able to put on her suit, he quickly gains the upper hand and nearly kills her before Spider-Man is able to stop him and Janice is able to escape. After a brief chase, the three enter a high-rise office building where Janice scratches at her father’s eyes with the nails in her suit. Temporarily blinded, Tombstone attacks Spider-Man, thinking he is fighting Janice, giving her a chance to escape. In a moment of rage, Tombstone grabs Spider-Man and rushes forward, and the issue ends with them crashing out of one of the building’s windows.
Analysis
The Amazing Spider-Man #58 is exactly what it says on the tin — the start of the final fight between Spider-Man and Tombstone.
When it comes to the artwork, there are ups and downs, but the negatives aren’t anything unusual for this run of the series. The faces, particularly Janice’s, can look awkward, and details get lost. However, the fight takes up the bulk of this issue, and it works well in this style. The characters look the best in motion, and the varying angles make it so that we don’t miss any piece of the action. Every fall, scratch, and smash is highlighted. In particular, the panels where blood covers Tombstone’s eyes in red are well done. The color is different from anything on his person, from his skin to his suit, making it stand out.
The cover is also one of my favorites of this run. It looks great! The rain and lightning in the background are perfect for the mood that this issue is trying to set, and the way that the water covers Spider-Man and moves around his suit reminds me of a movie poster. The light blue of the background contrasts nicely with Spider-Man in the foreground and highlights the difference between the suit and the storm around him.
We were promised a brutal fight, and there is no doubt that it’s begun. That being said, there isn’t a lot of substance in this issue outside of the fight. The ending, Tombstone and Spider-Man smashing through an upper story window is a cool and dramatic cliffhanger ending, but I was shocked that it was already finished!
This section of the fight felt like it was stretched out to fill the book and took me no time to get through, leaving me a little disappointed. I’m glad that this fight will continue, as the end of this arc shouldn’t be limited to one issue alone, but I wish we had gotten more to make up for how fast you can go through it.
Final Thoughts
The Amazing Spider-Man #58 delivers on its promise of a brutal fight, but its pacing feels slow, and it is far too quick of a read for the beginning of a final battle.
Marvel Comics provided The Comic Book Spot with an advance copy of The Amazing Spider-Man #58 for review purposes. Find more reviews here. If you would like to buy a copy of this title, and help support the Comic Book Spot at the same time, consider purchasing this book at Amazon or at Things From Another World.
