In this review of The Amazing Spider-Man #8, Spider-Man’s attention is split between protecting civilians and battling Hellgate, but can he outsmart his foe, or will this battle only end in pain?
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #8
Writer: Joe Kelly
Art: John Romita Jr. with Todd Nauck
Main Cover: John Romita Jr.
Variant Covers: Humberto Ramos, Dan Panosian, Gabrielle Dell’oto, Jeff Dekal
Page Count: 20 pages
Release Date: July 23, 2025
This Review Contains Spoilers
The Amazing Spider-Man #8 begins as the fight between Spider-Man and Hellgate continues! Though Peter gets some good hits in on Hellgate, it quickly becomes clear that his strength isn’t enough. Scared for the first time in a long time, Peter thinks back to his Uncle Ben teaching him how to fight and how he taught him that there’s a time to fight and a time to run.
With Hellgate attacking civilians, Peter chooses to run, egging Hellgate on to make him give chase. He manages to drop a building on Hellgate as a mysterious man calling himself “Captain Kintsugi” appears to offer help, but Peter pushes him to safety despite being injured and refuses his assistance.
Meanwhile, Mary Jane sees the article about Spider-Man fighting Hellgate on her phone and interrupts an argument between Dylan and Paul to show them. Hellgate thinks Spider-Man is weak and wants to kill him, but a mysterious voice warns him that, if he does, he will lose his key to being stronger. Still, Hellgate grabs Spider-Man, and he ends the issue with a final punch.
Analysis
The Amazing Spider-Man #8 is one of the better issues visually in the last few we’ve seen. This art style looks its best when the characters are in motion, and this issue is mostly motion. A standout section is the moment between Peter and Uncle Ben as Peter learns how to fight. The lesson resonates with Peter of the present, and the art style is well done. Peter’s expressions work well here, and Ben’s smile, even as he pushes his nephew around, is a stark contrast to the fight between Spider-Man and Hellgate.
As for the story, The Amazing Spider-Man #8 feels like a repeat of #7, with less creativity on Peter’s side. In the last issue, we could understand what he was thinking and why he made the choices he did. He used his mind to his advantage, reminding readers that part of what makes him such a great Spider-Man is his intelligence.
In The Amazing Spider-Man #8, Spider-Man spends far more time coming up with less interesting solutions to this fight, and the moment that someone appears to help him, Spider-Man treats him like a helpless civilian instead of someone with armor and a shield. While I understand his desire to protect people, not even attempting to get Captain Kintsugi in on a plan felt like a far too hasty decision for the person using his wits to defeat his enemy.
On a similar note, half of Spider-Man’s battle being keeping Hellgate interested in their fight and not the nearby civilians is an interesting turn. He is not the first of Spider-Man’s foes to see his want to save people as a weakness, but he’s the first in some time who feels like they are powerful enough to act on the threat of killing the bystanders without much effort, and it also provides the perfect moment for Peter to call back to the lesson he learned with Uncle Ben.
The interlude of Mary Jane, Paul, and Dylan also felt well done. It was a short look into their life, but it shows that they’re also having their own struggles. Mary Jane is clearly still keeping an eye on Spider-Man, and both Paul and Dylan stop immediately when she calls them, even though she doesn’t yell. It’s clear that they’re easing their way into their new normal, and it’s an interesting parallel to the fact that Peter’s life is also settling into something new.
Despite not having any intense action, The Amazing Spider-Man #8 looks great visually. Though most of the panels aren’t as detailed, the characters’ expressions come through clearly. The color choices for the characters and background contrast nicely with the rest of the comic, and the shortness of the panel makes me hope that we’ll see more of Mary Jane again in the future.
Final Thoughts
The Amazing Spider-Man #8 earns points on the artistic and emotional fronts, but it feels far too similar to the previous issue and includes Spider-Man making some questionable choices during his battle.
7/10
