In this review of The Amazing Spider-Man #62, Spider-Man takes on the second Scion: Cyperion!
The AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #62
Writer: Joe Kelly
Art and Main Cover: Ed McGuinness
Variant Covers: Gleb Melnikov, Alex Saviuk, Francesco Mobili, Skottie Young
Page Count: 28 Pages
Release Date: November 27, 2024
This review contains spoilers.
As The Amazing Spider-Man #62 kicks of, with help from Black Cat, Spider-Man obtains a book of spells that he is able to use with his new powers to hopefully gain an advantage over the scions. Meanwhile, the Scions argue over whether or not the trials were created for them to prove their worth to their father or to serve as a game to keep them out of his business. As he studies, Peter talks with Norman, who tells him that he has closed Oscorp for good and warns him of the dangers of dying over and over again. Though he wants to say more, Peter is late for meeting his Aunt May and leaves, only to find himself in Citi Field facing off against the next Scion, Cyperion.
Cyperion says that he just needs to be touched once for the trial to end, but he can teleport himself and Spider-Man through space, making it much more difficult. Spider-Man uses a spell to tether them to each other, so Cyperion can’t trick him by teleporting, and the scion begins to shrink and uses a shield to trap them in a small area, which goads Cyperion into shrinking to give them more space. Peter remembers a theory where if someone shrinks enough, they will eventually reach the threshold and become huge instead. He continues to push Cyperion into shrinking smaller and smaller until they are both the smallest things in the universe and the largest.
Peter uses this moment to touch Cyperion just before the shrinking and growing takes its toll on his body and kills him, and he uses another reed to revive himself.
Later, at dinner with Randy and Shay, Peter admits that he feels stuck, as though nothing is getting better. Shay begins to console him but isn’t able to finish her thought before everything around them freezes, and Peter comes face to face with the next Scion, who looks like a young girl on a bicycle.
Analysis:
The artwork in The Amazing Spider-Man #62 is fairly standard, but two pieces caught my attention. The first was the cover. We don’t usually get to see that level of detail on Spider-Man’s suit in the story panels. You can see the light reflecting off of his suit, particularly off of his knuckles. His eyes are narrowed and he’s drawn what we can see of his upper body in on himself, ready for a fight. It’s fairly simple, with nothing but blackness in the background, but with the metallic silver of Spider-Man’s suit, the green of his emblem, the blackness of his eyes, and the red scarf billowing out around him, a detailed background really isn’t needed.
The second is a panel just before the end of the fight against Cyperion. Spider-Man is huge, as big as a galaxy, and made up of stars. His upper body is whole and sparkling, while his legs have faded into stardust. The light from his emblem is reaching out, still connecting him to Cyperion, and he is reaching towards the earth, pointing at it to touch the scion and end the trial. It isn’t a full-page panel, but it made me wish that it was because it looks amazing.
Peter’s fight against Cyperion takes up a smaller portion of this issue than I expected, but it is still full of action. At the end of the fight, Spider-Man is able to take down the scion with a show of genius instead of just brawn. The fight is relatively short because so much of it is about Spider-Man being unable to hit Cyperion. Still, it is a prime example that fighting the Scions will be completely different than fighting Tombstone in the previous arc. Twice now, Peter has had to use his brain more than his fists in these fights, and I think it’s a good reminder of the intellect that allowed him to become Spider-Man in the first place.
The Amazing Spider-Man #62 felt a lot more lighthearted than the last one. Felicia’s appearance at the beginning of the chapter led to several funny lines, and even though the conversations in Peter’s civilian life weren’t focused on positive topics, the conversations felt more upbeat than the last issue. His talk with Norman, while surprising, didn’t hold any anger or disappointment about his decision to close Oscorp. Though his conversation with Randy and Shay is about his troubles, Shay does her best to cheer him up and remind him that he is not alone.
Of course, as soon as Peter starts to feel better, another Scion appears, and it’s time for his next battle. I wish these glimpses into his personal life were a bit longer. It feels like we’re going through them quickly. In this issue, Norman mentions that “Death…even of a temporary sort… has a way of draining the color out of things.” This felt like a strong bit of foreshadowing even though his actual death in this issue only lasted a few sentences, and I hope that we see more of Peter’s civilian life when the moment comes when dying over and over again begins to affect him.
It also feels as though we’re going through the scions very quickly. This is only the second issue of this arc, and Peter has defeated two Scions and begun the third trial. It feels like it’s going too fast. Still, another conflict is brewing, and it’s made me very curious about how and when this arc will take an inevitable turn into something unexpected.
Final Thoughts:
The Amazing Spider-Man #62 was a well-done issue, but there are no surprises and the plot feels like we’re moving too quickly, leaving me wondering what is in store for the future.
Editor’s Note: Marvel Comics provided The Comic Book Spot with an advanced copy of The Amazing Spider-Man #62 for review purposes. You can find this comic and help support us in the process by pre-ordering this issue digitally on Amazon or a physical copy of the title through Things From Another World.
