In this review of The Amazing Spider-Man #9, can anyone convince Peter to put on the suit again?
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #9
Written by Joe Kelly
Artist: Michael Dowling
Main Cover: John Romita Jr.
Variant Covers: Emma Lupacchino, J. Scott Campbell, Netho Diaz
Page Count: 19 pages
Release Date: August 6, 2025
This review contains spoilers
The Amazing Spider-Man #9 opens with a young Peter Parker in a department store, playing with superhero figures before everything goes dark. In the present, Peter, who is injured from his battle with Hellgate, ignores an attack on the city by Shocker and leaves to focus on his work. Though Norman tries to convince him to
Shocker makes a deal to work with Tombstone and Aunt May, worried that Peter is pulling away, sends MJ to speak to him, but Peter leaves when MJ turns the conversation into an opportunity to tell him about her symbiote.
When Shocker’s henchmen attack the city, Captain Kintsugi attempts ot fight them off but is quickly subdued. Though they threaten to kill him, he is saved by Spider-Man before they can hurt him.
Analysis
The Amazing Spider-Man #9 is full of incredible art. Interesting panels, great use of lighting, and well-drawn expressions all come together to bring the story to life. The standout panel is at the very end, with Spider-Man standing against a wall, illuminated by a spotlight. The red in his suit feels bright, even as his lower half is partially cloaked in shadow, and he’s standing in a pose fit for a hero.
When it comes to the story, The Amazing Spider-Man #9 often feels as though it has forgotten to let the reader in. Even with the explanation that it’s been weeks since issue #8, it still feels as though there are gaps in the story. Though Peter speaks to someone and calls them hun, Shae claims that he’s ghosting her, and we never get confirmation that he was talking to her or someone else.
Though everyone claims that Peter is keeping his distance, we see him interacting normally at work, and have no evidence of him ignoring anyone’s calls, so the accusations feel like they’re coming out of nowhere for the reader. And, Peter’s childhood flashback at the beginning of the issue never gets a payoff. This isn’t automatically a bad thing; sometimes you have to wait a few issues before the understanding sets in, but when combined with the other story gaps, it adds to the confusion.
Outside of the missing pieces, this issue has good progression. Not once did I get the feeling that Peter was truly quitting Spider-Man the way he did in the Eight Deaths of Spider-Man arc. He needed a break after feeling fear and serious pain for the first time in a long time, and that is far from unreasonable.
If anything, it felt more like he was waiting for someone who knew about his situation to reach out to him and just check on Peter. He can’t speak about the incident honestly with Aunt May, Norman arrives and accuses him of being avoidant, and even MJ finally returns and confesses that it’s because she and the symbiote need him. None of them asks if he’s okay or how he’s holding up, and in that way, his want for solitude feels understandable.
The Spider-Man at the end feels like an intentional mystery. We don’t see Peter decide to step into the fight, and he’s suddenly keeping his web shooters outside of his suit. If this is not Peter, this is a great setup for conflict and confusion in future issues.
If it is Peter, his return as Spider-Man may feel a little sudden, but it further cements the idea that he never intended to stay away for the long term anyway. He simply wanted to re-evaluate his strategy and find out how to deal with his pain. If this is the case, then his words to Norman, that he was “working on it,” were true.
Either way, The Amazing Spider-Man #9 has left us with an interesting lead into the next part of the story.
Final Thoughts
The Amazing Spider-Man #9 has excellent art and realistic character choices, but is held back by gaps that feel as though they are meant to be intentional, but leave the reader confused.
