Writer: Nick Spencer / Artist: Marcelo Ferreira / Marvel Comics
I will admit, Nick Spencer’s run on Amazing Spider-Man hasn’t completely won me over. During his long time with the character, a few arcs here and there have caught my attention, but none have grabbed quite like his latest. The Sin Eater arc is shaping up to be his best so far and worth a read.
For the past couple of issues, the Sin Eater, a very old and obscure Spidey villain has been causing quite a dilemma for Peter. His newfound powers see him “cleansing” criminals of their sins, which means they’re stripped powerless, and compelled to make up for their past misdeeds. Obviously, this doesn’t sit right with Peter and he has his suspicions about how this “cleansing” actually works. Worse yet, the Sin Eater is stealing the powers of those he attacks and has built an army of fanatics.
Amazing Spider-Man #48 does an excellent job of catching you up on the events of the Sin Eater arc. Even if you haven’t started or missed a few issues, it doesn’t feel like you missed anything. Peter is caught in a moral conundrum of sorts. We find out that the Sin Eater’s next target is none other than Stormin Norman Osborn. Peter’s greatest enemy. The weight of whether or not to save his greatest enemy is heavy. Thankfully, he has the rest of the Spider-family to help him lighten the load … or so we think.
There is a lot of great things Spencer does with this issue. The first is Peter’s reflection on his feud with Norman Osborn. Spencer makes it clear how much Norman and the Green Goblin are tied to Peter’s life and legacy. After all the harm Norman has caused and will cause in the future, is it even worth it to save him, especially when the Sin Eater doesn’t kill his victims? The second part of this issue that works really well is setting up those reflections to conversations with key members of the Spider-family.
Spencer works through some great character moments and perspectives from other characters, with Peter ultimately making the decision we expect him to make. It’s a compelling drama, set up with an even more compelling villain. As this arc continues, things are only sure to get more complicated.
9.5 Spider-Family Reunions out of 10
Reading Amazing Spider-Man? Find BNP’s other reviews of the series here.
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