The Amazing Spider-Man, Vol. 10: Breathe

The Amazing Spider-Man (2022) (Collected Editions)

by Zeb Wells, Carmen Carnero (artist), Todd Nauck (artist)

Collects Amazing Spider-Man (2022) #45-49, And Material From Free Comic Book Day 2024: Spider-Man/Ultimate Universe And Web Of Spider-Man (2024) #1.

The Gang War is over, but New York City still bears the scars. While Peter Parker was fighting the war, other parts of his life continued on - and he'll soon feel the consequences of neglecting them! But Electro isn't just going to wait for him to figure out all his problems! Then, when Peter's clone Ben Reilly - now known as Chasm - finds his way out of Limbo, it's up to Spider-Man to track down Ben…and Hallows' Eve! Meanwhile, what mystery is bubbling up at Ravencroft? What's going on with Norman Osborn?! And when vampires run rampant through New York City, someone has to take care of the citizens of the Big Apple. Spidey joins the BLOOD HUNT!

Genres: Comics, Spider Man, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Comic Book, Superheroes, Fiction

138 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 20, 2024

About the author

Zeb Wells is an American comic book writer known for his work at Marvel Comics, as well as his work on the animated TV series Robot Chicken.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the first four issues in this collection, especially the Ravencroft issues. The FCBD material was… fine, I suppose… and the Blood Hunt tie-in issue was OK, story-wise, but at least had awesome JRJR artwork to boost the rating.

3.66 stars, rounded up.

[Frédéric · Rating 1 out of 5]

Zeb Wells' controversial run doesn't get any better with this volume.

Two issues on Aunt Anna - who really gives a fuck about Aunt Anna? Anyone?- followed by 2 issues with Chasm and Hallow's Eve - same question as for Aunt Anna, I hate these out of place characters- and a rather well done introduction to Blood Hunt - albeit butchered by JR jr - but it's not enough to avoid the wreckage of a series that the editorial has knowingly left to its own devices.

[Roman · Rating 3 out of 5]

​​Сюжет про Павука, який ґоблінить уже не за горами, а це означає, що пора поговорити про нові номери ASM після Війни Банд. Взагалі за відчуттями цей ран підходить до фіналу оскільки Велс тут повертається до деяких старих підсюжетів і завершує їх.

В 45 і 46 номерах завершується підсюжет з божевіллям тітки Анни, яку закрили в Рейвенрофті. Мені взагалі досить непогано повеселила її взаємодія з місцевими лиходіями. Також тут Велс згадує про Живий Мозок та повертає Зловісну Шістку, які посилають Електро дістати Пісочну Людину з лікарні. Взагалі момент коли Пітер звернувся до Пісочника як до Вільяма Бейкера мене спантеличив, оскільки я завжди його знав тільки як Флінта Марка. Також спантеличує те, що в Шістці є Октавіус, який буквально в сусідній серії тусить з Пітером, в результаті мені тепер цікаво в який проміжок часу відбувається онґоїнґ Суперіора (пишіть до речі в коментарях чи робити відгук на перший том, чи почекати поки вся серія вийде). Якщо говорити про те, що мені не сподобалося то це взаємодія між Пітером та ЕмДжей, як відчувається досить некрасивою та натягнутою, що з одного боку зрозуміло чому, а з іншої все-таки Велс слабенько їх прописує. З того, що ще сподобалося можу назвати малюнок Кармен Карнеро.

47 і 48 номери мене розчарували, у нас тут відбувається повернення еджлорда Чазма та лінії про прилад Вінклера. Якщо чесно, то не дуже розумію чому історію про те як Рейлі втікає з посольства Лімбо запхали у ван-шот "Web of Spider-Man", краще б реально його Джанін врятували, ще в щорічнику й не тягнули з цим. Щодо приладу то я був досить заінтригований коли показали, що за ним стоїть Ґоблін Королева й взагалі не думав, що ми отримаємо розв'язку після лімітки про Золотого Ґобліна та сюжету про Крейвена. Однак ми її таки отримали й це було просто ніяк, Кафка яка зраджує Бена оскільки звинувачує його в тому, що з нею сталося було цікавою ідеєю, але на жаль вийшло ніяк, теж саме можу й сказати про те, що Бен в результаті вирішує не гнатися за втраченими спогадами. Обмеження у два номери банально не дало місця для заглиблення в досить цікаву тему. З того, що найбільше сподобалося можу виділити хороший малюнок Тода Наука.

Щодо з історії з ФКБД номеру то там історія нехай і не додає майже нічого нового до лінії про Живий Мозок та зради Озборна, але Павук який б'ється з аніматроніками (фанати Фнафу тут?) з малюнком Стеґмана мене повеселили.

Ну і 49 номер це тай-ін до події "Blood Hunt", який як я зрозумів тут для того, щоб прорекламити лімітку тай-ін про Павука. Однак сам номер мене дуже приємно здивував. По-перше, я був дуже радий бачити Каріма, та й сама дилема з якою тут зіштовхується Павук і яка руйнує його день вийшли класними, я от вкотре переконуюсь, що коли Велс хоче то може зробити щось класне.

Ну, а далі чекаємо на Павука, який ґоблінить і можливий фінал рану. На щось хороше не сподіваюся, якщо чесно.

[Mr. Stick · Rating 3 out of 5]

"HI, IT'S ME. IN CASE YOU WANTED TO INSULT AN ACTUAL PERSON INSTEAD OF DUNKING ON THE AIR."
- Spider-Man responding to Electro's excessively loud monolog.

Chasm and Hallows Eve make a drug deal with Queen Goblin to get Chasm's memories back. Good character development.
Betty Brant asks Spider-Man to help her rescue her husband, Ned Leeds', personality from his alter ego, the Hobgoblin.
Blood Hunt tie-in. White Rabbitt gets bitten and Kareem enlists Spidey to save her.
Overall, not bad at all. Three stars.

[j_ay · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wells has already well proven, for YEARS now, he has no Spider-Man stories to tell, so it's no wonder he again brings in weak-ass characters like Mary-Jane-as-Crime-Fighter (absurd), Ben Reilly and the female Goblin and Female Hobgoblin. "Bottom of the barrel" kind of sums up that, the art (aside from some ok JRJR covers), the editing, and the storyline...and the Big Event holds nothing of interest.

[Vaughn · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars

This book contained a number of smaller stories to give us a break in-between the bigger arcs in Volume 9 and Volume 11.

The first one followed up on Anna Watson in Ravencroft, where she's become quite popular with the other inmates, who refer to her as the Mayor of Ravencroft. Meanwhile Sandman is struggling with his DID which has certainly been hinted at before by other writers, but these type of split-personality stories seem to be one of the tropes that Wells enjoys writing (Norman Osborn is separate from his Green Goblin persona, Dr. Octopus's arms have their own personality, and now Sandman struggles with his multiple personalities). Electro also appears in order to break Sandman out to rejoin the Sinister Six.
Mary Jane, as the new superhero Jackpot, helps Spider-Man out here. I really don't like how MJ is now a superhero as she was such a great civilian character who never needed powers. While Wells does try and have Peter and MJ resolve their relationship as friends, this whole situation between them is a mess and the foundation of this status quo is full of nonsensical plots and bad characterization. This results in all the interactions between them being incredibly frustrating.

The second story see's Betty Brant try and steal the Winkler Device which had turned her husband back into the Hobgoblin. She needs this device to clear her husbands name, but unfortunately Chasm, Hallow's Eve and Queen Goblin are also after the device. Again, this wouldn't be a bad story if the foundation of Ben Reilly's status quo wasn't so shaky (which I've mentioned before in previous reviews).

There is also a Blood Hunt tie in with Spider-Man fighting vampires, but which is continued in Spider-Man: Blood Hunt (not collected here). Lastly, the Web of Spider-Man special is really just a previews book, giving a few pages of story to tease all of the current Spider-Titles. The Spider-Man family of comics are in a pretty bad place at the moment, so this had more bad then good.

Anyways, this book wasn't good, and I'm flabbergasted that Zeb Wells (and Nick Lowe) are still on this title. At least we have Ultimate Spider-Man, which is a much better book and much more true to the character.

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a long but fun read and it has so many stories and I kinda liked it!

First we see whats going on with Aunt Anna and Pete and MJ teaming up to save her and the madness with Sandman and I just love the character of Anna, she is so sweet and how she becomes the Mayor of Ravencroft.. well that tells you everything you need to know of her and then Sandman.. :( But S6 is returning!

Then the stuff with Chasm and Hallows eve and something with Winkler device and Queen Goblin's insane plan again and I like how its a 2 parter and sort of progresses Ben and now he doesn't need those memories again and we can move past that plot point and also the big GG return being teased and a good moment between Norman and Peter!

And then the big web of spidey issue and yeah again it sets up a lot of things to come and it has some good stories and some not so good and if you read the FCBD one it does tease the living brain sending some message to PETE and well again its the big GG return story they been teasing and awkward moments for Pete and Shay throughout this haha! Their dates don't really go that well, do they? I am guessing she will be a major player down the line if she is dating Pete and waiting for the moment he tells her his secret identity!

So fun volume overall and it does contain some good stories and yeah also that blood hunt tie-in where he fights vampires and you see the common people who get trapped under this curse and I love the way they humanized it and sort of presented a moral complexity with them! And yeah one of the better volumes of this run overall showing the many sides of Pete's life and the challenges he has to go through!

[Ross · Rating 2 out of 5]

At this point, you could give this book over to an AI program and it might make better stories...

Let me get this straight. We've gone through a Gang War, had MJ sent to another dimension and pick up a husband and step-kids, watched one of his closest friends get mindwiped by space goo, stood there when girlfriend of mindwiped 'hero' used mystical HALLOWEEN MASKS(?), seen some extremely dumb Limbo demons (Rek-Rap and the Insidious Six), had a clone therapist get crammed full of Norman Osborn's 'inner demons' and turn into (yet another) Goblin...

And now?

Now, we have Parker picking up the pieces and fixing Aunt Watson's Krakoan psychosis , triggering DID patient (William Baker/Flint Marko) and getting sand everywhere, half heartedly chasing Chasm (OH NO! HE GOT AWAY FROM ME!), working on fixing his relationship with MJ, superhero-ing with her and that (STUPID!) symbology superpower roulette wheel...

Oh. Can't forget punching random vampires that are now overrunning a perma-dark NY (cue Bloodhunt mega event)

=========
Hot garbage fire it is. I miss the days where they stuck to the urban stories and the rest didn't matter. Now? 85 different ideas thrown at you. Does everybody have to have something to do for EVERY issue? How many ongoing plot threads do I really need to care about at once?

...this series just keeps getting worse, IMHO. Gang War could have been the brightest star in this pile of garbage.

[DC called. They said it was better as a 'Hero Dial']

punching a bunch of vampires in the face,

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Breathe is one of those 'between bigger arcs' kinds of collections. As Spidey reels from the events of Gang War, pieces move around the board as Zeb Wells starts to aim at the end of his run and the conclusion of his two biggest plot lines.

There's five normal issues of Spidey here, broken into two two-parters and a one-off, as well as some supplementary material from Free Comic Book Day and the most recent Web Of Spider-Man one-shot.

The first two issues bring the Sinister Six, who have been lurking in the corners for a while, back to the forefront, before Chasm, Queen Goblin, and Hallows' Eve make their reappearance (to my joy, because I think they're great), and then Spidey heads into Blood Hunt with a tie-in issue.

Even though these are smaller stories compared to what surrounds them in the run, they definitely have a big impact. The stuff with Chasm sets the stage nicely for the next arc, and while the Blood Hunt one-and-done is more of a lead-in to another mini-series, it's still fun to get your teeth into.

On art we have guest artist Carmen Carnero on the Sinister Six story, which looks lovely, and industry legend Todd Nauck on the Chasm story, while series artist John Romita Jr. returns for the tie-in issue. A great selection of artists.

This may be a quieter volume, but it's more like the eye of the storm between Gang War and the next arc. Enjoy the relative quiet while it lasts, Peter.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a Volume that leads from one event to the next. Still good story and pacing, but obviously the next Volume will be crazy!
Highlights:
- Aunt Anna is in Ravencroft, having lost her mind from Krakoan drug side effects (Orchis' fault - see X-Books for explanation), but after being given the antidote by Peter, decides to do her time there, helping out the inmates who call her Aunt as well
- William Baker, the human side of Flint Marko/Sandman, is doing well controlling impulses in Ravencroft, but when Electro comes to break him out, he loses control. He rejoins with the Sinister Six as they plan Spidey's demise.
- We get a brief "Blood Hunt" tie-in, but I'll address that more when I read that crossover
- More hijinks from Chasm, Hallow's Eve, and Queen Goblin, but it seems like they will fade into the background now.

Overall, not a bad Volume.... but only has me ready for the next one!
Recommend.

[Craig · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of a messed-up volume, with a mishmash of all sorts of crap. The really good writers can find a way to incorporate events into their ongoing stories, but this read like nothing so much as a bunch of disconnected set up for further plotlines. And the rotating band of artists doesn't really help matters, either. You've got the Sinister Six looking to break Sandman out of Ravencroft Asylum. Chasm and Hallow's Eve are back from Limbo and looking for a way to revive Ben Reilly's memories. And then there's a jump right into the middle of Blood Hunt, with no connective tissue to what happened in the previous issues. Plus some more disconnected junk from Web of Spiderman and a Free Comic Book Day issue. Complete discombobulation...

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jeebus, Marvel can no longer seem to get any kind of handle on Spider-Man. This is all over the place. First is a 2 issue story where we fix Aunt Anna after the Krakoa tainted drugs made her a psycho. This was actually the best story in this. Then Chasm and Hallows Eve return and they are apparently a couple of idiots to trust the Goblin Queen. The last issue is a Blood Hunt tie-in. It's actually not bad until it ends with go check out Spider-Man:Blood Hunt for the rest of the story. Then there's some real tacked on BS with some small stories from the Web of Spider-Man and FCBD issues that make little sense out of context. I hope Joe Kelly can assert more control when he takes over.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice set of stories, not too decompressed, covering a lot of territory.

The first two issues are the best, because they give a much better sense of who Jackpot is than the awful Jackpot comic and the interactions between MJ and Peter are ... really, what fans have been wanting for decades, ever since Quesada blew up the comic.

The two issues with Chasm and company are a bit more so-so, primarily because the Ben Reilly as Chasm arc continues to be pretty bad. But Hallows Eve is awesome. Could we have a Hallows Eve comic please? And the story of Queen Goblin continues to be intriguing.

THe final issue with the Blood Hunt tie-in is OK, mainly as an extension of the gang storyline.

[Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

highlight of wells' run possibly. the cement carnero art is outstanding. gIve them ASM! I love the Shay stuff. she seems interesting. a real character, has a job that can play into peter/Spider-Man's life. Anna Watson is cured by chooses not to bw released unless it is completely legal. electro tries to break out sandman, after Peter has a heart warming moment with him.

the nauck art is good. the story i don't care for. Ben reilly wants memories back still. Betty finds the winkler device which will clear Ned leeds' name.

blood hunt issue by jrjr was fine.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume was a mixed bag for me. I love Spider-Man as tackled by Wells but I do not love Chasm as a character. It slaps disrespect for the wondrous Ben Reilly. I do not like it.

The Sinister Six stuff is cool and I am excited for where that goes in future stories. Blood Hunt landed flat.

Overall, this was a meh group of Spidey stories. But Goblin is coming soon so maybe that'll be helpful.

[C.T. Phipps · Rating 4 out of 5]

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: BREATHE is...okay. It's a follow up to the fantastic Gang War storyline and has some more Ben Reily as Chasm, which is something I'm not a big fan of since Chasm is a character who only exists because the main characters can't talk to one another. There's also a tie-in to the giant vampire invasion plotline that is surprisingly the most interesting issue of the series. I also give props to any issues that focus on White Rabbit.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

People on this site really have an inexplicable mad-on about Wells & JRJR. I continue to think that Gold Goblin & Jackpot are stupid ideas but that Wells executes these stupid ideas quite well & does good character work in this breather trade on Norman, MJ, Aunt Anna, Chasm, Hallows' Eve, &c. Looking forward to seeing how Wells wraps his run in the last two trades. I also continue to think the Wells run is better & more interesting than the JMS & Spencer runs & even many parts of the Slott run

[Ben · Rating 2 out of 5]

This volume felt like a bit of a mess. Some good issues at the start, but let down by the Blood Hunt tie-in and confusing Web of Spider-Man issue that seemed out of place. Pretty stark contrast to the excellence of the new Ultimate Spider-Man right now.

[Néstor Vargas · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main issue of the run for me is that it is very inconsistent. And it is hard to review this volume because 1/3 of it can be really good with the great Carnero art, the other third is mid about Ben, and the last one is fun but another tie-in.

[Kris Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

A step in the right direction.

[Braulio Valenzuela · Rating 4 out of 5]

No pasó absolutamente nada nuevo en este volumen, pero la escritura e ilustración fueron muy divertidas.

[Mike Jozic · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Significant improvement over the last 4-5 volumes

[Kieran Westphal · Rating 1 out of 5]

time for my semi-annual catch-up on the slow death of spider-man comics. still awful!

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

4
Read these a while back. Apparently, I thought the stories were pretty decent. I wouldn't call them memorable, though.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

fine

[Emmett Spain · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little scattered and fractured, but as a longtime reader I enjoyed it.

[Juan Pablo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aquí hay tres de los mejorcitos números que ha escrito Wells en esta etapa, la vara está muy baja.

[Daniel Butcher · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5.

No cohesion as its own story and parts of others stories that don’t finish here.

It’s the problem with a flagship book as it needs to be part of many things instead of its own thing.