The Amazing Spider-Man, Vol. 12: Dead Wrong

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

by Zeb Wells, Emilio Laiso (Illustrator), John Romita Jr. (Illustrator)

Superstar writer Zeb Wells’ red-hot run on Amazing Spider-Man continues, as longtime Spidey villain Tombstone makes his move as the new Kingpin of Crime!

The last arc nearly killed Spider-Man — and others weren’t so lucky. Peter Parker just wants to catch a breath, but when did his trademark luck ever work that way? Tombstone — his enemy turned ally turned enemy once again — needs to show the other gangs of New York City his credentials as the Kingpin of Crime. And the best way to do that is by publicly killing Spider-Man! And the easiest way to get to Spidey is to kidnap…Peter?! Prepare for the most visceral showdown in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN history!

COLLECTING: Amazing Spider-Man (2022) 55-60

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

Kindle Edition

Published February 26, 2025

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 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Frédéric · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not going to hide the fact that I'm glad Wells' run is coming to an end. I thought Spencer's was bad but I stand corrected.

On that note, this famous run ends as it began, with Tombstone, an arc in several parts that was by far the best of the 60 long issues. And so, even though JR jr frankly delivers a drawing and a storytelling that are both equally flimsy, this conclusion is pretty well put together.
The arc ends decently overall and most of the loose ends are tied up except perhaps the most important one: Paul. Wells preferred to leave the shitty stick to his successor? Not very nice, that, Zeb!

Will Joe Kelly do any better? The real question is: can he do worse?

[Anna Quilter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peter Parker and Spider Man try to stop Tombstone killing his daughter and bring him to justice....easier said than done.
Rhino gets a dating profile less his Horn!

[Roman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Це була дуже терниста дорога зі своїми злетами та падіннями, але ми нарешті підійшли до завершення рану Зеба Велса на Амейзінґу. Тож давайте не будемо тягнути й дізнаємося яким вийшов кінець його рану.

55 номер це відвертий філер про те як Пітер йде на побачення з Шей, однак змушений покинути її в ресторані, щоб розібратися зі Скрюболл та Носорогом. В результаті він вирішує накричати на них як Пітер Паркер за те, що вони псують йому побачення, в результаті поганці обіцяють не вчиняти погром, а Пітер повертається на побачення. Досить прохідний номер якщо чесно.

З 56 починається остання сутичка із Тумбстовном. Суть полягає в тому, що Павук переконує Джаніс дати свідчення проти її батька й той остаточно зривається й вирішує, що для того, щоб зберегти свою імперію він готовий вбити свою доньку.

І знаєте все йшло досить непогано, сюжет вийшов досить цікавим, Велс протягом свого рану не раз показував, що вміє працювати з Лонні й те, що останній сюжет є про нього, як на мене, правильне рішення враховуючи, що з нього цей ран по суті й почався. 58 і 59 номери це одна довга бійка в які Павук переслідує Тумбстовна, який намагається впіймати Джаніс. Малює весь цей сюжет Роміта молодший й загалом мені сподобалося. І в 60 номері Тумбстовн нарешті отримує заслужений вирок… тобто його визнають невинним? Тобто цей сюжет швиденько згортають? Тобто решта номера про сутичку Павука з Пісочною Людиною та про те як тітка Мей переживає за Пітера і зла на Павучка? Ага, Зеб Велс максимально сильно всрав завершення історії з Лонні й швиденько її згорнув. І блін, ідея з переживаннями Мей не є найгіршою, нехай вона і перевикористана, але Мей практично не з'являлася в цій серії, через що спроба зробити це Велса провалюється. Але нехай, воно звісно дуже сильно розчаровує, але це хоча б не було відверто жах… тобто це ще не все? Що значить далі гірше?

Ага, 60 номер у нас є випуском збільшеного формату, я у своїх відгуках раніше про це здається не згадував, але одним з примітних елементів в цьому рані було те наскільки багато редактори покладаються на ювілейні номери. Дійшло навіть до того, що ця арка має два таких, але говоритимемо про останній. Тут є невелика історія про Рек-рапа, вона не є чимось особливим, але зуміла мене усміхнути. Досить ніяка історія про те як Пітер та Мері Джейн мали тім-ап і запізнилися на подвійне побачення з Полом і Шей. Навіщось запхнули сиквел до історії Велса про Пітера та Росомаху, скоріш за все місця не вистачало. Ну й остання історія розповідає про те як Пітер з Беном зустрілися й поговорили про те, що Рейлі хоче стати власною людиною й не буде нападати на Пітера. Й вроді непогано подумаєте ви. Але нє, ніхуя. Велс, разом з Ловом скоріш за все, беруть і на останній сторінці сруть, тому, що виявляється, що ніхуя Бен не став хорошим і що він просто вичікуватиме моменту, щоб забрати життя Пітера. І похуй, що він раніше, буквально в цьому ж рані, вирішив не переслідувати Пітера та спогади, і я так розумію, що лімітка "Chasm: Curse of Kaine" теж нахуй пішла.

В результаті виходить, що весь ран Велса був однією величезною тратою часу. І знаєте, я не здивований. Це ж АСМ як ніяк і я сам винен, що посмів позитивно підійти до серії, незважаючи на те, що не раз уже обпікався. Якщо оцінювати цей весь ран загалом, то він вийшов відвертим середнячком. "Dead Language" та все, що з нею пов'язане (Пол, смерть Камали), а також "Dark Web" це однозначно найгірше, що було в цьому рані. Все, що стосується Тумбстовна та бандитських розборок (не враховуючи останнього номеру) є найкращим, що тут було, як і робота з Норманом як персонажем. Все інше хитається між слабким середнячком і непоганим сюжетом. Поки Лов займає місце редактора на якісь зміни в серії не варто чекати. Далі ран Джо Келлі і я хотів, би сказати, що там цікава зав'язка і я позитивно налаштований, але не хочу вкотре наступати на ті ж самі граблі, бо і так знаю, що пізніше знову на них наступлю.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

4
Mediocre-ly competent. This ends and ok run with some decent stories that I never looked forward to but kept me engaged enough to keep going.

[Kieran Westphal · Rating 1 out of 5]

good riddance!

[j_ay · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yippppeeee! Zeb Wells is finally off of this title!
Unfortunately he was had to go out with not just shitting the bed, but smearing it all over the walls and vomiting in the refrigerator...

As usual we have the nearly every-issue bullshit of mentioning Zeb's "god"
(Rhino, "why in gods name", pedestrian, "oh my dear god!" Beetle-girl, "thank god thank god thank god" and of course Spidey himself, "i swear to god". Fuck you, Zeb.
Almost a nice quaint ending with Peter and Aunt May. Nothing that has not been done 200 times before, but a gentle way to leave a (way too) long run on a title.
"The End".
oops. it's not.
Then we get the nonsense that is even advertised on the cover of the book: his "saying goodbye".
Pointless and maybe the shittiest thing anyone could ever do: not closing out stoopid-ass plot points but seeding things for the future writer(s).
The Cuntiest Move Ever? Yes.
Especially when it involves characters that should not even exist. Rek-Rap...fuck you.
Jackpot. Fuck off (with another "god" drop).
Ben Reilly and whatever he's calling himself now...
And the Wolverine story was unnecessary, and again: done countless times before.

Sadly nothing is better when we get the also ridiculously advertised on the cover "peek" of what the future will look like.
Desperate over-writing (but no god mention!) with for SOME fucking reason a word *emphasized* in every panel, horrible art (worsened by ghastly colouring) annnnnd yet another character hybrid (Doctor Doom/Dr. Strange).
Less of a "peek", more of a poke in the eye.

I hate to give a book that has Romita Jr art a 1 star, but...this is just all kinds of bad.
Damn, damn shame the editor is also not leaving.
But, I truly hope this is the last time I ever have to write, or think: Fuck You, Zeb.

[Simone · Rating 2 out of 5]

La gestione di Zeb Wells su The Amazing Spider-Man è una di quelle che sarà difficile giudicare con un semplice "bella" o "brutta". Perché il problema principale, almeno per me, non è mai stato la qualità della scrittura in senso stretto. È qualcosa di più sfuggente: la sensazione che la serie abbia progressivamente perso la propria direzione. E la cosa più frustrante è che era partita bene.

Ancora oggi, tutta la parte dedicata a Tombstone resta probabilmente il punto più alto della gestione. Lapide viene scritto come un criminale intelligente, pragmatico, quasi inevitabile. Il rapporto tra lui e Peter funziona, le tensioni sono credibili e il tono generale riesce a distinguersi dal resto della produzione ragnesca recente. Se oggi quelle storie vengono ricordate con particolare affetto, però, viene da chiedersi quanto dipenda dalla loro effettiva qualità e quanto dal fatto che il resto della serie abbia progressivamente abbassato l'asticella.
Curiosamente, è una sensazione simile a quella che avevo provato con la gestione di Nick Spencer. Anche lì la partenza era stata forte. Sembrava che finalmente qualcuno volesse affrontare alcune delle ferite aperte del personaggio, recuperare il rapporto con Mary Jane e fare i conti con le conseguenze di anni di status quo forzato. Poi la serie si è persa in misteri sempre più complicati, rivelazioni rimandate e sottotrame che promettevano molto più di quanto abbiano effettivamente mantenuto. Con Wells il percorso è stato diverso, ma la sensazione finale non troppo distante. Il vero problema è che oggi faccio fatica a capire quale sia l'idea di fondo di Amazing Spider-Man.

Per decenni ogni grande gestione aveva una domanda narrativa precisa. Stan Lee e Steve Ditko raccontavano il passaggio dall'adolescenza all'età adulta. Roger Stern consolidava Peter come eroe maturo. J. Michael Straczynski ragionava sul significato stesso dell'Uomo Ragno e della responsabilità. Perfino Dan Slott, autore divisivo per molti aspetti, aveva una direzione chiarissima: spingere Peter verso nuove responsabilità professionali e personali; si poteva essere d'accordo oppure no, ma si percepiva una meta. Oggi, invece, ho la sensazione che Peter Parker stia semplicemente attraversando gli eventi. Succedono cose. Arrivano nuovi problemi. Arrivano nuove crisi. Ma raramente sembra che la serie stia costruendo qualcosa. E forse è proprio questo il punto.
Non credo che Peter Parker abbia perso il suo significato come personaggio. Le idee che lo rendono uno dei più grandi eroi della storia del fumetto sono ancora tutte lì: responsabilità, sacrificio, empatia, perseveranza. Quello che sembra essersi perso è il senso della sua evoluzione. Per molti anni Spidey è stato un personaggio che cresceva e inciampava. Oggi, troppo spesso, sembra un personaggio che inciampa per evitare di crescere. Ed è una differenza enorme.

E alla lunga non è la cattiva scrittura a stancare il lettore. È l'assenza di una destinazione.

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

And thus ends one of the most controversial runs on Spider-man and it was fine tbh, like if you read the last 6 issues together it flows very well but there are 2 issues which you will finish in a couple of minutes and that will throw you off but then again this book is kinda like that.

The date between Pete and Shay was nice and then you see Tombstone making his moves against Spider-man by hurting Peter and well you see the fight between them and how this time Pete recruited his friends to stop this guy and then the non guilty version at the court because gangsters control them and all that but this time you see how unhinged he is as he is going after his own daughter and thats another level of villainy and it tells you all you need to know about this guy and that he will even kill his own blood to protect his image. Basically something he learnt from Fisk lmao.

But yeah the fight is epic and bloody and there's some great moments of Pete telling Lonnie to think about what he has done and is doing and how it ends is predictable but oh well and then the last issue wrapping up the things here and Aunt may and Spidey having another convo about Pete and I feel like I have read the same story rather a better version of the story somewhere else and so yeah you can ignore it.

And then there are some other small stories, some are good and the others were kinda bad and then a prelude to next story which.. let's see how it turns out but overall this run has been a mix of good and bad, characters acting out of themselves, inconsistent plots but some good moments like the whole deal with Norman and Pete and MJ troubles and even here in the last issue you see how they will always be there for each other.. its the whole drama of serialization haha!

But fun ending to this volume and good art at that! Definitely read it if you have already read the previous volumes.

[Mr. Stick · Rating 3 out of 5]

"WE HAVE A SOCIAL RELATIONSHIP, RANDY. THIS IS WORK. SHUTNTHE #$%& UP, OR I'LL PUNCH YOUR JAW THROUGH THE BACK OF YOUR HEAD."
- Tombstone, the girlfriend's-dad that every guy wants.

The trial, making bail, crappy parenting, and an excellent two-issue fist fight was, by far, the high point of Zeb Wells' largely disappointing sixty issue run.
A collection of short stories closed it out. One featuring Paul, who's still alive. Ew! Another turned Rek-Rap loose on Joe Kelly. Oi! The final tale from Kelly succinctly set up the "8 deaths" series to come.
Nearly three years of mediocrity is finally over. I tried to give him a chance. I enjoyed some of it. But not much. At least his exit was well executed.
Solid ending. Three stars.

[Mr. Stick · Rating 3 out of 5]

"WE HAVE A SOCIAL RELATIONSHIP, RANDY. THIS IS WORK. SHUTNTHE #$%& UP, OR I'LL PUNCH YOUR JAW THROUGH THE BACK OF YOUR HEAD."
- Tombstone, the girlfriend's-dad that every guy wants.

The trial, making bail, crappy parenting, and an excellent two-issue fist fight was, by far, the high point of Zeb Wells' largely disappointing sixty issue run.
A collection of short stories closed it out. One featuring Paul, who's still alive. Ew! Another turned Rek-Rap loose on Joe Kelly. Oi! The final tale from Kelly succinctly set up the "8 deaths" series to come.
Nearly three years of mediocrity is finally over. I tried to give him a chance. I enjoyed some of it. But not much. At least his exit was well executed.
Solid ending. Three stars.

[Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

After a CRAZY run, Zeb Wells sets this last collection of issues up to tie up loose plot threads...

We're in luck though, because the crazy antics are pushed to the side and this is mostly focused on the Spider-Man / Tombstone situation. Lonnie shows just how far he will go to keep control as the new 'Kingpin'. There's also...yet ANOTHER attempt at Peter dating.

'Amazing' stories are, in my opinion, the best when they're dealing with NY gang issues. Less about crazy adventures and more about the neighborhood hero. I don't think we're going to see that for awhile. Doctor Doom ruling everything kind of puts a squash on normal life.

Pluses:
- Minimal Rek-Rap
- Minimal Chasm
- no Spider-Goblin whatsoever
- almost no Jackpot!

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zeb Wells' Spider-Man has been a tale of peaks and troughs, but this final volume is definitely going out a high. Returning to the Spider-Man/Tombstone plot that launched the series and fed into the Gang War crossover, these six issues are a no-holds-barred conclusion that has some of the most visceral fight sequences I've seen in a long time - John Romita Jr never misses a step, even after all this time.

The ultimate ending is a bit depressing, but it's the kind of story that Wells has been telling, so it does fit, sadly. Poor Peter can never catch a break.

Oh, and what's that? Now he's gonna die eight times? SURE OKAY.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wells finishes his Spider-Man run strong after roller coastering us between highs and lows over his 60 issues. Most of this is a big fight between Spider-Man and Tombstone which seems fitting given that Tombstone was one of the main villains of this run. I love how the covers were really just the next page of the fight and you just dig right into it. It's not often you see something more or less original in a comic book these days. JRJR goes all out on the art and I'm glad to see his art style transition away from the blocky style of years' past with this latest ASM run. All of the little tacked on stories at the end didn't do a whole lot for me.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

The epic battle between Spider-Man and Tombstone gets undercut by a bunch of junk at the end. But before that, there's a nice little issue with Peter and Shay on a date. The battle is pretty drawn-out, but there's some pretty great artwork on display throughout. Unfortunately, there's all these little, goofy vignettes at the end: Rek-Rap, Jackpot, Chasm, etc. Let the next writer tell their own story...

[Néstor Vargas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think Zells managed to close his run on high notes. Still far from perfect, but it comes with a full circle on his main plot with Tombstone, who was able to pull off as a very interesting villain, something I was not expecting. I now understand what some people said about JRJR not giving his best in this book. He still delivered some great action panels in this last arc, but the casual ones looked a bit bland.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wells and Romita JR cap off the Tombstone storyline that started at the beginning of this run in style.

Makes me wonder how two great bookends of a run can have lost its way so badly for so long, around 30-40
Issues of the run are garbage.

Bad editorial I assume, although wells has always been very inconsistent.

[Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

if this were a different artist, i could easily give it four stars, but jrjr let's the series down.

this may have been the best volume of the series.i have liked how much Peter gets physically abused in this volume, because he keeps getting back up. the issue with Shay on a date was fun and nice and sweet.
villaisn winning in a corrupt system was excellent. I wish it weren't so though.

[Ethan Gohl · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like a 3.5

I didn't love Wells' run, and this finale still had a lot of the weakest parts of it.
However, the Tombstone content was GENERALLY pretty good, and I thought the ending felt like a classic Spider-Man ending.

Still hate Chasm and Paul but I'll take what I can get

[Juan Pablo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Se acabó lo que se vendía, y el final no estuvo tan mal.
Gracias por tan poco Wells y Lowe, perdón por tenerles fe en algún momento

[Fazun · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5

[sabi · Rating 3 out of 5]

spidey fighting tombstone was COLD ASFFF

[Mike Hviid · Rating 3 out of 5]

It didn't end as terribly as I thought it would. I'm just glad to be done with this run.

I'm still bummed that Ben is being treated as a villain.

[Brendan Pelto · Rating 3 out of 5]

starts great, ends with a ton of boring filler.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Minus a star for Marvel's utter inability to put its trades in chronological order

[Daniel Butcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve not always been a fan of Wells’ run but this finale made me tense and feel very human stakes.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zeb Wells, I applaud you. You've done many amazing things for Spidey and if this is your end on the title, you definitely took it out with a bang!
The majority of this Volume has to deal with Spidey making Tombstone finally pay. Their knockdown, drag out fight was outstanding, but has legal ramifications that make Lonnie free, and puts Randy and Janice on the run.
Worth noting the beginning and end of the Volume as well: At the start, Peter is out on a third date with Shay and Rhino gets involved in a fight outside the cafe. As Peter, he confronts them and explains he needs them to stop so he doesn't blow his last chance with her... and they comply! LOL
At the end, we see Doom in Sorcerer Supreme gear saying Spidey will be his champion in "The Covenant", which will culminate in a story called the "Eight Deaths of Spider-Man". (Guess I need to catch up on Doctor Strange to see how Doom is in control again.)
Another amazing Volume in an amazing run.
Recommend.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wells' finale is good-ish. It brings some nice closure to the Tombstone storyline, and if two issues of that is a very long fight, it's a well written one. Generally, his run improved once we got past the bad initial storyline about Paul and other dimensions, and I don't know what else. The whole Gang War arc has been much better, and this is pretty much its closure.

Not enthused about the next (short) run from the intro here, which was quite boring.

[Kris Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

A satisfying resolution to the ongoing Tombstone storyline. Good to see John Romita Jr back for the end of this run.

[Ryk Stanton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some good, some bad. Marvel can do better.