Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection, Vol. 23: The Hero Killers

Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection

by David Michelinie (Writer), Mark Bagley (Illustrator)

The coming of Carnage! When Venom’s offspring transforms psychopath Cletus Kasady into a symbiotic serial killer, Peter Parker makes the hardest decision of his life — and turns to Venom for help! But will Eddie Brock join the fight…or continue his single-minded mission to squash Spider-Man? Plus: Spider-Man enters the Lizard’s lair — and faces a powerful enemy alongside the New Warriors! And when Spidey is haunted by Kraven the Hunter, can he save the soul of his fiercest foe? Then, when familiar faces make a startling return, Spidey must investigate a painful piece of his past — assuming he can get through Taskmaster and the Red Skull!

COLLECTING: Amazing Spider-Man (1963) 361-367, Amazing Spider-Man Annual (1964) 26, Amazing Spider-Man: Soul of the Hunter (1992) 1; material from Spectacular Spider-Man Annual (1979) 12, Web of Spider-Man Annual (1985) 8, New Warriors Annual (1991) 2

Genres: Comics, Spider Man, Graphic Novels, Marvel, Collections, Superheroes

480 pages, Paperback

First published January 17, 2023

Reviews

[Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this collection much more than the rating might suggest, the problem is though i really did not like the JM DeMatteis/Mike Zeck Kraven follow up at all. Maybe it was because it just didnt seem to fit in with what was going on in the main series but I dont think so. It started off with an atrocious use of the spider sense... if it worked how it is suggested it does in the early pages of the graphic novel then Parker would have had a mental breakdown years ago, the spider sense would be going off all the time. I really do not know how this not only got written but also got past an editor.

[Harrison Delahunty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is such a random hodgepodge of different stories from 1992 that it’s rather hard to give a blanket recommendation or turn-away.

Soul of the Hunter is great, Bagley’s art is classic, and Michelinie’s storytelling is generally fine. The storyline that threads through the annuals, though, is dull and generic. Some of the mainline ASM stories in the latter half of the book also feel a bit too much like filler.

So, depending on what you’re looking for (and whether or not you’d rather just get Soul of the Hunter by itself), you may find something of real value here.

[Bob · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first Carnage arc & a Kraven's Last Hunt sequel are fun but the New Warriors crossover bland & the return of Spider-parents the absolute pits