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The Amazing Spider-Man (2022) (Single Issues)
The Amazing Spider-Man (2022) #18
As if the normal run-of-the-mill demons of Limbo weren’t enough…Spider-Man finds himself facing a small army of demonized versions of his rogues’ gallery! Can he make it home to stop Chasm and the Goblin Queen?!
25 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 25, 2023
9 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
Zeb Wells
711 books72 followersZeb 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.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 1, 2023
I don’t even like Ben Reilly, and even I find this total character assassination completely ridiculous.
March 10, 2023
How to review something that is so bad, the writer himself seems to know he has emitted a loud, long oily fart and visibly gives up on the page?
I don't want whatever Zeb Wells is smoking, because Zeb, that shit is obviously really bad for you and you need to change dealers immediately.
Here's all you need to know: this story would be solved by the two Omega level telepaths just standing there in front of BenChasm at the very start of the story.
Instead we get unfunny sexual entendres - hey, parents who buy this thinking Spider-Man is a good read for kids, be prepared for "whang" jokes and shooting what looks like ejaculate at the bad guys and things "spranging" from the belt area - Wells's Rek-Rap (i.e. the roided up Teenage Mutant Turtle demon symbiote aping Spider-Man) is so overtly a porn-lite parody of Spider-Man (and plagiarized from Dave Sim), Bleeding Cool even calls it out.
Something like Rek-Rap is only to be expected from the creator of SuperMansions, whose only female main character was a feral catwoman in heat, but I did expect better from Marvel editorial. At least make Rek-Rap funny. Maybe those whose mental maturity was stunted around puberty would find this humorous, but most pre-teens and teens would roll their eyes at the try hard of it all.
Perpetual PSA until March, and probably beyond: No. As always, Wells does not give any clues to the mystery boxes he set up in ASM 1. What do you think this, a comic book written by someone who cares about the characters and the audience?
Here's the recap, turn around now if you don't want to know:
Maddie, who has been given the memories she wants by Jean because Maddie used her big girl words and simply asked, decides to call off the invasion of New York by demons.
This makes BenChasm seethe, along with his accessory Janine, who is now Hallows Eve (accessory works on so many levels - she's an accessory to his crime, and she's nothing but an accessory on his arm). Ben stomps off even though Jean and Maddie are RIGHT THERE and can do the same for him. Maddie exposits that her scythe is what gives her power over Limbo because it’s always wise to tell superpowered people who are several sandwiches short of a picnic and you just pissed them off about the source of your power. Janine stays behind.
Meanwhile, because Peter must be rescued all the time, here comes Re-Krap to save the day with his porn powers. He is more effectual than Peter, of course. Must be the ejaculate.
Maddie informs Janine she will personally command her legions to return to Limbo. In a wholly inexplicable exchange, Maddie tells Janine she knows whatever Janine does next will be "MIGHTY and TERRIFYING." Um, hello, Maddie, you just decided being a bad guy is wrong-headed, why are you encouraging Janine to be TERRIFYING?! Maddie might have Jean's memories now, but she's also several sandwiches short.
Sure enough, Janine - who has her powers thanks to Maddie in the first place- puts on a Frankenstein's monster mask, becomes Frankenstein's monster, kicks Maddie into a convenient nearby abyss, and takes Maddie's scythe. Then Janine forgets that her boyfriend is Ben and instead references Kaine by saying the scythe should go to someone with more power and less responsibility. Thank God Wells and Marvel editorial don't remember Kaine exists. Never has a character been luckier to reside in forgotten character land.
(Digression: If Maddie is a clone of Jean, why does she talk like her MasterClass subscription was running out so she watched all the Shakespeare episodes at once and now can't speak like a resident of the 21st century? Does Limbo really affect speech patterns like that?)
Ben discovers that without Maddie's backing, the poison apple he wanted Peter to eat is now dust. Awwwww. And just as he was going to beg Peter to help him (something Peter offered to do waaaay back in Beyond but Wells turned Ben into a ragey toddler instead). Janine says ix-nay on using his big boy words, look, she has the scythe - let's continue being mindless villains! Ben seizes the scythe and becomes a roided up King Chasm with demon wings. Yes, it's as stupid and as dumb as it sounds.
Peter, Jonah and afterthought Robbie finally find the portal back to New York - with the demons confused as to whether they are coming or going as if they are flying Southwest during a winter storm - when King Chasm shows up to make pretentious pronouncements about Peter condemning New York when he refused to help him, yadda yadda yadda eye roll.
(Another digression: Can anyone explain how attacking New York in the first place was supposed to get Ben - or Maddie - what they wanted?!?! I know Wells just wanted to revisit the first Inferno story, but at least pretend you put an ounce of thought into this, Zeb. I mean, we all know you didn’t, but at least make a semblance of pretending to try).
Pete webswings toward King Chasm and is immediately slammed into the ground and can barely move, of course, because this is Zeb Wells's Peter Parker who gets a paper cut and screams he's gonna die and then needs rescue. Lots of overly dramatic panels as King Chasm marches on New York with Peter lying helplessly crumbled on the ground. Re-Krap bounces back much faster. Of course.
The X-Men all of a sudden show up out of the blue with Maddie and Maddie dramatically asks Spider-Man to join them in stopping King Chasm, as if Peter wasn't already trying to do that (granted, Peter got swatted like a fly and then gave up, no wonder Maddie seems confused as to his intentions). The issue ends (THANK GOD because that was PAINFUL) with a splash page of Peter shaking hands with Maddie and in the background we learn Ben Urich has been in Limbo all this time, too, gee that's nice, at least the story didn't waste just Robbie.
Guys: this is really only good for toilet paper, and even then it would be pretty poor. I wouldn't even line a bird cage with it, because why subject your pets to this mishegas?
Obviously, not recommended. I'm only reading to see if Wells has finally hit bottom, or if he can still hit further lows.
I don't want whatever Zeb Wells is smoking, because Zeb, that shit is obviously really bad for you and you need to change dealers immediately.
Here's all you need to know: this story would be solved by the two Omega level telepaths just standing there in front of BenChasm at the very start of the story.
Instead we get unfunny sexual entendres - hey, parents who buy this thinking Spider-Man is a good read for kids, be prepared for "whang" jokes and shooting what looks like ejaculate at the bad guys and things "spranging" from the belt area - Wells's Rek-Rap (i.e. the roided up Teenage Mutant Turtle demon symbiote aping Spider-Man) is so overtly a porn-lite parody of Spider-Man (and plagiarized from Dave Sim), Bleeding Cool even calls it out.
Something like Rek-Rap is only to be expected from the creator of SuperMansions, whose only female main character was a feral catwoman in heat, but I did expect better from Marvel editorial. At least make Rek-Rap funny. Maybe those whose mental maturity was stunted around puberty would find this humorous, but most pre-teens and teens would roll their eyes at the try hard of it all.
Perpetual PSA until March, and probably beyond: No. As always, Wells does not give any clues to the mystery boxes he set up in ASM 1. What do you think this, a comic book written by someone who cares about the characters and the audience?
Here's the recap, turn around now if you don't want to know:
Maddie, who has been given the memories she wants by Jean because Maddie used her big girl words and simply asked, decides to call off the invasion of New York by demons.
This makes BenChasm seethe, along with his accessory Janine, who is now Hallows Eve (accessory works on so many levels - she's an accessory to his crime, and she's nothing but an accessory on his arm). Ben stomps off even though Jean and Maddie are RIGHT THERE and can do the same for him. Maddie exposits that her scythe is what gives her power over Limbo because it’s always wise to tell superpowered people who are several sandwiches short of a picnic and you just pissed them off about the source of your power. Janine stays behind.
Meanwhile, because Peter must be rescued all the time, here comes Re-Krap to save the day with his porn powers. He is more effectual than Peter, of course. Must be the ejaculate.
Maddie informs Janine she will personally command her legions to return to Limbo. In a wholly inexplicable exchange, Maddie tells Janine she knows whatever Janine does next will be "MIGHTY and TERRIFYING." Um, hello, Maddie, you just decided being a bad guy is wrong-headed, why are you encouraging Janine to be TERRIFYING?! Maddie might have Jean's memories now, but she's also several sandwiches short.
Sure enough, Janine - who has her powers thanks to Maddie in the first place- puts on a Frankenstein's monster mask, becomes Frankenstein's monster, kicks Maddie into a convenient nearby abyss, and takes Maddie's scythe. Then Janine forgets that her boyfriend is Ben and instead references Kaine by saying the scythe should go to someone with more power and less responsibility. Thank God Wells and Marvel editorial don't remember Kaine exists. Never has a character been luckier to reside in forgotten character land.
(Digression: If Maddie is a clone of Jean, why does she talk like her MasterClass subscription was running out so she watched all the Shakespeare episodes at once and now can't speak like a resident of the 21st century? Does Limbo really affect speech patterns like that?)
Ben discovers that without Maddie's backing, the poison apple he wanted Peter to eat is now dust. Awwwww. And just as he was going to beg Peter to help him (something Peter offered to do waaaay back in Beyond but Wells turned Ben into a ragey toddler instead). Janine says ix-nay on using his big boy words, look, she has the scythe - let's continue being mindless villains! Ben seizes the scythe and becomes a roided up King Chasm with demon wings. Yes, it's as stupid and as dumb as it sounds.
Peter, Jonah and afterthought Robbie finally find the portal back to New York - with the demons confused as to whether they are coming or going as if they are flying Southwest during a winter storm - when King Chasm shows up to make pretentious pronouncements about Peter condemning New York when he refused to help him, yadda yadda yadda eye roll.
(Another digression: Can anyone explain how attacking New York in the first place was supposed to get Ben - or Maddie - what they wanted?!?! I know Wells just wanted to revisit the first Inferno story, but at least pretend you put an ounce of thought into this, Zeb. I mean, we all know you didn’t, but at least make a semblance of pretending to try).
Pete webswings toward King Chasm and is immediately slammed into the ground and can barely move, of course, because this is Zeb Wells's Peter Parker who gets a paper cut and screams he's gonna die and then needs rescue. Lots of overly dramatic panels as King Chasm marches on New York with Peter lying helplessly crumbled on the ground. Re-Krap bounces back much faster. Of course.
The X-Men all of a sudden show up out of the blue with Maddie and Maddie dramatically asks Spider-Man to join them in stopping King Chasm, as if Peter wasn't already trying to do that (granted, Peter got swatted like a fly and then gave up, no wonder Maddie seems confused as to his intentions). The issue ends (THANK GOD because that was PAINFUL) with a splash page of Peter shaking hands with Maddie and in the background we learn Ben Urich has been in Limbo all this time, too, gee that's nice, at least the story didn't waste just Robbie.
Guys: this is really only good for toilet paper, and even then it would be pretty poor. I wouldn't even line a bird cage with it, because why subject your pets to this mishegas?
Obviously, not recommended. I'm only reading to see if Wells has finally hit bottom, or if he can still hit further lows.
February 18, 2023
Not a lot of depth or character development in this issue. Just a lot of twists and turns and Spidey ridiculousness done well. This issue has me won on the nostalgia factor and the artwork alone. Love Ed MgGuinness every time, especially when he pencils Spidey. And this issue wouldn’t have worked as well without him. Not sure any other artist could appropriately match the straight up oddball antics of Zeb Wells’s penmanship here.
January 25, 2023
There is no drama to this story. It’s as if the seriousness is pushed under the slapstick. The art is good and I enjoyed Jameson being mistaken for a demon but this whole story doesn’t make me want to reread it.
January 26, 2023
Chasm the Goblin King!
Of course they found some way to make Ben a goblin
Of course they found some way to make Ben a goblin
January 29, 2023
3.5. Rek rap is funny. Good fight scenes and interested to see how the event will end
February 17, 2023
My favorites comics books 💞💞.
February 19, 2023
Weird that this was weaker than the tie in issues. Both Ms Marvel and X-Men tie ins were better.
May 15, 2023
Is always great having Spidey teaming up with the X-Men.
January 11, 2025
Alright this one made up for the last issue. I like the story so far. Solid issue for the most part.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews