[Comic Review] Turning the Tide — The Amazing Spider-Man #14

The attack on Loomworld reaches a climax as all of the remaining Spiders converge on the Inheritors.

The plot for issue #14 is an easy one — Morlun and his family can’t stop the inevitable as the plan to stop the emergence of spider-totems falls apart bit by bit.

Dan Slott expertly weaves in and out of the various battles, showcasing the sort of superheroism we’d expect from Peter Parker and friends. While Parker goes toe to toe with Morlun, outsmarting him on every turn, Mayday Parker captures a crystal containing Solus’ life force. None of the Inheritors dies this day as they’re left imprisoned on Earth-3145, where the irradiated atmosphere is lethal. There is, however, one death caused by the Superior Spider-Man, and it could have an immediate impact on the multiverse.

With that, I can’t find much in terms of flaws for The Amazing Spider-Man #14. It’s a spectacular finish that manages to include heroic bits for the main characters and one outside who switches sides. It’s hard enough to squeeze Spider-Gwen, Spider-Ham, Silk, Superior, Leopardon, and Peter into the issue’s 20 pages, but Slott finds something awesome for each character to do.

We get a double-dose of great pencils thanks to Giuseppe Camuncoli and Olivier Coipel who manage to create one cohesive look for the issue. The panels are action-packed and polished, highlighting each artist’s talents. Wade Von Grawbadger, Cam Smith, and Livesay’s inks bring it all together, and Justin Ponsor’s colors overlay the artwork with a beautiful sheen.

I like that Slott doesn’t tie all of the loose ends conveniently together — the conclusion of the issue is natural with some open-ended questions that could find their answers in the Spider-Verse epilogue coming next issue. The Spiders could have easily dispatched the Inheritors by taking their lives, but they chose to stick to their morals and ideals even if it means there’s a possible return of a bigger, badder Inheritor family in the future.

Sometimes, that’s the life of a superhero, and I applaud Slott and the creative team for giving readers a conclusion that doesn’t splinter into a million broken pieces. It’s a great finish with some exclamation points on the finer Spider things — seeing Parker and Co. stick to the high ground, while seeming a little classical in the comic book sense, seems so refreshing as an oasis in the middle of a dark and gritty comic book landscape.

The Amazing Spider-Man #14 (2014)
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Marvel
Words: Dan Slott
Pencils: Giuseppe Camuncoli and Olivier Coipel
Inks: Wade Von Grawbadger, Cam Smith, and Livesay
Colors: Justin Ponsor
Letters: Chris Eliopoulos