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Amazing Spider-Man #17 Review
Marvel

Comic Books

Amazing Spider-Man #17 Review

The ‘Hunted’ storyline starts here!

After last week’s teaser .HU issue, “Hunted” starts officially this week. Arcade is teaming up with Kraven, Black Cat is a prisoner, and Spider-Man has a really bad cold. Typical — the best battles occur when Spidey is sick.

So what’s it about?

Read our preview.

Listen to the latest episode of our weekly comics podcast!

Why does this matter?

Spider-Man editor Nick Lowe points out this is the story Nick Spencer pitched to get the Spider-Man gig. That sets a higher bar in my mind since it convinced editors to hand him the reins of one of their most important properties.

Fine, you have my attention. What’s good about it?

Amazing Spider-Man #17 Review

Cool looking hair.
Credit: Marvel Comics

This issue is good at getting all the pieces into place while establishing Kraven’s new unique point of view. He’s no longer interested in hunting and has changed his ways. His son/clone may be more like he used to be, but the plan taking place appears to be all part of his new lease on life. Nick Spencer establishes everything quite well, especially the stakes, which have put Spider-Man even more on edge and thirsty to resolve the conflict at hand. There’s also a great fight sequence using Spidey as well as a cliffhanger that should totally shift things for the next issue in the arc.

If you haven’t read the Amazing Spider-Man #16HU, don’t worry. This issue effectively recaps what happened there save for the tasty details about Black Cat and Spider-Man’s past relationship. That issue was mostly about Black Cat, who is firmly established as some kind of bait for Spidey here. Clearly, she’s a big part of the event and Spencer does a good job capturing her voice.

Humberto Ramos draws a great Spider-Man, this we know. Here he’s drawing him in his lanky sort of way, enhancing that spider-like look. Thanks to the character acting on Kraven you’ll actually feel for him. This is no longer the competitive and mad Kraven, but a man who is a bit sorrowful and sad.

Amazing Spider-Man #17 Review

Uh oh.
Credit: Marvel Comics

It can’t be perfect, can it?

That recap I mentioned above runs a good three pages and stalls the Black Cat portion of the book. Her inclusion runs on too long in general, adding little besides ramping up her anger. Mix that with a sorrowful scene with Kraven to open the book and this is a slow starting issue.

It’s not quite clear what the point of throwing a dome over Central Park is about yet, but if this is a Hunger Games meets Spider-Man story I’m not so sure I’m all in!

Is it good?

Effectively sets up the event while laying the groundwork for a different kind of Kraven.

Amazing Spider-Man #17 Review
Amazing Spider-Man #17
Is it good?
Effectively sets up the event while laying the groundwork for a different kind of Kraven.
Sets up "Hunted" well enough
Ramos is a great artist, dammit!
Recaps the #16.HU issue
A slow start
All that recap really makes reading prior issues pointless, but also makes this take ages to get going
6.5
Good

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