Hello readers,
Amazing Fantasy issue 1000 spins nine individual stories from a variety of creative teams. I wanted to pick favorites and find something to gripe about, but the writing is solid throughout this celebratory milestone issue. Dan Slott's story choked me up, and the rest were sweet and showcased why Spider-Man's the best of the best.
Before digging deeper into the stories, will shout out the impressive job from the art and Virtual Calligraphy teams; Terry and Rachel Dodson are as awesome as always; Ryan Stegman, JP Mayer and Sonia Oback bringing Venom and Superior vibes; Olivier Coipel and Matthew Wilson brought charm to the Bugle and its employees; with everyone else that I am forgetting to mention, I believe anyone will find the work here enjoyable.
Ask anyone and they will say the best part about Spider-Man is how he never gives in and always does the right thing, despite the consequences, in the name of responsibility. Each of the nine one-shots displays a different type of conflict that Peter Parker is known for overcoming. Instead of pummeling Spidey with nine back to back enemies, readers get to see him cope with the loss of Gwen while saving others, to see him direct the wayward, and even get to see Spidey struggle to enjoy an ice cream. Fans are also treated with some cool original villain-vs-hero action scenes and the ole question "What does it mean to be Spider-man?"
Over the past sixty (60!) years, Marvel has been telling us that everyone can "be Spider-Man". All it takes is the solemn vow to use one's abilities, natural or otherwise, for the greater good. As much as some readers may complain of his relationships stagnating, Peter Parker has grown with his audience over the past six decades into a deep and relatable hero known the world-over.
(Picture: "Sinister 60th" from Amazing Fantasy 1000.)
Here are the stories in order of most enjoyed;
... Sinister 60th - Dan Slott
... Just Some Guy - Anthony Falcone and Michael Cho
... You Get It - Jonathan Hickman
... Slaves of the Witch-Queen - Kurt Busiek
... With Great Power... - Neil Gaiman
... Along Came a Rhino... - Mike Pasciullo
... Spider-Man VS. Conspiriton - Armando Iannucci
... The Kid's Got a Good Eye - Rainbow Rowell
... In The Flesh - Ho Che Anderson
Each story is top tier. Seeing Peter and MJ at sixty years old was fantastic; Spidey telling a grunt that they matter was superb; the Council of Spider-Man was amazing. The rest were just as spectacular, from the Amazing Fantasy 15 throwback to tributes to Steve Ditko and Mike Pasciullo.
Been a lifelong fan of the web-headed Avenger. April and I sleep next to a poster board of Goblin and Spidey from the first Raimi film and we collect figures (like Marvel Legends) and the trade paperbacks that we find. I always get excited when comics reach a milestone like this, it is especially exciting when one gets to live alongside the releases. Amazing Fantasy 1000 was a delightful treat for this Spider-Man fanboy; now to wait in anticipation for Amazing Spider-Man 950 and 1000!
Thank you for reading.
Allen W. McLean
...(Updated below 221003)
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