The Amazing Spider-Man: Fear Itself

By Joe Moore (Writer), Joe Suitor (Art), and Mico Suayan & Frank D’Armata (Cover)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I’m pretty much what you would call a casual Spidey fan. I like the character quite a bit, but rarely will I follow him for more than an arc at a time. That said, I’m definitely a sucker for good one and done Spider-Man stories, especially those featuring fantastic artwork. If the previews are any indication, Fear Itself has the artwork I’m looking for. Time to find out if the story can deliver as well.

The Story: Spider-Man encounters Man-Thing in Florida and gets a little bit too close for comfort. As a result, Peter Parker begins to have a reaction at the injury site that slowly begins to make his anatomy more plant-like. With the clock ticking, Spidey must locate Man-Thing in order to find some way to reverse the effects of the strange reaction.

What’s Good: Joe Suitor’s stylish artwork looks outstanding during the scenes featuring Spider-Man or Man-Thing. I absolutely love his take on the characters and the way he handles most of the scene direction. Also, the story is serviceable enough and contains a few interesting ideas regarding the complexities of fear.

What’s Not So Good: While most of the artwork is great, Suitor’s Peter Parker just looks a bit too hip and slackerish considering what type of character he is. Another thing that bothers me is that the story and dialogue never really rises above being average at any point. A disappointment considering how slick the visuals are.

Conclusion: Eye-pleasing artwork can only get an average comic story so far. And while Fear Itself provides a nice dose of Spider-Man, it ends up being far from memorable. As such, it’s hard to really recommend considering the $3.99 price point.

Grade: C

-Kyle Posluszny