Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man #1 is a collection of short comic stories featuring some of Marvel’s biggest stars, including famed Hollywood Director Kevin Smith. Despite the talent, the stories are unambitious and superficial. Each writer and artist offers something unique and enjoyable, but none of the stories are exceptional. The stories lack dramatic weight and are frivolous, making it a fun yet light comic. Even though there isn’t anything inherently wrong with the one-shot, there also isn’t much substance in Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man either.
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While the comic technically features four stories, the last one is more of a three-page prologue for the upcoming Kid Venom series. The placement of the Kid Venom feels almost random as it has barely enough room to set up the upcoming series, but doesn’t offer anything else. It’s too short to appreciate it more than anticipating the full series.
Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man #1 Has Peter Team Up with G.O.D.S.
Kevin Smith provides the first story alongside artist Giuseppe Camuncoli. Smith has dabbled with comic book writing before, notably writing Daredevil: Guardian Devil and Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil that Men Do. Smith’s writing style can be real hit-or-miss, and his story is the weakest of the three main ones in Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man. His story features the most bare-bones narrative of the three, with Spider-Man going around asking his fellow superheroes how to fix a rip in his costume. The story takes place in a dubious part of Spider-Man’s history, making it seem as if it’s an origin of how Spider-Man’s costumes are so impervious. The story lacks stakes and feels so inconsequential, and Smith’s dialogue and humor don’t fully land. For all the stories he could’ve written, Smith needed to write about Spidey getting a new suit. The story also has no strong pay-off, making it seem hollow. Camuncoli has returned to penciling Spider-Man after a long absence with the character, delivering amazing and nostalgic work.
Al Ewing and Mark Buckingham team up to deliver a more cerebral story where Spider-Man teams up with Wyn from G.O.D.S. Ewing attempts to imbue his tale with his trademark philosophical complexity, connecting Spider-Man to the 616 termonilogy and higher-ups of the Marvel deities. However, the story is shockingly bland, despite Ewing throwing a bunch of heady ideas and dialogue. Spider-Man somehow pulls heroes from other times to help him against a monster, yet even that moment doesn’t deliver the excitement you would expect from Ewing. The best thing about the story is Buckingham’s art, which is a great throwback to the Silver Age. It’s also always fun when Spider-Man teams up with a new character, in this case, Wyn.
Chip Zdarsky and Cafu deliver the best story in the one-shot, introducing a new superhero. Zdarsky has been in the mood for creating new characters for Marvel lately, having recently made the superhero couple Wolverpool and Deadverine. For Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man #1, Zdarsky introduces Rapid, a superhero who can create a time bubble that freezes everything around him. He still moves normally within the bubble, allowing him to appear to go faster than he actually is. Rapid’s powers are pretty cool, reminiscent of the time powers featured in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. The problem is that Rapid isn’t a terribly engaging hero. He has noble morals and is using his powers to slow down the cancer cells of his estranged father, but nothing else about him is unique or interesting. The character is still young, and he has potential. Cafu’s linework is strong, but the artist’s design for Rapid is oddly flat.
Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man is overall a mixed bag, with some great artwork yet shallow stories. Zdarsky’s provides the best plot, introducing a new superhero who has real potential to the grander Marvel Universe as long as the writer has more time to flesh out the character.
Rating: 3 out of 5
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