PC POST #152 - Avenging Spider-Man #22 Review

By @neil4LOST

WRITERS: Christopher Yost

ARTIST: David Lopez

COLOR ARTIST: Rachelle Rosenberg

LETTERS: VC’s Joe Caramagna

COVER: Paolo Rivera

EDITOR: Stephen Wacker

EDITOR IN CHIEF: Axel Alonso

CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER: Joe Quesada

PUBLISHER: Dan Buckley

EXEC. PRODUCER: Alan Fine

Release Date: July 12th, 2013

Published monthly by Marvel Worldwide, INC.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS:

Price – $3.99

WRITING:

I have personally read every single issue of Avenging Spider-Man. It has been not only an enjoyable read as the Amazing and Superior companion book for Spidey but it has also stood completely on it's own. Being completely formulaic in it's approach of one and done style stories Yost has kept readers engaged every step of the way. Even with all the changes that have happened this past year with our favorite web-crawler Yost hasn't lost a step in his continuity of the story he is telling. It is sad that Avenging is now coming to a close but it is exciting to know that Yost will continue to write Spider-Man in an upcoming team-up series. We will see if that is a successful as AVS-M has been. 

In this particular issue however, Yost beautiful calls back Frank Castle and Parker's past by exposing a conflict of the two heroes attempting to take down the same villain. Yost plays on the changes that Spider-Man has gone through to allow for both Spidey and Castle to see eye to eye...possibly for the first time ever.

Rating – “A-”

ARTWORK:

The artwork in this title by Lopez is mediocre. It doesn't live up to the work that has been done on past AVS-M titles, which is a letdown. The cover calls back to vintage comic days which is a plus but the actual action and dialogue seems seem to be lacking quite a bit.

Rating – “B-”

STORY:

(WARNING – MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS)

This issue's premise is simple. Spider-Man is bored. He has come to the point technologically where he can pick and choose in advance the type of crime he fights. One particular crime, a bank robbery, interests him and he discovers in the process that there is an imposter mysterio running the streets. In the process of trying to take the imposter down he runs into the Punisher, who is trying to kill the villain. This forces Spidey and Castle into a confrontation where Spidey admits that he now understands the reasons for what Punisher does and will allow him to continue in them as long as Castle stays out of his way. Castle takes note of this revelation in his War Journal and comments that if Spidey ever crosses the "line" that he will come after Spider-Man himself. This to me could set up some really good future conflicts between these two characters who have a long history.

Rating – “A-“

ENTERTAINMENT VALUE:

This issue has intrigue, action and relationships that have developed over decades. It is great to see the Punisher cross paths with Spider-Man again and to see the reaction Castle has when Spider-Man says that he now understands the Punisher. 

Rating – “A”

OVERAL RATING OF ISSUE:  “B+"