Anything he can do, she can do better.
Dan Slott and Giuseppe Camuncoli wrap up their latest Spider-Man epic with this issue, as Mary Jane finds herself the last hero standing after Regent has captured every last Avenger. This issue serves as a solid showcase for MJ in her new "not quite super hero, not quite civilian" status quo, but ultimately this story arc fails for the same reason ASM: Renew Your Vows did last year. Regent simply isn't a very compelling character.
To his credit, Slott attempts to flesh out the power-stealing villain a bit more and cement the notion that Regent is a victim of his own hubris and a man who lost his humanity the moment he put his ambition over his family. Sadly, it's a case of too little, too late. Having Peter and Tony wax philosophical about Regent's failings after the fact isn't the same as establishing those failings organically over the course of the story.
But at least MJ shines in her rare starring role. This issue makes great use of the character's recent history in stories like Spider-Verse and her previous ties to Tony (which puts this book one over on Invincible Iron Man, to be sure) as it casts her as the reluctant new heir to the Iron Spider mantle. In general, the supporting cast outshines Peter himself in this issue, but that's not really a bad thing.
As usual, Camuncoli's art is easy on the eyes. He injects plenty of scale into the final clash between Regent and his would-be prey. His art is equally impressive in the epilogue scene, one that features a rare moment of happiness and camaraderie in Peter's increasingly hectic life. However, the general level of detail seems to have slipped compared to previous issues, with the coloring having to fill in some of the finer details in the environments and facial work that Camuncoli's line-work doesn't cover.
The Verdict
After spending so much time on the sidelines, it's great to see Mary Jane front-and-center and saving the day when Peter Parker falters. Still, this story arc never managed to build regent into a compelling villain, and this finale issue suffers as a result. Hopefully better things lie ahead as Slott shifts focus towards building to the events of The Clone Conspiracy.
Editors' Choice
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