The Amazing Spider-Man: Halloween Special #1 (Marvel Comics)
Hello there! Padawan J here, the resident Star Wars expert from the ODPH! This week I'm going to be reviewing The Amazing Spider-Man: Halloween Special #1!
Peter Parker has faced some had some memorable battles throughout his history, but he’s facing perhaps his most challenging battle yet. Let’s jump into it!
Credit: Marvel Comics
The Amazing Spider-Man: Halloween Special by Justina Ireland (Writer), Mike Hawthorne (Penciler & Cover), Wade Von Grawbadger (Inker), Erick Arciniega (Colorist), VC’s Joe Caramanga (Letterer), Alex Sinclair (Cover); The Dr. Octopus Will See You Now by Lee Gatlin (Writer, Artist, Colorist, Letterer);Ty Templeton (Writer, Artist, Colorist, Letterer)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
The Story
This issue pleasantly surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. I went into it with no real expectations and came away surprised with how much I enjoyed it. At the heart of the issue is a story from Justina Ireland where we get to see Spider-Man out on patrol on Halloween Night where it quickly turns into a night filled with tricks AND treats. Justina pens a fun story that feels like it could fit in the middle of any great Spider-Man run and really captures the feeling of a classic Spider-Man story. It makes for a great one shot story that is a perfect story for kids to read, or even to give them for their first comic book.
There’s two other short stories in the issue as well. One is written by Lee Gatlin and is a fun read featuring one of everyones favorite villains in a funny Halloween predicament. The other is written by Ty Templeton and is a collection of comic strips like you you would see in the newspaper. I really enjoyed this one as it took me back to my childhood reading classics like Peanuts & Garfield.
The Artwork
Mike Hawthorne, Wade Von Grawbadger & Erick Arciniega are in charge of the artwork for the main story and they did a great job capturing the look and feel fans will be used to with Spider-Man these days. I loved the way they were able to put a Halloween spin on things because while it does look like a Spider-Man comic, the color does a GREAT job setting the tone. Lee Gatlin & Ty Templeton work on the artwork for the other two stories and both of them are really unique and fantastic to look at. I really liked Ty Templeton’s art again because it reminded me so much of the comic strips I grew up on.
Overall Grade: 7/10
A fun issue that is perfectly timed with Halloween almost here. Three great stories make this the perfect Halloween gift for your budding comic book reader who might be just getting into comics. Together with some unique artwork, this is a fun issue that anyone can pick up and read.
