In Review: Amazing Spider-Man (2025-) #25 – UNRELENTING TORMENT

Synopsis: UNRELENTING TORMENT… DEATH SPIRAL PART FIVE! …for Spider-Man, Venom and Carnage leads to the most unexpected team-up in Spidey History! But even if Spidey wins, he may still lose…because Torment learns not one, but two shocking truths about his foes!

The Story

Picking up from where the last issue left off, Venom, now paired with MJ, and Spider-Man discover that it isn’t Carnage behind the recent murders, but a new villain known as Torment, who has just murdered Eddie Brock’s father.

Meanwhile, Brock, who is initially unconscious, has bonded with Carnage and insists he can control the symbiote. As Venom and Spidey catch up with him, they are ambushed by Torment, who is targeting Brock, MJ, and Peter. A brief but chaotic battle breaks out before Torment makes a swift escape.

When Brock regains consciousness, he manages to assert control over Carnage. This leaves Spider-Man and Venom in the uneasy position of having to work alongside both Eddie and Carnage, which is far from ideal.

As they piece things together, it becomes clear that Torment isn’t just targeting Brock’s family, but also those closest to MJ and Peter. While MJ and Spider-Man move to protect their loved ones, Torment sets his sights on Eddie Brock’s son.

Artwork

Ed McGuinness continues to deliver some classy artwork throughout this issue. There’s a particularly striking panel toward the end of the fight sequence where Carnage grabs Torment by the throat before launching him across the street, a moment that really sells the raw power at play.

We’re also treated to a glimpse of Flash Thompson as Agent Venom, which adds an extra layer of fun to the issue.

Overall

This story arc continues to be a lot of fun, though with it crossing over into the regular Venom title, I feel like I’m getting a slightly lighter version of events, as I don’t read Venom and don’t intend to.

That said, it’s to the book’s credit that the Amazing Spider-Man chapters still make sense on their own.