In Review: Amazing Spider-Man (2025-) #3 – Spider-Man Battles Mind-Bending Chaos

Synopsis: PUMPKIN BOMB PROBLEMS! Past and present collide sending Spider-Man spinning OUT OF CONTROL – just when an old foe obsessed with him gets the sword-stabbing jump on Peter and his main squeeze, Shay Marken! Can the last remaining ally still in Spidey’s corner, the GREEN GOBLIN, Norman Osborn, cure Peter before his entire life implodes?!

The Story

Picking up from the events of the last issue, Spider-Man has been poisoned and visits Peter Parker’s girlfriend, Shay, at Ravencroft in the hopes of finding out how Rhino was poisoned. Struggling to retain his sanity, Spider-Man wrestles with corrupted memories from his past — including a rebellious phase where he borrowed Uncle Ben’s old army jacket without asking.

To make matters worse, the immortal supervillain Itsy Bitsy has developed an unhealthy interest in him. The only clue Spider-Man has to go on is a mysterious new brand of cola he drank while at Rand Industries. Could this be the means by which he was poisoned?

And why has Hobgoblin suddenly shown up?

The Artwork

Pepe Larraz provides both the cover and interior art for this issue, and I love the dramatic way Spider-Man is posed on the cover as he attempts to escape the shadowy monsters within his own mind.

As for the interior art, a highlight for me is the flashback panels showing Peter Parker’s younger days with Uncle Ben and Aunt May. The story about the army jacket and the weight it holds for Uncle Ben is compelling in its own right. The decision to render these flashback panels in black and white was a smart choice, amplifying the emotional impact of the scene.

Adding to the visual strength is the design of Itsy Bitsy. Her dramatic look and strange fascination with Spider-Man — as well as her inability to follow through on her orders to kill him — is portrayed with an unsettling intensity.

Overall

A solid third issue in the storyline that gives Spider-Man a clue about what may have poisoned him. I loved the back-and-forth between Spidey and Itsy Bitsy, as well as the flashbacks to Spider-Man’s corrupted memory of the incident with Uncle Ben’s old army jacket.