Writer Zeb Wells and artist John Romita, Jr. will be concluding their run on Amazing Spider-Man with one final arc in which Peter Parker will take on Tombstone in a brawl to win it all, which Marvel is billing as “Spidey’s most brutal battle.”
Though Marvel’s announcement doesn’t specify how long the final arc will last, but we do know that it’ll follow up on Spider-Man and Tombstone’s upcoming battle in Amazing Spider-Man #56/#850, and that Amazing Spider-Man #58 is being billed as the true kick off of Wells and Romita’s final arc.
The rekindled rivalry between Tombstone and Spider-Man has been a long running subplot in Wells’ Amazing Spider-Man, which has also enlisted artists Ed McGuinness and Patrick Gleason throughout its run, which began way back in 2021 with the arc ‘Spider-Man Beyond.’
With the current arc of the title tying off some of Wells’ other big plotlines, including the evolution of the Living Brain, the return of the Sinister Six, and Norman Osborn’s fall from grace as the reborn Green Goblin, and even Ben Reilly’s transformation into the villainous Chasm it makes sense to tie off his time on the title this way.
That said, there’s one other big running plotline in Wells’ Amazing Spider-Man – the relationship between Mary Jane and her new boyfriend Paul, and her separation from Peter Parker. It’s a safe bet Wells won’t end his run without at least putting some kind of resolution on the love triangle – though it’s also likely it won’t be what fans expect.
Though Wells’ run has been polarizing (as, let’s face it, most modern Spider-Man runs tend to be), I’ve enjoyed its broad strokes, especially his handling of the relationship between Peter Parker and Norman Osborn. It will be interesting to see who comes next.
On that note, it may not be a coincidence that A-list DC writer Joshua Williamson announced his departure from DC titles Green Arrow and Batman & Robin on the same day Marvel announced the end of Wells’ Spider-Man run – with a similar timeframe for both big changes. And though it’s purely speculation, Williamson making his return to Marvel as the new writer of Amazing Spider-Man would certainly be a big enough name to set off some sparks.
For now, we’ll have to wait and see. Amazing Spider-Man #58, the beginning of Wells’ final arc, goes on sale September 11.
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