The end of this comic book titan is here, but does the Amazing Spider-Man swing out in a proverbial blaze of glory?  Or does this creative team ultimately leave its audience thoroughly disappointed?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Marvel:

LAST ISSUE!

Whether the end of this issue has been spoiled for you or not at this point is irrelevant.  Yes a couple weeks ago there were a few panels and a beat for beat description that hit the internet but lost in the shuffle of that leak was the the soul of this work.  I’m not going to lie it took me quite a while to deal with what happened in this release but when I finally did I can honestly say I’m genuinely excited to pick-up Superior Spider-Man #1 and I leave Amazing Spider-Man feeling satisfied.

From the first page to the final panel this is one of Dan Slott‘s finest scripts as he uses the high stakes situation to illuminate the integral qualities of this classic hero.  He reviews everything inherently unique about Peter Parker while slowly but surely peeling back the layers of Doctor Octopus, the end result is an emotional roller coaster with a lot of heart and a bit of a wobbly step.  Yes there were several moments where the story dragged a bit but these quickly fell by the wayside as some bitter sweet and downright disturbing scenes propelled this final outing to a fitting conclusion.

It seems necessary that the highly stylized talent, Humberto Ramos, should be the one to pencil this climax.  He embodies this run with his unique characterizations that both recall classic tropes while embracing modern sensibilities.  His art may be a bit too chaotic for some but for me he more than nails that correct cadence this complex narrative absolutely required.  There were a few moments where some renditions came off as a bit underwhelming but ultimately he yields a more than satisfying representation that covers all the classic bases associated with this title.

Following the main story line we have a couple additional tales that offer engaging and fun reads that should at the very least be regarded as an entertaining distraction. There’s not much depth to be found in these works but that’s not why they’re included in this bundle.  They’re here for the celebration, and they fit right in as this saga comes to a dynamic close.

Amazing Spider-Man #700 is simply put: the complete package.  It offers a couple decent back-up features and a somber but satisfying conclusion that takes this storied franchise to some level of fruition.  Recommended.

4/5