Buckle up, Spider-Man fans, because just when you thought things were reality-bending in the approach to The Amazing Spider-Man: Death Spiral #1, well, think again, because it appears what comes next will turn Marvel Comics on its head. This is set to be a climactic and cataclysmic clash on a journey that has now spanned several different comic book series, and it’s been a long time coming.
As The Amazing Spider-Man #22 arrived, the Marvel universe saw a wild ride for the symbiotes, and even Mary Jane Watson got in on the action by absorbing the Venom symbiote, an occurrence that truly put Peter Parker in a tough spot. But with Carnage on the way, and with the knowledge that Parker is Spider-Man, picking the information directly from the brain of his new host, Eddie Brock (yeah, you read that correctly), it’s all hands on deck.
But wait, there’s more — so much more.
“This crossover is maybe the most epically dramatic Spider-Story in a decade. It’s dark, it’s dangerous, and it pushes these characters so far out of their comfort zones they may never make it back. Strap in!” – Nick Lowe
Writer: Joe Kelly, Al Ewing, Charles Soule
Art: Jesús Saiz
Cover: Ed McGuinness
Carnage Variant Cover: Stonehouse
Virgin Carnage Variant Cover: Stonehouse
Spider-Man Variant Cover: Dave Rapoza
Virgin Spider-Man Variant Cover: Dave Rapoza
Venom Variant Cover: Skan
Virgin Venom Variant Cover: Skan
On Sale: February 26, 2026
Carnage may not be the biggest threat at all, before it’s all said-and-done. Kelly, Ewing and Soule saw fit to add a serial killer to the mix, Torment, forcing Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson’s Venom and Eddie Brock’s Carnage into some very real moral decisions as it relates to their ongoing feud. Do they continue the infighting or do they strike up a temporary truce to aim their powers and intellect at Torment?
A Symbiotic Family Affair for Spider-Man
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Soule weighed in recently on the events that will culminate in The Amazing Spider-Man: Death Spiral as well, when it hits shelves early next year, and neither he nore Kelly minced words regarding what fans can expect from this version of the Spider-Man universe for Marvel.
“Spider-Man, Venom, Carnage, Mary Jane—they’re essentially a weird family unit, interconnected with gigantic amounts of history together. There’s an engine there, there’s a lot of emotional energy in there to break apart.” Kelly chimed in afterward: “And then we needed a serial killer.”
This is all such a fun way of keeping Spider-Man fans well-fed until the arrival of Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, two blockbuster events that will likely be incomparable, especially the latter, seeing as it closes out the trilogy as Tom Holland’s fourth installment serves as the first of the second trilogy; and with no shortage of speculation and early controversy to sling around like the piles of webbing aimed at Torment in February.
The Amazing Spider-Man: Death Spiral is currently available for pre-order at local comic shops.
Release Date
December 17, 2021
Runtime
148 Minutes
Director
Jon Watts
Writers
Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Stan Lee, Steve Ditko
