Amazing Spider-Man #1000 (Marvel, 9/30/26): A small army of writers and artists gather to tell stories about your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man to celebrate his “1,000th” issue. Spidey fans will love most of the individual tales from renowned creators, but the main story takes a predictable turn. Verdict: Solid but not epic.
Credits:
- Writer: Assorted
- Artist: Assorted
- Colorist: Assorted
- Letterer: Assorted
- Cover Artist: Pepe Larraz, Marte Gracia (cover A)
- Publisher: Marvel Comics
- Release Date: September 30, 2026
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $9.99
- Page Count: 104
- Format: Oversized Anthology
Covers:
Analysis of Amazing Spider-Man #1000:
First Impressions:
Prepare yourself. Clocking in at over 100 pages, Amazing Spider-Man #1000 is a thick comic, which makes my job harder. Thankfully, Marvel Editorial saw fit to give us longer, more complete stories instead of a dozen short-changed ideas, and for the most part, it’s a moderate success. That said, I was hoping for something special to mark the occasion of reaching the big number, and I didn’t feel like I got it.
Recap:
In Amazing Spider-Man #35, the issue opened with Spider-Man working alongside the new, proactive Damage Control while making excuses to avoid social meetings with Aunt May and Cormac Crane, until May unexpectedly visited his apartment and reassured Peter that he was the son she always knew. Later, Spider-Man found Ghost Spider causing destruction in a daze, and after helping her save an apartment building, he clashed with Damage Control when Agent Griffyn tried to take her into custody, creating a rift between the two sides. The issue ended with Peter receiving an urgent call from Ricardo informing him that Aunt May had suffered a stroke.
Plot Analysis (SPOILERS):
Ravaged [Main Story] (Writer: Joe Kelly, Artist: Pepe Larraz)
Peter Parker rushes to the hospital when he learns that Aunt May has had a stroke. He rushes into the room to find Cormac Crane by her bedside. When Aunt May awakes, she recognizes Cormac as her son, but has no memory of Peter. Later, Cormac consoles Peter about the unpredictable nature of strokes and that she might recover. Suddenly, Cormac attacks Peter in a snazzy villain costume and uses his superpower to forcibly plumb the depths of Peter’s memories in an attempt to remove them. Peter fights Cormac off and changes into Spider-Man.
Cormac announces his name is Ravage, and he used his powers to remove the memories of Peter from Aunt May’s mind, converting the essence of what he took into a weapon that he uses to attack Spidey. What follows is a knockdown, drag-out fight in the streets of NYC. The chapter ends when the combatants are separated by a falling cable car.
If you’ve been following the main run by Joe Kelly, you’d have to be exceptionally distracted not to see this coming. Cormac Crane, Aunt May’s biological son, is secretly a memory-stealing supervillain with a weird costume. So no points for originality on the heel turn. What makes this twist a little less exciting is that Cormac Crane’s motivations are eerily similar to Ben Reilly’s, which makes Ravage new but not terribly original. Still, Pepe Larraz’s action art and mind-bending panel layouts during the memory “extractions” are top-notch.
Still Standing (Writer: Noah Hawley, Artist: Patrick Gleason)
Decades into the future, Peter Parker lives out his sunset years in a retirement home just blocks away from where he grew up. Every week, he’s visited by his son Miles, Miles’s wife, and their adult grandson, who is the current Spider-Man. They share old stories of Peter’s glory days and keep the fires of family connection burning.
One day, a new resident is introduced to the group of seniors, and her name is Gwen Stacy. She immediately connects with Peter, claiming to be the Gwen of his youth but somehow still alive and grown into an old woman. Peter can’t understand how, but he goes along with the second chance. He tells Miles all about her, but when he arranges for Gwen and Miles to meet, she’s mysteriously missing. Peter’s paranoia escalates when Gwen returns with a flimsy excuse after Miles leaves. Miles suspects Peter is either hallucinating or reacting to the recent change in medication, but his grandson suspects something else is going on.
The tale ends when Spider-Man discovers that a very old Mysterio has decided his remaining time on Earth should be spent making his lifelong enemy miserable, but the tables turn when Mysterio decides pain without purpose is no way to live (or die), so he comes clean and grants Peter the one thing he never had – a second chance to say goodbye to Gwen Stacy.
Oh, man! Get the tissues out because this one’s going to hit you right in the pacemaker. Sure, Gwen Stacy has returned more than once throughout the years, but this one feels formal, final, and packed with emotion. Plus, Patrick Gleason’s art gives every subtle moment a layer of emotional weight that’s undeniable. Despite the similarities in family bonding, memories, and grief, Hawley’s tale is levels better than the main story.
Requiem for a Goblin (Writer: J.M. DeMatteis, Artist: Humberto Ramos)
Peter wakes after a nightmare. Today is the day of Harry Osborn’s funeral, and perhaps the final goodbye to the Green Goblin. Mary Jane consoles Peter over his bad dream and supports him throughout the painful journey to the funeral. When they arrive, the emotional toll overwhelms Peter, so he leaves (as Spider-Man) and visits the remains of the Green Goblin lair. There, he imagines Harry and Norman Osborn talking to him about their mistakes and family legacy.
In the end, Peter returns to the funeral, choosing to embrace the love he felt for his lost friend Harry rather than the hate he felt for his arch-nemesis, the Green Goblin.
J.M. DeMatteis hits the emotional sweet spot when it comes to saying goodbye to a painful point in Peter Parker’s history. In retrospect, the story is bittersweet because the events of the story take place BEFORE “One More Day,” so Mary Jane’s final, supporting words come off as hollow and outdated. Humbert Ramos’s art is as solid as ever to complement DeMatteis’s script, but Ramos’s penchant for exaggerated expressions sometimes undercuts Peter’s grief during his talk with the Osborns.
Tears of the Spider-Queen (Writer: Frank Miller, Artist: Peach Momoko)
A young girl named Alison skateboards through the city streets at night. She’s attacked by a red-clad group of ninja cultists who believe Alison is their revered Spider-Queen, waiting to be unleashed for feeding on the world. Spider-Man, still new to the world, swings into action when his Spidey-sense goes off. He fights the ninja cultists and drops into the sewers below the city to find the girl. What he finds is a massive, mutant spider that still has traces of Alison left in its personality. The ninja cultists attack the Spider-Queen, who, in turn, makes short work of her would-be worshipers. When the carnage is done, the Spider-Queen turns back into Alison, and Spidey carries her off to return her to her mother.
Huh? What? I’m as confused as Alison about what I just read. Legendary creator Frank Miller either had a vague idea of the story but didn’t flesh it out, or something was gravely lost in translation between Miller and Peach Momoko. The trademark art style will work for Momoko fans, but the clarity of what’s happening is almost immediately lost.
The Big Night (Writer: Triple H (w/ Rob Fee), Artist: Ed McGuinness, Mark Farmer)
The story begins with a young Peter Parker enjoying a surprise night at a Pro Wrestling match with his Uncle Ben. Years later, Spider-Man drops a paid ticket at the box office while he watches a wrestling match from the rafters. As the match progresses, he carries a photo with him to remember his time with Uncle Ben at the same venue.
Technically, this offering is best categorized as a vignette. Still, Triple H’s concept plucks the nostalgia and heartstrings effectively to make you understand just how much Uncle Ben meant to Peter, even years later. Also, McGuinness and Farmer do a masterful job of taking what is probably a 3-page script and making it feel complete.
The Gesture (Writer: Brian Michael Bendis, Artist: Stuart Immonen)
Spidey watches the streets of NYC while he contemplates Rocket Racer’s billboard announcing his latest film deal. His musings are interrupted when his Avengers ID card summons him for duty. Before he can depart, he’s suddenly attacked by a trio of low-grade supervillains – White Rabbit, Firebrand, and Basilisk. Spidey eventually wins the fight and heads to the Avengers mansion to find Captain America waiting with a present. Cap explains Spidey was summoned for a get-together to commemorate Spidey’s first day as Spider-Man, but everyone ate the food and left because Spidey arrived so late. The story ends with Cap and Spidey swapping stories about lost loved ones.
Brian Michael Bendis’s tale has everything you’d stereotypically expect from a Bendis story – action, lots and lots and lots of snappy banter, and a little bit of heart. For Spider-Man fans, you get a little bit of everything you’d expect. Plus, Stuart Immonen’s art is first-rate, elevating the brief story.
Of Webs and Six-Guns (Writer: Larry Lieber, Artist: Giuseppe Camuncoli)
Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson enjoy a quiet afternoon on a park bench. Parker dozes off, but he soon awakes to the sound of gunfire. He (somehow) teleports to the Old West and sees the Rawhide Kid being chased by a gang of outlaws. Peter changes into Spider-Man to help chase off the Kid’s attackers. They make introductions and ride into town together. Before they enter the local saloon, Spidey’s sense kicks in, and he decides to enter the saloon from an upper window. He jumps into a gang of armed outlaws, who have a grudge to settle against the Rawhide Kid. When the battle ends, Spidey wakes up on the bench next to Mary Jane with a whopper of a story.
Wheesh! Larry Lieber’s fantasy tale is generally fine, but it contains the stiffest, clunkiest, most unnecessarily expository dialog I’ve read in a long time. It’s tough to be critical of such a legendary creator, but it is what it is. Giuseppe Camuncoli gives you a mildly amusing action piece to keep you invested, but this short was rough to get through.
I Can Never Rest (Writer: Dan Slott, Artist: Marcos Martin)
The short story recounts the events leading up to the death of Uncle Ben, but is told from the perspective of the lead police officer on the case. The killer – the so-called Five Burroughs Burglar – has become a point of obsession for Officer Simekski. So much so that he put off retirement until the killer is captured. On the fateful night, Skimeksi arrests the Five Burroughs Burglar after Spider-Man captures the criminal.
Years later, Simeksi introduces himself to Spider-Man after Spidey’s battle with Tarantula and thanks Spidey for helping bring closure to a difficult case that never let him rest.
A little press buzz centered on Dan Slott’s short story because it finally gives a “name” to Uncle Ben’s killer. Well, now you know. Alternate perspectives on famous moments are always a smart play for retrospective milestone anthologies, and Slott’s choice works well enough. Plus, Marcos Martin’s artwork infuses the historical tale with an Art Deco aesthetic that feels modern and classic all at once.
Pros and Cons
Art Samples:
The Scorecard:
Writing Quality (Clarity & Pacing): 3/4
Art Quality (Execution & Synergy): 3.5/4
Value (Originality & Entertainment): 1/2
Final Thoughts:
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Amazing Spider-Man #1000 revisits aspects and periods in Spidey’s iconic career with a collection of stories from noted creators to mark the milestone issue’s achievement. Most of the stories land strong, and the art is solid across the board, but there are a few duds in the mix, and the anthology lacks a big wow moment to make the extra pages (and $10 cover price) a must-buy.
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