Amazing Spider-Man: Friends and Foes (Comics) | Review

Living with a villain who doesn't know you're Spider-Man sounds like the setup for a sitcom disaster. Writer Nick Spencer (Secret Empire, Sinister War) turns that nightmare scenario into pure comedy gold while still delivering real emotional weight and substance.

Friends and Foes continues the momentum from Back to Basics, proving Spencer understands what makes Spider-Man tick better than most writers. This arc focuses on two distinct storylines showcasing different sides of Peter's messy life. One thread involves Boomerang dragging him to the Bar With No Name for trivia night.

The other reunites Spidey with Black Cat to stop the Thieves Guild from crippling the superhero community across New York. Both stories work because Spencer never forgets that consequences matter, even when he's writing laugh-out-loud comedy that lands perfectly.

The roommate situation everyone knew would explode finally detonates when Boomerang invites Peter to the Bar With No Name. Fred Myers knows Parker as the photographer who always got perfect Spider-Man shots, so he brings him along for trivia night about the web-slinger. The setup drips with irony and tension.

Inside the bar, dozens of villains gather to test their knowledge about Spider-Man while Peter sits sweating bullets. Spencer mines this for humor and suspense. Every question threatens to expose Peter's identity. The trivia night becomes a tightrope where one word ends everything.

What makes this work is how Spencer handles Boomerang's friendship. Fred likes Peter as a roommate and wants to include him in his world. The affection feels real despite Fred being a career criminal. Their dynamic recalls Spencer's Superior Foes of Spider-Man, capturing that same mix of absurdity and unexpected warmth.

The Bar With No Name scenes showcase Spencer's comedic timing. Villains argue over whether Spider-Man says "web-head" or "wall-crawler" more often. They debate rogues gallery rankings and complain about his quips during fights. It's just villains being regular people having regular conversations about their one shared nemesis.

The Thieves Guild storyline introduces Odessa Drake, the ruthless new leader orchestrating a massive heist targeting superhero equipment. Captain America's shield, Iron Man's armor, Spider-Man's web-shooters get stolen. The thefts demonstrate their competence and reach.

Black Cat reaches out to Spider-Man to help infiltrating the Guild's New York safe-house. Felicia knows about the heist because she's a Guild member but stealing hero equipment crosses a line. She can't stand by while Odessa destroys the balance between heroes and criminals.

Their partnership carries emotional baggage from Superior Spider-Man's actions years earlier. Doc Ock devastated Felicia's life while controlling Peter's body and she hasn't fully forgiven Spider-Man. The tension adds complexity to what could've been a straightforward team-up. They work efficiently but the wounds remain fresh.

Spencer uses the heist to address One More Day's consequences. During infiltration, Felicia admits she can't remember Spider-Man's face or name despite their history. The memory wipe affected everyone. The revelation hits hard, showing how Peter's deal ripples outward.

The climax forces Spider-Man to improvise when Odessa tries sealing them inside a mystical vault forever. He activates Ms. Marvel's stolen phone to trigger the Find My Phone app, alerting every hero in New York. The Avengers, Fantastic Four and others converge. Odessa retreats before completing the spell, leaving goods behind.

The resolution delivers mixed victories. Heroes recover their equipment. The Thieves Guild escapes but gains credibility. Black Cat leaves the Guild after choosing Spider-Man's side. Peter reveals his identity to Felicia, a trust gesture acknowledging their complicated history.

Sub-plot threads weave throughout. J. Jonah Jameson debuts as a shock jock who suddenly supports Spider-Man, creating surreal moments where Jameson defends the hero he attacked for decades. Mary Jane navigates her relationship with Peter while juggling villain roommates.

Artist Humberto Ramos (Spider-Man: Big Time, Spider-Man: Dying Wish) handles the art duties with his distinctive exaggerated style. His Spider-Man moves with impossible flexibility, limbs twisting at angles that shouldn't work. Every action sequence pops with dynamic movement that carries readers through pure visual momentum.

Ramos excels at facial expressions during comedic moments. Peter's barely contained panic at the villain bar reads clearly. Boomerang's oblivious enthusiasm contrasts with the tension. The artwork enhances Spencer's comedy through visual timing that lets jokes land harder.

Michele Bandini contributes art for the Mary Jane sub-plot pages, bringing a cleaner style that nicely contrasts with Ramos's exaggerated approach. Steve Lieber returns for Superior Foes callback pages, maintaining visual continuity with Spencer's earlier work. The art team rotation never feels jarring despite their different styles.

Spencer's writing balances multiple tones without losing control. The Bar With No Name sequence plays as pure comedy while maintaining real stakes. The Thieves Guild heist delivers action spectacle grounded in character relationships. Neither storyline sacrifices the other.

Friends and Foes proves Spencer's run keeps getting stronger as it progresses with confidence. The Boomerang storyline alone justifies the price, delivering some of the funniest Spider-Man moments in years. Watching Peter sweat through trivia night while surrounded by villains creates perfect dramatic irony that never gets old.

The Thieves Guild arc works less consistently. Odessa Drake makes a strong impression as a dangerous leader but the Guild strains credibility. Ninjas pickpocketing web-shooters off someone with spider-sense feel overpowered. The mystical elements introduce complexity.

What elevates this collection is how Spencer handles character relationships. Peter and Boomerang's unlikely friendship feels genuine. Spider-Man and Black Cat's reunion acknowledges past pain. Mary Jane gets meaningful panel time. J. Jonah Jameson's character evolution continues. Everyone sounds like themselves.

This arc functions as a solid continuation for readers following Spencer's run while remaining accessible for newcomers. References to Superior Spider-Man and One More Day enrich the experience. Spencer builds on continuity, using past events as springboard rather than anchor.

Amazing Spider-Man: Friends and Foes collects issues #6-10 from Nick Spencer's acclaimed 2018 run. The story is available in trade paperback and digital editions. You can find it in print through various local comic-book shops and major online retailers or read it digitally on Amazon Kindle, ComiXology and Marvel Unlimited.