A sequel to One More Day (2007), the plot of Last Remains (2020) stars superhero Spider-Man pitted against a new rival, Kindred, the demonic animated corpse of Harry Lyman who is Spiderman’s best friend and alter ego. While the aesthetics of the issue is praiseworthy, writer Nick Spencer goes discreetly overboard with sensational turning points in an otherwise action-packed plotline.

With supervillain Norman Osborne left to drown by Spiderman and Kindred on the loose, Last Remains opens on a promising note of an engrossing plot and vivid drama that does not deliver till the end. Norman Osborne is at the receiving end of Sin Eater’s rifle while Sin Eater is destroyed by Kindred for being a hypocrite. Using the piled-up sins of Sin Eater, Kindred creates abstractions that possess Spiderman’s companions, namely, Miles Morales, Spider-Gwen, Spiderwoman, Anya Corazon, and Julia Carpenter. What follows is a series of unfortunate events that make the possessed heroes brutally attack Spiderman. Remorseful and morally broken, Doctor Strange is Spiderman’s sole and last refuge. While the spell of the Hand of Vashanti does not work its wonders, things only seem to get worse by the moment as the possessed Spider heroes wreak havoc across the city. Fistfights, smacks, and punches fill the plot as masked abstractions and demonic revenants loom large. Masks are shed, real identities discovered and tussles intensify in this tale of multiple heroes and obnoxious villains that are rather repetitive and meet no concrete end.

Frustrating as it sounds, the stunning artwork is not capable of holding up a nauseating plot. The non-chronological manner of story-telling is difficult to follow, weighs down the multiple climaxes, and creates a reeling effect on the mind. There is just a little too much information to take in. The idea of demonic possession may have been subtly explored in previous Spiderman issues but the effects of such supernaturalism remain underdeveloped in this plot. The prolonged action is episodic and requires a good pre-requisite knowledge of the Spiderman world to be able to follow through. The darkness of the plot remains tattered and one is bound to notice how utterly and unusually helpless Spiderman seems throughout the story. There is little conceptual clarity and excessive drama. The superhero vibe and Spiderman’s usual charm are replaced with a mere disappointing set of calisthenics. Additionally, the plot is cluttered with more characters than necessary with each character being given equal space but not portrayed to their full potential. Endless digressions later, the only conclusion is when Spiderman confesses to Mary Jane those things are only going to get more eventful. Despite all the lows, the gorgeous art is unique, impressive, and highly commendable. While nothing much happens, the issue remains crucial for all the information it discloses making it an important one-time read. 

Book Title: Amazing Spider-Man
Author: Amazing Spider-Man
Reviewed by: Tasnima Yasmi, The Literature Today