This issue was an amazing piece of work from both the writing and the art standpoints, and together they create a masterful example of storytelling technique.  However, I feel like there was a missed opportunity here, one that I hope will be addressed soon.

Considering how close in tone this issue was with Fantastic Four #688, I wonder if Dan Slott and Jonathan Hickman discussed scripting together.  Like FF, ASM #655 opens in silence, following various characters preparing for Marla's funeral and then going through the funeral.  Seeing the normally gregarious J. Jonah in stunned speechlessness throughout really makes it hit home that his wife is dead, and the framing method of starting with Jonah and ending with Peter in similar scenes (both in their beds, both looking at the clock) helps intensify the feeling of this invasion upon normalcy.  It only continues with Peter dreaming about all the villains he's put away and all the people who've died because of his refusal to kill, along with seeming chastisement by fellow heroes for his lack of action.  While one could argue Slott is really mis-characterizing these individuals, it fits perfectly inside of this fever dream Peter's undergoing.   

Marcos Martin, on the art side, once again shows that he could be Marvel's answer to Darwyn Cooke, breaking out this awesome retro style of smooth lines and square jaws.  Every bit of this looks like a 50's/60's book, but not in a corny way.  Martin also tosses in his own visual commentary, sometimes playful and other times biting.  I especially enjoyed the M.C. Escher scene of Peter navigating through the people for whom he feels responsible for their deaths.  Look closely enough and you will see some nods to current continuity as well as to older issues - I especially liked seeing the Spider-Mobile as one of his "victims."  Showing Gwen head-on with a broken neck was also a great choice, adding to Peter's pity-party for one. 

This is amazaing psychodrama, as we watch Peter's mind unravel and him debate if he's doing the right thing by refusing to kill.  This is not his first wrestle with the subject, but it really comes home in light of Marla Jamimson's death.  When you look at the death, destruction and pain these supervillains inflict on a regular basis, it has to make a reader wonder if this ethical selfishness is really worth it in the long run.  "Gwen's dead, Marla's dead, Maddie Franklin is dead, but on the upside I didn't kill anyone, so 'yay' for me."  My question, though, is why aren't we seeing Jamison going through this same struggle?  When he ended #654 admitting that this had all been his fault, I was hoping this would open up some self-dialogue to consider his actions.  By focusing on Peter, the perspective seems out-of-whack.  This is J. Jonah's story for once, not Spider-Man's, and while I like what I'm seeing in how Slott and Martin deal with Spider-Man's reaction, Jonah needs to do likewise.  If that happens I will totally re-evaluate my view of this issue.  But as it is, the missed storytelling opportunity with Jonah makes an "excellent" story just "very good."