So, it’s an issue mostly comprised of people standing around and talking – but I loved this as an art issue. There are no Spidey acrobatics, no kinetic action scenes, but this issue primarily entertained with its visuals.

Artist David LaFuente uses this installment to put on a virtual clinic on the subject of body language. Bendis’s dialogue-heavy scenes are imbued with life as the residents of the Parker household vent their frustrations. LaFuente uses this opportunity to not only underline the character moments suggested by the dialogue, but also to create a true ensemble performance – even when characters are in the background, their presence is felt – whether they are reacting, or just occupying the frame, each character inhabits the space in a way that contributes something tangible to the moment. Nobody is ever relegated to being an “extra” – if they’re in the frame, they are staying true to their character in the given moment and adding another dimension.

This story is as a quieter episode, serving as a connecting tissue between the larger dramatic events, but it was still interesting to see MJ’s journey into the rough terrain of journalistic ethics and it ends with a sly twist that sets up a scenario that will undoubtedly pay off in issues to come.