Amazing Spider-Man #666 – Review

by Dan Slott (writer), Stefano Caselli (art), Marte Gracia (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Life is good, and very busy, for Peter Parker, but unbeknownst to him, more and more people in New York City are gaining spider-powers.

What’s Good: Apparently, Dan Slott and the rest of the crew in the Spider-office take that $3.99 price-tag really seriously.  This is a lot of comic book.  It’s 30 pages of dense storytelling, packed with characterful dialogue and narration that’s entertaining, regardless of the exposition.  It’s also amazing quite how many bases Slott touches upon in these 30 pages.  Not only does Slott set the stage for Spider-Island in ever conceivable way, he also gives us an update on more or less every nook and cranny of Peter Parker’s world.  As a result, the number of characters in this book is pretty damned massive, but because Slott keeps it, for the most part, tightly focused on Peter, Spider-readers won’t get lost.

What’s even more remarkable is what a firm grasp Slott has on this immense cast.  Obviously, his Peter Parker is great, but everyone elses’ dialogue is fun and energetic and every character has his or her own distinct voice.  With so many characters on hand, here, that’s pretty impressive.

All in all, this is just a really big, well-rounded package.  It sets up the state for Spider-Island quite well and will leave you ready and willing to dive in, but more than that, you get a little taste of literally everything and everyone relevant to Slott’s run on ASM thus far.  No stone is left unturned, and as a result, you get a Spidey comic that really feels like a Spidey comic.  With so much in this book, this is a pretty immersive experience, one that really brings you into Peter’s world.

Of course, Caselli’s art doesn’t hurt.  It’s as lively and energetic as ever and while Caselli often puts a lot on the page, in both content and panels, it’s never confused or claustrophobic.  Whether it’s a dialogue scene or an action scene, Caselli’s work always feels fast-paced.

Amazing Spider-Girl #17 – Review

By Tom Defalco (script), Ron Frenz (pencils), Sal Buscema (inks), Bruno Hang (colors)

I hate to say it, but this issue was pretty boring. The aspect I love the most about this series is May Parker, the person. We don’t get much of it this issue. Instead the villains take center stage and sadly, they are an uninteresting lot. Why? Because while there may be a big auction taking place among crime lords, none of them posses the viciousness, charisma, or cunning as someone like The Kingpin. What we’re given instead is a bunch of washed up thugs vying for Kingpin’s scraps. It’s just not very compelling.

Wait a sec! I’m not done yet.

This story with Hobgoblin and Mindworm needs to be finished… soon. May needs to expose Detective Drasco as the Crimelord. And she needs to lay the smack down on Deadspot. I mean, for a villain who was so prominent last issue, she (Deadspot) sure is given the shaft this issue as she’s relegated to a brief cameo appearance. At least she has May somewhat concerned for her well-being, too. That’s the kind of villain I want to see in my Spider-Girl books, not these lowlifes who want to be a third string Kingpin!

The stuff I do like is fleeting at best. Gene Thompson has been trying to reconcile with May for months and once again we’re given one page where nothing is addressed. The Parkers finally receive news that Ben’s hearing can be restored with an operation. That’s good progression. What bothers me, however, is Peter nor May seem to be scoffing at the fact that the hospital will need blood samples from them. This has always been a serious issue in the past – why isn’t it now?

Ron Frenz delivers solid art, as always. Tom DeFalco, however, has dropped the ball with this story line. Hopefully, he can wrap this up by next issue and we can move on to better things. (Grade: D+)

– J. Montes

Amazing Spider-Girl #16 – Review

By: Tom Defalco (Writer), Ron Frenz (Pencils), Sal Buscema (Inks)

There’s a lot of drama going on in Spider-Girl’s life. She’s broken up with her boyfriend. Her mom’s starting a job at her high school. Hey brother may have permanently lost his hearing and his spider powers appear to be manifesting themselves. On top of all this, someone’s hired an assassin to take her out!

Little is known about this assassin other than her name is Deadspot and she can initiate a heart attack on her victim with the slightest touch. Using a special suit that renders her invisible, May’s only defense against Deadspot is her spider sense. The real question here is who hired Deadspot to kill May and how does she know her secret identity?

After last month’s 10th anniversary issue, ASG #16 marks a nice jumping on point for new readers. Granted there’s an existing story that’s continuing, it’s quite easy to catch on to what’s going on. Tom DeFalco writes in that old school Marvel style that does a little over-explaining for new readers. Sure, it’s redundant for us regular readers, and it feels a bit formulaic, but anyone that’s read Marvel comics for the past 10 to 20 years should feel right at home.

The storytelling is strictly old school fun and Ron Frenz, god bless him, just gets better with age. While many modern artists concentrate on just the characters, Frenz gives you the whole package with beautiful backdrops and dynamic angles. Unlike many of his peers, he’s a complete artist. Being someone who was raised on the DeFalco / Frenz run of the 1980s, it gives me nothing but happiness to pick up this book month after month. (Grade: B+)

-J. Montes