The Amazing Spider-Man #2
Marvel Comics
Written by Dan Slott
Art by Humberto Ramos
After being so disappointed in the first issue, I was curious to see what issue number two had to offer. I flipped through it and saw it was a single story that refocuses on Peter Parker after he resumes control of his own body following Doc Oc’s long-time possession.
It took me a moment to realize who was on the opening page. I’m still not sure after all this time, the introduction of a second person being bit by that exact same spider (with powers of her own that seem much different than Peter’s) is a good idea. Granted it’s hard to keep coming up with new and unique characters to keep a series fresh and new after being around for decades but this one is to me questionable at best. At this point, adding another spider person to the already large cadre of them seems a tad silly.
I do like that we see Peter being honest with Anna Maria about him being Spider-Man and about Doctor Octopus. Her reaction was to cook and keep busy in the kitchen (enabling her to think better), which was a very nice move by Dan Slott, as it makes her incredibly human. Although seriously, how many people are going to end up knowing Peter’s secret again? I thought that whole mess with Mephisto was so that he could keep his identity a secret. Heck, even the Avengers don’t know who he is.
Dan Slott’s writing is superb, but the web-slinger’s appearance looks like a teenaged Captain America, and doesn’t do the writing justice. The storyline is the unmatched highlight of this book, returning to the basics that make Spider-Man a great franchise. It’s smart, funny, witty and could be an example of character building at its finest. However, the interior artwork makes me grind my teeth. I would love to see less bad cartoon animation art and more crisp clean stylized work instead. I am still not a fan of Humberto Ramos’ artwork and it just doesn’t look proportionate. The artist holding the reigns going forward will definitely be the deciding factor on whether or not I continue to follow this series.
Overall score: 7/10
Edited by Brian Duncan
