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Review: Amazing Spider-Man #651

By | January 14th, 2011
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Written by Dan Slott
Illustrated by Humberto Ramos and Stefano Caselli

The HOBGOBLIN’S fight for power continues! Which side will SPIDER-MAN and the BLACK CAT be on… and why? Also: a surprise for AUNT MAY, and the SPIDEY versus KINGPIN rematch you’ve been dying to see! Included in this issue: an 8 page story featuring the return of Mac Gargan… as THE SCORPION!

The first arc of Big Time wraps up with this issue, and I’d be hard pressed not to say this hasn’t been the best arc Dan Slott has put together yet on Amazing Spider-Man. Does this last issue live up to the previous three?

Find out after the jump.

So that’s the end of the first arc of “Big Time,” the new direction Dan Slott is taking Peter Parker and his alter ego Spider-Man in. At first, I was a bit skeptical based off my preferences from the previous “Brand New Day” writing staff (in short, I’m a complete Joe Kelly fanboy), but I have to say Slott and his artistic partner Humberto Ramos sold me entirely with this arc.

While “BND” reset Spidey as the down-on-his-luck schlub that we knew and loved before he was married to a supermodel, “Big Time” takes Spidey in a direction that is both logical and fresh: Peter Parker – the success.

With Peter finding success in his relationship and his career (finally, he’s a scientist!), it gives him time to go and just achieve and be happy. This issue finds him taking the newly villainous Phil Urich iteration of Hobgoblin on, along with a team-up with Black Cat and a big move against Kingpin’s set up. A lot happens, but it’s all executed very well save a bit of awkward narration at the end (just the way “big time” is worked into the ending).

Slott is excellent with all of the characters, and the way he handles Black Cat and Spidey’s interactions are particularly great. Also, there was one really clever moment in which Urich inverts the classic “with great power comes great responsibility” line. While logically it’s a bit odd, to the crazy Urich it works perfectly and is really intelligent execution by Slott.

Ramos’ art has improved throughout, and it was a lot of fun to see his incredibly kinetic and powerful pencils in the many action sequences in this book. His art seems much tighter than even the first issue of this arc, and his improvement throughout has been incredible. His execution of the Peter Parker sequences are equally great, which is a bit different than my expectations – I figured he’d excel at the action, but the personal moments stand out just as well.

I have to say, my expectations throughout were highly surpassed. This is a sharp book, and through one arc I have to say it’s a highly entertaining start to hopefully a long run by Slott and his merry men. The back-up story with next arc’s artist Stefano Caselli is good as well, and as a major fan of Caselli, I can’t wait to see his work throughout. It looks like this book has the potential to just keep getting better and better.

Final Verdict: 8.0 – Buy


David Harper

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