***** (five of five stars)
Favorite Quote: "He built a home-made version of Reed Richards' neutrino catcher.” “Yes, for a high school science fair.” -- Marla and May, talking about our man Pete
Summary
Favorite Quote: "He built a home-made version of Reed Richards' neutrino catcher.” “Yes, for a high school science fair.” -- Marla and May, talking about our man Pete
Summary
Spidey leads the Avengers into battle (yay!) against Doc Ock’s Macro-Octopi robots, which are attacking New York. Meanwhile, a weird cyber-Spidey-looking guy spies on JJJ, Jr., threatening “Soon, Jameson. Very soon." Steve Rogers replaces a soldier guarding “Hangar Nine” (which contains something called the Vertex Shuttle) at Andru Air Force Base, which at the time is scrambling jets to attack the Macro-Octupi. Back in New York, the Fantastic Four and Black Cat join the battle against the Macro-Octupi. It’s revealed that Doc Ock is not only behind the Macro-Octupi, but that the Sinister Six has reformed and the Chameleon had posed as Steve Rogers in order to plant some of Ock’s “toys” in the hangar. Ock reveals that the Macro-Octopi had just been a distraction so the toys could be planted and sets the Macro-Octupi to detonate. He assures Sandman that his daughter in New York will be fine since Spider-Man will figure out a way to defeat them, noting that he’ll never underestimate Spidey again now that he knows he’s a genius. As predicted by Doc Ock, Spidey uses his brains to defeat the robots. The next day, Peter is helping the “Front Line” staff as it prepares to go online. JJJ, Jr. appears, announcing that he’s bought back the rights to the “Daily Bugle” from Dexter Bennett and is giving the name to “Front Line.” Pete goes home to find that Michele Gonzalez is leaving now that Vin’s case is over, and Pete canvasses his friends to try to find someone with whom he can live. Meanwhile, Marla Jameson escorts John Jameson to meet his grandfather, and has a talk with May, in which she learns that Peter is a genius. Pete arrives, feeling as low as possible, to ask Aunt May if he can live with her (again), only to find that Marla has other plans. (Meanwhile, at the Raft, Max Gargan is de-symbioted.) Marla takes Peter to Horizon Labs, a super-hip research firm where he meets members of the Labs' seven-person think tank. In one of the think tankers’ labs, he witnesses her experiment to try to create artificial vibranium, but, since her math is wrong, everyone almost dies. Pete saves the day by using his strength to get to the control panel and fix the math. This display impresses the head of Horizon Labs and he offers him the open position on the think-tank team. Later that day, the Hobgoblin returns to New York, under the employ of the Kingpin.
The Review
The Review
This issue is excellent. It’s truly ground-breaking, with Slott discarding some badly-implemented plot elements (“The DB!,” Michele, Aunt May’s corruption) and putting us on a whole new path. It’s tightly scripted, it’s well drawn, and it changes the status quo in a totally believable way. It’s a good reminder that you don’t need, I don’t know, deals with the Devil to change up a character. (You read that, Quesada?) This issue, to be honest, actually feels like what “Brand New Day” was originally intended to be. Peter Parker finally gets to be as successful as Spider-Man and Slott does it in a way that makes you wonder why it never happened before.
The Really Good
The Really Good
1) Slott’s solution for Pete’s chronic unemployment is so eloquent – a think-tank researcher who gets to work his own hours – that I’m stunned no one thought of it before. I know it’s a little deus ex machina-y, but, again, I’m giving Slott a pass, since he’s trying to move us to the next phase. Plus, it’s such a brilliant match, I don’t care if it’s a little artificial in how it arose. I loved the way Pete answered his “pop quiz” based on his experiences as Spider-Man. We rarely get to see Pete and Spidey so well integrated, and it’s a real treat. In fact, usually, when they’re integrated, it’s for negative reasons, like when Pete tries to get a job in the first issue of “Brand New Day” and can’t because he’s considered unreliable due to his frequent Spidey-related absences. It’s a huge change, an entirely different path for the character, and I really hope it sticks for, like, ever. Just like Aunt May, I find myself asking that we just really let Pete have this one. I hope it’s not just some plot relating to a super-villain and we’ll see it disappear in a few issues. Let our man Pete be sort of happy. Just this once. Please, Marvel.
2) As becomes evident below, I actually felt all the characters were better integrated into the plot and the story than ever before. I guess that’s the benefit of having one writer. Previously, characters like Carlie, Norah, and Michele would appear and disappear, based on which writer liked which one more. Here, everyone is part of the story, which is why I’m guessing that Slott got rid of Michele, since he had to prune the tree a bit. In the end, we see Peter inhabiting a lot more polished and richer world than he has, possibly ever. I can’t wait to see where Slott takes it all.
3) Peter in his Spider-Hammock reading the Horizon manual gave me all sorts of warm fuzzies. Thanks, Dan!
The Good
2) As becomes evident below, I actually felt all the characters were better integrated into the plot and the story than ever before. I guess that’s the benefit of having one writer. Previously, characters like Carlie, Norah, and Michele would appear and disappear, based on which writer liked which one more. Here, everyone is part of the story, which is why I’m guessing that Slott got rid of Michele, since he had to prune the tree a bit. In the end, we see Peter inhabiting a lot more polished and richer world than he has, possibly ever. I can’t wait to see where Slott takes it all.
3) Peter in his Spider-Hammock reading the Horizon manual gave me all sorts of warm fuzzies. Thanks, Dan!
The Good
1) This issue starts huge! We’ve got Spidey and the Avengers fighting Doc Ock’s Macro-Octopi, we add in the FF, the Black Cat makes an appearance, and, HURRAH!, we’ve got the return of the Sinister Six AND Hobgoblin! It’s like all my favorites in one issue!
2) I really like the attention to Peter as a smart guy in this issue. First, we see Johnny Storm, Aunt May, and Flash Thompson all talk about how smart he is, how much they’d like to see him live up to his potential as a genius. We also get to see him twice save the day with his brains. Awesome.
3) I enjoyed the return of Marla. After all, two of the major developments of the last 100 issues or so – the sale of the “Daily Bugle” to Dexter Bennett and Peter getting a job – have to do with her, which is a pretty good track record for a character we only see every 20 or 30 issues. I’m glad she and JJJ, Jr. reconciled; without her, we would rarely see JJJ, Jr. as anything other than a tyrant. But, also, I’m glad to see that her role as a scientist is what helps get Peter his new job. She’s usually portrayed either as JJJ, Jr.’s wife or as Spider-Slayer-building genius, but rarely both. Well done, Slott.
4) Slott, more so than possibly any writer before him, actually places Spidey in context of other events. He mentions that he was in the time stream fighting Kang (a reference to Avengers #1-#6, though, to be fair, Spidey never actually entered the time stream), he refers to fighting Doc Ock just a week ago during “Origin of the Species,” etc. It’s hard to do that, and it’s another example of Slott not taking the easy way out here.
5) Normally, as most of you know if you’ve been reading this blog a while, I get cranky when we get references to other Spidey issues/series, if only because I’ve been buying this book three times a month and the whole point of that was that I’d get the whole story. But, that being said, the Phil-Urich-as-Green-Goblin-gang-member reveal is really well done. I’ll probably buy the “Green Goblin” series, but I don’t actually have to do so, which I appreciate.
6) Flash and Betty! Flash and Betty!
7) “You keep a scrapbook?” “He’s my boy.” I loved this interaction between Marla and May. In fact, May was awesome in this issue. We’re FINALLY past that weird Mr. Negative corruption sub-plot that went nowhere. Instead, we see May hold Peter accountable for his numskull move in doctoring those photos but also hoping against hope that Peter gets the job at Horizon Labs.
8) We really see Pete at a low point here. I really felt his pain as he stood outside Aunt May’s door, stressing over having to tell her yet again that he failed. We see Pete so often have to pay the price of being Spider-Man, but I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anyone frame it so well in terms of Aunt May.
The Unknown
2) I really like the attention to Peter as a smart guy in this issue. First, we see Johnny Storm, Aunt May, and Flash Thompson all talk about how smart he is, how much they’d like to see him live up to his potential as a genius. We also get to see him twice save the day with his brains. Awesome.
3) I enjoyed the return of Marla. After all, two of the major developments of the last 100 issues or so – the sale of the “Daily Bugle” to Dexter Bennett and Peter getting a job – have to do with her, which is a pretty good track record for a character we only see every 20 or 30 issues. I’m glad she and JJJ, Jr. reconciled; without her, we would rarely see JJJ, Jr. as anything other than a tyrant. But, also, I’m glad to see that her role as a scientist is what helps get Peter his new job. She’s usually portrayed either as JJJ, Jr.’s wife or as Spider-Slayer-building genius, but rarely both. Well done, Slott.
4) Slott, more so than possibly any writer before him, actually places Spidey in context of other events. He mentions that he was in the time stream fighting Kang (a reference to Avengers #1-#6, though, to be fair, Spidey never actually entered the time stream), he refers to fighting Doc Ock just a week ago during “Origin of the Species,” etc. It’s hard to do that, and it’s another example of Slott not taking the easy way out here.
5) Normally, as most of you know if you’ve been reading this blog a while, I get cranky when we get references to other Spidey issues/series, if only because I’ve been buying this book three times a month and the whole point of that was that I’d get the whole story. But, that being said, the Phil-Urich-as-Green-Goblin-gang-member reveal is really well done. I’ll probably buy the “Green Goblin” series, but I don’t actually have to do so, which I appreciate.
6) Flash and Betty! Flash and Betty!
7) “You keep a scrapbook?” “He’s my boy.” I loved this interaction between Marla and May. In fact, May was awesome in this issue. We’re FINALLY past that weird Mr. Negative corruption sub-plot that went nowhere. Instead, we see May hold Peter accountable for his numskull move in doctoring those photos but also hoping against hope that Peter gets the job at Horizon Labs.
8) We really see Pete at a low point here. I really felt his pain as he stood outside Aunt May’s door, stressing over having to tell her yet again that he failed. We see Pete so often have to pay the price of being Spider-Man, but I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anyone frame it so well in terms of Aunt May.
The Unknown
I wonder who the weird cyber-Spidey guy is.
The Bad
The Bad
1) OK, I’m glad we’re rid of Michele Gonzalez. As I’ve said before, she’s been criminally mishandled for a character who showed some real potential. It does seem a little cold, though, to send her on her way with only four panels. I’m not holding it against Slott, because, seriously, I applaud him for getting rid of her as one of his ways to transition us to a new status quo. But, ouch. Fare ye well, Michele. You deserved better, and hopefully you’ll get it wherever you go.
2) Slott also discards Dexter Bennett and “The DB!” here, putting Ben Urich and Robbie Robertson back in charge of the "Daily Bugle.” Again, I’m not holding this against Slott, but Dexter is pretty summarily dismissed here, particularly given the last time we saw the man he was paralyzed. But, as I mentioned earlier, Slott is clearly cleaning house here, and “The DB!” and Dexter Bennett had to go.
2) Slott also discards Dexter Bennett and “The DB!” here, putting Ben Urich and Robbie Robertson back in charge of the "Daily Bugle.” Again, I’m not holding this against Slott, but Dexter is pretty summarily dismissed here, particularly given the last time we saw the man he was paralyzed. But, as I mentioned earlier, Slott is clearly cleaning house here, and “The DB!” and Dexter Bennett had to go.
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