Amazing Spider-Man #662: "The Substitute"

* (one of five stars)

Summary

The Avengers Academy kids attack Spidey under the influence of Psycho Man.  Spidey neutralizes them while trying to help Reptil fight Psycho-Man's influence (since he's the only one showing the ability to do so).  Psycho-Man ups the ante by deciding to get the kids to kill an innocent, something that would permanently ruin them, making them believe they're the villains everyone believes they are.  Spidey tries to stop them, and he's almost killed by Reptil, until Spidey helps him remember he's a hero.  Reptil then convinces Mist to fight Psycho-Man's influence, and she uses her power to do the same for the other kids.  Together, they defeat Psycho-Man.  Back at Infinite Avengers Mansion, Spidey apologizes to Giant-Man for putting the kids in danger, but the kids thank him for treating them like real people and not potential villains.

In the first back-up feature, we see a regular man who, like the teenager from last issue, has gained Spidey powers, using them to save his family from a fire.

In the second back-up feature, we see the history of a guy called Magnetic Man, who invented gauntlets he used to rob banks.  Spidey stopped him, and he was sentenced to jail for six years.  Now free, he's struggling to find a job and decides to try bank robbing again.  He's stopped by Peter, who offers him a job at Horizon Labs.

The Review

OK, I hated this issue.  Just like the end of last issue, it's basically one long "After-School Special," with Spidey telling the kids "YOU CAN DO IT!" and the kids feeling all inspired.  If it was some sort of special issue that Marvel was giving out free in elementary schools, I'd say cool.  But, it's not.  It's "Amazing Spider-Man" #662.  Any number of writers could have struck the same themes Gage does here -- how Spidey, who's seen his fair share of troubles in life and who's the original teen hero, could inspire the Avengers Academy kids -- without waxing schmaltzy and narrative-y.  Gage is so heavy-handed, though, that it made this issue almost unreadable for me.  I mean, even the second back-up feature about Magnetic Man suffered the same problem.  I could go into goods and bads here, but they'd all be bads so I'm going to skip it.  I'm glad that it seems like we've ended the ongoing team-up story arcs and are returning to regular Spidey stories next issue.  It's about time, at this point.