Amazing Spider-Man #583: "Platonic"

**** (four of five stars) 

Favorite Quote:  "I wish he were around more, but he's always there when no one else is.  And that's enough.  Because when you don't burden him with expectations and just let Peter be Peter...he shines." -- Betty Brant, on our man, Pete

Summary
Betty decides to help Pete with his love life by taking him speed dating.  (It doesn't go well.)  Pete has to ditch Betty in order to stop a mugger, misses an appointment with her to get a "21st century haircut" because he's fighting Menace, and is hours late to a date to meet a friend of Betty's because he's saving people from a burning building.  Meanwhile, we hear from Betty's "voice-over" that she's nervous Pete's going to flake on setting up her birthday party.  In the end, when only Peter appears, she gets mad at him for flaking, only to have Peter reveal that no one wanted to come because they're mad at Betty for stories she's written at "The DB!" 

The Review
(I actually didn't know this issue was the "Obama issue" until I read it.  I've got the cover with...well, we'll get there.  The Obama story is OK, but the Betty Brant story is great.  I'm ignoring the Obama story for the purpose of this review, because, meh.  Let's talk about Betty:)

This issue is awesome.  I'll admit it:  I teared up a little at the end.  I noted in an earlier post how happy I was to see Betty Brant back in the mix.  I realize now that, one of the benefits of "Brand New Day," in terms of story telling, is that the writers don't have to dedicate so much space to Mary Jane anymore, so some supporting characters are getting some more space to shine.  Harry is back, Flash had an issue dedicated just to him a few issues ago, and, in this issue, we get Betty Brant.  Mark Waid writes Betty better than, I don't know, possibly anyone ever. 

The Good
1) I'm not sure if Betty likes Peter and vice versa.  One of the many aspects of this issue that I love is that Mark Waid allows that ambiguity to exist.  He doesn't make Betty into some sad sack (though, based on the first few pages, I was worried we were going there), desperately in love with Peter but trying to get to pretend she's not.  She's actually a friend, who may have some interest on some level in him, but is actually still being a friend.  The same with Peter.  Peter isn't pining for Betty necessarily, but he's still there setting up her birthday party (or trying to do so).  It's a study on two characters that have a long, long history and Waid allows it to be accordingly complicated.

2) Betty's "voice-over" about Peter on the last two pages is just so...heartwarming.  We often see Peter struggling, usually in a comedic way, with trying to let Peter Parker have a life while still being Spider-Man.  He's not Batman or Cyclops or any other hero who really doesn't have another identity from the hero he is.  I thought it was unique for us to get the perspective of someone on what it's like to be friends with Peter.  I'm tearing up right now thinking about it.  I kind of feel like Betty was talking to me.  It's like I suddenly remembered how great Pete is, too. 

The Bad
1) The cover is awful.  Peter looks about 40 (really, a turtleneck, blazer, and pinstriped pants:  is he a pimp?) and the "Face it, cougars -- you've just hit the jackpot!" is an insult to Mary Jane that we here on Team Mary Jane just won't stand.

2) Other than the cover, I'm knocking this issue to four stars because it would've been nice to hear more from Betty about how she felt about working at "The DB!" after Peter told her everyone was mad at her.  She's worried that everyone hates her, but it would've been nice to hear how she struggles with trying to keep her professional ethics in tact.  I'm playing the gender card here:  when Peter himself went through this struggle in "Peter Parker:  Paparazzi," he more or less shrugged off the personal criticisms, but was deeply worried about the professional repercussions.  I would've liked to have heard Betty address those.  She could've cried about everyone not liking her (I probably would've:  I mean, Jesus, it was her birthday), but we could've gotten a little bit more from Betty Brant, professional journalist.