*** (three of five stars)
Favorite Quote: "Connors' dead offspring. What is the proper human response for this? Ah. Flailing limbs. Wet eyes. And Mewling." -- the Lizard, showing a fairly detailed understanding of human grief
Summary
Max and Morbius declare that Dr. Connors no longer has a "single trace of the Lizard" in him. Externally, "Dr. Connors" thanks Morbius for helping him, while, internally, the Lizard vows to kill "Vampire-Man." Spidey's Spider-Sense tingles and, after he announces it, the Lizard realizes that he had activated Spidey's ability to sense a predator. However, Spidey mistakenly believes Morbius to be the threat and asks if he's feeling OK. The Lizard seizes the opportunity, asking Morbius about Connors' blood work and, when Morbius drools over it, mentioning how hungry he is. Morbius responds that he doesn't have any "solid food" in his lab, but looked at his storage unit when he said it; the Lizard realizes that he keeps his blood supply there and hypothesizes that he's running low after the Lizard sliced him during the battle. Meanwhile, Morbius announces that he'd like to start using the cure on himself and Spidey objects, since the last time they did so Morbius tried to kill Max and him. The Lizard overhears Morbius confirm that everything that they need for the cure is in the lab and then Spidey arguing with Max that Morbius isn't a "good man" after he desecrated Billy's corpse. The Lizard fakes grief at this revelation and demands to see Billy. Morbius shows him Billy's body, admitting that he was motivated to cure himself, and "Dr. Connors," in a performance meriting the Academy Award for Best Lizard in a Dramatic Role, asks to be left alone with the body. Spidey hustles out Max and Morbius from the room.
Looking around the lab, the Lizard realizes that he needs more time than the group will give him to find a way to revert to his Lizard self. He decides to create a diversion and pours blood into the air vents to tempt Morbius. In the hallway, Hector and several members of the Horizon Team greet Max, Morbius, and Spidey. Hector informs Max that several people had been made aware not only of Morbius' presence but also of his grave-robbing. Sajani announces that she's called Carlie Cooper, who arrives on the scene. As the scent of blood wafts into the hallway, Carlie asks Spidey why Morbius is just standing there if she sent him to apprehend him. Spidey begins to explain about Dr. Connors while Sajani tells Morbius that he has to leave. However, Morbius attacks Sajani. Appalled, he begins to apologize, but Spidey attacks him. Morbius begs Max for forgiveness and Spidey stops Uatu from killing him, fearing that Morbius, as a creature of instinct, would attack him. Morbius flees quickly, asking Max to forgive him one final time. Spidey takes Uatu's vampire-hunting equipment and chases after Morbius. Bella helps Sajani to the infirmary while Hector pledges Horizon's cooperation to Carlie. However, "Dr. Connors" appears, asserting that he can cure Morbius. Carlie says that she has to take in Dr. Connors, for killing his son, and "Dr. Connors" agrees to go. However, he recalls that he once developed the cure for himself, Morbius, and a mutated Spider-man. Hector swears that Dr. Connors can remain in Carlie's custody while he works on the formula and, much to "Dr. Connors'" annoyance, Max insists on assisting. Uatu also offers to help, and "Dr. Connors" reacts sharply, briefly seeing him as Billy.
Spidey chases down Morbius and attacks him, stating that "he's not going to resemble anything -- other than a big, bloody smear on the pavement." Morbius claims that he wasn't in his right mind, but Spidey's not having any of it, declaring, "No more tears and excuses for poor Michael Morbius!" Meanwhile, Madame Web has a vision of Hobgoblin, Norah (?), someone from Horizon, Kingpin, and some costumed guy with a white goatee, fearing that the "great web itself is...unraveling." "Dr. Connors" and Max work on the cure, injecting rats with the Lizard Formula so that they can test the antidote. "Dr. Connors" surreptitiously tries the Lizard Formula on himself, growing back his arm. However, he's enraged that Morbius' cure apparently prevents his full transformation and attacks Max, injecting him with the Lizard Formula so that he can test on him. Noting the irony of achieving Connors' goal of having both his arms restored, he then begins to eat one of the rats.
The Review
Despite a lot happening in this issue, I don't have a lot of specific comments, since Slott seamlessly moves you through the story from start to finish. He's clearly building to something here and it's just exciting to be part of that process.
The Good
1) The best part of this issue is the Lizard's running commentary. "Rip out your throat" "Kill all of you!"
2) Slott does a great job of juggling a lot of characters here, making sure that they all retain their distinct voices as they engage in conversation here. I mentioned recently that one of the things that I find so amazing about Peter David is that he doesn't just have a character have a set personality and then have everyone interact with him/her in the same way; instead, every character interacts with every other character based on the give-and-take of their individual (and clearly defined) personalities. Slott is equally talented here, given that he has nine different people with speaking roles huddled in a Horizon Labs corridor discussing what they should do about Morbius.
3) I definitely did not see the Lizard injecting Max with the Lizard Formula coming. Wow. That said, I loved the cleverness of the Lizard throughout this issue, from realizing that crying over Billy would be the only way to get Morbius to vacate his laboratory and then knowing that causing Morbius to attack someone would send Spidey after him (and give the Lizard some space to work). Clever, clever Lizard.
The Unknown
Pete saying that he wants Morbius to resemble a "big bloody smear on the pavement" is perhaps a sign that Pete really is starting to lose it, like I hypothesized last issue, given that it's not really a Pete-like kind of thing to say. After all, he extended his "Nobody Dies" rule to Doc Ock in "Ends of the Earth," even though the guy planned to wipe out virtually the entire world's population. Morbius biting (but not killing) Sajani seems pretty tame in comparison, so the disparity between Pete's response to him and to Dr. Ock is pretty startling.
The Bad
Of the three regular Spidey artists, Camuncoli is my least favorite. Part of the reason is that almost everyone looks alike when they're not in a costume. Other than the hair color, it's virtually impossible to distinguish Dr. Connors from Peter. That really shouldn't be the case.
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