A Spider-Man Podcast

Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 4) #7 – REVIEW

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After moving past the convoluted and often boring opening arc of this fourth volume of Amazing Spider-Man, the series has seemingly reached a point of two steps forward, two steps back stasis. It’s certainly not as bad as what was put forward in Amazing Spider-Man #4  or #5, but there’s nothing engaging enough from last issue or the book’s most recent entry, Amazing Spider-Man #7, that makes me think that all is right in the world and that Dan Slott has got his groove back as Spidey’s main writer.

ASM2015007-int2-2-5aa27In many ways, “The Dark Forces” resembles what Slott and his rotating band of artists regularly put forward in volume three when the book was not neck-deep in the throes of the significantly problematic “Spider-Verse”: totally average superhero comic book story-telling that has an occasional moment of brilliance often sandwiched around a dosage of “Slott-isms” (too much exposition, frenetic pacing, lack of characterization, etc.). 

What Amazing Spider-Man #7 does right is that it reminds readers of the events of the first arc involving Parker Industries, the Zodiac and S.H.I.E.L.D., but does so in a way that dovetails nicely into the larger narrative that Slott is building towards. Yes, most of the Zodiac-related plot elements from arc one were a total drag and made the book resemble a pale imitation of a Marvel spy book from yesteryear (only lacking a captivating mystery and an engaging villain), but after spending the better part of four months telling readers that the Zodiac pose a legitimate threat to Parker Industries, it’s nice to see these menacing overtures paid off in Amazing Spider-Man #7 via some ominous reveals. 

This is a series that still relies way too heavily on characters changing their motivations seemingly on a dime (or because they’ve been physically manipulated a la the dark versions of Cloak and Dagger here) but progress is progress and if Slott is going to insist on the Zodiac as being his chief antagonists, it’s better for them to be perceived as a group capable of actually taking down Parker Industries.

Similar to last issueAmazing Spider-Man #7 also gives us some more substantial moments inside of Peter’s head, providing readers with a few unique insights. It’s becoming clearer that Peter’s entrepreneurial success is changing his worldview (arguably) for the worst, as the character seems to be falling out of touch with his core characteristics (i.e., bemoaning web-slinging across the city in favor of taking the Spider-Mobile). 

Still, as has been the case with all of volume four to this point, Slott is putting so much effort into building up to the inevitable downfall of Parker Industries, he fails to provide readers with any insights as to how Peter spent his eight months following Secret Wars growing his company into such a powerhouse in the first place. By focusing so much on tearing the whole thing down, Slott appears to have done the unthinkable — taken an otherwise outrageous premise for a Spider-Man comic and made it resemble just another story about the “Parker Luck” biting our hero in the butt at the end. As I mentioned in my review of Amazing Spider-Man #5, in the immortal words of Mike Ehrmantrauit, “no half measures.” If you’re going to radically change the status quo of Spider-Man, then radically change the status quo. This is something Slott did so effectively for the bulk of his run on Superior Spider-Man but has repeatedly failed to replicate since. 

ASM2015007-int2-3-0f235Beyond the book’s broader issues with plot development, volume four is also introducing or reintroducing characters at such a rapid rate, that the series is fast approaching the need for some sort of index at the end to keep up. This critique should not be confused with me being a lazy reader. Perhaps if the bulk of these new characters received more than just a passing mention or two, providing the reader with a glimpse of their personalities and thereby giving us a reason to care about them when Chekov’s gun fires, Slott’s plot twists and turns would feel more memorable. Compare what Slott does with the bulk of the supporting cast in Amazing Spider-Man #7 with his treatment of Harry Osborn — obviously an established character who has nearly fifty years of backstory to build upon. Harry gets a moment to shine in this issue that comes across as being genuine and interesting and will have me looking for a continuation of this subplot down the road. Slott is certainly capable. But he’s rarely consistent.

Similar to the overall vibe to this issue’s story, Matteo Buffagni puts forward some pages and layouts that are likeable enough, but are rarely distinct and impressive. A sequence depicting a swath of shade tabs flying out of Cloak’s cloak, had some visual drama and dynamism to it, but Buffagni follows it up by being a bit too loose with his pencils when Cloak and Dagger make their escape, thereby creating panels that lack some clarity. The same could be said about the aforementioned Osborn scene. Harry, Liz and the kids sharing pizza at a table evokes warmth and characterization, but a following sequence involving a car chase and the arrival of yet another character to the mix lacks any real eye-appeal or “wow” factor, which unfortunately undersells the imminent danger of the situation.

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